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Genus plc.
Annual Report 2018

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FY2018 Annual Report · Genus plc.
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CUTTING EDGE

INNOVATION

Genus plc  Annual Report 2018

INNOVATIONINNOVATION 
 
 
 
 
WORLD 
LEADER

IN ANIMAL GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

WORLD LEADER01

GENUS HELPS FARMERS TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY 
MEAT AND MILK MORE EFFICIENTLY AND SUSTAINABLY, 
WHICH INCREASES THE AVAILABILITY OF SAFE, 
AFFORDABLE ANIMAL PROTEIN FOR CONSUMERS.

PAGES 02-41

PAGES 42-90

PAGES 91-168

PAGES 169-181

ADDITIONAL  
INFORMATION

169   Five-Year Record – 

Consolidated Results

170  Glossary
172 

 Notice of Annual 
General Meeting

181  Advisers

STRATEGIC 
REPORT

CORPORATE 
GOVERNANCE

FINANCIAL 
STATEMENTS

42  Chairman’s Letter
44 

 Board of Directors and 
Company Secretary 
 Genus Executive 
Leadership Team

46 

48  The Board’s Year in Review 
 Corporate Governance 
52 
Statement
 Nomination Committee 
Report

59 

62  Audit Committee Report
 Directors’ Remuneration 
65 
Report

89  Other Statutory 
Disclosures
 Directors’ Responsibilities

90 

91 

 Independent 
Auditor’s Report

97  Group Income Statement
 Group Statement of  
98 
Comprehensive Income
 Group Statement of 
Changes in Equity

99  

100   Group Balance Sheet
102    Group Statement of 

Cash Flows

103    Notes to the Group 
Financial Statements

158    Parent Company 

Balance Sheet

159    Parent Company Statement 
of Changes in Equity
160   Notes to the Parent 
Company Financial 
Statements

02  2018 Highlights
04  Genus at a Glance
06  Business Model
08  Market Overview
10  Strategic Framework
12  Principal Risks and 
Uncertainties
14  Going Concern and  

Viability Statement
16  Chairman’s Statement
18  Chief Executive’s Review
20  Strategy in Action
26  Divisional Reviews
32  Financial Review
36  People and Culture
38  Corporate Responsibility

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION02

2018 HIGHLIGHTS

2018 WAS ANOTHER YEAR OF POSITIVE FINANCIAL PROGRESS,  
AS GENUS CONTINUED TO EXECUTE ITS STRATEGY SUCCESSFULLY

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS1

£470.3M

Revenue of £470.3m increased 2%  
(6% in constant currency) with strong 
bovine revenues, up 8% (11% in 
constant currency), primarily from  
strong sexed semen sales, while  
porcine revenues were 1% lower  
(up 3% in constant currency) 

£58.5M

Adjusted profit before tax up 4% to 
£58.5m (up 9% in constant currency), with 
a strong performance in Genus ABS, up 
29% in constant currency, and continued 
growth of 5% in PIC in constant currency. 
Adjusted operating profit including joint 
ventures improved 10% in constant 
currency, or 12% before increased gene 
editing spending

£7.8M

Statutory profit before tax down 81% 
to £7.8m, due principally to a reduction 
in the non-cash fair value of biological 
assets. However, statutory profit after 
tax increased by 21% to £41.6m, as a 
result of non-cash deferred tax credits 
related to biological assets arising from 
US tax reforms

Group Revenue
(£m)

459.1

470.3

398.5

388.3

372.2

Adjusted Profit Before Tax
(£m)

56.4

58.5

49.7

46.6

39.3

Statutory Profit Before Tax 
(£m)

60.9

57.8

38.2

40.7

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18

7.8

75.9P

Record adjusted basic earnings per 
share2 up 9% to 75.9p (up 15% in 
constant currency) and statutory basic 
earnings per share up 30% to 69.7p, 
reflecting the biological asset reduction 
and non-cash deferred tax credits 
mentioned above

26.0P

Reflecting the Board’s continuing 
confidence in the Group’s prospects,  
it is recommending a final dividend of 
17.9p per share, to give a total dividend 
of 26.0p per share, up 10% and well 
covered by adjusted earnings at 2.9 
times (2017: 2.9 times)

£24.3M

Solid free cash flow of £24.3m (2017: 
£25.4m), achieved alongside significant 
capital investments for long-term 
growth, with strong cash conversion of 
101% (2017: 84%) while cash inflows 
from joint ventures were lower at £2.8m 
(2017: £8.3m) following a very strong 
prior year

Net debt to EBITDA of 1.4x (2017: 1.5x), 
with net debt at 30 June 2018 of 
£108.5m (2017: £111.6m) after 
acquisitions and investments of £1.8m 
(2017: £30.0m)

Adjusted Basic Earnings Per Share
(pence)

75.9

69.4

60.7

56.8

46.5

Free Cash Flow
(£m)
26.2

25.4

22.6

24.3

15.7

Dividend Per Share
(pence)

26.0

23.6

21.4

19.5

17.7

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

03

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS3

CONTINUED OPERATING PROFIT GROWTH OF 5% IN PIC, ON VOLUMES 
UP 8% AND ROYALTY REVENUES UP 10%

•  Strong profit growth in Europe of almost 50% and Latin America of 17%

•  Achieved encouraging first year results from the Hermitage acquisition and partnership

•  Strong volume growth of 19% in Asia, though profit growth tempered, as expected, by lower 

pig prices in China

•  Entered into a strategic relationship with Møllevang, a leading Danish porcine genetics 
company, on 2 July 2018, to distribute elite genetics in the important Danish market

ABS ACHIEVED PROFIT GROWTH OF 29%, WITH REVENUE AND 
VOLUME GROWTH IN ALL REGIONS, FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH  
OF SEXCEL®, ABS’S PROPRIETARY, INNOVATIVE SEXED  
GENETICS PRODUCT4

•  Overall volumes up 5%, with sexed volumes up 25% on strong demand for Sexcel, with 

sales ahead of expectations 

•  Beef volumes up 8%, with successful launch of proprietary NuEra® beef genetics and 

increased use of beef genetics in dairy herds

•  IVB continued to grow its presence with large accounts, achieving a 20% volume increase 

•  Third-party IntelliGen® contracts secured in Europe and India

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT INCREASED BY 13%  
AS PLANNED, AS KEY INITIATIVES IN GENE EDITING, BIOSYSTEMS 
ENGINEERING AND GENOMIC SELECTION MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS

•  Pregnancies established to expand the population of gene edited pigs from matings of the 

first batches of founder generation animals born under the PRRSv development 
programme5. First patents issued and continued positive regulatory engagement

•  IntelliGen technology successfully commercialised globally, to support ABS Sexcel and 

third-party customers wanting to use a 21st Century sexing technology

•  Achieved a leadership position in the dairy Holstein breed with 37 of the top 100 genomic 

bulls in the US$ Net Merit rankings, driven by the success of De Novo

1  For definitions of adjusted profit, free cash flow and cash conversion, see Financial Review on pages 32 to 35. Results 

discussed throughout the Annual Report are on an adjusted basis unless otherwise stated.

2  For definition of adjusted basic earnings per share, see note 12 to the Financial Statements on page 117.
3  Based on adjusted results including joint venture income, less non-controlling interest in constant currency.
4  Sexcel is the ABS brand of sexed genetics produced with its proprietary 21st Century IntelliGen technology.
5  The PRRSv programme refers to our development-phase gene editing programme, to confer resistance to pigs to 

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION04

GENUS AT A GLANCE

PRODUCING SUPERIOR BREEDING ANIMALS 
THROUGH GENETIC IMPROVEMENT
WHAT WE DO

Genus is a world-leading animal genetics 
company. We continuously develop 
better pigs and cows for farmers, 
by selecting animals with desirable 

characteristics that help them to 
produce higher-quality meat and milk 
more efficiently and sustainably.

Examples of desirable characteristics 
include feed efficiency, disease 
resistance, protein and fat content, 
and fertility.

REVENUE1

OPERATING PROFIT INCLUDING JOINT VENTURES1

£248M
£211M

Porcine
Bovine

£95M
£26M

Porcine
Bovine

1  Excludes Research and Development revenues and costs.

SERVING PORK, DAIRY AND BEEF FARMERS GLOBALLY

PORK
Our porcine genetics 
business PIC sells genetically 
superior sows, boars and 
semen, to breed pigs with 
desirable characteristics for 
pork production. PIC also 
provides technical services 
and advice to farmers, to 
maximise the performance 
of our breeding animals.

DAIRY AND BEEF
Our bovine genetics business, 
ABS, sells bull semen and 
embryos, which are delivered 
through artificial insemination 
to breed dairy and beef cattle 
with desirable characteristics 
for milk and beef production. 
ABS also provides semen 
sexing, IVF, reproductive 
and other technical services 
to farmers, to maximise 
the performance of our 
breeding animals.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

PIC owns over 10 pure-bred pig lines, 
housed in two strategic nucleus facilities 
located in the US and Canada. These 
animals are multiplied and then cross-
bred in over 400 predominantly sub-
contracted multiplication units located 
around the world. PIC boars are also 
housed in about 400 boar studs globally, 
where semen is collected for distribution 
to customers and multiplication herds.

PIC genetics are sold under the PIC 
brand through direct sales channels and 
strategic partners.

ABS produces genetically elite bulls in 
the US, Europe and Latin America and 
also sources bulls from third-party 
breeders. The most elite bulls ‘graduate’ 
to one of ABS’s six production studs, 
where their semen is collected for 
distribution as a frozen ‘straw’ of semen 
or used to create embryos.

ABS genetics are sold globally through 
direct sales channels and strategic 
partners under the ABS brand. However 
in the UK and France, they are sold 
under the long established Genus and 
Bovec brands, respectively.

05

HOW WE DO IT

We analyse animals’ DNA and look for 
markers that are linked to desirable 
characteristics. We then select animals 
with the strongest genetic profile and 
breed them to produce even better 

INVESTING TO STRENGTHEN OUR POSITION

offspring, in a continuous cycle. We 
distribute these genetically superior 
animals to our customers in the form of 
breeding animals, semen or embryos.

We also own technology that enables us 
to screen and process semen for 
desirable traits, such as gender, and 
license-in technology to make precise, 
desirable gene edits to animals’ DNA, 
which we are employing in our product 
development programmes.

£m

100

80

60

40

20

0

13

14

15

16

17

18

£75M+

Invested in 2018

Research & Development1
Capital Expenditure2
Acquisitions & Investments

1 
2 

Includes IntelliGen capitalised development expenses.
Includes biological asset cash movements and finance lease payments. 

Sales presence in

35+

Countries1

For more information
see pages 06 to 07

Sales presence in

75+

Countries3

For more information
see pages 06 to 07

2,000+

Customers

150M+

MPEs2

 50,000+

Customers

18M+

Cattle inseminations and embryo transfers

Including through franchises, distributors and joint ventures.

1 
2  MPEs refers to market pig equivalents, a standardised measure of our customers’ production of slaughter animals that contain our genetics.
3 

Including through distributors.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION06

BUSINESS MODEL

PRODUCING AND DELIVERING SUPERIOR 
ANIMALS TO FARMERS

   PRODUCE GENETICALLY SUPERIOR BREEDING ANIMALS

OUR STRENGTHS AND RESOURCES

SHARED PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM

GENOMIC SELECTION
We breed successive generations of animals  
by scientifically selecting superior parents  
through DNA analysis

BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
We use technology to interrogate and manipulate 
cells, such as our sexed semen technology

GENE EDITING
We make precise, controllable changes  
directly to animals’ genes in our research  
and development programmes

IN VITRO BIOLOGY
We perform matings using IVF technology

GENOME SCIENCE
We understand the links between DNA and 
animals’ observable characteristics, and how  
we can influence them

GLOBAL POSITION
Genus is uniquely placed as a global player,  
with leading market positions and brands

ELITE ANIMALS
We own elite livestock with traits farmers want

PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY
We own and license leading genomic and 
breeding technology, developed in-house and 
through strategic partnerships

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
We serve over 50,000 customers globally, 
including world-leading meat and milk producers

EXPERT PEOPLE
We have over 90 PhD qualified employees and 
relationships with leading research institutions

SUPPLY CHAIN AND DISTRIBUTION
We have production facilities in key locations 
worldwide, coupled with sales forces and agents 
in over 75 countries

FINANCIAL STRENGTH
Our cash generative businesses and strong 
financial position allow us to invest for the future

LINK TO STRATEGY

INCREASING GENETIC CONTROL 
AND PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

TARGETING KEY MARKETS 
AND SEGMENTS

SHARING IN THE 
VALUE DELIVERED

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

07

 DELIVER IMPROVED BREEDING 
ANIMALS TO FARMERS

 PRICE ACCORDING TO  
THE VALUE DELIVERED

DELIVERING FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS

CUSTOMERS
We help our customers to produce  
better meat and milk, more efficiently 
and sustainably

CONSUMERS
We increase consumers’ access to safe, 
affordable and nutritious animal protein

COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT
We make farming more sustainable  
by reducing the use of feed, water and 
other resources

PEOPLE
We employ approximately 2,900 people 
globally, who all help to deliver our vision  
of nourishing the world

INVESTORS
By sharing in the value we deliver  
to customers, we generate returns  
for our investors

GENETICS PRIMARILY SOLD ON  
MULTI‑YEAR ROYALTY AGREEMENTS

BOARS IN STUD

35,000+

boars producing semen

superior pigs with traits 
farmers want

EXPANSION HERDS

400,000+

GGP/GP animals with our genetics 
under genetic management1

CUSTOMER

150M+

MPEs produced

GENETICS PRICED ACCORDING TO  
INDICES OF GENETIC MERIT

STUD

18M+

straws of semen sold

CUSTOMER

6-7M

dairy and  
beef calves born

600+

superior dairy  
and beef bulls  
with traits  
farmers want

IVF LAB

290,000+

embryos produced

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

1   GGP/GP refers to great grandparent/grandparent.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION08

MARKET OVERVIEW

HELPING TO MEET THE GROWING  
DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PROTEIN  
THROUGH GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

Forecast Growth in  
Protein Production

LONG-TERM DEMAND DRIVERS FOR 
ANIMAL GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

+1%

Pork

+2%

Milk

+1%

Beef

Growing consumption of animal 
protein driven by global population 
growth and greater appetite for animal 
protein in growing urban populations.

Increasing competition for resources 
such as land and water puts pressure on 
farmers to use superior genetics and 
new technologies to improve efficiency.

Growing consumer awareness  
is driving demand for high-quality 
products, which are produced with 
fewer drugs.

Farms are becoming larger and more 
technified. Larger producers typically 
measure performance in more detail and 
better understand the benefits of 
superior genetics.

Source: OECD-FAO; represents 
forecast global production CAGR 
between 2017–2026.

Average US Dairy Farm Size

)
s
0
0
0
(

s
m
r
a
f

y
r
i
a
d
S
U

f
o

r
e
b
m
u
N

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

Number of US dairy farms (000s)
Average milk produced per US dairy (tonnes)

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

)
s
e
n
n
o
t
(

m
r
a
f

r
e
p

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m
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a
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A

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
09

KEY TRENDS IN THE ANIMAL GENETICS INDUSTRY

+1%

Growth in conventional 
semen

+25%

Growth in sexed 
semen

+20%

Growth in embryos

Growth rates refer to actual volume growth rates for 2018 delivered by ABS. Conventional and sexed 
volumes relate to global dairy semen volumes. Embryos relate to total global embryo volumes.

Consolidation of Elite Breeding Herds
The number of breeders consistently 
producing high-ranking dairy genetics  
is falling, due to the consolidation  
of genetically elite breeding herds.  
Elite porcine breeding herds are also 
consolidating. This consolidation is  
driven by the increasing cost and use of 
technology to keep pace with industry 
leaders. As genetics consolidate, some 
breeders are choosing to enter into 
strategic alliances with competitors,  
so that they can offer their customers 
superior genetics.

Breeders Featured in Top 200
Holstein Bull Rankings

107

85%

48

48%

# of breeders 
featured

Top 20 breeders’
share of top bulls

2008
2018

Source: Genus analysis; US Holstein breeders 
represented in the Top 200 NM$ rankings by birth 
year; 2018 data based on Top 200 Holsteins active 
using April 2018 data from the Council on Dairy 
Cattle Breeding.

Adoption of Technology
Adoption of semen sexing technology 
and IVF is growing fast across dairy and 
beef herds, as they enable more focused 
selection of breeding animals, to breed a 
stronger next generation. Ownership or 
access to such technology is important 
in helping farmers accelerate genetic 
progress in their herds.

Breakthrough Technology and Data
The animal genetics industry is pursuing 
alternative solutions in the fight against 
animal disease and suffering. These 
include using data and health-focused 
breeding indices, and exploring 
breakthrough technology, including gene 
editing, which could have a significant 
impact on farming and animal well-being.

OUR POSITION IN THE ANIMAL GENETICS INDUSTRY

MARKET SHARE > PIC1

MARKET SHARE > ABS2

Genus is a world leader in animal genetic 
improvement. We have a global 
commercial platform with critical mass. 
We are also the only listed porcine and 
bovine genetics company globally, giving 
us strategic access to finance. Our 
competitors are largely private companies 
and farmer-owned cooperatives, many of 
which are regionally focused.

24% PIC
11% Competitor 1
11% Competitor 2
4%  Competitor 3

3%  Competitor 4
14% Internal programmes
33% Other

11% Competitor 1
9%  Competitor 2
8%  ABS
5%  Competitor 3

4%  Competitor 4
63% Other

1  Source: Governmental agencies, local independent pork organisations, Genus estimates. Market share represents the estimated share of technified/commercial 

production in top pig production markets.

2  Source: Governmental agencies, regional bovine genetics and agriculture organisations, Genus estimates. Market share represents the estimated share of 

combined dairy and beef volumes in ABS’s Top 30 target markets for dairy and Top 8 target markets for beef.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

CORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONSTRATEGIC  REPORT10

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

CAPTURING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH

INCREASING GENETIC CONTROL 
AND PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION
To strengthen our product offering
We use the latest technology to continuously improve our 
own herds, investing in new technology to strengthen our 
capabilities, and protecting our unique position by choosing 
how to deploy our genes and technology.

TARGETING KEY MARKETS  
AND SEGMENTS
To deliver the right offering for the right customers
We target leading integrated pork producers and progressive 
dairy farmers globally, and offer them our superior breeding 
animals, semen and embryos, together with technical 
services, tailored to their needs.

SHARING IN THE VALUE 
DELIVERED
To capture an appropriate share of the value we deliver 
to customers, aligning our interests with theirs
We demonstrate the value of our genetics on farm through 
trials and data, and link our pricing to genetic indices and our 
customers’ productivity.

GENUS HELPS FARMERS TO 
PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY MEAT 
AND MILK MORE EFFICIENTLY 
AND SUSTAINABLY. WE DO THIS 
BY CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING 
SUPERIOR BREEDING ANIMALS 
THROUGH GENETIC 
IMPROVEMENT, WITH 
CHARACTERISTICS TAILORED 
FOR DIFFERENT MARKETS.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

11

Porcine Genetic Improvement Index
(US$)

3.77

3.34

3.18

3.24

1.90

Net Merit Rankings
(genomic and daughter proven bulls)
● Genomic

15

30

23

17

17

37

Genomic

18

19

13

11

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18

Measures the genetic improvement we achieve in our 
porcine nucleus herds that ultimately filters down to 
our customers` farms. 

Definition
The index measures the marginal improvement in 
customers’ US$ profitability, per commercial pig per 
year, on a rolling three-year average. Prior years’ index 
ratings have been updated, to reflect the latest results 
from genomic selection and the economic values of 
pork production.

Performance
Implementing genomic selection technology in 2013 
led to a step change in genetic gain value improvement 
in the following years and has delivered a further 
improvement of US$3.24 per pig in 2018.

Monitors how many of our bulls are highly ranked, 
based on economically relevant traits for farmers.

Definition
The number of our generally available Holstein bulls 
listed in the top 100 Genomic US$ Net Merit rankings 
for genomically tested and the top 100 US$ Net Merit 
rankings for daughter proven sires.

Performance
Genus has established a leadership position with its 
strength in genomic bulls, which over time will become 
daughter proven bulls. This is mainly driven by the 
growing portion of high-quality bulls sourced from our 
proprietary breeding programme, De Novo.

Dairy and Beef Volume Growth
(%)

6

5

5

1

14

15

16

17

18

Porcine Volume Growth
(%)
9

8

6

4

4

(6)

14

15

16

17

18

Tracks our global unit sales growth in dairy and beef.

Definition
The change in dairy, beef and sexed units of semen 
and embryos delivered or produced for customers 
in the year.

Performance
Bovine volumes improved 5% to 18.6 million units, 
with growth across all regions. Sexed volumes were up 
25%, reflecting a successful launch of Sexcel, which 
also strongly influenced the use of beef-on-dairy 
genetics, supporting an 8% increase in global beef. 
Embryo volumes increased 20%, as IVB continued to 
grow in large enterprise accounts.

Tracks the growth in the number of commercial pigs 
with PIC genetics globally.

Definition
The change in volume of both direct and royalty animal 
sales, using a standardised MPEs measure of commercial 
slaughter animals that contain our genetics. 

Performance
Volumes grew 8% to 151 million MPEs, with double-digit 
growth in Latin America, Europe and Asia, with growth in 
China being particularly strong from high stockings. 
Royalty contract volumes also increased 7%, fuelled 
particularly by growth in Europe of 27%.

Operating Profit Per Market 
Pig Equivalent
(£)

0.61

0.56

0.51

0.43

0.38

Bovine Operating Profit Per Dose
(£)
1.03

0.88

0.70

0.60

0.57

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18

Monitors porcine profitability per unit of volume.

Monitors bovine profitability per unit of volume.

Definition
Net porcine adjusted operating profit including product 
development, expressed per MPE. Results include our 
share of Agroceres PIC, our Brazilian joint venture.

Performance
Operating profit per MPE was £0.56, down £0.05 
(down £0.02 in constant currency), due to supply chain 
and porcine product development investments, to fuel 
future profit growth.

Definition
Net dairy and beef adjusted operating profit including 
product development, expressed per dose of  
semen or embryo delivered. Excludes India, as its 
characteristics are substantially different to the rest  
of our bovine business.

Performance
Operating profit per dose was £0.70, up £0.13, due  
to a strong sales performance of Sexcel launched in  
the year and with lower costs of production than the 
predecessor technology.

What does success look like?
Creating better breeding 
animals for farmers, measured 
against proprietary and public 
indices which are weighted 
towards economic traits that 
help farmers operate more 
efficiently and sustainably.

For more information
see pages 20 to 21

What does success look like?
Growing volumes, particularly 
with progressive dairies and 
integrated pork producers, who 
focus heavily on the efficiency 
and sustainability of their 
production systems.

For more information
see pages 22 to 23

What does success look like?
Generating profit resulting  
from the superior quality and 
performance of our products  
in customers’ systems.

For more information
see pages 24 to 25

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Proven● ProvenSTRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION1 2

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

GENUS SUPPLIES BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS TO AGRICULTURAL 
CUSTOMERS AND IS EXPOSED TO A WIDE RANGE OF RISKS 
AND UNCERTAINTIES.

Some of these risks relate to the current 
business operations in our global 
agricultural markets, while others relate 
to future commercial exploitation of our 
leading-edge R&D programmes.

We have identified ten principal risks, 
which we periodically evaluate based on 
an assessment of the likelihood of 
occurrence and magnitude of potential 
impact, together with the effectiveness 
of our risk mitigation controls. The table 
below outlines the principal risks and 
uncertainties facing Genus and how we 

manage them. We also identified those 
principal risks which are more likely to 
have a short to medium-term impact for 
the evaluation of our going concern and 
viability assessment. This is discussed in 
detail within our viability statement.

The Directors confirm that they have 
undertaken a robust assessment of the 
principal risks and uncertainties facing 
the Group. More information on our risk 
management framework can be found in 
the Corporate Governance Statement on 
pages 52 to 58.

LINK TO STRATEGY/
VIABILITY 
ASSESSMENT

INCREASING GENETIC 
CONTROL AND PRODUCT 
DIFFERENTIATION

TARGETING KEY 
MARKETS AND 
SEGMENTS

SHARING IN THE 
VALUE DELIVERED

CONSIDERED FOR 
VIABILITY ASSESSMENT

STRATEGIC RISKS

RISK DESCRIPTION

HOW WE MANAGE RISK

STRATEGY/VIABILITY RISK CHANGE IN 2018

DEVELOPING PRODUCTS WITH COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

•  Development programmes 

fail to produce best genetics 
for customers.

•  Increased competition to 
secure elite genetics.

Dedicated teams align our product development to 
customer requirements. We use large-scale data and 
advanced genomic analysis to ensure we meet our 
breeding goals. We frequently measure our performance 
against competitors in customers’ systems, to ensure the 
value added by our genetics remains competitive.

CONTINUING TO SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOP INTELLIGEN TECHNOLOGY

•  Failure to manage the 

technical, production and 
financial risks associated with 
the rapid development of the 
IntelliGen business.

•  The industry response to the 
introduction of competition 
into the sexed semen market.

Our continued development of the technology and its 
deployment to new markets is supported by dedicated 
internal resources and agreements with external partners 
and suppliers. Further patent infringement proceedings 
initiated by STGenetics (‘ST’) in the US in 2017 are being 
vigorously defended (see note 7 for a description of the 
2014 appeal proceedings and the 2017 patent litigation).

DEVELOPING AND COMMERCIALISING GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGIES

•  Failure to develop successfully 

and commercialise gene 
editing technologies due to 
technical, intellectual property 
(‘IP’), market, regulatory or 
financial barriers.

•  Competitors secure ‘game-

changing’ technology.

We stay aware of new technology opportunities through 
a wide network of academic and industry contacts. Our 
R&D Portfolio Management Team (‘R&D PMT’) oversees 
our own research, ensures we correctly prioritise our 
R&D investments and assesses the adequacy of 
resources and the relevant IP landscapes. We have 
formal collaboration agreements with key partners, to 
ensure responsible exploration and development of 
technologies and the protection of IP. The Board is 
updated regularly on key development projects.

CAPTURING VALUE THROUGH ACQUISITIONS

•  Failure to identify appropriate 
investment opportunities or to 
perform sound due diligence.

•  Failure to successfully 

integrate an acquired business.

We have a rigorous acquisition analysis and due diligence 
process, with the Board reviewing and signing off all 
material projects. We also have a structured post-
acquisition integration planning and execution process.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Reduced. No change in porcine 
but decreased in bovine, due to 
increased access to elite dairy 
genetics through the acquisition 
of De Novo.

Reduced. We successfully 
launched Sexcel, produced  
with IntelliGen technology,  
and customer acceptance has 
been strong. We continue to 
increase IntelliGen’s global 
deployment and have secured 
third-party customers.

No change. Key initiatives 
continue to progress through 
the R&D life cycle and we 
maintain the high level of 
investment needed to bring 
the end products to market.

No change. The acquisition 
process continues to provide 
valuable and timely access  
to investment opportunities. 
Our experiences with post-
acquisition integration provide 
a platform for integrating newly 
acquired businesses.

13

RISK DESCRIPTION

HOW WE MANAGE RISK

STRATEGY/VIABILITY RISK CHANGE IN 2018

GROWING IN EMERGING MARKETS

•  Failure to appropriately develop 

our business in China and 
other emerging markets.

We have a robust organisation, blending local and 
expatriate executives, supported by the global species 
teams. This allows us to grow our business in key 
markets, while managing risks and ensuring we comply 
with our global standards.

OPERATIONAL RISKS

PROTECTING IP

•  Failure to protect our IP could 

mean Genus-developed 
genetic material, methods, 
systems and technology 
become freely available to 
third parties.

We have a global, cross-functional process to identify and 
protect our IP. Our customer contracts and our selection 
of multipliers and joint venture partners include 
appropriate measures to protect our IP. We maintain IP 
landscape watches and where necessary conduct robust 
‘freedom to operate’ searches, to identify third-party 
rights to technology.

ENSURING BIOSECURITY AND CONTINUITY OF SUPPLY

We have stringent biosecurity standards, with 
independent reviews throughout the year to ensure 
compliance and investigate biosecurity incidents, to 
ensure learning across the organisation. We regularly 
review the geographical diversity of our production 
facilities, to avoid over-reliance on single sites.

•  Loss of key livestock, owing to 

disease outbreak.

•  Loss of ability to move animals 

or semen freely (including 
across borders) due to disease 
outbreak, environmental 
incident or international trade 
sanctions and disputes.
•  Lower demand for our 

products, due to industry-wide 
disease outbreaks.

HIRING AND RETAINING TALENTED PEOPLE 

•  Failure to attract, recruit, 

develop and retain the global 
talent needed to deliver our 
R&D programmes and growth 
plans in our chosen markets.

We have a robust talent and succession planning 
process, including annual assessments of our global 
talent pool and active leadership development 
programmes. The Group’s reward and remuneration 
policies are reviewed regularly, to ensure their 
competitiveness. We work closely with a number of 
specialist recruitment agencies, to identify candidates 
with the skills we need.

FINANCIAL RISKS

MANAGING AGRICULTURAL MARKET AND COMMODITY PRICES VOLATILITY

•  Fluctuations in agricultural 
markets affect customer 
profitability and therefore 
demand for our products and 
services.

•  Increase in our operating 
costs, due to commodity 
pricing volatility.

FUNDING PENSIONS

We continuously monitor markets and seek to balance 
our costs and resources in response to market demand. 
We actively monitor and update our hedging strategy  
to manage our exposure. Our porcine royalty model  
and extensive use of third-party multipliers mitigates  
the impact of cyclical price and/or cost changes in  
pig production.

N/A

•  Exposure to costs associated 
with failure of third-party 
members of joint and several 
liabilities pension scheme.
•  Exposure to costs as a result 
of external factors (such as 
mortality rates, interest rates 
or investment values) affecting 
the size of the pension deficit.

We are the principal employer for the Milk Pension Fund 
(‘MPF’) and chair the group of participating employers. 
The fund is closed to future service and has an agreed 
deficit recovery plan, based on the 2015 actuarial 
valuation. In agreement with the employers, the trustees 
implemented an investment de-risking strategy and have 
started a liability management exercise. We also monitor 
the strength of other employers in the fund and have 
retained external consultants to provide expert advice.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Increased. Financial market 
volatility in certain emerging 
markets is increasing. In China, 
trade disputes with the US and 
the appearance of African 
Swine Fever increase 
uncertainty for the pig industry.

No change.

Increased. We experienced 
disease outbreak in parts of 
the PIC supply chain in the 
US in 2018. We continue to 
strengthen our biosecurity 
measures to further reduce this 
inherent risk. In addition, risks 
to global trade have increased 
compared with the prior year.

Reduced. We have been largely 
successful in recruiting and 
retaining the appropriate skills 
to meet our business growth 
plans.

Increased. Agricultural 
commodities are being targeted 
with tariffs in escalating global 
trade disputes. This is 
increasing price volatility and 
uncertainty for our customers  
in several markets around  
the world.

No change. The triennial  
2018 fund valuation is currently 
in progress.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONGoing Concern and  
Viability Statement
Based on this assessment, the Directors 
have a reasonable expectation that 
the Group has adequate resources 
to continue its operational existence 
for the foreseeable future and for a 
period of at least 12 months from 
the date of this report. Accordingly, 
the Directors continue to adopt and 
consider appropriate the going concern 
basis in preparing the Annual Report. 

Also, based on this assessment, the 
Directors have a reasonable expectation 
that the Group will be able to continue in 
operation and meet its liabilities as they 
fall due over the period to June 2021.

14

GOING CONCERN AND VIABILITY STATEMENT

•  The potential impact on the Group’s 
cash flow and net debt, in severe 
but plausible scenarios of selected 
principal risks, and in particular the 
impacts of biosecurity, agricultural 
markets downturn, border closures, 
the continuing development of 
IntelliGen, continuity of supply and 
increased competition. This 
assessment considered the likely 
effectiveness of current and available 
mitigating actions, and the position if 
each of the identified principal risks 
materialised individually and where 
multiple risks occur in parallel.

Assessment Period
In their assessment of the Group’s 
viability, the Directors have determined 
that a three-year time horizon, to June 
2021, is an appropriate period to adopt. 
This was based on the Group’s visibility 
of its product development pipeline, for 
example, as a result of the genetic lag of 
approximately three years between the 
porcine nucleus herds and customers’ 
production systems and the pipeline of 
young bulls. The Board also considered 
the nature of the principal risks affecting 
Genus, including the agricultural markets 
in which it operates.

The Board assesses the Group’s going 
concern and viability based on its cash 
flows and business plans, combined 
with downside scenarios of the principal 
risks described on pages 12 and 13 and 
other financial and performance factors 
that could threaten the Group’s plans, 
performance and financial position. 
The outcome of this analysis and the 
appropriateness of the period over 
which the Board decided to provide its 
viability statement are described below.

Assessing Our Prospects
In order to reach a conclusion on both 
the appropriateness of adopting the 
going concern basis of accounting in 
preparing the Annual Report and on our 
viability, the Board carried out a robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing 
Genus, including those that would 
threaten its business model, future 
performance, solvency or liquidity. 
This assessment considered:

•  Genus’s current strategic plan, 

financial position and its planned 
capital expenditure, as well as the 
financing facilities available to the 
Group. During the year, Genus 
exercised an accordion feature of the 
facility, increasing our facility by £20m 
and taking total current facilities to 
£220m, until February 2021, reducing 
to £174m in February 2022, the final 
year. At 30 June 2018, the Group had 
net debt of £108.5m (2017: £111.6m) 
and had substantial headroom of 
£99.3m (2017: £73.6m). The Group’s 
financial position remains strong.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

15

The Strategic Report was approved by 
the Board of Directors on 5 September 
2018 and signed on its behalf by:

Karim Bitar 
Chief Executive

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION16

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

MAKING STRATEGIC

PROGRESS

GENUS CONTINUED 
TO SUCCESSFULLY 
IMPLEMENT ITS 
STRATEGY AND 
DELIVERED FURTHER 
REVENUE AND 
PROFIT GROWTH
BOB LAWSON 
CHAIR OF THE BOARD

17.9p

Final dividend per share

26.0p

Total dividend for the year  
(per share)

10%

Total dividend increase

The Board was pleased with Genus’s 
progress this year, as the executive 
team continued to successfully 
implement the Group’s strategy  
and delivered further revenue  
and adjusted profit growth, while 
investing for the future. Genus PIC 
had a good year, increasing both 
revenue and adjusted operating profit 
in constant currency. Genus ABS 
performed strongly, as we saw 
benefits from the strategic and 
operational actions taken and the 
launch of Sexcel. Our increasing 
investment in R&D has continued  
to deliver, generating differentiated 
products for our customers and 
positioning Genus to lead the way  
in exciting new areas, such as  
gene editing.

The Group aims to balance investment 
in the business with the discipline of 
generating attractive returns on capital 
and paying a growing dividend to 
shareholders. The Board is therefore 
recommending a final dividend of 
17.9 pence per share, resulting in a 
total dividend in respect of the year 
of 26.0 pence per share. This is an 
increase of 10%, compared with last 
year’s total dividend of 23.6 pence 
per share. The final dividend will 
be paid on 30 November 2018, to 
shareholders on the register at the close 
of business on 16 November 2018.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

PROGRESS17

OUR VALUES

CUSTOMER CENTRIC
We are one team, dedicated to 
helping customers thrive. We 
anticipate their needs and help  
them seize opportunities, acting  
as partners to improve quality, 
efficiency and output. If we’re not 
adding value for our customers,  
we stop and think again.

RESULTS DRIVEN
We are proactive, determined to be 
the best we can be and to exceed 
expectations. We redefine 
standards for ourselves, our 
customers and our industry. Every 
one of us takes pride in delivering 
the highest level of performance. 
If something can be improved, we 
find a simpler, better way to do it.

PIONEERING
We are an innovative, forward-
thinking company. We have the 
courage and confidence to explore 
new ideas and the energy and 
enthusiasm to deliver them. We are 
creative, tenacious and resourceful 
in every area of our work.

PEOPLE FOCUSED
We are a business rooted in science 
but built around our people. We 
inspire, challenge and support 
everyone to perform, develop and 
grow. We treat others with respect 
and we invite views and feedback to 
help us improve.

RESPONSIBLE
We are ethical to our core. We feel  
a deep sense of responsibility to  
our customers, colleagues, animals, 
communities and shareholders. We 
are honest, reliable and trustworthy. 
We mean what we say and do what 
we say.

Continued Strategic Progress
The Group’s strategy is a key 
focus for the Board and we spend 
considerable time each year reviewing 
it and monitoring progress, in the 
context of the evolving competitive 
and technological environment. This 
includes our annual strategic review 
with the executive leadership team, 
which enables us to assess, challenge 
and approve the detailed strategic 
plans for each area of the Group.

One of the year’s key strategic 
developments was the launch of 
Sexcel, our proprietary sexed bovine 
genetics offering. This is delivering 
excellent fertility results for customers, 
helping to drive sales ahead of our 
expectations. We are also licensing 
the underlying technology to third 
parties, under the IntelliGen brand, 
with early successes with a number 
of international customers. 

PIC’s growth was driven by strong 
performance in Latin America and 
pleasingly in Europe, where the business 
has been transformed over a number of 
years to now deliver sustained growth 
in volumes, royalties and operating 
profits. In addition to organic growth, 
the business benefited from one of 
last year’s important strategic actions, 
the acquisition of Hermitage’s porcine 
genetics and the creation of an ongoing 
strategic partnership with Hermitage. 
This year, the Board approved a strategic 
relationship with leading Danish pig 
breeder Møllevang, which became 
effective on 2 July 2018 and will 
further enhance our prospects in PIC.

Board and People
We continued to both refresh and 
strengthen the Board during the year, 
with the appointment of two Non-
Executive Directors. Lesley Knox joined 
the Board on 1 June 2018. She brings 
Non-Executive experience from a wide 
range of major companies and her 
insights will help the Board to oversee 
and implement the strategy. Professor 
Ian Charles was appointed on 1 July 
2018. He has deep scientific expertise, 

gained during more than 30 years in 
academic and commercial research 
organisations. His recruitment ensures 
we will have a seamless transition, 
as Professor Duncan Maskell steps 
down from the Board after the Annual 
General Meeting in November, to focus 
on his new role as Vice Chancellor 
of the University of Melbourne. On 
behalf of the Board, I thank Duncan 
for the expertise and guidance he has 
provided during his four years as a 
Non-Executive Director and as advisor 
to our Research and Development 
Portfolio Management Team.

I also want to thank everyone in Genus 
for their contribution to our success this 
year. The Group employs approximately 
2,900 people worldwide and all play 
an important part in delivering for our 
customers. A special mention goes to 
the team that built and launched Sexcel 
and IntelliGen, our ground-breaking 
sexed bovine genetics technology, who 
received this year’s Chairman’s Award. 
The award recognises teams that have 
created something truly innovative in 
response to customers’ needs, and 
whose work is a source of inspiration 
to colleagues. The foundation of the 
team’s work was laid over a decade ago 
and has led, through a pioneering spirit 
coupled with drive, determination and 
customer focus, to technology with the 
potential to transform our industry. This 
is a real demonstration of our values in 
action, resulting in tangible benefits for 
our customers and our shareholders.

Summary
This year’s progress again demonstrates 
that the successful execution of 
Genus’s strategy is both delivering 
strong financial performance and 
positioning the Group for further 
success. We therefore look forward 
to the future with confidence.

Bob Lawson 
Chair of the Board
5 September 2018

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION18

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

DELIVERING STRONG

THE LAUNCH OF 
SEXCEL WAS A 
PARTICULAR 
HIGHLIGHT OF  
THE YEAR
KARIM BITAR 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE

9%

Adjusted profit before tax increase in 
constant currency

12% 

Adjusted operating profit growth in 
constant currency excluding gene 
editing costs

2018 was another strong year for 
Genus, as the Group made 
substantial positive progress with 
implementing its strategy and 
achieved a good financial 
performance. The launch of Sexcel, 
our innovative and proprietary bovine 
sexed genetics product, and the start 
of sales of our IntelliGen technology 
to third parties, were particular 
highlights of the year. 

Group Performance
The Group performed positively, with 
results in line with our expectations. 
Revenue and adjusted profit before 
tax rose by 6% and 9% respectively, 
in constant currency terms. Our 
medium-term target is to generate 
double-digit compound growth in 
adjusted operating profit, in constant 
currency and excluding gene 
editing costs. Our growth in this 
key measure was 12% in 2018.

Currency movements presented a 
modest headwind. Revenue in actual 
currency rose by 2% and adjusted 
profit before tax was 4% higher.

Genus PIC delivered another 
robust performance, with adjusted 
operating profit including joint 
ventures increasing by 5% in constant 
currency. PIC benefited from growth 
in Europe, both organically and 
through last year’s acquisition and 
partnership with Hermitage, and 
higher profits in Latin America. 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

19

People
Genus depends on the skills, talents 
and dedication of its people and I 
want to thank all of my colleagues 
around the world for their contribution 
to another successful year.

Toward the end of 2017, we ran our 
third global employee engagement 
survey, achieving a record response 
rate. The survey showed that our people 
are highly engaged, with a strong 
understanding of our vision, strategy, 
values and our role in pioneering animal 
genetic improvement. The survey 
also helped us identify a number of 
areas for continuous improvement 
in our communication and people 
management. More information can 
be found on page 37 of this report.

Outlook
The Group’s established business 
model, global market position and 
product strength, together with our 
proven strategy based on delivering 
value to customers through innovation, 
position Genus well to achieve its 
medium-term growth objective. In 
the short term, Genus’s customers 
face a more challenging external 
environment due to growing barriers 
to international trade and the recent 
spread of African Swine Fever to China. 
Notwithstanding this uncertainty, 
Genus anticipates further financial 
and strategic progress in 2019.

Karim Bitar 
Chief Executive
5 September 2018

team, and will benefit from PIC’s 
leadership in genetic improvement. 

In Dairy, our majority owned De Novo 
Genetics joint venture delivered 54% 
of our Holstein bulls which came into 
production this year, up from 23% in 
2017, enabling us to create our industry 
leading pipeline of young bulls. Sexcel 
was successfully launched, with sales 
ahead of our expectations. Sexcel is 
delivering a great on-farm experience, 
with materially better conception rates 
than alternative products. We have also 
secured third-party technology licensing 
and supply deals in Norway and India 
under the IntelliGen brand. We continue 
to vigorously defend our position in the 
US courts against ST. We have filed 
Inter-Partes Reviews at the US Patent 
and Trademark Office, seeking to revoke 
six patents ST has asserted against us, 
and have also filed a Motion to Dismiss 
and Counterclaims in the Federal Court.

Our PRRSv resistance programme made 
further progress, with the first batches 
of elite gene edited piglets born during 
the year. Along with future batches of 
successfully edited piglets, they will be 
the founders of our gene edited herd, 
which we will monitor and assess for 
technical and regulatory purposes. 
In addition, US and European patent 
grants have strengthened our ability 
to protect our intellectual property.

We commenced some important 
investments during the year in the 
Group’s infrastructure, which will 
position us well for the long-term. 
GenusOne is a programme to replace 
our multiple existing dated business 
systems over the next three years 
with a single global modern enterprise 
system. In addition, in June 2018 we 
were able to secure land in Wisconsin 
to meet our requirements for long-
term bull housing, which will be built 
out over the next several years.

Profits in Asia were stable, as 
growth in genetic sales was offset by 
reduced farm margins in China, after 
exceptionally high pig prices in the prior 
year. Performance in North America 
showed modest growth, despite the 
impact of PRRSv infections in the 
second half of the year at some of 
the Group’s farms. The infections 
have now been eradicated.

Genus ABS rebounded strongly in 
2018, following the successful launch of 
Sexcel in September 2017 and actions 
taken last year to sharpen execution. 
ABS Dairy had a strong year, while ABS 
Beef made encouraging progress in its 
strategic initiatives. Overall, Genus ABS 
increased adjusted operating profits 
less non-controlling interest by 29% in 
constant currency, with growth being 
strongest in Europe and Asia while 
profits in North America reduced, as we 
invested in our key account sales force.

As planned, we continued to increase 
Group investment in R&D, which is 
delivering strong rates of genetic gain 
and generating a robust product pipeline. 
In total, R&D investment rose by 13% in 
constant currency. This included further 
growth in the gene editing expense, 
as we continue to advance the PRRSv 
resistance programme (see below).

Strategic Progress
Genus successfully implemented 
a number of important strategic 
developments during the year. In 
porcine, we formed a strategic 
partnership with Møllevang, one 
of Denmark’s leading pig-breeding 
companies. This became effective on 
2 July 2018 and will see us combine 
our complementary supply chains, 
sales and marketing infrastructure 
and genetics. We will strengthen the 
PIC product offering by increasing 
genetic diversity, along with offering 
customers globally superior genetics 
and service. Lastly, producers in 
Denmark will have access to PIC’s 
products and global technical services 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION20

STRATEGY IN ACTION

SUPERIOR 
PRODUCTS 
THROUGH

TECHNOLOGY

INCREASING GENETIC CONTROL  
AND PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

After a decade of development, in September 2017 
we launched our ground-breaking and proprietary 
sexed bovine genetics technology, under the 
IntelliGen brand.

We have used this technology to sex our own 
genetics, which are sold to customers under the 
Sexcel brand. Since its launch, Sexcel has delivered 
a statistically significant improvement in fertility 
performance to our customers, compared with older 
technology. This is supported by analysis on tens of 
thousands of data points and, crucially, feedback from 
our customers. Uptake in Sexcel product globally has 
exceeded our expectations and now accounts for over 
25% of ABS’s dairy semen revenues globally.1

We are also providing our proprietary IntelliGen 
technology to other studs around the world, enabling 
them to sex their genetics. So far, these include the 
Norwegian bovine genetics group Geno and the 
Mehsana District Co-operative Milk Producers Union 
in India.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

1  Based on global dairy semen revenues for April to June 2018.

TECHNOLOGY21

TECHNOLOGY

Sexcel represents over

25%

of ABS’s dairy semen revenues globally

UNTIL WE INTRODUCED  
OUR TECHNOLOGY, BULL 
STUDS AND AI CUSTOMERS 
HAD NO CHOICE IN THE 
SEXING TECHNOLOGY  
THEY COULD USE. 

INTELLIGEN AND SEXCEL 
INTRODUCED LONG‑AWAITED 
COMPETITION INTO THE 
MARKET AND INCREASED 
CUSTOMER CHOICE. 
INTELLIGEN HAS ALSO 
OPENED UP RELATIONSHIPS 
WITH NEW TYPES OF 
CUSTOMERS.

JESÚS MARTÍNEZ
GLOBAL DIRECTOR, INTELLIGEN 
TECHNOLOGIES

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

CORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONSTRATEGIC  REPORTTECHNOLOGY22

STRATEGY IN ACTION

REALISING 
POTENTIAL 

THROUGH INVES TMENT

TARGETING KEY MARKETS AND SEGMENTS

On 2 July 2018, our previously announced strategic 
relationship with Møllevang, one of Denmark’s 
leading pig-breeding companies, came into effect.

Møllevang will act as a strategic distribution partner 
for PIC in Denmark, a Top 10 pig production market 
globally where PIC previously had no presence. 
Møllevang will also act as a strategic supply 
chain partner for PIC in Europe. Its nucleus and 
multiplication infrastructure will grow the availability 
of PIC products in Europe. Finally, Møllevang’s 
genetics will be incorporated into PIC’s genetic 
programme. This will provide Møllevang’s and PIC’s 
customers with access to accelerated genetic 
improvement and Møllevang customers will get 
access to PIC technical services.

25M+ MPEs

Size of Danish market

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

INVESTMENT23

INVES TMENT

WE WILL WORK WITH 
MØLLEVANG TO GROW OUR 
PRESENCE IN DENMARK, 
STRENGTHEN OUR SUPPLY 
CHAIN AND STRENGTHEN OUR 
PRODUCT OFFERING. OUR 
GOAL IS TO MAKE PIC AND 
MØLLEVANG CUSTOMERS THE 
MOST SUCCESSFUL PIG 
PRODUCERS IN THE WORLD.

DR BILL CHRISTIANSON
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF PIC

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONINVESTMENT24

STRATEGY IN ACTION

DISCOVERING 
VALUE  
THROUGH 

INNOVATION

SHARING IN THE VALUE DELIVERED

ABS XBlack is a revolutionary new index created 
specifically to maximise the profitability of beef 
producers in Brazil. Launched under our NuEra 
Genetics™ global brand, it is the first economic 
index to explore total system profitability in 
crossbreeding indigenous Nellore cows with 
European genetics (in the form of semen).

The index harnesses data on performance in tropical 
conditions. Before we launched ABS XBlack, Brazilian 
customers could only select their European genetics 
on data derived from animals raised in very different 
environments, such as in the US. Now, following the 
collection of more than 40,000 progeny performance 
records from over 100 bulls around Brazil, customers 
can identify European genetics that perform best 
specifically when bred to indigenous Nellore cows, 
and that produce an offspring best suited to local 
production systems.

ABS XBlack is a powerful value discovery tool for our 
customers. On average European genetics sold 
through the XBlack index achieved a price premium of 
over 30% compared with other European genetics.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

INNOVATION25

INNOVATION

CHANGE IN PRICE OF GENETICS
POST XBLACK LAUNCH

Price pre XBlack
Price post XBlack

+74%

+21%

+12%

No change

Sire 1

Sire 2

Sire 3

Sire 4

Increasing XBlack genetic index value

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONINNOVATION26

DIVISIONAL REVIEW GENUS PIC

HELPING 
CUSTOMERS

GROW

PIC’S ELITE AND PROPRIETARY GENETICS ENHANCE 
PROFITABILITY IN CUSTOMERS’ PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
DR BILL CHRISTIANSON
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GENUS PIC

STRATEGIC PROGRESS
During the year, progress against our strategic objectives included:

INCREASING GENETIC CONTROL AND PRODUCT 
DIFFERENTIATION
•  Agreeing a strategic relationship with Møllevang, making it a distributor 

and an elite genetics production partner for PIC in Denmark, from 
2 July 2018

•  Introducing the industry’s first-ever direct measurement and selection for 
meat tenderness, giving customers a further indication of meat quality

•  Strengthening technical services for customers, blending world-class 
expertise and on-the-ground support to help them make the most of 
our genes in their production system

TARGETING KEY MARKETS AND SEGMENTS
•  Continuing our progress in Europe, where we delivered growth 
of 48%, and increasing breeding stock revenue in China by 20% 

•  Identifying opportunities for expanding and strengthening our 

supply chain in China 

•  Integrating Hermitage into PIC’s European supply chain and 

customer operations

•  Successfully consolidating our share of business with large 
producers around the world, so we now work with 75% of  
the largest global accounts

SHARING IN THE VALUE DELIVERED
•  Expanding our programmes, through which we can price to value 

our most elite terminal sire genes around the world

•  Continuing to increase the use of royalty contracts, with 76%  

of our business conducted on this basis (including eight agreements 
within China) 

•  Conducting 26 product trials across eight countries, involving more 
than 65,000 pigs, to demonstrate the difference our products and 
services deliver for customers

BUSINESS PRIORITIES

SHORT TERM
•  Continue to drive rapid genetic 
progress, grow our market 
presence and exploit the 
opportunities of the Møllevang 
relationship 

MEDIUM TERM
•  Strengthen our supply chain 

(particularly in North America and 
China) and keep expanding our 
business in Europe

LONG TERM
•  Continue collaborating with 
colleagues and partners to 
achieve regulatory acceptance 
for, and commercialisation of, 
gene editing technologies

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

GROWOPERATING REVIEW GENUS PIC

Revenue
Adjusted operating profit excl. JVs
Adjusted operating profit incl. JVs

27

Actual currency

2017 
£m

Movement 
%

Constant  
currency
Movement 
%

249.5
87.7
94.8

(1)
1
–

3
6
5

2018 
£m 

247.7
88.7
94.8

Adjusted operating margin excl. JVs

35.8%

35.2%

0.6pts

1.0pts

Market 
Sustained global economic growth in 
the year under review supported strong 
demand for pork and expansion 
of international trade, with global 
consumption increasing by 2%. With 
this positive backdrop, producers started 
the year in an expansionary mode in key 
markets such as the US, Europe and 
China. However, over the course of the 
year, record pork production along with 
variable input costs, trade disruptions, 
and disease risks resulted in heightened 
price volatility and uncertainty.

Pork – Key Markets
(£ per kg)
3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

Aug 16

Aug 17

Aug 18

  Brazil

  US

  China

  EU

  Russia

In response to the expansion of major 
producers, pig prices in China declined 
sharply throughout the year, although 
over more recent months a recovery has 
begun. Meanwhile, in the United States, 
pig inventories surpassed 73 million 
head for the first time, as new 
processing facilities were brought 
on-line. Prices in the US ended June 
2018 5% lower than in the prior year and 
have fallen substantially further since 
then. EU production also grew due to 
increasing productivity and a 1.4% 
increase in its breeding herd, causing 
prices to soften 15% through 2018. 
Brazil was poised for a comeback after 
a volatile FY17, but increasing feed costs 
eroded margins and a transportation 
strike temporarily halted processing 
at abattoirs. 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Political global trade disruptions also 
added increasing uncertainty for PIC’s 
customers. Russia imposed an embargo 
on Brazilian pork in the autumn of 2017. 
In 2018, both China and Mexico enacted 
tariff schedules for US pork products, in 
response to US-imposed steel and 
aluminium import taxes. This resulted in 
significant falls in US pig futures prices, 
and along with growing production 
already in the pipeline, puts US 
producers in a situation of significant 
uncertainty for the coming year. In 
addition, African Swine Fever has been 
detected in China for the first time in 
August 2018, which could have 
substantial effects on the pig industry 
there and on global trade if eradication 
efforts are not successful.

The porcine genetics market saw 
significant change, with Danbred, 
a top-three global competitor, breaking 
up into competing groups of breeders. 
Following this, PIC announced it 
had agreed to enter into a strategic 
relationship with Møllevang from 
July 2018. 

Performance 
Genus PIC achieved another good 
performance, with operating profit 
including joint ventures of £94.8m, 
up 5% in constant currency. Volumes 
grew by 8% and revenue was 3% 
higher, primarily due to 10% higher 
royalty revenues, partially offset by 
lower slaughter prices in China on 
by-product animals and the exit from 
some non-strategic farms in Europe 
and Latin America.

In North America, revenue grew 1% 
in constant currency, driven by royalty 
growth of 3%. Health breaks in PIC 
multiplication farms and customer 
farms, along with PIC’s continued 
investments in expanding the supply 
chain and upgrading company-owned 
facilities, restricted North America’s 
profit growth to 1% during the period.

Latin American profits improved by 
17%, volumes improved 10% and 
revenue in constant currency was 

up 11%, with growth in all regions. A key 
contributor to this growth was royalty 
revenue, which increased by 15%. 
Profit performance from PIC’s joint 
venture in Brazil was up by 14% in 
constant currency.

Europe achieved impressive growth, 
with volumes up 15%, royalty revenues 
up 32% and constant currency profits 
up 48%, driven by customer wins 
and strategic pricing initiatives. The 
integration of the Hermitage key 
accounts and distribution partnership 
also contributed positively to growth in 
Europe, which was in line with our 
expectations. The integration of PIC’s 
strategic relationship with Møllevang 
and further synergies from the 
partnership with Hermitage will 
contribute to further growth for PIC 
Europe going forward.

Asia’s profits were 1% higher in 
constant currency compared with 2017, 
with strong growth in most countries, 
driven by volume growth of 19% and 
royalty revenue growth of 31% in the 
region. However, China experienced 
weakening market prices for by-product 
pigs and biosecurity challenges in the 
supply chain. This resulted in China’s 
profits being 15% lower against a 
strong prior year, despite growth being 
achieved in royalties (+29%), volumes 
(+44%) and breeding stock profits 
(+24%). PIC’s strategy to focus on key 
large-scale customers in emerging 
markets, while mitigating operational 
risks, continues to position PIC for good 
long-term prospects in the Asia region.

Overall, PIC delivered good results, 
despite varying global market conditions 
and continued investment to enhance 
product supply and differentiation. PIC’s 
long-term global business model and 
strategic relationships such as those 
with Hermitage and Møllevang, will 
enable PIC to continue to better serve 
customers, mitigate market risks and 
support future growth through 
challenging markets.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION28

DIVISIONAL REVIEW GENUS ABS

ACHIEVING  
STRONG

GROWTH

SEXCEL’S LAUNCH HAS ENABLED US TO DRIVE GROWTH  
IN BOTH DAIRY AND BEEF GENETICS

JERRY THOMPSON
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GENUS ABS BEEF

STRATEGIC PROGRESS
During the year, progress against our strategic objectives included:

INCREASING GENETIC CONTROL AND PRODUCT 
DIFFERENTIATION
•  Successfully launching Sexcel – our proprietary bovine sexed  
genetics product – globally, supported by processing facilities  
in the US and India

•  Significantly strengthening our dairy bull line up through De Novo 

produced genetics

•  Introducing Icon Sires™, to give customers early access to elite  

dairy genetics, in return for the option to buy progeny at a pre-set  
price and breeding rights to any bulls

•  Continuing to evolve NuEra Genetics, our proprietary beef range,  

by introducing NuEra bulls to our US beef-on-dairy offer and achieving 
top rankings in BeefAdvantage, EMEA’s beef-on-dairy index

TARGETING KEY MARKETS AND SEGMENTS
•  Harnessing Sexcel to strengthen relationships with dairy farmers 

across EMEA

•  Enhancing our focus on large dairy accounts, particularly in the US, 
with whom we partner on both genetic improvement strategy and 
operational activities

•  Increasing sales of embryos by 20%, as we continue to engage  
larger customers with the benefits embryos offer as a genetic 
improvement platform 

•  Expanding our range of economic indices for beef, introducing the 
proprietary XBlack index in Brazil to identify the most profitable 
genetics for crossbreeding in tropical conditions

SHARING IN THE VALUE DELIVERED
•  Exploring a transition to performance-based pricing, based on helping 
progressive dairy farmers achieve their genetic improvement goals

•  Using our growing range of indices to align pricing of the most 

profitable genetics with the value they deliver

DR NATE ZWALD
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GENUS ABS DAIRY

BUSINESS PRIORITIES

SHORT TERM
•  Grow strategic relationships with 
customers around the world, 
becoming their genetic adviser of 
choice and leveraging the 
strength of Sexcel and our 
product portfolio

MEDIUM TERM
•  Strengthen our range of 
proprietary products and 
indices and continue exploring 
opportunities created by 
Sexcel (for both beef and 
dairy customers)

LONG TERM
•  Expand our product validation 
programme as a basis for 
enhancing our share of the 
value we deliver for customers

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

GROWTHOPERATING REVIEW GENUS ABS

Revenue
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted operating profit less non-controlling interest

Adjusted operating margin

29

Actual currency

2017 
£m

Movement 
%

Constant  
currency
Movement 
%

195.9
22.3
21.3

11.4%

8
17
23

11
23
29

1.0pts

1.2pts

2018 
£m 

210.6
26.2
26.1

12.4%

Market
Following robust growth in milk output 
in the first half of the year, challenging 
weather conditions in key exporting 
countries caused growth to slow in the 
second half, which in the US and Europe 
was contrary to market expectations. 
Increased feed prices also capped 
growth in milk volumes. China’s dairy 
market continues to grow and influence 
the global demand for dairy products, 
with imports increasing in 2018.

Global dairy markets entered the 
financial year reflecting optimism, as 
nearly all dairy indices had recovered 
from the previous down cycle. Dairy 
prices remained strong through the early 
part of this financial year but fell off as 
the year progressed, with the US and 
EU down 8% and 15% respectively 
since November 2017. Growing tension 
around trade and tariffs has increased 
the level of uncertainty for farmers, 
particularly in the US. US beef 
production continues to be affected 
by drought conditions in some areas, 
forcing animals to be placed into feed 
lots early and potentially affecting 
consistency of supply into the latter 
part of 2018. In addition, feed cost 
increases will not encourage producers 
to raise heavy animals, which may 
constrain supply.

Dairy – Key Markets
(Pence per litre)
50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

Aug 16

  Brazil
  EU

  US
  Russia

Aug 17

  China
  India

Aug 18

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Influenced by local market conditions, 
prices for cattle remain diverse, being up 
in Brazil, Europe and China, but down in 
the US, Australia and New Zealand. This 
volatility is likely to remain affected by 
seasonality of supply, changing feed 
prices and the availability of other 
sources of protein in markets such as 
Brazil. In addition, the impact of tariffs 
on the global beef trade is increasing 
uncertainty for producers.

Beef – Key Markets
(Live cattle £ per kg)
3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

Aug 16

Aug 17

Aug 18

  Brazil

  US

Continuing consolidation of the global 
dairy industry and of high-quality 
breeding herds has also pushed bovine 
genetics suppliers to consolidate, with it 
being increasingly important for them to 
own and control their genetics, as ABS 
has done through De Novo.

Performance
Performance was strong, with operating 
profits for ABS increasing by 29% in 
constant currency, on a 5% volume 
increase and an 11% increase in revenue. 
Sexed volumes were up 25%, reflecting 
the successful launch of Sexcel, and 
sales of inventory produced under the 
contract with ST, which terminated in 
August 2017. Increased usage of sexed 
genetics also led to increased use of 
beef genetics in dairy herds, supporting 
an 8% increase in global beef volumes. 

In Europe, profits were up 12% in 
constant currency, with volumes 
increasing 4% in generally favourable 
markets for producers. The trend of dairy 
customers using sexed genetics, coupled 

with beef genetics for a portion of the 
herd, continued. As a result, beef volumes 
increased by 7%, beef selling prices 
increased by 9%, due to focus on the 
value of differentiated beef genetics, and 
sexed semen volumes grew 24%, with 
strong customer acceptance of Sexcel.

In North America, profits decreased by 
17% in constant currency. Volumes were 
up by 2%, with sexed volumes up 29%, 
and revenue grew by 5%, but this was 
offset by planned investment to 
strengthen the focus on key account 
management. Beef volumes were up 
19% over the prior year, reflecting stable 
beef market conditions and the use of 
beef genetics on dairy herds, supported 
by proprietary NuEra genetics selected for 
cross-bred beef-on-dairy performance.

In Latin America, profits were up 4% 
in constant currency, with conventional 
dairy volumes increasing 4% and sexed 
semen 8%. Beef volumes were up 5%, 
despite challenging market conditions 
and lower domestic beef consumption  
in Brazil. NuEra genetics, selected for 
cross-bred performance of North 
American sires with tropical cows, 
proved popular with customers. 

In Asia, volumes were up 8% and profits 
up 36%, with growth across all major 
countries. Profits were up 242% in 
Russia, 81% in Australia and 29% in 
Japan. Asia also successfully launched 
Sexcel from our Brahma stud in India, 
to provide elite sexed genetics into the 
Indian market for the first time, leading 
to more than 100% profit growth.

IVB grew embryo volumes by 20% and 
revenues by 24%. However, investments 
to establish new laboratories held 
back profit growth to 8%, including 
non-controlling interest. IVB was fully 
integrated into the regional structure 
of ABS at the end of the period.

Overall, ABS delivered a much improved 
performance and, with the increasing 
customer adoption of Sexcel and a 
leading genetic portfolio, anticipates 
continued progress.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION30

DIVISIONAL REVIEW GENUS R&D

DRIVING 
GENETIC

PROGRESS

WE ARE USING PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 
TO DRIVE FASTER GENETIC PROGRESS, TO BENEFIT 
CUSTOMERS, THEIR ANIMALS AND THE PLANET
DR JONATHAN LIGHTNER
CHIEF R&D AND SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

DIVISIONAL PRIORITIES

SHORT TERM
•  Increase capacity to meet 
growing demand for our 
proprietary sexed genetics 
technology and build capabilities 
for successfully engaging with 
regulators regarding gene edited 
animal proteins

MEDIUM TERM
•  Progress our regulatory filings for 

PRRSv gene editing work

LONG TERM
•  Achieve a proof of concept 
resilience test for Bovine 
Respiratory Disease

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC PROGRESS
During the year, progress against our strategic objectives included:

DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCTS FROM GENOMIC SELECTION

•  Continuing to harness genomic science to drive porcine genetics that 

benefit animals and customers, for example, improving piglet 
resilience to reduce pre-wean mortality 

•  Achieving industry leading elite and proprietary dairy genetics through 

De Novo Genetics, our joint venture with De-Su Holsteins 

•  Increasing the number of dairy sires ranking highly for TransitionRight™ 
traits, which improve daughters’ resilience to health problems in the 
period after giving birth 

•  Continuing to grow our range of proprietary selection indices for beef 
genetics, based on identification of the drivers of profitability in target 
markets and segments 

GENE EDITING

•  Conducting in-house genome editing of beef and dairy embryos to 

target the CD18 gene, seeking proof of concept that a single change 
to this gene can improve resilience to Bovine Respiratory Disease

•  Working with our joint venture partner, RenOVAte Biosciences, to edit 
the CD163 gene in elite PIC genetics, to produce pigs which resist 
PRRSv infection, and having patents issued in the US and Europe

GENDER SKEW

•  Using our proprietary technology to produce Sexcel for Genus ABS, 
establishing a new quality standard for sexed bovine genetics and 
giving customers a major performance advantage

•  Establishing IntelliGen Technologies to market and license our 

technology to third parties, signing agreements with partners in 
Norway and India (the world’s largest dairy market)

PROGRESSOPERATING REVIEW GENUS R&D

Porcine product development
Bovine product development
Gene editing
Other research and development

Net expenditure in R&D less non-controlling interest

31

Actual currency

2017 
£m

Movement 
%

Constant  
currency
Movement 
%

16.6
15.3
3.5
8.4

43.8

2
12
43
(10)

7

8
18
46
(2)

13

2018 
£m 

17.0
17.2
5.0
7.6

46.8

Performance
As planned, R&D investment increased 
by 13% in constant currency to 
£46.8m, primarily due to the launch 
of IntelliGen and the development of 
gene editing initiatives. The Group’s 
R&D investments are expected to 
continue to increase in 2019, as we 
continue to execute our strategy of 
delivering proprietary differentiated 
products that customers value.

Within porcine product development, 
the continued implementation of 
single-step genomic evaluation across 
all porcine pure line populations, 
crossbred products and traits 
resulted in further strong genetic 
gain. Genus has continued to drive 
the rate of genetic gain 35% faster 
compared with the period before the 
implementation began. During the year, 
Hermitage was transitioned to PIC 
genetics and integrated into Genus’s 
programme. The 8% spending growth 
was a result of expanding genetic 
testing and product validation and 
investment, to identify unique new 
traits such as meat tenderness.

Gene editing expenditure increased by 
46% in the year, primarily associated 
with the porcine PRRSv resistance 
project and, to a lesser extent, work 
on investigating bovine respiratory 
disease. In porcine, Genus worked with 
RenOVAte Biosciences, its co-founded 
gene editing company, to produce the 
first-generation gene edited pigs in 
elite purelines. The population size is 
now being expanded through matings 
of these animals, with pregnancies 
established for the next generation. 
Genus also advanced its regulatory 
engagement with the FDA and had 
patents issued in the US and Europe. 
Gene editing costs will continue 
to grow as the number of animals 
carrying the edit is increased and initial 
regulatory submissions are prepared.

Industry leading research 
continued in developing genomic 
selection approaches to drive 
genetic improvement and 
differentiation even faster, along 
with investments in intellectual 
property creation and protection.

Bovine product development expense 
increased by 18%, primarily due to 
the start of amortisation of previously 
capitalised IntelliGen development 
costs and continued development of 
the platform. This included work to 
further increase the performance of the 
IntelliGen instruments, refine biological 
processes and ensure continuous 
improvement in processing and cost 
performance. In addition, to further 
expand the IntelliGen footprint globally, 
Genus continues to drive business 
development opportunities in technology 
transfer and external customer service.

The dairy product development effort 
has continued to benefit from the 
integration of De Novo Genetics, a 
majority owned company created in 
September 2016 with De-Su Holsteins. 
As a result, Genus substantially 
improved the quality of its industry 
leading dairy bull portfolio, while also 
improving the focus of the operation 
and reducing costs. Genus continues 
to grow its genomic database and 
Real World Data collection and is 
exploring new proprietary traits. In 
beef, there was continued investment 
in building proprietary differentiated 
customer products that maximise 
value in the beef supply chain, 
through genetic improvement in 
Genus’s beef nucleus herd. 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONIn the year ended 30 June 2018, Genus 
achieved a good financial performance 
which was in line with our objectives. 
Constant currency revenue growth 
was 6% (2% in actual currency) and 
adjusted operating profit growth 
including joint ventures was 10% (5% 
in actual currency), after increased 
investment in R&D. Excluding the 
growth in gene editing costs, adjusted 
operating profit increased by 12% in 
constant currency. Adjusted profit before 
tax and adjusted earnings per share 
were also up 9% and 15% respectively 
(4% and 9% in actual currency). 

On a statutory basis, profit before 
tax was 81% lower, primarily due to 
a lower non-cash IAS 41 valuation of 
our bovine biological assets. However, 
statutory earnings per share were 30% 
higher, boosted by a £32.5m non-
cash reduction in Genus’s deferred 
tax liabilities, following tax reforms in 
the US. These deferred tax liabilities 
primarily relate to the Group’s biological 
assets. We continue to use adjusted 
results as our primary measures of 
financial performance, as they better 
reflect our underlying progress. 

The effect of exchange rate movements 
on the translation of our overseas 
profits was to reduce the Group’s 
adjusted profit before tax for the year 
by £3.0m or 5% compared with 2017. 
Unless stated otherwise, the financial 
and operating reviews quote constant 
currency adjusted growth rates.

Revenue
Revenue increased by 2% in actual 
currency and 6% in constant currency 
to £470.3m (2017: £459.1m). In Genus 
PIC, revenue growth of 3% in constant 
currency (1% down in actual currency) 
was supported by strong royalty revenue 
growth of 10%, with growth in all 
regions and Asia up 31% and Europe up 
32%, while by-product revenues were 
lower as market pig prices reduced in 
China, following exceptionally high pig 
prices in the prior year, and we exited 
certain non-strategic farms. In Genus 
ABS, revenues grew 11% in constant 
currency (8% in actual currency) 
with all regions making a positive 
contribution. This included double-
digit growth in Europe, Asia and IVB, 
and sexed product revenue growth 
of 27%, following strong uptake of 
Sexcel, our high-fertility sexed genetic 
product launched early in the year.

Adjusted Operating Profit Including 
Joint Ventures
Adjusted operating profit including joint 
ventures was £63.1m (2017: £60.1m), 
up 5% in actual currency and 10% in 
constant currency. Within this, Genus’s 
share of adjusted joint venture operating 
profits was lower at £6.2m (2017: £7.1m) 
and, following the acquisition of the 
remaining 49% of IVB in March 2017, 
amounts attributable to non-controlling 
interests reduced to £0.8m (2017: 
£2.1m). Our gene editing investment, 
which is focused on creating resistance 
in pigs against PRRSv, a devastating 
disease for the industry, increased to 
£5.0m (2017: £3.5m). Excluding this 
investment, adjusted operating profit 
increased by 12% in constant currency.

32

FINANCIAL REVIEW

GENUS DELIVERED STRONG 
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, IN 
LINE WITH OUR MEDIUM‑TERM 
OBJECTIVES
STEPHEN WILSON
GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

33

Actual currency

2017 
£m

Movement 
%

Constant
currency2
Movement 
%

459.1
63.6
60.1
56.4
69.4

2
7
5
4
9

6
12
10
9
15

Actual currency

2017 
£m

Movement 
%

459.1
38.2
40.7
34.3
53.8
23.6

2
(79)
(81)
21
30
10

2018 
£m 

470.3
68.1
63.1
58.5
75.9

2018 
£m 

470.3
8.2
7.8
41.6
69.7
26.0

Adjusted results1

Revenue
Operating profit incl. JVs excl. gene editing
Operating profit incl. JVs
Profit before tax
Basic earnings per share (pence)

Statutory results

Revenue
Operating profit
Profit before tax
Profit after tax
Basic earnings per share (pence)
Dividend per share (pence)

1  Adjusted results are before net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets, amortisation of acquired intangible assets, share-based payment expense and 

exceptional items. Adjusted results are the alternative performance measures used by the Board to monitor underlying performance at a Group and operating 
segment level. They are consistently applied throughout.

2  Constant currency percentage movements are calculated by restating the results for the year ended 30 June 2018 at the average exchange rates applied to 

adjusted operating profit for the year ended 30 June 2017.

Exchange rates

US Dollar/£
Euro/£
Brazilian Real/£
Mexican Peso/£

Adjusted profit before tax1

Genus PIC
Genus ABS
R&D
Central costs

Adjusted operating profit incl. JV
Net finance costs

Adjusted profit before tax

Average

Closing

2018

1.35
1.13
4.51
25.37

2018 
£m 

94.8
26.1
(46.8)
(11.0)

63.1
(4.6)

58.5

2017

1.27
1.16
4.11
24.61

2018

1.32
1.13
5.12
26.30

2017

1.30
1.14
4.30
23.51

Actual currency

2017 
£m

Movement 
%

Constant  
currency
Movement 
%

94.8
21.3
(43.8)
(12.2)

60.1
(3.7)

56.4

–
23
(7)
10

5
(24)

4

5
29
(13)
6

10
(24)

9

1 

Includes share of adjusted pre-tax profits of joint ventures and removes share of adjusted profits of non-controlling interests.

Adjusted Operating Profit Including
JVs Excluding Gene Editing Investment
(£m)

● Adjusted operating profit
● Gene editing investment

68.1

63.6

55.2

51.2

44.8

+7% in actual currency
+12% in constant currency

14

15

16

17

18

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Genus PIC had another solid year, with 
adjusted operating profit including 
joint ventures up 5%. Volume growth 
of 8% included double digit growth in 
Latin America, Europe and Asia. The 
European business transformation is 
continuing to drive strong results and the 
recently completed strategic relationship 
with Møllevang, one of Denmark’s 
leading pig-breeding companies, 
will continue this momentum. 

Genus ABS had a strong year. Adjusted 
operating profit less non-controlling 
interest increased 29%, with volume 
growth of 5%. The launch of Sexcel 

in September 2017 helped to fuel 
strong sexed volume growth of 25%, 
along with higher prices and at lower 
production costs than its predecessor. 
Double-digit growth in Europe was 
driven by strong performances in 
Italy, France and Ireland and also in 
our beef-on-dairy offering, where 
the differentiated value of our beef 
genetics supported prices. Asia also 
performed strongly, up 36%, with all 
countries growing. North American 
volumes were up 2% and we invested 
to strengthen the focus on key account 
management. IVB also continued to 
grow, with embryo volumes up 20%.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
 
34

FINANCIAL REVIEW

R&D costs increased by 13%, as 
planned, primarily from a 46% increase 
in gene editing as we develop our 
first batches of gene edited elite pigs. 
Bovine product development also 
increased by 18%, with the start of 
amortisation of previously capitalised 
IntelliGen development costs and the 
continued development of the platform.

Net Finance Costs 
Net finance costs increased to £4.6m 
(2017: £3.7m) due to higher average 
borrowings and lower interest income 
following the investments made in the 
prior year, including the acquisitions 
of Hermitage for £15.2m and the 
remaining 49% of IVB for £11.4m.

Exceptional Items 
There was a £5.9m net exceptional 
expense in 2018 (2017: £2.5m), 
which included £5.0m for legal fees 
related to Genus ABS’s litigation 
with ST, £1.2m for acquisition and 
integration related expenses, primarily 
relating to Møllevang and Hermitage, 
and other items totalling a credit of 
£0.3m. The prior year contained an 
exceptional credit of £5.7m in respect 
of the arrangements for National 
Milk Records plc (‘NMR’) exiting the 
Milk Pension Fund in June 2017.

Statutory Profit Before Tax
Our statutory profit before tax was 
£7.8m (2017: £40.7m), with the 
decline primarily due to a non-cash 

fair value reduction of £28.7m (2017: 
£1.1m) in the net IAS 41 biological 
asset movement. Within this, there 
was a £5.3m (2017: £27.4m) uplift in 
porcine biological assets offset by a 
£34.0m (2017: £28.5m) reduction in 
bovine biological assets, due to the 
continuing trend towards sales of 
genomic semen and current estimates 
of the proportion of the semen sales 
price attributable to the biological asset 
value. Also impacting statutory profit 
was amortisation of acquired intangible 
assets of £9.5m (2017: £8.7m) and 
share-based payment expense of 
£5.4m (2017: £4.6m). These items 
tend to be non-cash, can be volatile 
and do not correlate to the underlying 
trading performance in the period.

The table below reconciles adjusted profit 
before tax to statutory profit before tax.

Taxation
The effective rate of tax for the year, 
based on adjusted profit before tax, was 
20.5% (2017: 25.0%) benefiting from 
a £2.4m credit from the reduction of 
deferred tax liabilities in the US following 
the enactment of US tax reforms. 
Excluding this one-off credit, the 
underlying tax rate on adjusted profits 
would have been 24.6%, reflecting 
a higher mix of profits in lower tax 
jurisdictions compared with the prior 
year. The effective rate remains higher 
than the UK corporate tax rate due to 
the mix of overseas profits, particularly 

the proportion of profits generated in the 
US and Latin America, and the impact 
of withholding taxes on the repatriation 
of funds to the UK. These effects are 
partly mitigated by the availability of 
manufacturing relief, R&D credits and 
agricultural reliefs in certain jurisdictions.

The tax rate on statutory profits was a 
credit of 347% (2017: 18.5% charge), 
reflecting a large non-cash deferred 
tax credit of £32.5m as a result of 
US tax reform. This primarily arose 
on applying the new US tax rates to 
the deferred tax liabilities associated 
with the fair value uplift under IAS 41 
on the Group’s biological assets. 

Earnings Per Share
Adjusted basic earnings per share 
increased by 9% to 75.9 pence (2017: 
69.4 pence) and were up 15% in constant 
currency. Basic earnings per share on a 
statutory basis were 69.7 pence (2017: 
53.8 pence), up 30%, with the non-
cash fair value accounting reduction 
in bovine biological assets more than 
offset by non-cash deferred tax credits 
arising from the US tax reforms.

Biological Assets
A feature of the Group’s net assets is 
its substantial investment in biological 
assets, which under IAS 41 are stated 
at fair value. At 30 June 2018, the 
carrying value of biological assets 
was £363.0m (2017: £375.3m), 
as set out in the table below:

Adjusted profit before tax
Operating profit attributable to non-controlling interest
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets in 
JVs and associates
Tax on JVs and associates
Adjusting items:
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
Amortisation of acquired intangible assets
Share-based payment expense
Exceptional items

Statutory profit before tax

2018 
£m 

58.5
0.8

(0.5)
(1.5)

(28.7)
(9.5)
(5.4)
(5.9)

7.8

2017 
£m

56.4
2.1

0.5
(1.4)

(1.1)
(8.7)
(4.6)
(2.5)

40.7

Biological assets

Non-current 
assets
Current assets
Inventory

Represented by:
Porcine
Dairy and beef

2018 
£m 

2017 
£m

305.8
37.0
 20.2

363.0

238.8
124.2

363.0

309.3
43.8
 22.2

375.3

215.6
159.7

375.3

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

35

2017 
£m

46.3
(11.7)
(18.9)
8.3
1.4

25.4
(30.0)
(13.5)

(18.1)

2018 
£m 

58.3
(15.1)
(22.5)
2.8
0.8

24.3
(1.8)
(14.9)

7.6

The Group’s financial position and 
borrowing ratios remain strong, with 
interest cover remaining at 25 times 
(2017: 37 times). EBITDA as calculated 
under our financing facilities includes 
cash received from joint ventures and 
historical cost depreciation of biological 
assets. The ratio of net debt to EBITDA 
on this basis improved to 1.4 times 
(2017: 1.5 times) with net debt slightly 
lower and an increased EBITDA.

Return on Invested Capital
We measure our return on invested 
capital on the basis of adjusted operating 
profit including joint ventures after tax, 
divided by the operating net assets 
of the business, stated on the basis 
of historical cost, excluding net debt 
and pension liability. This removes the 
impact of IAS 41 fair value accounting, 
the related deferred tax and goodwill. 
The return on invested capital increased 
to 23.9% after tax (2017: 19.9%), 
reflecting the increase in adjusted 
profit and lower tax rate in the year.

Dividend
Reflecting the Board’s continuing 
confidence in the Group’s prospects, 
it is recommending to shareholders a 
final dividend of 17.9 pence per ordinary 
share, resulting in a total dividend for 
the year of 26.0 pence per ordinary 
share, an increase of 10% for the 
year. Dividend cover from adjusted 
earnings remains consistently strong 
at 2.9 times (2017: 2.9 times).

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director
5 September 2018

The movement in the overall 
balance sheet carrying value of 
biological assets, excluding the 
effect of exchange rate translation 
decreases of £8.8m, includes:

•  a £27.6m increase in the carrying 
value of porcine biological assets, 
due principally to accounting for the 
genetics acquired under the strategic 
relationship with Møllevang, as all 
material conditions for completion of 
the transaction under the terms of 
the subscription agreement were 
fulfilled at the balance sheet date; and

•  a £31.1m reduction in the bovine 

biological assets value, due to the 
continuing trend towards sales of 
genomic semen, resulting in shorter 
productive lives of bulls, and current 
estimates, based on market data, of 
the proportion of the semen sales 
price attributable to the biological 
asset value. 

The historical cost of these assets, 
less depreciation, was £51.0m at 
30 June 2018 (2017: £51.5m), which 
is the basis used for the adjusted 
results. The historical cost depreciation 
of these assets included in adjusted 
results was £6.4m (2017: £7.0m).

Retirement Benefit Obligations
The Group’s retirement benefit 
obligations at 30 June 2018, calculated 
in accordance with IAS 19 and IFRIC 
14, were £33.9m (2017: £40.9m) 
before tax and £27.9m (2017: £32.4m) 
net of related deferred tax. The 
largest element of this liability relates 
to the multi-employer Milk Pension 
Fund, where we account for this 
scheme on the basis of Genus being 
responsible for 86% of the scheme 
since the exit of NMR (2017: 85%).

During the year, contributions 
payable in respect of the Group’s 
defined benefit schemes amounted 
to £7.3m (2017: £7.2m).

Cash flow (before debt repayments)

Cash generated by operations
Interest and tax paid
Capital expenditure
Cash received from JVs
Other

Free cash flow
Acquisitions and investments
Dividends

Net cash flow

Cash Flow
Free cash flow was solid at £24.3m 
(2017: £25.4m), driven by strong cash 
generated by operations of £58.3m 
(2017: £46.3m), representing conversion 
of adjusted operating profit of £57.7m 
(2017: £55.1m) into cash of 101% (2017: 
84%). Cash inflows from joint ventures 
were lower at £2.8m (2017: £8.3m) 
following a very strong prior year.

Capital expenditure cash flows of 
£22.5m (2017: £18.9m) included 
continued investment in IntelliGen 
machines as we ramped up production 
capacity, an initial payment for the 
purchase of land to house future North 
America production facilities for the 
ABS business and the first stage of the 
GenusOne new enterprise system.

The cash outflow from investments was 
£1.8m, primarily relating to deferred 
consideration for previously acquired 
businesses. This compares to £30.0m 
in 2017 from the acquisition of De 
Novo Genetics, Hermitage Genetics 
and of the remaining 49% of IVB. The 
total cash inflow for the year after 
these investments and dividends 
was £7.6m (2017: outflow £18.1m).

Net Debt
Net debt decreased from £111.6m 
to £108.5m at 30 June 2018, with 
increased capital investment in the 
business being more than offset by 
strong cash generation. During the 
year, we exercised an accordion feature 
in our credit facilities to increase 
them by £20.0m, in anticipation of 
payments to Møllevang in July 2018. 
At the end of June 2018, there was 
substantial headroom of £99.3m under 
the extended facilities of £220.0m.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION36

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

LEADING TODAY,

TRANSFORMING

TOMORROW

A Diverse Team
We are a global company and employ 
approximately 2,900 people in 25 
countries. They range from geneticists 
to livestock technicians, veterinarians 
to accountants, all working together 
to pursue our vision.

We are an increasingly diverse, multi-
national organisation. One example is 
gender diversity: 32% of our workforce 
are women, and 27% of our managers: 
we are looking to increase that number.

An Inclusive Culture
Our work is underpinned by five core 
values, which our people helped to 
shape. They inform a culture that is 
engaging, fair and respectful. We are 
a passionate, high-performing team, 
that is also open and supportive. 
We communicate regularly regarding 
business plans and progress and we 
proactively seek employee feedback 
and ideas. 

A Thirst for Great People
We are always looking to develop 
existing employees and bring in new 
talent to challenge current thinking, 
improve ways of working and fuel 

OUR PEOPLE PLAY A CRUCIAL 
ROLE IN HELPING US PURSUE 
OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND 
UPHOLD THE CORE VALUES 
THAT UNDERPIN OUR 
ORGANISATION. WE ENGAGE, 
EQUIP AND SUPPORT THEM 
TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL 
POTENTIAL WHILE BUILDING 
OUR BUSINESS
ANGELLE ROSATA
GROUP HR DIRECTOR

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

further growth. This year, for example, 
we employed more than 180 colleagues, 
with nearly 120 hired to scale up 
operations for IntelliGen Technologies, 
including a whole new team to produce 
Sexcel in India. 

We also established a graduate 
programme for ABS in EMEA, 
introduced a university internship 
programme for ABS in North America 
and established best-in-class global 
recruitment and onboarding practices 
to PIC’s owned production facilities.

A Global Framework
We maintained and regularly reviewed 
our comprehensive set of global policies 
for employees, including our Anti-
Harassment and Diversity and Inclusion 
policy and a range of health and safety 
policies (health and safety is covered in 
this report’s ‘Responsibility’ section). 
These policies shape the way we work. 
They ensure employees have a clear 
framework in which to carry out their 
role and can do so in a safe environment 
that is free from discrimination.

We publish all our policies and support 
them with periodic training where 
relevant. Our indicators (including 
employee survey feedback and health 
and safety statistics) show these 
are being implemented consistently. 
There are many routes through 
which employees can raise concerns, 
from informal feedback to our formal 
grievance procedure. We follow the 
same investigative procedure referenced 
in this report’s Anti-Bribery and 
Corruption section (see opposite).

During the year, we continued to 
strengthen our global framework for 
managing people. Everyone has a 
performance discussion twice a year to 
review their progress, future aims and 
support needs. Managers are supported 
by HR Business Partners to help 
everyone make the most of this process. 

We invest in people at all levels, from 
senior leaders to front-line employees. 

TRANSFORMING37

YOUR VOICE
In November 2017, we ran our third 
global employee engagement survey, 
Your Voice, to explore employee 
views of working at Genus.

We achieved a record response rate 
of 82%, with contributions from 
more than 2,200 colleagues. Global 
results showed higher scores than 
our last exercise (in 2015), with 
highlights including:

Question

I understand 
our vision

I understand the 
Genus business 
strategy 

The Genus values 
help me decide the 
right thing to do

2017

2015

90% 89%

80% 79%

78% 73%

I think the Genus 
leaders are taking  
the Company in 
the right direction  82% 76%
I think we are 
pioneering animal 
genetic improvement  93% 87%
Genus regularly 
improves products 
and services relative 
to those of its 
competitors 

82% 71%

We also identified areas in which we 
could improve, such as strengthening 
people management capabilities at 
different levels of the organisation 
and enhancing clarity over career 
paths within the Company.

We received breakdowns of results 
from our businesses and markets 
and, for the first time, specific 
results from individual teams 
(where there were six or more 
responses). We provided detailed 
materials to help managers hold 
feedback and action planning 
sessions with their teams and we 
are now engaged in implementing 
the resulting local, business unit 
and company-wide actions.

GENDER DIVERSITY

25%
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2 FEMALE
6 MALE

Female
Male

13%
GELT
1 FEMALE
7 MALE

32%
WORKFORCE
915 FEMALE
1,981 MALE

We develop leaders from around the 
world to nurture the talent we need 
to improve, innovate and support our 
customers. We encourage individual 
development plans and run specific 
programmes for different groups, 
from training for people managers and 
supervisors to technical skills training 
for front-line employees. As a global 
company, we encourage our people 
to gain experience of working in other 
countries to develop global business 
knowledge and cross-cultural agility.

Improvement in Health and Safety
We prioritise the safety of employees 
and the well-being of our animals. We 
reduced overall injuries by 2% and 
animal-related injuries by 1% (despite 
working with a larger number of animals 
during the year). We increased reporting 
of ‘near misses’ in key regions across 
the company by 60%.

Anti-Bribery and Corruption
Our Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy 
sets out our responsibilities, and those 
of people working with us, to act 
professionally, fairly and with integrity 
in all business dealings. We have a 
zero-tolerance approach to any form of 
bribery, inducement or corrupt practice. 
All employees undertake mandatory 
annual training on this policy and must 
achieve 100% in a post-training test. 

The training is supported by our 
Whistleblowing policy, which confirms 
an obligation to report any concerns 
about unethical behaviour and explains 
the process for doing so (including a 
confidential reporting hotline, managed 

by an independent third party). Any 
concerns reported are immediately 
referred to the Group General Counsel 
& Company Secretary and are then 
investigated and discussed accordingly 
with our Group HR Director, Head of 
Internal Audit and the company’s Audit 
Committee. This process is regularly 
reviewed as part of our annual Audit 
Committee activity. 

Human Rights
Genus is committed to respecting the 
human rights of workers throughout 
our value chain and the local 
communities in which we operate. 
We aim to ensure that anyone who 
might be affected by Genus can enjoy 
the human rights described in the 
International Bill of Human Rights and 
the ILO Declaration on Fundamental 
Principles and Rights at Work.

This principle has underpinned our work 
for years and is being incorporated 
within a new, global employee 
handbook. We monitor it through the 
same process used for the policies 
outlined earlier and there were no 
specific issues identified during the year.

Looking Ahead
In the coming year, we will continue 
inspiring, challenging and supporting our 
people to perform, develop and grow. 
This will help us strengthen relationships 
with customers and build our business.

VISIT: WWW.GENUSPLC.COM/WORK_FOR_US/  
TO LEARN ABOUT GENUS AS AN EMPLOYER.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION38

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

A DEEP SENSE OF

RESPONSIBILITY

PIC GENETIC 
IMPROVEMENT 
FOOD QUALITY AND SECURITY
PIC harnesses the latest science 
and technology to develop 
differentiated products that advance 
food quality and availability, while 
improving animal welfare and 
reducing environmental impact. For 
example, as producers seek to 
expand litter size, PIC’s focus on 
increasing birth weight is helping to 
reduce piglet mortality. Developing 
the best feed conversion rate in the 
industry (so less feed is needed to 
drive desired weight gain) and 
improving animal growth rates also 
reduces environmental impact.

SOLAR PANELS  
AT DEKORRA  
COVERING ENVIRONMENT
The Genus ABS site at Dekorra is 
installing solar panels to reduce 
electricity use and cut carbon 
emissions. The panels will be sited 
near a production barn and are 
expected to generate at least one 
third of the energy needed for that 
area each year. The installation is 
the start of a wider programme to 
harness renewable energy on 
the site.

ABS SEXCEL™ IN INDIA  
COVERING COMMUNITY
Arshi, the first female calf born 
from using Sexcel in India, arrived 
on 6 March 2018. She shows 
how Sexcel is helping farmers 
produce female calves, rather 
than male offspring which cannot 
contribute to milk production but, 
as sacred animals, cannot be culled, 
leaving farmers with costly, 
non-productive animals.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

RESPONSIBILITYPRINCIPLES IN PRACTICEOur work enhances the supply of safe, affordable and high-quality milk and meat. In a world with a growing population but finite natural resources, farmers need to produce animal protein more efficiently than ever before. Our innovative work and leading-edge technology helps them to do this, delivering more nourishment to people around the world.We carry out our work with a deep sense of responsibility to animals, colleagues, customers and communities. ‘Responsible’ is one of our five core values, which were shaped by the people who work here. As a global company – operating in many different countries, with contrasting contexts and circumstances – we have established a range of core policies and principles on areas relevant to our business and help our countries apply them locally. Examples include principles around animal well-being (explaining our zero-tolerance approach to any mistreatment of animals), environmental practices and a range of policies around health and safety (helping colleagues follow safe working practices). We publish all our policies for employees and support them with guidance and training. For example, all employees are assigned annual training on animal well-being, whether or not they work directly with animals, and we provide further in-depth training for anyone working with animals regularly. There are many routes through which employees can raise concerns including the independent whistleblowing hotline explained earlier in this report.  39

A CLEAR FRAMEWORK FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT  
OF FOOD QUALITY AND SECURITY
We have developed our own five-part framework to guide and focus our efforts.  
It is built on five ‘pillars’, covering areas and issues highly relevant to our work  
and our impact on the world around us.

‘Food Quality and Security’ is at the very core of what we do as a business.  
The diagram below describes how our corporate responsibility approach works  
with our business cycle.

WE EVALUATE AND 
VALIDATE OUR GENETICS  
IN CUSTOMER OPERATIONS, 
SEEKING TO DELIVER THE 
NEXT GENERATION OF 
GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

OUR SCIENTISTS USE 
LEADING-EDGE RESEARCH 
AND ANALYSIS TO DRIVE 
GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

FOOD QUALITY 
AND SECURITY
PROVIDING EXPERTISE AND 
PRODUCTS THAT INCREASE  
THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH 
QUALITY PROTEIN

WE REPLICATE 
DESIRABLE TRAITS 
THROUGH OUR BREEDING 
PROGRAMMES, DELIVERING 
BENEFITS FOR ANIMAL  
WELL-BEING, CUSTOMER 
PRODUCTIVITY AND 
SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN 
PRODUCTION

WE DELIVER GENETIC 
IMPROVEMENT TO 
BENEFIT CUSTOMERS,  
BY DISSEMINATING  
THE GENES RAPIDLY

WE ARE ROOTED IN  
THE COMMUNITIES WE  
WORK IN, OPERATING TO 
GLOBAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 
STANDARDS FOR OUR STAFF 
 AND GLOBAL ANIMAL  
WELL-BEING STANDARDS

ANIMAL  
WELL-BEING

Continually improving animal 
well-being through proven 
science-based initiatives

OPERATE 
SAFELY

Ensuring a safe working 
environment for colleagues

ENVIRONMENT

Reducing the impact of 
protein production

COMMUNITY

Being a responsible corporate 
citizen within our communities

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION40

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

LEADING

FROM THE FRONT

We have established a Corporate Social 
Responsibility (‘CSR’) Committee to 
oversee our framework and activity.  
This comprises experts from around our 
global company and reports to the 
Genus Executive Leadership Team. 

The Committee sets our CSR strategy, 
articulates annual objectives and 
monitors progress. 

The key performance indicators for 
monitoring and reporting our 

performance, and our plans for 2019, 
are summarised below.

For more information on our work, 
progress and CSR Committee, 
please visit our dedicated website: 
www.genusplc.com/responsibility.

PROGRESS UPDATE
WHAT WE DO

HIGHLIGHTS IN THE YEAR

WHAT WE PLAN TO DO NEXT

  FOOD QUALITY AND SECURITY

Providing expertise and 
products that increase 
the supply of high-
quality protein

•  Drove rapid genetic improvement in both porcine 

•  Continue driving porcine and bovine genetic improvement 

and bovine species

and rapidly disseminate the genetics

•  Continued our work to combat PRRSv in pigs, 

•  Continue responsible development of PRRSv resistant pigs 

successfully delivering our first gene edited animals
•  Introduced Sexcel in target markets such as India, 

increasing the probability of female offspring

to improve animal well-being and sustainability, while 
engaging with industry stakeholders, regulators and 
consumers about the benefits of this technology 
•  Increase the availability of Sexcel in the market place

  ANIMAL WELL-BEING

Continually improving 
animal welfare through 
proven science-based 
initiatives

  ENVIRONMENT

Reducing the 
environmental impact 
of protein production

  OPERATE SAFELY

Ensuring a safe 
working environment 
for our colleagues

  COMMUNITY

•  Introduced PIC Care, a new training programme to 
be undertaken annually by all PIC employees with 
routine animal contact

•  Completed the second PIC Supply Chain survey 

and developed an action plan based on the findings

•  Continued to invest in PIC and ABS animal 

housing facilities

•  Continue investment in PIC and ABS animal housing facilities
•  Continue aligning standard operating procedures across 

the PIC global Supply Chain

•  Focus on reducing bovine birthing stress, to improve 

maternal health

•  Audited 83% of PIC-owned production sites
•  Improved feed efficiency by 0.024kg of feed per  

•  Maintain scope and measures of PIC audits on owned 

production, including 80% of owned sites

kg of pork

•  Improve feed efficiency by 0.02kg of feed per kg of pork 

•  Evolved our range of proprietary beef genetics that 

per annum

improve feed efficiency 

•  Explore opportunities for wider deployment of renewable 

energy solutions across sites 

•  Complete roll-out of eco-friendly porcine semen packaging 

solution in Mexico

•  Reduced vehicle-related incidents by 14%
•  Increased ‘near miss’ reporting in key regions 

•  Reduce occupational road risk year-on-year
•  Continue to reduce recordable incidents, specifically 

by 60%

involving animals, and on customer premises

•  Reduced animal-related injuries by 1%, despite 
working with a larger number of animals during 
the year

Being a responsible 
corporate citizen, 
within our communities

•  Recruited 188 staff into our PIC and ABS 

production sites

•  Supported internships and graduate recruitment 

•  Continue to respond to local community crises, recruit into 
local farms and encourage support for charities close to the 
local businesses

programmes 

•  Enhance our range of placement and employment 

opportunities for students and apprentices

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

LEADING 
 
 
 
 
41

  GREENHOUSE GAS (‘GHG’) REPORTING

Our GHG emissions are primarily 
methane produced by our animals and 
carbon dioxide from consuming fuel and 
other materials, and from transport. Our 
primary intensity ratio is based on animal 
weight, which is a key driver of our GHG 
emissions. Our secondary intensity ratio 
is based on turnover. 

Animal weight reduced by 5%, mainly 
due to a lower number of animals 
in porcine, driven by the strategic 
production partnership entered into 
with Hermitage, exiting a farm in the 
Philippines and reductions in animal 
numbers in China and US due to disease 
outbreaks. This animal weight reduction 
is the primary driver in the reduction in 
our scope 1 and 2 emissions, resulting in 
our primary intensity ratio reducing 4%. 

Our secondary intensity ratio has 
reduced by 10% due to the increase 
in turnover and decrease in our 
total emissions.

Our Reporting Approach
We use operational control as 
our reporting approach. We have 
determined and reported the emissions 
we are responsible for within this 
boundary and believe there are no 
material omissions. GHG data is 
therefore reported for assets, which 
are mainly rented or leased, that are 
otherwise not referred to elsewhere 
in the financial statements. We 
omitted JVs and some livestock  
held at third-parties, due to our limited 
authority to introduce and implement 
operating policies.

GHG EMISSIONS FOR 2018 (%)

46% Scope 1 Livestock

9%  Scope 1 Fuel

13% Scope 1 Own Transport
9%  Scope 2 Electricity and Heat

7%  Scope 3 Distribution

11% Scope 3 Travel

5%  Scope 3 Other

Emissions from

Scope 1 – combustion of fuel, own transport and livestock emissions
Scope 2 – purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling

Total Scope 1 and 2

Scope 3 – material usage and waste, third party distribution and business travel

Total emissions

Primary intensity measure – animal weight (tonne)

Secondary intensity measure – turnover (£m)

Primary intensity ratio – Scope 1 and 2 (tCO2e/tonne animal weight)

Secondary intensity ratio – Scope 1, 2 and 3 (tCO2e/£m turnover)

1  2017 scope 1 and 2 emissions have been restated due to corrections to data reported in China. 

Annual emission figures have been calculated based on actual ten-month data for July to April extrapolated to full year.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018  
Tonnes  
of CO2e

67,650
8,398

76,048

23,016

2017
Tonnes  
of CO2e

74,3391
9,7101

84,049

24,055

99,064

108,104

9,608

470.3

7.9

211

10,146

459.1

8.3

235

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
 
 
 
42

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

STRONG CORPORATE

GOVERNANCE

THE BOARD 
CONTINUES  
TO PROVIDE 
HIGH-QUALITY 
LEADERSHIP 
TO THE GROUP
BOB LAWSON 
CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

1  A copy of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code is available from  

the Financial Reporting Council website.

GOVERNANCEDear ShareholderThis was another busy and constructive year for the Board, as we continued to focus on providing the leadership and oversight the Group requires to successfully implement the strategy. We were pleased that this year’s Board evaluation once again showed that the Board is functioning well.Last year’s evaluation identified strategic clarity, risk analysis, succession planning and shareholder communication as priorities for the Board this year. We made good progress in each of these areas, as this report explains. We were also delighted to further strengthen the Board, with the recruitment of Lesley Knox and Ian Charles as Non-Executive Directors. Their comprehensive induction programmes include meetings with senior management to discuss strategy, financial performance, operations, risks and opportunities; site visits and meetings with employees to provide insight into our bovine, porcine and R&D business units; and corporate governance seminars. This will give them a thorough grounding in Genus and help them to maximise their contribution to the Board.Genus complied in full with the 2016 edition of  the UK Corporate Governance Code, which was the applicable standard for this year. We continue to monitor changes to the governance environment, including the newly released 2018 edition of the Code, to ensure ongoing compliance.1Bob LawsonChair of the Board5 September 201843

OUR APPROACH TO REPORTING ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We aim to provide genuine insight into the Board’s activities and to clearly explain 
how our corporate governance framework functions. Set out below is an explanation 
of how we report on governance, aligned with the Code’s five key principles.

Principle

Highlights

More Information

LEADERSHIP
Information on the composition of 
the Board and its Committees, the 
Directors’ roles and responsibilities, 
and their key activities this year.

EFFECTIVENESS
How we ensure the Board has the 
right mix of skills and experience, 
and the results of the annual 
Board evaluation.

ACCOUNTABILITY
An explanation of our risk 
management and internal controls, 
and the Audit Committee’s activities 
during the year.

RELATIONS WITH 
SHAREHOLDERS
Includes our investor relations 
calendar, data on the shareholders 
we met during the year, and  
the key themes discussed at 
investor meetings.

REMUNERATION
Our approach to rewarding and 
incentivising the Directors and a 
report on their remuneration for 
the year.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

We further strengthened the Board 
by recruiting two Non-Executive 
Directors, adding different 
perspectives and experiences 
to the Board.

Board of Directors and Company 
Secretary (pages 44 to 45)
The Board’s Year in Review  
(pages 48 to 51)
Leadership (pages 52 to 54)

The annual evaluation confirmed 
that the Board continues to work 
effectively and highlighted areas of 
focus for the coming year.

The Board’s Year in Review  
(pages 48 to 51)
Nomination Committee Report 
(pages 59 to 61)

The Audit Committee and Board 
continued their robust focus  
on risk management and control, 
including biosecurity.

Audit Committee Report  
(pages 62 to 64)
Internal Audit and Risk Management 
(pages 55 to 56)

The Executive Directors met 
institutional investors owning almost 
63.2% of our share capital, including 
20 of our 25 largest shareholders, as 
well as many potential investors.

Relations with Shareholders and 
Other Stakeholders (pages 57 to 58)

The Remuneration Committee 
continued to focus on delivery of 
reward within the Policy agreed by 
shareholders, effective alignment of 
reward with business outcomes, 
and the structure of reward across 
the wider organisation.

Remuneration Report  
(pages 65 to 88)

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION4 4

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMPANY SECRETARY

Bob Lawson1,2
Non-Executive 
Chairman/ 
Nomination  
Committee Chair

Karim Bitar1
Chief Executive

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director

Nigel Turner1,2,3
Senior Independent 
Non-Executive Director/
Remuneration 
Committee Chair

Lysanne Gray1,2,3
Non-Executive Director/
Audit Committee Chair

Professor Duncan 

Maskell1,2,3

Non-Executive Director

Lykele van der Broek1,2,3

Non-Executive Director

Lesley Knox1,2,3

Professor Ian 

Non-Executive Director

Charles1,2,3

Dan Hartley

Group General Counsel 

Non-Executive Director

and Company 

Secretary

Board Appointment
November 2010

Board Appointment
September 2011

Board Appointment
January 2013

Board Appointment
January 2008

Board Appointment
April 2016

Board Appointment

Board Appointment

Board Appointment

Board Appointment

April 2014

July 2014

June 2018

July 2018

Appointment

June 2014

Skills and Experience
•  Significant experience 
of leading international 
businesses, including 
through operational and 
cultural changes

•  Deep understanding of 
listed companies and 
corporate governance

Current Appointments
Non-Executive Chairman of 
Eurocell plc.

Skills and Experience
•  Extensive experience 

of leading international, 
technology driven 
organisations

•  Led the strategic review 

of Genus in 2012, 
resulting in a new vision, 
strategy, structure and 
core values

•  BSc in Biochemistry 

from the University of 
Wisconsin and an MBA 
from the University of 
Michigan

Current Appointments
Non-Executive Director of 
Spectris plc and member 
of the University of 
Michigan Ross School of 
Business Advisory Board.

Skills and Experience
•  International experience 
in France and the US

•  Wide-ranging 

Skills and Experience
•  Substantial experience 

of international business 
and corporate finance

knowledge of mergers 
and acquisitions, 
financing, strategy and 
investor relations

•  Fellow of the Chartered 

Institute of Management 
Accountants

•  Degree in Mathematics 
from the University of 
Cambridge

Skills and Experience
•  Significant experience of 
risk management, audit, 
business operations, 
acquisitions and 
disposals, and corporate 
governance, gained 
within the food sector
•  Chartered accountant

Current Appointments
Financial Controller at 
Unilever plc and Unilever 
NV.

Past Appointments
Chief Executive of 
Electrocomponents plc, 
Managing Director of Vitec 
Group plc, Chairman of the 
Federation of Groundwork 
Trusts, Chairman of Hays 
plc, and Non-Executive 
Chairman of Barratt 
Developments plc.

Past Appointments
President of Lilly 
Europe, Canada and 
Australia; McKinsey and 
Company consultant; 
and management roles 
at Johnson and Johnson, 
and the Dow Chemical 
Company.

Past Appointments
Executive Vice President 
and Chief Financial Officer 
of Misys plc; finance and 
business development 
roles at IBM; and Non-
Executive Director and 
Audit Committee Chair of 
Xchanging plc.

Past Appointments
Senior Independent 
Director of Croda 
International Plc, Chairman 
of Numis Securities Ltd; 
Deputy Chairman of Numis 
Corporation plc; Vice 
Chairman of ABN AMRO’s 
Wholesale and Investment 
Bank; and Partner and 
member of the Supervisory 
Board at Lazard.

Past Appointments
Chief Auditor of Unilever; 
Chief Financial Officer 
of Unilever’s global food 
service business; and a 
number of other senior 
operational and financial 
positions within Unilever.

Key to Committees
1  Member of the Nomination Committee.
2  Member of the Remuneration Committee.
3  Member of the Audit Committee.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Skills and Experience

•  Co-founder of several 

biotech companies

•  Extensive experience of 

commercialising science 

and innovation

•  Experienced scientific 

adviser to companies, 

using his broad 

perspective on life 

sciences

Skills and Experience

•  Vast experience of 

growing companies and 

working in agricultural 

businesses throughout 

the world, including in 

emerging markets

Skills and Experience

•  Broad international, 

strategic and financial 

services experience, 

both through executive 

and non-executive roles

•  Has advised numerous 

companies including 

manufacturers and 

distributors of food 

products, encompassing 

poultry and poultry 

breeding companies

with deep scientific 

expertise

•  More than 30 years’ 

experience in academic 

and commercial 

research institutions

is infectious diseases, 

the microbiome and its 

impact on health and 

well-being

in multi-jurisdictional 

patent litigation, mergers 

and acquisitions, patent 

licensing and managing 

product life cycles in 

complex areas

and law

•  Current research focus 

•  Degrees in science 

Skills and Experience

Skills and Experience

•  Entrepreneurial scientist, 

•  Significant experience 

Current Appointments

Vice Chancellor of the 

University of Melbourne.

Current Appointments

Current Appointments

Current Appointments

Chair of Eden Research plc.

Chair of Grosvenor Group 

and member of the 

Remuneration committee; 

Non-Executive Director  

of Thomas Cook; and  

Non-Executive Director  

and Chair of the 

Remuneration Committee 

of Legal & General.

Co-founder and Board 

Director of Auspherix; 

Board Director of Longas 

Technologies Pty Limited; 

and Director of Quadram 

Institute Bioscience.

Past Appointments

Past Appointments

Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor 

Member of the Board of 

Management of Bayer 

CropScience, a division 

of Bayer AG; senior 

Past Appointments

Founder director of British 

Linen Advisors; Governor 

of British Linen Bank 

Group; and numerous 

Past Appointments

Director of the ithree 

institute, University of 

Technology, Sydney; 

co-founder and Chief 

Past Appointments

Senior Vice President and 

International Counsel of 

Shire plc; and senior and 

global roles in Australia, 

international roles including 

non-executive roles, 

Scientific Officer of Arrow 

the UK and the US.

the Head of Bayer 

including Centrica, SAB 

Therapeutics; founder 

CropScience’s BioScience 

Miller, Alliance Trust, Hays, 

member of The Wolfson 

division; and President 

of the Bayer HealthCare 

Animal Health division.

Scottish Provident and 

Bank of Scotland.

Institute for BioMedical 

Research at University 

College London; and 

various roles at Glaxo 

Wellcome and Sheffield, 

Cambridge and Leicester 

Universities.

(‘PVC’) of the University 

of Cambridge, where he 

and the four other PVCs 

were responsible for the 

University’s strategy and 

policy development.

Head of the School of the 

Biological Sciences at the 

University of Cambridge, 

leading research on 

infectious diseases of 

livestock and people.

 
45

Bob Lawson1,2

Non-Executive 

Chairman/ 

Nomination  

Committee Chair

Karim Bitar1

Chief Executive

Stephen Wilson

Nigel Turner1,2,3

Lysanne Gray1,2,3

Group Finance Director

Senior Independent 

Non-Executive Director/

Non-Executive Director/

Audit Committee Chair

Professor Duncan 
Maskell1,2,3
Non-Executive Director

Lykele van der Broek1,2,3
Non-Executive Director

Lesley Knox1,2,3
Non-Executive Director

Professor Ian 
Charles1,2,3
Non-Executive Director

Dan Hartley
Group General Counsel 
and Company 
Secretary

Remuneration 

Committee Chair

Board Appointment

November 2010

Board Appointment

September 2011

Board Appointment

Board Appointment

Board Appointment

January 2013

January 2008

April 2016

Board Appointment
April 2014

Board Appointment
July 2014

Board Appointment
June 2018

Board Appointment
July 2018

Appointment
June 2014

Skills and Experience

•  Significant experience 

Skills and Experience

•  Extensive experience 

Skills and Experience

Skills and Experience

Skills and Experience

•  International experience 

•  Substantial experience 

•  Significant experience of 

of leading international, 

in France and the US

of international business 

risk management, audit, 

of leading international 

businesses, including 

through operational and 

cultural changes

listed companies and 

corporate governance

•  Deep understanding of 

of Genus in 2012, 

technology driven 

organisations

•  Wide-ranging 

knowledge of mergers 

•  Led the strategic review 

and acquisitions, 

and corporate finance

business operations, 

acquisitions and 

disposals, and corporate 

governance, gained 

within the food sector

•  Chartered accountant

•  BSc in Biochemistry 

Accountants

resulting in a new vision, 

strategy, structure and 

core values

from the University of 

Wisconsin and an MBA 

from the University of 

Michigan

financing, strategy and 

investor relations

•  Fellow of the Chartered 

Institute of Management 

•  Degree in Mathematics 

from the University of 

Cambridge

Skills and Experience
•  Co-founder of several 
biotech companies

•  Extensive experience of 
commercialising science 
and innovation

•  Experienced scientific 
adviser to companies, 
using his broad 
perspective on life 
sciences

Skills and Experience
•  Vast experience of 

growing companies and 
working in agricultural 
businesses throughout 
the world, including in 
emerging markets

Skills and Experience
•  Broad international, 

strategic and financial 
services experience, 
both through executive 
and non-executive roles
•  Has advised numerous 
companies including 
manufacturers and 
distributors of food 
products, encompassing 
poultry and poultry 
breeding companies

Skills and Experience
•  Entrepreneurial scientist, 

with deep scientific 
expertise

•  More than 30 years’ 

experience in academic 
and commercial 
research institutions
•  Current research focus 
is infectious diseases, 
the microbiome and its 
impact on health and 
well-being

Skills and Experience
•  Significant experience 
in multi-jurisdictional 
patent litigation, mergers 
and acquisitions, patent 
licensing and managing 
product life cycles in 
complex areas

•  Degrees in science 

and law

Current Appointments

Current Appointments

Non-Executive Chairman of 

Non-Executive Director of 

Eurocell plc.

Spectris plc and member 

of the University of 

Michigan Ross School of 

Business Advisory Board.

Current Appointments

Financial Controller at 

Unilever plc and Unilever 

NV.

Current Appointments
Vice Chancellor of the 
University of Melbourne.

Current Appointments
Chair of Eden Research plc.

Past Appointments

Chief Executive of 

Electrocomponents plc, 

Managing Director of Vitec 

Group plc, Chairman of the 

Federation of Groundwork 

Trusts, Chairman of Hays 

plc, and Non-Executive 

Chairman of Barratt 

Developments plc.

Past Appointments

President of Lilly 

Europe, Canada and 

Australia; McKinsey and 

Company consultant; 

and management roles 

at Johnson and Johnson, 

and the Dow Chemical 

Company.

Past Appointments

Executive Vice President 

Past Appointments

Senior Independent 

and Chief Financial Officer 

Director of Croda 

Past Appointments

Chief Auditor of Unilever; 

Chief Financial Officer 

of Misys plc; finance and 

International Plc, Chairman 

of Unilever’s global food 

business development 

roles at IBM; and Non-

Executive Director and 

Audit Committee Chair of 

Xchanging plc.

of Numis Securities Ltd; 

Deputy Chairman of Numis 

Corporation plc; Vice 

Chairman of ABN AMRO’s 

Wholesale and Investment 

Bank; and Partner and 

member of the Supervisory 

Board at Lazard.

service business; and a 

number of other senior 

operational and financial 

positions within Unilever.

Past Appointments
Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor 
(‘PVC’) of the University 
of Cambridge, where he 
and the four other PVCs 
were responsible for the 
University’s strategy and 
policy development.

Head of the School of the 
Biological Sciences at the 
University of Cambridge, 
leading research on 
infectious diseases of 
livestock and people.

Past Appointments
Member of the Board of 
Management of Bayer 
CropScience, a division 
of Bayer AG; senior 
international roles including 
the Head of Bayer 
CropScience’s BioScience 
division; and President 
of the Bayer HealthCare 
Animal Health division.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Current Appointments
Chair of Grosvenor Group 
and member of the 
Remuneration committee; 
Non-Executive Director  
of Thomas Cook; and  
Non-Executive Director  
and Chair of the 
Remuneration Committee 
of Legal & General.

Past Appointments
Founder director of British 
Linen Advisors; Governor 
of British Linen Bank 
Group; and numerous 
non-executive roles, 
including Centrica, SAB 
Miller, Alliance Trust, Hays, 
Scottish Provident and 
Bank of Scotland.

Current Appointments
Co-founder and Board 
Director of Auspherix; 
Board Director of Longas 
Technologies Pty Limited; 
and Director of Quadram 
Institute Bioscience.

Past Appointments
Director of the ithree 
institute, University of 
Technology, Sydney; 
co-founder and Chief 
Scientific Officer of Arrow 
Therapeutics; founder 
member of The Wolfson 
Institute for BioMedical 
Research at University 
College London; and 
various roles at Glaxo 
Wellcome and Sheffield, 
Cambridge and Leicester 
Universities.

Past Appointments
Senior Vice President and 
International Counsel of 
Shire plc; and senior and 
global roles in Australia, 
the UK and the US.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
46

GENUS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM (‘GELT’)

Karim Bitar
Chief Executive

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director

Dan Hartley
Group General Counsel and 
Company Secretary

Angelle Rosata
Group HR Director

Dr Bill Christianson

Chief Operating Officer, 

Genus PIC

Jerry Thompson

Dr Nate Zwald

Chief Operating Officer, 

Chief Operating Officer, 

Genus ABS Beef

Genus ABS Dairy

Dr Jonathan Lightner

Chief R&D and 

Scientific Officer

See pages 44 and 45 for Karim’s, Stephen’s and Dan’s biographies.

Skills and Experience
•  Deep and broad expertise 

spanning resourcing, talent 
management, succession 
planning, leadership 
development and health 
and safety

•  Extensive HR strategic planning 
skills and commercial acumen
•  Masters in Human Resource 
Development from Vanderbilt 
University

Career
•  Joined Genus in September 

2013, following more than 20 
years in the healthcare sector

•  Developed and delivered 

PIC’s people strategy, before 
becoming HR Director for ABS 
and then Group HR Director on 
1 July 2017

Skills and Experience

•  Deep understanding of 

agriculture and biotechnology, 

with broad industry knowledge 

and extensive commercial and 

global experience

•  DVM and PhD in Veterinary 

Medicine from the University 

of Minnesota

Skills and Experience

•  A natural entrepreneur with 

deep industry knowledge, 

commercial skills and 

international experience

Skills and Experience

Skills and Experience

•  Deep expertise and experience 

•  Quantitative molecular 

of dairy genetics, strong 

commercial focus and passion 

for people development

geneticist, with expertise 

spanning molecular biology, 

analytical chemistry and 

•  Has helped Genus establish and 

•  Board member of the Council 

biotechnologies

grow businesses in countries as 

diverse as the UK, Russia, India 

and China

on Dairy Cattle Breeding and 

Vice President of the National 

•  Extensive regulatory and 

commercial experience

Association of Animal Breeders

•  BS in Biology, Masters in 

•  Holds a degree in Agriculture 

•  Degree in Dairy Science, MBA 

from University of Plymouth 

and is a graduate of Harvard 

Business School’s Advanced 

Management Program

and PhD in Dairy Cattle Genetics 

from the University of Wisconsin

Career

Career

Career

•  Joined PIC in 1992, working 

•  Joined Genus in January 2017 

•  Over 25 years of industrial 

Career

•  Joined Genus in 1993 and 

subsequently worked in 

operational roles spanning 

Europe, South America and the 

US, before becoming General 

Manager of PIC North America 

in 2007

•  Led the combined ABS and PIC 

business across the Americas 

from 2010, before becoming 

COO of Genus PIC in 2012

initially in the UK and then 

Siberia and Romania, before 

leading PIC in Central and 

Eastern Europe and then Europe 

as a whole

after 15 years at Alta Genetics, 

including 10 years as General 

Manager of its US business and 

more than two years as Global 

Marketing Director

•  Led PIC and ABS in Russia and 

•  Remains involved in his family’s 

Asia Pacific, before becoming 

COO for Genus Asia in 2012 and 

then COO for Genus ABS Beef 

in July 2016

commercial dairy operation, 

Bomaz farm in the US, which 

has produced high-ranking 

industry and ABS sires

Systems Engineering from Iowa 

State, MBA from the University 

of Iowa and Doctorate in Plant 

Physiology from the Institute 

of Biological Chemistry at 

Washington State University

experience, applying 

biotechnology to creating 

solutions for farmers

•  Ten years in variety of executive 

roles with Pioneer HI-Bred, 

including leading the global 

biotechnology team

•  Joined Genus in 2013 as Chief 

Scientific Officer and global 

head of R&D

•  Prior experience included three 

years with Exelixis, as Director 

of Biochemical Genomics

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
47

Karim Bitar

Chief Executive

Stephen Wilson

Group Finance Director

Dan Hartley

Group General Counsel and 

Company Secretary

Angelle Rosata

Group HR Director

Dr Bill Christianson
Chief Operating Officer, 
Genus PIC

Jerry Thompson
Chief Operating Officer, 
Genus ABS Beef

Dr Nate Zwald
Chief Operating Officer, 
Genus ABS Dairy

Dr Jonathan Lightner
Chief R&D and 
Scientific Officer

Skills and Experience

•  Deep and broad expertise 

spanning resourcing, talent 

management, succession 

planning, leadership 

development and health 

and safety

•  Extensive HR strategic planning 

skills and commercial acumen

•  Masters in Human Resource 

Development from Vanderbilt 

University

Career

•  Joined Genus in September 

2013, following more than 20 

years in the healthcare sector

•  Developed and delivered 

PIC’s people strategy, before 

becoming HR Director for ABS 

and then Group HR Director on 

1 July 2017

geneticist, with expertise 
spanning molecular biology, 
analytical chemistry and 
biotechnologies

•  Extensive regulatory and 
commercial experience
•  BS in Biology, Masters in 

Systems Engineering from Iowa 
State, MBA from the University 
of Iowa and Doctorate in Plant 
Physiology from the Institute 
of Biological Chemistry at 
Washington State University

Career
•  Over 25 years of industrial 

experience, applying 
biotechnology to creating 
solutions for farmers

•  Ten years in variety of executive 
roles with Pioneer HI-Bred, 
including leading the global 
biotechnology team

•  Joined Genus in 2013 as Chief 
Scientific Officer and global 
head of R&D

•  Prior experience included three 
years with Exelixis, as Director 
of Biochemical Genomics

Skills and Experience
•  Deep expertise and experience 

Skills and Experience
•  Quantitative molecular 

Skills and Experience
•  Deep understanding of 

agriculture and biotechnology, 
with broad industry knowledge 
and extensive commercial and 
global experience

•  DVM and PhD in Veterinary 

Medicine from the University 
of Minnesota

Skills and Experience
•  A natural entrepreneur with 
deep industry knowledge, 
commercial skills and 
international experience

•  Has helped Genus establish and 
grow businesses in countries as 
diverse as the UK, Russia, India 
and China

•  Holds a degree in Agriculture 
from University of Plymouth 
and is a graduate of Harvard 
Business School’s Advanced 
Management Program

of dairy genetics, strong 
commercial focus and passion 
for people development

•  Board member of the Council 
on Dairy Cattle Breeding and 
Vice President of the National 
Association of Animal Breeders
•  Degree in Dairy Science, MBA 

and PhD in Dairy Cattle Genetics 
from the University of Wisconsin

Career
•  Joined Genus in 1993 and 
subsequently worked in 
operational roles spanning 
Europe, South America and the 
US, before becoming General 
Manager of PIC North America 
in 2007

•  Led the combined ABS and PIC 
business across the Americas 
from 2010, before becoming 
COO of Genus PIC in 2012

Career
•  Joined PIC in 1992, working 
initially in the UK and then 
Siberia and Romania, before 
leading PIC in Central and 
Eastern Europe and then Europe 
as a whole

•  Led PIC and ABS in Russia and 
Asia Pacific, before becoming 
COO for Genus Asia in 2012 and 
then COO for Genus ABS Beef 
in July 2016

Career
•  Joined Genus in January 2017 
after 15 years at Alta Genetics, 
including 10 years as General 
Manager of its US business and 
more than two years as Global 
Marketing Director

•  Remains involved in his family’s 
commercial dairy operation, 
Bomaz farm in the US, which 
has produced high-ranking 
industry and ABS sires

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
48

THE BOARD’S YEAR IN REVIEW

BOARD ACTIVITIES

The Board held eight meetings during the year. At each scheduled meeting, the Board receives updates on:
•  business performance, business development and competitive landscape developments from the CEO;
•  financial performance of the businesses and forecasts from the Group FD; and
•  corporate governance and legal issues from the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, and external advisers.

The table below provides more detail of the Board’s discussions and activities, and the outcomes from them:

Topic and link to our strategy

Activity

Actions arising

Progress 

Leadership and Effectiveness

Monitor Board 
effectiveness

Carried out Board effectiveness review

Areas of strengths and focus 
were identified (see page 50)

Received updates on changes in 
Corporate Governance from external 
advisors and Group General Counsel

Monitor pipeline of 
senior talent

Updated on the employee survey 
outcomes and talent management

Oversight of implementation of 
actions from the employee 
survey and ongoing updates on 
key talent/talent management

Business Development & Strategy

Monitor progress against 
our strategic objectives

Review and approve 
business activities

Monitor strategic 
developments

Research & Development

Monitor R&D progress

Held strategic meeting with GELT

See page 51

Approved:
•  the launch of Sexcel
•  strategic relationship with Møllevang 
•  IntelliGen Third Party Agreements

See pages 20 and 21
See pages 22 and 23
See pages 18 and 19

See pages 26 and 27

See pages 30 and 31

Received updates on:
•  Sexcel sales and progress
•  Hermitage acquisition
•  ongoing IVB integration
•  IntelliGen technology development 

and US litigation (see note 7)

•  business development opportunities, 
including summaries of due diligence 
reviews

•  competitor activities

Received updates:
•  on R&D investment
•  on IntelliGen technology production 

in the US and India

•  on R&D pipeline developments, new 
initiatives and potential collaborations

•  on the progress of the PRRSv 

development programme, including 
the first batches of founder gene 
edited pigs born from the result of 
the RenOVAte joint venture

•  on the progress of bovine product 

developments, including the progress 
of the De Novo joint venture

•  from Directors attending the R&D 

Portfolio Management Team

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
 
49

Topic and link to our strategy

Activity

Actions arising

Progress 

Employees

Review recruitment 
pipeline

Received updates on key vacancies  
and hires, in particular in relation  
to the scale up of the IntelliGen 
manufacturing team

Met key talent and business leads on 
Board site visits

Update on employee 
feedback

Carried out Your Voice survey

Shareholders

Monitor investor attitudes 
towards Genus

Updated on meetings with 
shareholders, potential investors 
and analysts

Received regular briefings from 
Executive teams

Held a Capital Markets Day

See page 37 for more 
information

82% of global staff completed

See page 57 for more 
information

Company Performance and Finance

Monitor performance 
against plan

Received updates on:
•  the operational performance of the 

See pages 32 to 35

business

•  market conditions for each division

Monitored the Group’s performance 
against its goals

Review past and projected 
financial performance

Approved the annual and interim results 
and dividends

Approved the 2019 budget

Monitor key financial 
issues

Monitor performance 
against plan

Received tax and treasury updates

Received pension updates

Monitored Group’s performance against 
its goals

Executive/GELT Updates

Monitor business unit 
performance and plans

Received monthly financial and 
operational performance updates

Received regular presentations from 
each business unit

Health & Safety

Ensure strong culture of 
health and safety

Reviewed 2018 targets for H&S and 
reviewed progress throughout the year

See pages 36 to 41

Risk Management

Monitor risk management 
and control

Received monthly and quarterly 
updates from Head of H&S, including 
progress against the H&S KPIs

Monitored the Group’s risk register

See pages 12 and 13

Updated on whistleblowing hotline 
reports and investigations

Audit Committee and Board updated 
on the ongoing efforts to strengthen 
measures and improve biosecurity and 
supply chain resilience

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 
 
 
 
 
 
50

THE BOARD’S YEAR IN REVIEW

ASSESSING THE BOARD’S EFFECTIVENESS

To ensure the Board provides effective leadership to the Group, we have a three-year evaluation cycle, using a mixture of internal 
and external evaluations.

YEAR 1
An external Board effectiveness review 
produces an action plan for the areas 
of focus identified by the review

YEAR 3
An internal review using 
questionnaires and 
interviews with  
the Chair of the Board

YEAR 2
A follow-up questionnaire by the 
same external consultant enables 
us to monitor our progress with  
the focus areas

This was the third year of the three-year cycle. The questionnaires 
circulated to the Board focused on the following:
•  role of the Board;
•  role of the Non-Executive Directors;
•  role of the Executive Directors;
•  Board meeting process;
•  Board’s monitoring of the Company’s performance;
•  Board’s leadership and culture;
•  Board’s corporate governance; and
•  additional comments on strengths, risks, priorities, 

effectiveness, and strategy

The Chairman then conducted individual interviews with each 
Board member. These enabled him to discuss questionnaire 
replies in confidence and open up further discussion of the 
points raised.

A report of the findings was then circulated to the Board, 
followed by a Board session to discuss the strengths and areas 
of focus identified by the review, and to agree actions.

The Evaluation’s Conclusions
The review showed that the Board had the following 
key strengths:
•  an open, challenging and supportive culture;
•  complementary experience, style and team culture that 

encourages constructive debate;

•  a high level of understanding, intelligence, skills and 

integrity; and

•  a genuine interest in the business and its success.

Board Focus Areas FY19
The evaluation identified the following priorities for the Board 
in FY19:
•  reviewing the sequence and timing of Board succession;
•  ensuring appropriate induction of new Directors;
•  obtaining greater insight into local and regional operating 
environments, markets and customer demands; and
•  obtaining greater insight into competitors’ performance, 

strategies and weaknesses.

Information about our progress with our FY18 areas of focus, 
which arose from the 2017 effectiveness review, can be found 
in the case studies on pages 20 to 25.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

51

OVERSEEING OUR STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE

ASSESSING OUR 
STRATEGIC PROGRESS

EFFECTIVELY  
MANAGING RISK

LYKELE VAN DER BROEK 
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LYSANNE GRAY 
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

One of the Board’s priorities for this year was to maintain its 
focus on strategic clarity, in a changing competitive landscape. 
A key part of this is the annual strategy review, which the 
Board holds each January. Members of GELT and their direct 
reports update the Board on their business unit or function, 
allowing the Directors to assess how well we are implementing 
the strategy and ensure it remains the right one for the Group.

As Lykele van der Broek explained: “The annual strategy 
review is critical. It helps us to stay informed about the 
competitive landscape, the challenges and opportunities the 
strategy is addressing and the Group’s planned performance 
over the next five years. In turn, this knowledge enables us to 
effectively review, challenge and approve each business unit’s 
strategy and monitor their progress against it. This process is 
equally important for senior leaders in that team. They benefit 
from outlining the strategic direction and allowing the Board, 
with its broad experience, to challenge and constructively 
debate their plans, helping them to fine tune their strategies.”

Ensuring the Group effectively identifies, manages and 
mitigates risk is one of the Board’s primary responsibilities, 
which it carries out with the support of the Audit Committee. 
This year, the Board also had an objective to continue to 
analyse risk, to better understand the risks we face, our 
controls and our risk appetite.

“Risk management has again been a key focus for the 
Audit Committee,” said Lysanne Gray, the Committee Chair. 
“We reviewed the Group-wide risk management process  
and discussed the risks identified and the mitigation plans with 
the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director. There were 
also a number of risks that we considered important enough 
to raise to the full Board. These included IntelliGen gene 
editing technology, biosecurity and our supply chain, the 
project to implement a new enterprise-wide business system, 
cyber security and health and safety. This ensured that all the 
Directors received detailed input from management, were 
able to discuss the risks and mitigations and could satisfy 
themselves that the risks were being effectively managed.”

PLANNING SUCCESSION

COMMUNICATING WITH 
SHAREHOLDERS

NIGEL TURNER 
SENIOR INDEPENDENT  
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

BOB LAWSON 
CHAIRMAN

Ensuring we have succession plans in place for the Directors 
and other senior executives is one of the Nomination 
Committee’s primary responsibilities and a focus area for the 
Board as a whole this year.

The Board puts a high priority on ensuring we keep 
shareholders informed about our strategy and progress. 
Focusing on structured shareholder communication was 
therefore one of the Board’s objectives in 2018.

“We established a formal succession planning process two 
years ago and this continues to prove effective,” said Nigel 
Turner, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director. “Mapping 
the Board’s skills and experience has enabled us to identify 
any gaps we need to address and the capabilities we would 
need to replace, should any of the Directors decide to step 
down. This work was important in considering and in recruiting 
two Non-Executive Directors this year. Lesley Knox brings 
exceptional experience of major company boards and an 
understanding of the City, while Ian Charles is the ideal 
candidate to take on Duncan Maskell’s role as advisor to the 
R&D Portfolio Management Team. We will continue to update 
our plans to ensure successful succession in the future.”

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

“The Capital Markets Day on 20 June was a key part of our 
communication with institutional investors and analysts this 
year,” said Bob Lawson. “Investors were able to see our 
performance against strategy and learn more about our plans 
from six of our most senior executives. These events give 
investors much greater insight to Genus than we can provide 
in our day-to-day investor communications. They also help to 
showcase to investors the strength in depth of our executive 
team, while also helping our executives gain first-hand 
knowledge of investors’ interests and concerns.”

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION52

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT

LEADERSHIP

The Board’s Role
The Board is responsible for ensuring our long-term success. 
It approves our strategy and corporate goals and monitors 
our performance against them; determines that we have the 
necessary resources, systems and controls to achieve our 
objectives; and sets the culture and standards of behaviour 
we want to see throughout Genus.

The Board is also responsible for other critical decisions. 
These include approving the corporate budget; ensuring we 
have the right funding; approving material contracts, 
acquisitions and investments; and reporting to shareholders.

The Board’s Composition
We have further strengthened the Board with the appointment 
of two additional independent Non-Executive Directors 
(‘NEDs’), Lesley Knox (joined 1 June 2018) and Professor 
Ian Charles (joined 1 July 2018). At the date of this report, 
the Board therefore comprised seven independent NEDs, 
including the Chairman, and two Executive Directors – the 
Chief Executive and the Group Finance Director. This gives us 
a majority of independent Directors on the Board. Professor 
Duncan Maskell will retire at the Annual General Meeting 
(‘AGM’) on 15 November 2018, reducing the number of 
independent NEDs by one.

The two charts below show the length of time our NEDs have 
served on the Board and the number of Board members with 
experience of particular relevance to Genus.

NON-EXECUTIVE TENURE ON THE BOARD

1

1

> 10 years

6–9 years

3–6 years

0–3 years

2

3

A BROAD BASE OF RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

International
business

Finance
Scientific/
Biotech
Food
industry

1

7

4

3

The Board comprises both well-established and newer NEDs, 
as we have broadened the Board’s skills and experience 
through Non-Executive appointments over recent years. 

Board Roles and Responsibilities
To ensure we have clear responsibilities at the top of the Company, the Board has set out well-defined roles for the Chairman 
and Chief Executive. These, along with the responsibilities of our other Directors, are summarised in the table below.

Title

Chairman

Individual

Bob Lawson

Chief Executive

Karim Bitar

Group Finance 
Director

Stephen Wilson

Senior 
Independent NED

Nigel Turner

NEDs

Lysanne Gray 
Duncan Maskell 
Lykele van der Broek 
Lesley Knox 
Ian Charles

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Responsibilities

Bob’s primary responsibility is to lead the Board and ensure it operates 
effectively. He achieves this in part through promoting an open culture, 
which allows people to challenge the status quo, and holding meetings 
with the NEDs without the Executives present. Bob is also responsible for 
the Board’s communications with shareholders.

Karim is responsible for devising and implementing our strategy and for 
managing our day-to-day operations. He is accountable to the Board for 
the Group’s development, in line with its strategy, taking into account the 
risks, objectives and policies set out by the Board and its Committees.

Stephen is responsible for helping the Chief Executive to devise and 
implement the strategy, and for managing the Group’s financial and 
operational performance.

Nigel provides a sounding board for the Chair and is an alternative line 
of communication between the Chair and other Directors. He leads 
meetings of the NEDs, without the Chair present, to appraise the Chair’s 
performance, and consults with shareholders in the absence of the Chair 
and Chief Executive.

The NEDs constructively challenge, oversee and help to progress 
the execution of our strategy, the management of the Group and the 
management of our governance structures, within the risk and control 
framework set by the Board.

As a result, the Board has an appropriate blend of different 
areas of expertise, long-standing knowledge of the Group and 
its markets, and fresher perspectives. This helps to ensure the 
Board provides even-handed oversight, works in a constructive 
and focused manner and has the capabilities to manage 
the challenges of a complex and evolving global business 
environment. When recruiting NEDs, we consider diversity in 
its broadest sense while ensuring the Board has the skills it 
needs. More information about our approach can be found in 
the Nomination Committee report on pages 59 to 61.

AN INDEPENDENT BOARD

Executive Directors – 2
Independent Non-Executive Chairman – 1
Independent Non-Executive Directors – 6

53

Almost all of our Directors have held leadership positions in 
international companies, with several having run businesses 
overseas. Several of our Directors, including the Chair of the 
Audit Committee, have significant financial experience, while 
others have strong backgrounds in scientific research or in 
leading science-based businesses.

The Board believes that all of the NEDs are independent in 
character and judgement, and that there are no relationships 
or circumstances that are likely to affect (or could appear to 
affect) their judgement. Following the performance evaluation 
described on page 50, the Board also confirms that all the 
Directors continue to be effective and to demonstrate 
commitment to their roles.

As required by the Code, all the Directors will offer themselves 
for election at the next AGM. Details can be found in the 
Notice of AGM at the end of this report. If re-elected to the 
Board at the AGM, Nigel Turner will reach the 11th anniversary 
of his original appointment as a NED in January 2019. 
Following an internal review, the Board is satisfied that Nigel 
remains independent and that he has no connection with the 
Group’s operational activities.

Board and Committee Structure
The diagram below shows the Board 
and the Committees that report to it.

Executive Committees
Information about the GELT and the 
R&D PMT can be found on pages 46 to 
47 and page 51 respectively.

AUDIT 
COMMITTEE
Ensures the integrity of our 
financial reporting, evaluates 
our risk management and 
internal control system, 
and oversees the internal 
and external auditors

BOARD COMMITTEES

REMUNERATION 
COMMITTEE
Determines remuneration 
for our Executive Directors 
and senior management, 
to support our growth 
strategy and deliver 
value for stakeholders

NOMINATION 
COMMITTEE
Reviews the Board’s 
structure, size and 
composition and 
proposes candidates 
for appointment 
to the Board

GENUS PLC BOARD

GELT
Leads our strategic 
delivery and ensures 
organisational alignment, 
engagement and 
efficient execution

R&D PMT
Gives us a 
comprehensive view of 
our R&D programme and 
involves our business 
units in prioritising our 
R&D initiatives

Board Committees
The table below shows Board Committee membership:

OTHER TEAMS REPORTING TO THE BOARD

Director

Bob Lawson

Karim Bitar

Nigel Turner

Lysanne Gray

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lesley Knox

Ian Charles

Committee

Audit Nomination Remuneration

–

–

M

C

M

M

M

M

C

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

–

C

M

M

M

M

M

M = Committee member C = Committee Chair

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

The Committee Chairs oversee and lead the Committees’ 
activities, within their terms of reference, and are responsible 
for their effective operation. More information about the roles 
and work of the Board Committees can be found in their 
statements on pages 59 to 88, and in their terms of reference 
on our website at www.genusplc.com.

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION54

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT

LEADERSHIP

Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings

The table below shows how many Board and Committee meetings each Director attended during the year.

Director

Non-Executive Chair of the Board
Bob Lawson

Executive Directors
Karim Bitar

Stephen Wilson

Non-Executive Directors
Nigel Turner

Lysanne Gray

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lesley Knox (appointed 1 June 2018)

Board Nomination

Audit Remuneration

8

8

8

7

8

8

8

1

3

3

31

2

3

3

3

–

51

51

51

5

5

5

5

–

5

51

51

5

5

5

5

–

Notes: Maximum number of Board and Committee meetings a Director could have attended: Board 8, Nomination 3, Audit 5 and Remuneration 5. Ian Charles joined the Board 
after the year end and is therefore not included in the table above.

1  Attendance by invitation.

Information Flow to the Board
The diagram below sets out our process for providing information to the Directors, ahead of the scheduled Board meetings. 
This ensures our Directors are well-informed and can contribute effectively to Board discussions.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

The Chairman 
sets the agenda 
for the meeting, 
with input  
from the Chief 
Executive and the 
Group General 
Counsel.

A week before the 
meeting, the 
agenda and Board 
papers are sent to 
the Directors 
using a secure 
electronic system.

Board meetings 
take place at  
least eight times 
per year.

Decisions and 
actions agreed  
at the meeting  
are monitored  
by the Group 
General Counsel.

The updated list of 
actions becomes 
part of the agenda 
for the next 
Board meeting.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

55

Quality and Integrity of Our People
We strive to operate with high integrity in everything we do. 
Our control environment depends on high-quality people 
who maintain our ethical standards. We ensure our people’s 
ability and integrity through our recruitment standards, 
training and consistent performance management. The 
Board is informed of appointments to our most senior 
management positions.

Information and Financial Reporting Systems
We create detailed operational budgets for the year ahead, 
along with five-year strategic plans, which the Board 
reviews and approves. We then monitor our performance 
throughout the year, so we can address any issues. The 
information we consider includes our monthly financial 
results, key performance indicators and variances, updated 
full-year forecasts and key business risks.

The main internal control and risk management processes 
relating to our preparation of consolidated accounts are our 
Group-wide accounting policies and procedures, segregation 
of duties, system access controls, a robust consolidation 
and reporting system, various levels of management review 
and centrally defined process control points and 
reconciliation processes.

Investment Appraisal
We control our capital expenditure through our budget 
process and by having clear authorisation levels, above 
which our businesses must submit detailed written 
proposals to the Board for approval.

We carry out due diligence for business acquisitions and 
material licences, and conduct post-completion reviews of 
major projects, to ensure we identify areas for improvement 
and correct any areas of underperformance or overspend.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Risk Management 
The Board is responsible for our risk management system, 
which is designed to identify, evaluate and prioritise the risks 
and uncertainties we face. The Board sets our risk appetite, 
monitors the Group’s risk exposure for our principal risks and 
ensures appropriate executive ownership for all risks. This 
ongoing risk management process for the Group’s significant 
risks has been in place for the year under review and up to the 
date of approval of the Annual Report and Accounts. Our 
principal risks and how we mitigate them are summarised on 
pages 12 and 13.

To further assist its understanding of risk, the Board continued 
its programme of visits to our local operations and received 
regular political, economic and industry risk updates from the 
relevant business groups. 

The Board performed its annual risk review in May 2018. This 
involved a fresh review of the types and levels of risk facing 
Genus, as it executes its strategy, and was designed to 
identify and evaluate any new or emerging risks and ascertain 
whether the risk register covered all relevant risks. 

Internal Control
The key elements of our internal control system are set out 
below. An internal control system cannot completely eliminate 
the risks we face or ensure we do not have a material 
misstatement or loss.

Management Structure
The Board sets formal authorisation levels and other controls 
that allow it to delegate authority to run our businesses to 
the Chief Executive, GELT and their management teams. 
Our management supplements these controls by setting the 
operating standards that each subsidiary needs for its 
business and location.

GELT regularly reviews our performance against strategy, 
budget and a defined set of operational key performance 
indicators. The Chief Executive, Group Finance Director, 
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, and the 
Group Financial Controller also hold monthly reviews with 
each business unit.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION56

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT

ACCOUNTABILITY

Independent Audit
Our internal audit activities are provided by in-house and 
external resources, under the leadership of our Head of Risk 
Management and Internal Audit. During the year, Internal 
Audit completed a risk-based audit programme agreed by 
the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee reviews the 
results of these audits and the subsequent actions we take, 
which we also communicate to the external auditor.

All business units complete risk and control self-
assessments twice a year. Internal Audit, as part of its 
work programme, performs independent reviews of these 
assessments to identify any deficiencies in our controls  
and how we should address them. The external auditor  
also provides observations on the control environment  
as part of its audit work. The results are communicated  
to senior management and the Audit Committee.

Review of the Effectiveness of Internal Controls
The Board, with the help of the Audit Committee, reviewed 
the effectiveness of our internal control system, as well as 
our financial, operational and compliance controls and our 
risk management. The review considered our internal 
control self-assessment process, which is designed to 
assess compliance with our minimum control standards, 
the independent internal audit programme, and the reports 
management prepared when the Board approved 
the interim and final results and financial statements.  
It also assessed:
•  whether we had identified, evaluated, managed and 

controlled significant risks; and

•  whether any significant weaknesses had arisen, and if so, 

whether we had addressed them.

The assessment also took into account any risk or control 
issues we identified through our divisional business reviews, 
Board and GELT meetings, and insurers’ reviews.

We have an internal control continuous improvement 
work programme and routinely identify opportunities to 
strengthen our control environment and improve our risk 
management capabilities. However, the Board has not 
identified or been told of any material weaknesses in our 
internal controls. 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

57

RELATIONS WITH SHAREHOLDERS AND 
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

Shareholder Engagement
Investor Relations Calendar

Date

September 2017

September 2017

November 2017

February 2018

Type of 
communication

Preliminary results 
announcement and 
presentation 

Preliminary results 
investor roadshow

Location

London

London, 
Basingstoke, 
Edinburgh 

AGM and trading 
update

Interim results 
announcement and 
presentation 

London

London

February and 
March 2018

Interim results 
investor roadshow

London, Edinburgh 

June 2018

Capital Markets Day London

Various through 
year

Investor calls and 
meetings

London, 
Basingstoke,  
New York 

We have a programme of announcements, presentations, 
meetings and other events for institutional shareholders, 
as shown in the table above.

Our Chief Executive and Group Finance Director regularly 
meet institutional investors, to discuss our strategy and 
progress, and to understand how investors view our 
business. The Chairman also attends certain meetings. 
These meetings usually take place after we release our 
interim and preliminary results.

During the year, our investor relations programme included 
meetings in the locations set out in our investor relations 
calendar. The Board sets time aside during its meetings to 
discuss feedback from shareholder meetings, including feedback 
obtained by independent brokers and our advisers. This allows all 
Directors to understand major shareholders’ views.

The Group has a wide range of stakeholders and looks to 
actively engage with them, to keep them updated about our 
business and our progress and to ensure we understand their 
priorities. Some of this engagement is carried out directly at 
Board level, while other engagement occurs during the course 
of running the business, which the Board keeps informed 
about through reports from management.

Shareholders
All Investors
•  AGM – all resolutions passed with votes in favour ranging 

from 88.21% to 99.99%

•  Annual report
•  Website

 – live webcasts – preliminary and interim results
 – ongoing updates to CSR, with updated case studies

Institutional Investors
•  See shareholder engagement (below)

Employees
•  Your Voice survey – response rate increased to 82%. 

Further information on the results of the Your Voice survey 
are on page 37

•  CEO video update, manager-led updates and updates via 

intranet following results announcements

•  Leadership calls and quarterly manager briefings
•  Intranet – regular updates on business developments 

and results

•  Board annual site visits, meeting with the local teams
•  Chairman’s Award – opportunity for teams to present 

projects that meet Genus’s values

Customers
•  Board annual customer site visits – this year the Chairman 
and the CEO visited Russia in May, meeting with a number 
of customers and potential customers in Moscow, and 
customers and employees in Belgorod

Community
As a Group we aim to act responsibility at all times. We have 
developed plans to engage with our communities in an 
appropriate fashion, which have included: supporting “Women 
in Dairy”; the initiation of university internships; and graduate 
programmes. We have also:
•  supported charities close to local businesses; and 
•  opened a gallery for our Ruthin stud to school groups and 

members of the public, to encourage a greater 
understanding of agricultural processes 

Further information on the initiatives can be seen at 
www.genusplc.com/responsibility/case-studies/

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION58

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT

RELATIONS WITH SHAREHOLDERS AND 
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

29Non-holding institutions and potential investors met
63.2%
20Number of top 25 shareholders met (8 of top 10)

Proportion of shares held by institutions met during year

In June 2018, we held a Capital Markets Day. This was 
introduced by the Chair of the Board and included 
presentations from the Chief Executive, Group Finance 
Director, the three Chief Operating Officers and the Chief 
Scientific Officer. These presentations covered:
•  the long-term drivers of our business and the competitive 

landscape;

•  the strategies of the porcine, dairy and beef business units;
•  our financial performance and our investment in R&D, 

intellectual property, people and technology transformation;

•  our pioneering R&D programmes, including: 

 – De Novo Genetics, our world-leading Holstein breeding 

programme; 

 – the successful launch of Sexcel and IntelliGen; and 
 – our progress with the gene editing and PRRSv 

programmes;

•  how we are driving genetic improvement for large 

integrated pork producers and progressive dairy farmers 
globally, and across the beef value chain; and

•  our approach to delivering sustainable profit growth and 

investing to strengthen our position.

The presentations are available on the Investor section of our 
website, www.genusplc.com.

Key Themes Discussed in Shareholder Meetings
Our meetings with shareholders during the year covered 
a wide range of topics. The common themes included:
•  Genus’s operational and financial performance;
•  market conditions and our initiatives to address them;
•  strategic progress across the Group;
•  R&D progress and our increased spending to accelerate 

the programme;

•  capturing a share of the value we deliver to customers;
•  the integration of the Hermitage merger;
•  the progress of the PRRSv development and regulatory 
programme and the opportunity for PRRSv resistant 
pigs; and

•  updates on the GSS litigation.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

59

Committee Composition and Governance

Chair

Bob Lawson

Members

Nigel Turner

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lysanne Gray

Karim Bitar

Lesley Knox1

Ian Charles1

1  Lesley Knox and Ian Charles were appointed on 1 June and 1 July 2018 

respectively.

The Committee’s biographies, along with information on 
Genus’s other Board members, can be found on pages 44 
to 45.

Committee Roles and Responsibilities
The Committee is responsible for:
•  making recommendations to the Board on the structure, 
size and composition of the Board and its Committees;
•  evaluating the balance of skills, experience, independence, 

knowledge and diversity on the Board;

•  succession planning for the Non-Executive and Executive 

Directors and other senior executives; and

•  identifying and recommending suitable candidates to 

become Directors, based on merit.

The Committee has written terms of reference, which set out 
the authority delegated to it by the Board. These are available 
from our website: www.genusplc.com.

Focus Areas for 2018 and 2019
During the year, the Committee continued to focus on the 
following priorities:
•  succession planning for the Directors and in particular 

Duncan Maskell, the Chairman, the Senior Independent 
Director, Chief Executive and Group Finance Director;

•  the ongoing review of the Board’s diversity; and
•  the ongoing review of the Board’s mix of skills, to identify 

any gaps that need to be filled.

Given their importance, these will remain the Committee’s 
focus areas for 2019.

The Committee’s Main Activities During the Year
The Committee met three times in the year, primarily to 
discuss the Board’s current skills and experience and 
succession planning.

NOMINATION COMMITTEE REPORT

EFFECTIVENESS

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONIntroductionThe Nomination Committee has a critical role in ensuring the Company has an effective and well-balanced Board. It reviews the Board’s structure, size and composition and manages appointments to the Board. This year, the Committee continued to focus on succession planning for the Board, by reviewing the Directors’ skills and experience and identifying areas to consider for future appointments.Bob LawsonChair of the Nomination Committee5 September 201860

NOMINATION COMMITTEE REPORT

EFFECTIVENESS

Succession Planning Process
The Committee has a formal three-phase succession planning process:

Assessment

Approach

Execution

•  The Committee reviews the Board’s 
current skills and experiences across 
a range of relevant areas

•  This results in a skills matrix (see 
below), which identifies the skills 
coverage across all Board members.
•  Potential skills gaps are identified, so 
they can be incorporated into future 
succession planning at Board and 
Executive level.

•  The Committee applies engagement 

rules for succession planning, including:
 – ensuring succession planning is 

in line with the Committee’s terms 
of reference;

 – considering the need to replace 

the skills of any departing  
Non-Executive Director; and

 – filling any missing skills required for 
the Company’s strategic direction.

•  Areas for ongoing Board upskilling 

•  Job specifications for the Non-

are identified and discussed.

Executives and Executives are kept 
up to date.

•  The Committee identifies the 
desired skills for any new Non-
Executive Director, for use in filling 
any future vacancies on the Board.

•  Potential internal candidates for 
promotion to Executive Director 
are identified.

The Committee continued to apply this process during the 
year. This work underpinned the recruitment of two Non-
Executive Directors, as described under Appointments below.

Board Skills Matrix
The table below shows the key experience and skills the 
Committee has identified as desirable and indicates their 
depth on the Genus Board.

Appointments
The Chair leads the process for making appointments to the 
Board. During the year, we identified the need to appoint an 
additional Non-Executive Director, to add further depth to the 
Board’s skills and experience, and a Non-Executive Director 
with scientific experience following Duncan Maskell’s decision 
to retire after the next AGM.

Majority of 
Directors 
with Medium 
to High 
Experience

For the first of these roles, we sought a candidate with:
•  experience in investment banking, preferably including 

mergers and acquisitions or corporate finance;

•  strong connections in the City;
•  Board experience, as either an Executive or Non-Executive; 

General Experience and Skills

Board and corporate governance

Strategy

Finance, banking and capital markets

Risk, culture change and change management

Politics, public affairs, regulation and 
communications

Human resources

Specific Experience and Skills

Science and biotechnology

Food sector

International business

US market

EMEA market

Asian market

Latin American market



























Lesley Knox and Ian Charles joined the Board on 1 June and 
1 July 2018 respectively. They both joined after the skills 
analysis was completed and therefore their experience is not 
included in the above table.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

and 

•  experience as a Remuneration Committee member or chair.

For the second role, our primary requirement was strong 
scientific experience in the sector or a related sector. We also 
favoured candidates with:
•  commercial experience, outside scientific academia; and
•  international experience or experience of living or working 

in more than one country.

To reach the widest possible candidate pool, we engaged 
Egon Zender, an executive search firm, which has also 
provided the business with occasional executive coaching 
services, and provided a clear recruitment brief, as well as 
seeking referrals from the Board. The Chairman identified 
candidates for interview, who were presented to the 
Committee and Executive Directors. Following a one-to-one 
interview process, the Committee received feedback on each 
candidate. Candidates were assessed consistently throughout 
the process, against the role specification.

Lesley Knox and Ian Charles were the outstanding candidates 
for these roles and the Committee was pleased to 
recommend their appointment to the Board.

61

Diversity Policy
Genus will continue to make all Board appointments based  
on individual merit, while recognising and embracing the 
benefits of Board diversity. A diverse Board has members  
with different skills, backgrounds, regional and industry 
experiences, races, genders and other qualities. By bringing 
these differences to bear in its discussions and decision-
making, a diverse Board can help Genus to maintain its 
competitive advantage. Diversity also links directly to our 
values, not only by being people-focused and responsible,  
but by encouraging new ideas which deliver for our customers 
and ultimately drive our results. Our Board diversity policy 
therefore aims to ensure that we consider diversity in its 
broadest sense.

The Board, with the support of the Nomination Committee, will:
•  consider all aspects of diversity when reviewing the 

Board’s composition and when conducting the annual 
Board effectiveness evaluation;

•  encourage development of internal high-calibre people to 
help develop a pipeline of potential Executive Directors;
•  consider a wide pool of candidates for appointment as 
Non-Executive Directors, including those with little 
company board experience;

•  ensure a significant portion of the long list for Non-

Executive Director positions are women;

•  consider candidates against objective criteria and with 

regard to the benefits of Board diversity; and

•  only engage executive search firms who have signed  

up to the voluntary Code of Conduct on gender diversity 
and best practice.

The Board complied with the policy throughout the period, 
including during the recruitment process for the two new 
Non-Executive Directors. The Committee reviewed the policy 
during the year and concluded that it remained appropriate.

More information about diversity across Genus can be found 
in the Strategic Report on pages 37 to 38.

Board Induction and Training
A good induction is a key part of ensuring new Board 
members can fully contribute, so we get the most benefit 
from their experience.

Our induction programme has three main elements:
•  helping our Board members to conduct themselves 

effectively, through a course run by Spencer Stuart, one of 
the world’s leading global executive search and leadership 
consulting firms;

•  ensuring our Directors understand the legal and regulatory 

aspects of being a Board member; and

•  an introduction to our business, through site visits and 

meetings with our management teams.

Committee Effectiveness
Alongside the Board evaluation process described on page 50, 
we reviewed the performance of the Nomination Committee. 
This identified a number of important strengths, including the 
Committee using its time effectively and having an appropriate 
range of skills and experience. Areas of focus for the coming 
year are to continue the Committee’s ongoing review of 
succession planning, ensuring that it is aligned with the 
Board’s strategy and any skills gaps.

Service Contracts and Letters of Appointment
Copies of service contracts and letters of appointment 
between the Directors and the Company will be available  
for inspection at the Company’s registered office during 
normal business hours until the conclusion of the AGM on 
15 November 2018, and at the AGM from at least 15 minutes 
prior to the meeting until its conclusion.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION62

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

ACCOUNTABILITY – ENSURING THE GROUP’S 
FINANCIAL REPORTING INTEGRITY

Committee Composition and Governance

Chair

Lysanne Gray

Members

Nigel Turner

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lesley Knox1

Ian Charles1

1  Lesley Knox and Ian Charles were appointed on 1 June and 1 July 2018 

respectively.

In addition to all of the Committee members being Non-
Executive Directors, the Committee met the UK Corporate 
Governance Code’s requirement that at least one Committee 
member should have recent and relevant financial experience, 
with Lysanne Gray having this experience.

The Committee has formal terms of reference, approved by 
the Board, that comply with the UK Corporate Governance 
Code. These are available from our website: 
www.genusplc.com. The Committee’s annual review of 
these terms took place during the year.

Committee Role and Responsibilities
The Committee’s role and responsibilities include reviewing 
and monitoring:
•  the financial reporting process and any significant financial 

reporting judgements;

•  the integrity of the Group’s financial statements and any 
formal announcements relating to financial performance;

•  the Annual Report, to ensure it is fair, balanced and 

understandable;

•  the Company’s reporting to shareholders;
•  the effectiveness of the Group’s accounting systems and 
control environment, including risk management and the 
internal audit function; and

•  the effectiveness, independence and objectivity of the 

Group’s external auditor, including any non-audit services 
it provides to the Group.

The Committee also:
•  ensures that the Group maintains suitable confidential 
arrangements for employees to raise concerns; and

•  reviews the Group’s systems and controls for  

preventing bribery.

The Committee reports its findings to the Board, identifying 
any matters that require action or improvement, and making 
recommendations about the steps to be taken.

Committee Effectiveness
The Committee assessed its own effectiveness, through a 
structured questionnaire, and concluded that it was effective. 
The Committee agreed to enhance its effectiveness by further 
broadening its members’ knowledge of relevant financial 
reporting standards.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Dear ShareholderThe Audit Committee acts on behalf of the Board and shareholders, to ensure the integrity of the Group’s financial reporting, evaluate its system of risk management and internal control, and oversee the performance of the internal and external auditors.  We have an annual work programme that is designed to deliver these commitments, which was followed during the year. I am happy to report that the Committee’s membership continues to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code and related guidance, with all members being Non-Executive Directors  who bring a sound range of financial, commercial and scientific expertise to the Committee. In addition, all members received regular updates from the external auditor, to ensure that they continue to have current knowledge of the accounting and financial reporting standards relevant to the Group’s operations.We have carefully considered the critical accounting policies and judgements, the quality of disclosures and compliance with financial reporting standards, and reviewed the half-year and Annual Report, together with the related external audit reports. We also supported the Board in reviewing the going concern and viability statements and supporting analysis.Risk management requires continuous focus and during the year we discussed existing and emerging risks. We ensured that the Committee and the  Board received and discussed detailed input from management on key risks and mitigation action  plans as appropriate. We also discussed the Group’s continuing programme to monitor and improve internal controls and received updates on the development of a group-wide enterprise system, which will further strengthen the control environment and support control standardisation across the group.Based on assessments of the effectiveness of internal and external audit, the Committee was satisfied with the performance of both internal and external auditors, while taking opportunities to further enhance the audit services provided during the year.Lysanne GrayChair of the Audit Committee5 September 201863

The Committee’s Main Activities During the Year
During the year, the Committee held five meetings and invited the Company’s Chairman, Chief Executive, the Group Finance 
Director, the Group Financial Controller, the Head of Risk Management and Internal Audit, and senior representatives of the 
external auditor to attend these meetings. The Committee also held separate private sessions during the year with the Head 
of Risk Management and Internal Audit and the external audit partner. At its meetings, the Committee focused on:

Financial Reporting
The main areas of focus and matters where the Committee specifically considered management’s judgements are set  
out below:

Financial reporting 
area

Biological assets 
valuation

Goodwill and 
intangible assets

Presentation and 
disclosure of 
exceptional and 
adjusting items

Judgement and assumptions considered

In compliance with IAS 41, Genus records its biological assets at fair value in the Group balance 
sheet (£363.0m), with the net valuation movement excluding foreign exchange translation shown in 
the income statement. At each reporting period, the Committee was updated on the methodology 
and outcomes of the biological assets valuation. The methodology remained unchanged during the 
year and the Committee discussed the estimates used as inputs to the bovine model, to ensure 
they appropriately reflect the business and market in which Genus operates. The Committee 
debated and considered management’s assumptions and estimates, through the current period, 
and discussed and reviewed the external auditor’s report on this area, before concurring with 
management’s proposals. The Committee was satisfied with management’s accounting treatment, 
including the income statement increase of £5.3m in the value of porcine biological assets and the 
reduction of £34.0m in the value of bovine biological assets.

Genus has £102.0m of goodwill (tested annually for impairment) and £78.7m of intangible assets 
(tested for any indications of impairment) on the Group balance sheet. Within intangible assets, 
Genus’s policy is to capitalise certain development costs and to perform periodic impairment 
reviews of the carrying amounts. At the balance sheet date, the Group had £19.7m of capitalised 
development expenses in respect of IntelliGen. The Committee discussed management’s goodwill 
and intangible asset impairment reviews, as well as the external auditor’s report on this area, 
including its assessment of management’s models underpinning the estimates and judgements. 
After due challenge and debate, the Committee was satisfied with management’s assumptions 
and judgements.

Genus had £49.5m of adjusting items, including £5.9m of exceptional items in the Group income 
statement. The Committee considered the presentation of these items in the financial statements, 
due to the nature of these items and the guidelines on the use of alternative performance 
measures, issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority. The Committee received 
detailed reports from management outlining the judgements applied in relation to the disclosure of 
adjusting items, which include net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets, amortisation 
of acquired intangible assets, share-based payment expense and exceptional items. For adjusting 
items, the Committee took into consideration their volatility and lack of correlation to the underlying 
progress and performance of the business. Specifically for exceptional items, the Committee took 
into consideration the materiality, frequency, and nature of the items. Following this detailed review 
and active discussion with management, the Committee has concluded that the presentation of the 
financial statements is appropriate.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION64

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

Monitoring Business Risks
The Committee discussed the principal risks identified with 
management and the external and internal auditors, along with 
management’s plans to mitigate them, and received regular 
detailed updates from the risk owners and their direct reports.

In addition to reviewing the principal risks, the Committee 
received detailed updates on the following risk areas:
•  Enterprise system: the Committee received updates  
on the project to implement a new enterprise-wide 
business system. The Committee also considered the 
success criteria defined by the project and the benefit 
realisation assessment.

•  Cyber security: the Committee requested and received 
updates from the global Chief Information Officer on  
the cyber security risk faced by the Group and the  
activities being undertaken to strengthen infrastructure  
and systems security.

Internal Control System
Our risk management process and system of internal control 
are described in detail on pages 55 and 56. The Committee 
reviewed the approach to internal control standardisation  
and the results of the key financial controls self-assessment 
process, which is performed every six months. The 
Committee also reviewed internal audit’s findings at  
each scheduled meeting, and received updates on the 
implementation of management’s remedial actions.

The Committee further reviewed the Group’s whistleblowing 
policy and bribery prevention procedures.

The Committee conducted its annual review of the 
effectiveness of the Group’s internal controls and disclosures. 
The review did not identify any material deficiencies.  
However, Genus routinely identifies and implements control 
improvement opportunities and the Committee discussed 
with management various opportunities to further strengthen 
the Group system of internal control.

Going Concern and Viability Statements
The Committee supported the Board in performing its 
assessment of the going concern and long-term viability  
of the Group, with input from management. The viability 
assessment, which was based on the Group’s operating, 
capital and funding plans, included consideration of the 
principal risks, as detailed on pages 12 to 13, and the liquidity 
and capital projections over the period. The Committee was 
satisfied that the viability statement could be provided and 
advised the Board that three years was a suitable period of 
review. The going concern and viability statement is disclosed 
on page 14 of the report.

Oversight of Internal Audit and External Audit
Internal Audit
The Committee reviewed and agreed the internal audit 
function’s scope, terms of reference, resources and  
activities. The Head of Risk Management and Internal Audit 
provided regular reports to the Committee on the work 
undertaken and management’s responses to proposals  
made in the internal audit reports issued during the year.  
The Committee continued to meet the Head of Risk 
Management and Internal Audit without management  
being present. The Committee reviewed and was satisfied 
with the internal audit function’s performance.

External Audit
The external auditor, Deloitte LLP, was first appointed as the 
Company’s external auditor for the period ended 30 June 
2006. Following a formal audit tender process, it was 
reappointed for the audit of the financial year ended 30 June 
2016 and Andrew Bond was appointed as lead audit partner. 
The Company has complied with the Statutory Audit Services 
Order for the financial year under review.

The Committee reviewed and agreed the external auditor’s 
scope of work and fees, held detailed discussions of the 
results of its audits and continued to meet the external auditor 
without management being present. The Committee reviewed 
the external auditor’s objectivity and independence and the 
Group’s policy on engaging the external auditor to supply 
non-audit services. The Committee received details of the 
external auditor’s non-audit services to the Group, reviewed 
the nature and monetary levels of these services, which stood 
at 12% of audit fees, and reviewed compliance with the 
Group’s Non-Audit Services by Auditor Policy (see note 8 to 
the financial statements for further details). The Committee 
was satisfied that using Deloitte for such services did not 
impair its independence as the Group’s external auditor.

The Committee assessed the external auditor’s performance 
in conducting the audit for the June 2017 year end, based on 
questionnaires completed by key finance staff and Committee 
members. The questionnaires covered the external auditor’s 
fulfilment of the audit plan, the auditor’s robustness and 
perceptiveness in its handling of key accounting and audit 
judgements, the content of the external auditor’s reports,  
and cost effectiveness. The Committee also considered  
any regulatory reviews performed on the external auditor. 
While noting some opportunities for further improvement,  
the Committee concluded that the external auditor was 
effective and was satisfied with the plan put forward by  
the external auditor to respond to the opportunities for 
improvement identified.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

65

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION A: ANNUAL STATEMENT

CONTINUED PROGRESS IN CHANGING 
GENUS INTO AN AGRICULTURAL 
BIOTECHNOLOGY PIONEER

Letter from the Chairman

Dear Shareholder

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report for 2018. It describes the significant 
progress made by the business over the past year and the 
linkage to reward outcomes for our Executive Directors.  
The Remuneration Committee’s terms of reference can  
be found on the Company’s website and a summary  
of the current remuneration policy (‘Remuneration Policy’) 
agreed by shareholders in 2016 is summarised at the end 
of this disclosure.

leading-edge science. Our Remuneration Policy has been 
designed to provide motivation and reward for the Executive 
Directors and their leadership team to deliver this evolving 
strategy and drive the long-term success of the Company.

Your Company is very different to the one when Karim Bitar 
was appointed. Over the past six years Genus has evolved 
significantly in terms of size and complexity. Adjusted basic 
earnings per share has grown by 51.8% from 50p in 2012 to 
75.9p in 2018. Returns generated to shareholders have been 
strong, significantly outperforming the FTSE 250 index on 
which the business is listed. The share price over this period 
has grown by over 100% from £12.41 to £26.36.

Company Progression
Over the past few years, and particularly since the appointment 
of Karim Bitar as Chief Executive, it has been my pleasure to 
witness the business commence a process of fundamental 
transformation which is well placed to continue in the years 
ahead. This has been achieved whilst still securing robust 
annual performance, of which specific highlights are shown 
below and referenced elsewhere in the Annual Report. The 
business has demonstrated continued and sustained progress 
in what is a significant journey in changing the business into a 
global science based agricultural pioneer underpinned by 

This performance has been achieved thanks to the strong 
leadership of Karim Bitar and Stephen Wilson, fully supported 
by the Board, creating a clear vision of the Company’s potential 
and a Remuneration Policy which has so far successfully 
incentivised, rewarded and retained these individuals. This 
vision has been shared throughout the organisation and has 
resulted in closer teamwork and a more acute monitoring of 
performance and direction at all levels within the Company. 
This high-calibre leadership has laid the foundations for this 
transformational journey to continue with the potential to 
create significant future value for shareholders.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT
Annual Bonus – Core Bonus
•  Adjusted profit before tax growth of 

11.3% in constant currency excluding 
gene editing

•  Strong cash generation
•  Good progress against personal targets

Annual Bonus – Company Milestones
•  Strong performance in securing key 

customers utilising IntelliGen technology.

•  Strong progress on second project but 
milestone target set by the Committee 
not yet met in 2018. 

Long-Term – Performance Share Plan 
(‘PSP’)
•  Three-year average adjusted earnings per 
share growth of 12.3% after the costs of 
share based payments and excluding 
gene editing

•  Strong share price growth over the 

performance period

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

REMUNERATION TARGETS

Target 50%

PROFIT BEFORE TAX

63.9%

OUTCOMES FOR EXECUTIVES
•  Total award of 74% of maximum. One 
quarter of this award is made in shares 
deferred for three years

CASH GENERATION

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES

94.4%

90%

OVERALL

74%

0%

% of maximum award

100%

COMPANY MILESTONE

47%

0%

% of maximum award

100%

•  Total award of 47% of maximum 
available, all deferred into shares 
for three years

•  56% of the PSP award vested for both 

Executives

Annual 
earnings 
per share 6%

Actual
12.3%

Annual 
earnings 
per share 20%

Awards 
vesting 20%
20%

Actual 
56%

% of award vesting

Awards 
vesting 100%
100%

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION66

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION A: ANNUAL STATEMENT

Company Performance and Chief Executive Remuneration

1
1
0
2
/
9
0
/
1
0

n
o

0
0
1

o
t

d
e
s
a
b
e
R
p
a
C

t
e
k
r
a
M

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Chief Executive joined – Sep 2011
Market cap: £563m

Buy-out award

Genus Market cap
June 2018:
£1,552m

3,500

3,000

2,500

PSP vesting

2,000

FTSE 250
price index

June 11

June 12

June 13

June 14

June 15

June 16

June 17

June 18

Single figure
(excl. PSP)

1,500

1,000

500

0

)
0
0
0
£
(

n
o
i
t
a
r
e
n
u
m
e
R

Market capitalisation calculated as the 3-month average to respective financial year end. Start market cap was the spot market cap on 1 September 2011. 
End market cap of £1,552m calculated as the 3-month average to 30 June 2018

One of the key principles of our Remuneration Policy is the 
alignment of executives’ interests with those of shareholders. 
Over the last five years, as can be seen from the chart above, 
there has been a strong link between the total remuneration of 
the Chief Executive and the returns delivered to shareholders.

How Performance has been Seen in Reward Outcomes 
for the Executives in 2018
The Core Bonus element of our annual bonus considers key 
annual financial measures (cash and profit) and the executives’ 
individual performance against defined and measurable 
targets. The combined impact of individual and business 
performance means that 74% of the bonus opportunity is 
payable to the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director 
respectively under the Core Bonus element of the annual 
bonus. One quarter of the award is made in shares under the 
Deferred Share Bonus Plan (‘DSBP’) which are deferred for 
three years and released subject to continued employment.

The Company Milestones element of the annual bonus allows 
us to recognise key areas of strategic progress. The 
Committee evaluated performance in key identified strategic 
areas (in particular the development of IntelliGen) as described 
in more detail within this report. We also set targets against 
further projects where we have seen strong progress, but as 
yet have not fulfilled the criteria we set as a Committee to 
represent achievement under the Company Milestones 
element. Therefore, having considered the performance 
achieved the Committee determined that awards of shares 
worth 35% of salary would be made to the Chief Executive 
and 23.3% of salary to the Group Finance Director. These 
awards are made in shares which are deferred for three years. 
Further details of payments relating to the Core Bonus and 
Company Milestones are set out on pages 71 and 72.

We remain committed to the Company Milestones element of 
the bonus – used to drive strategic achievement and recognise 
significant strategic evolution of the business and retain key 
talent. It is to be expected within our industry that strategic 
milestones do not dovetail into particular financial years, but 
rather occur in a less cyclical way. We have carried forward  
the opportunity to make further awards under the Company 
Milestones element into 2019, the details of which we will  
be able to share with shareholders once complete.

Awards under the Performance Share Plan (‘PSP’) granted in 
September 2015 vest in September 2018. These awards were 
linked to our EPS performance over the three-year period. 
Average annual EPS growth of 12.3% means that 56% of 
these shares will vest. We have seen significant growth in the 
share price over the performance period and as at the point of 
drafting this report it is around double that when the awards 
were granted in 2015. This growth is reflected in the values 
shown within the single figure of total remuneration, as we are 
required to disclose under the reporting regulations. Under our 
Policy, executives are obliged to retain the post-tax number of 
shares for a further two years post vesting.

Our Role as a Committee
We consider the Committee’s effectiveness on a regular  
basis and have discussed what we see as strengths and the 
opportunity for future evolution of the Committee. This is 
against a backdrop of changing expectations of the role of the 
Committee and legislative developments. An evaluation of the 
Committee’s effectiveness took place during the year. The 
review found the Committee feels it is working effectively,  
and that it has good support from management and external 
advisers and that sound solutions and outcomes are identified.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
67

We recognise the increasingly broad remit for remuneration 
committees and the recent announcement of the revisions 
within the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code (the ‘Code’) 
and the implications for the way we directly govern reward for 
certain individuals within our global leadership team. While the 
amended Code will apply to future accounting periods beyond 
our 2019 year, we note that many expectations of the Code 
are already seen within the way we operate as a Committee in 
considering wider workforce remuneration and conditions and 
the way we structure reward within Genus to ensure that it is 
effected in a fair manner.

Over the past year we have discussed the gender pay analysis 
from within our largest UK business (Genus Breeding Limited). 
This showed a median pay gap of 12.2% linked to the existing 
gender profile within our business and we noted the higher 
proportions of women who are joining the organisation, 
changing the gender balance within the business, and we 
anticipate that the gap will fall over time.

The Committee also considered the findings of our global 
employee engagement survey (‘Your Voice’) and the views of 
around 2,250 employees across the Group and their feelings 
and attitudes to employment within our business, and  
the actions being taken by the business to both reinforce 
positive outcomes, but also address areas of concerns or 
opportunities identified.

Looking Forward to 2019 – Leadership and 
Talent Retention
Given the strategic transformation of the business, the 
Company needs to ensure that it retains and motivates senior 
leadership to continue to deliver the business strategy and 
create value for shareholders. A fundamental component of 
retaining executives of such high calibre is to ensure that base 
salary levels are positioned at a level which reflects their 
experience and the value the individual brings to the Company 
and contributes to overall corporate success. Karim has seen 
no market adjustment to his base salary over the last five 
years despite the significant change in the complexity  
and size of the business and the returns generated for 
shareholders. Pay increases for the Executive Directors  
have historically tracked below the general increase for  
the UK-based workforce.

Following consultation with our major shareholders, the 
Committee is bringing his base salary to a higher level, 
reflecting comparator group insight from both the FTSE 250 
and a global comparator (the US biotech sector). A salary 
increase of 15% will be applied to Karim. Such an increase will 
bring his base salary to around upper quartile of the FTSE 250 
and total remuneration levels competitive with the US biotech 
sector. The Committee firmly believes that this positioning 
is appropriate for a Chief Executive of Karim’s calibre. 
Furthermore, the proposed increases ensure that overall total 
remuneration levels are competitive against global competitors 
in the agri/biotechnical environment where we observe levels 
of remuneration that can be many multiples of that being paid 
to Karim. Stephen Wilson has had a very strong year and we 
will increase his salary by 4%, in line with the way we link 
strong individual performance to pay investment across the 
wider employee population.

The Committee is conscious of the impact of a base pay 
increase to total remuneration and the wider environment 
around executive pay levels. The adjustment for the Chief 
Executive is designed as a one-off adjustment to reflect the 
changing nature of Genus as a business. We would not expect 
any further adjustments to the Chief Executive’s base salary 
for the remainder of this remuneration policy or the life of 
the next policy in excess of that applied to the general UK 
workforce. We will continue to set stretching targets for 
variable schemes in place.

Genus as a Global Employer
Across the business we continue to promote a pay-for-
performance philosophy, helping us secure and retain key 
talent for the future, and reward contribution in line with our 
values. This philosophy applies throughout the organisation 
(including the United States where over 37% of our workforce 
is and our R&D function is centred), and we recognise  
the importance of a single reward framework within the 
organisation, capable of rewarding strong individual and 
collective contributions throughout our business. We will  
also be watching developments in the evolution of corporate 
governance and the impact on the new Code on widening  
the remit of the Committee. We will also strive to reduce our 
gender pay gap by proactively continuing to change the gender 
demographics of our workforce.

This is the second year of operation for our current 
Remuneration Policy and we continue to believe that  
the structure appropriately aligns reward with Company 
performance and drives the right behaviours of our leaders. 
We closely monitor how the Policy is meeting our stated aims 
and will continue to review this ahead of presenting an 
updated Policy to shareholders for approval at our 2019 AGM. 
As will be evident from the above detail, it is important that our 
Policy continues to reflect the nature of the business and is 
able to ensure we can continue to attract and retain the 
high-calibre leadership required.

As a result of the clear alignment between excellent 
corporate performance, significant shareholder value 
creation and the resultant remuneration outcomes I have 
no hesitation in commending the Remuneration Report to 
you for your support and approval at our forthcoming AGM. 
If you have any feedback I can be contacted at  
remunerationchair@genusplc.com.

Nigel Turner
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and  
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

This Remuneration Report has been prepared so it complies with the provisions  
of the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts & Reports) 
(Amendment) Regulations 2013, which set out the disclosures required for Directors’ 
remuneration as at the reporting date. The Report is also in accordance with the 
requirements of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Listing Rules.

The ‘auditable parts’ of the Directors’ Remuneration Report state whether, in the 
auditor’s opinion, the parts of the Report that have been subject to audit have been 
properly prepared in accordance with the legislation. We have highlighted the parts of 
this Report which have been audited.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION68

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION B: AT A GLANCE

For more detail
please see pages 71 to 84

WHAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WERE PAID IN 2018:

•  Salaries were effective from 

1 Base Salary and Benefits

1 September 2017

•  Benefits include a car allowance for each 

Executive Director and a pension allowance of 
25% of base salary for the Chief Executive 
and 15% for the Group Finance Director

•  Maximum opportunity 125% of salary 

2 Annual Bonus – Core Bonus

comprising 80% adjusted profit before tax, 
20% cash generation and 25% personal 
objectives

•  Overall award 74% of maximum
•  25% of the total award under this element 
made in shares deferred for three years

3 Annual Bonus – Company Milestones

•  Maximum opportunity of 75% of salary for 
the Chief Executive and 50% of salary for 
the Group Finance Director

•  Company Milestones linked to strategic 

progress resulted in share awards made to 
Chief Executive and Group Finance Director 
(35% and 23.3% of salary respectively)

•  All awards are to be made in shares deferred 

for three years

4 PSP

•  Awards granted in September 2015 vested 
at 56% of maximum based on average 
annual adjusted earnings per share growth 
achieved of 12.3%

5 Total Remuneration Breakdown

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Chief Executive Karim Bitar

Group Finance Director Stephen Wilson

Chief Executive Karim Bitar

Group Finance Director Stephen Wilson

BASE SALARY

BENEFITS

£554,966

BASE SALARY

£376,066

£161,349

BENEFITS

£69,647

BASE SALARY

BENEFITS

£625,878

BASE SALARY

£389,560

£179,077

BENEFITS

£71,672

Company performance

Target 50%

Maximum of 125% of salary, target award of 62.5% of salary

PROFIT BEFORE TAX

CASH GENERATION

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES

OVERALL

0%

CORE ELEMENT

MAXIMUM
OPPORTUNITY

63.9%

94.4%

90%

74%

ADJUSTED PROFIT BEFORE 

TAX GROWTH g 80% OF SALARY

CASH GENERATION g 20% OF SALARY

% of maximum award

100%

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES g 25% OF SALARY

£514,611

£695,420

CORE ELEMENT

MAXIMUM
OPPORTUNITY

£348,719

£471,243

Company performance

COMPANY MILESTONES

47%

0%

% of maximum award

100%

COMPANY
MILESTONE
MAXIMUM
OPPORTUNITY

£194,718

£417,252

COMPANY
MILESTONE
MAXIMUM
OPPORTUNITY

£87,965

£188,497

Company performance

6%

Annual adjusted EPS

20%

Actual 
12.3%

Actual 
56%

20%

% of award vesting

100%

Total shares released 44,156

Total shares released 26,182

INDICATIVE VALUE

£1,114,056¹

INDICATIVE VALUE

£660,564¹

1  Calculated based on the average share price for the final quarter of financial year 
  ended 30 June 2018 (2,523p).

TOTAL

PERFORMANCE
SHARES
COMPANY
MILESTONES
CORE
ELEMENT
BASE SALARY
AND BENEFITS

£2,539,700

TOTAL

£1,114,056

£194,718

£514,611

£716,315

PERFORMANCE
SHARES
COMPANY
MILESTONES
CORE
ELEMENT
BASE SALARY
AND BENEFITS

£1,542,961

£660,564

£87,965

£348,719

£445,713

1 Base Salary and Benefits

•  Salaries were increased by 15% for the 

Chief Executive and 4% for the Group 

Finance Director from 1 September 2018, 

with new values of £639,786 and £392,074

•  There are no changes to the range of 

benefits provided

The measures for the Core Bonus element 

2 Annual Bonus – Core Bonus

are unchanged

•  Adjusted profit before tax growth g 80% 

of salary

•  Cash generation g 20% of salary

•  Personal objectives g 25% of salary

For the adjusted profit before tax growth, 

target bonus requires 10% growth and 

maximum requires 15% growth in constant 

currency

3 Annual Bonus – Company Milestones

•  The Remuneration Committee has 

determined that this element will be 

included in the reward structure for 2019

•  Due to commercial sensitivity, this will be 

disclosed retrospectively in the 2019 

0%

•  Any awards to be made in shares deferred 

Annual Report

for three years

g

Maximum award of 75% of salary 

for Chief Executive

Maximum award of 50% of salary 

for Group Finance Director

SHARES WORTH

UP TO 75% OF SALARY

Maximum

Maximum

SHARES WORTH

UP TO 50% OF SALARY

75%

0%

50%

4 PSP (September 2016 Awards)

•  The vesting of these awards depends on 

gene editing costs) achieved in the three 

the adjusted earnings per share (excluding 

financial years ending 30 June 2019

Chief Executive – award

(shares)

Group Finance Director – award 

(shares)

UP TO 58,186 SHARES

UP TO 34,500 SHARES

5 PSP (September 2018 Awards)

to an adjusted earnings per share growth, 

with the 2021 adjusted earnings per share 

•  The vesting of these awards will be subject 

5%

being compared to the 2018 adjusted 

earnings per share (excluding gene 

editing costs)

•  5% annual growth threshold – 20% vesting

•  15% annual growth – 100% vesting

•  Vesting levels will be calculated based on a 

straight-line basis between the above values

Award to Chief Executive 

of 200% of salary

Award to Group Finance Director 

of 175% of salary

Annual adjusted EPS

15%

20%

% of award vesting

100%

Chief Executive Karim Bitar

Group Finance Director Stephen Wilson

Chief Executive Karim Bitar

Group Finance Director Stephen Wilson

WHAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS CAN EARN IN 2019 AND HOW:

69

•  Salaries were effective from 

1 Base Salary and Benefits

1 September 2017

•  Benefits include a car allowance for each 

Executive Director and a pension allowance of 

25% of base salary for the Chief Executive 

and 15% for the Group Finance Director

BASE SALARY

BENEFITS

£554,966

BASE SALARY

£376,066

£161,349

BENEFITS

£69,647

•  Maximum opportunity 125% of salary 

2 Annual Bonus – Core Bonus

comprising 80% adjusted profit before tax, 

20% cash generation and 25% personal 

objectives

PROFIT BEFORE TAX

CASH GENERATION

•  Overall award 74% of maximum

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES

•  25% of the total award under this element 

made in shares deferred for three years

Company performance

Target 50%

63.9%

94.4%

90%

74%

% of maximum award

100%

£514,611

£695,420

CORE ELEMENT

MAXIMUM

OPPORTUNITY

£348,719

£471,243

OVERALL

0%

CORE ELEMENT

MAXIMUM

OPPORTUNITY

•  Maximum opportunity of 75% of salary for 

3 Annual Bonus – Company Milestones

the Group Finance Director

the Chief Executive and 50% of salary for 

•  Company Milestones linked to strategic 

progress resulted in share awards made to 

Chief Executive and Group Finance Director 

(35% and 23.3% of salary respectively)

•  All awards are to be made in shares deferred 

for three years

Company performance

COMPANY MILESTONES

47%

0%

% of maximum award

100%

COMPANY

MILESTONE

MAXIMUM

OPPORTUNITY

£194,718

£417,252

COMPANY

MILESTONE

MAXIMUM

OPPORTUNITY

£87,965

£188,497

4 PSP

•  Awards granted in September 2015 vested 

at 56% of maximum based on average 

annual adjusted earnings per share growth 

6%

achieved of 12.3%

Company performance

Annual adjusted EPS

20%

Actual 

12.3%

Actual 

56%

20%

% of award vesting

100%

Total shares released 44,156

Total shares released 26,182

INDICATIVE VALUE

£1,114,056¹

INDICATIVE VALUE

£660,564¹

1  Calculated based on the average share price for the final quarter of financial year 

  ended 30 June 2018 (2,523p).

TOTAL

PERFORMANCE

SHARES

COMPANY

MILESTONES

CORE

ELEMENT

BASE SALARY

AND BENEFITS

£2,539,700

TOTAL

£1,114,056

PERFORMANCE

SHARES

COMPANY

MILESTONES

CORE

ELEMENT

BASE SALARY

AND BENEFITS

£194,718

£514,611

£716,315

£1,542,961

£660,564

£87,965

£348,719

£445,713

5 Total Remuneration Breakdown

1 Base Salary and Benefits

•  Salaries were increased by 15% for the 
Chief Executive and 4% for the Group 
Finance Director from 1 September 2018, 
with new values of £639,786 and £392,074

•  There are no changes to the range of 

benefits provided

2 Annual Bonus – Core Bonus

The measures for the Core Bonus element 
are unchanged
•  Adjusted profit before tax growth g 80% 

of salary

•  Cash generation g 20% of salary
•  Personal objectives g 25% of salary

For the adjusted profit before tax growth, 
target bonus requires 10% growth and 
maximum requires 15% growth in constant 
currency

•  The Remuneration Committee has 

3 Annual Bonus – Company Milestones

determined that this element will be 
included in the reward structure for 2019
•  Due to commercial sensitivity, this will be 

disclosed retrospectively in the 2019 
Annual Report

•  Any awards to be made in shares deferred 

for three years

•  The vesting of these awards depends on 

4 PSP (September 2016 Awards)

the adjusted earnings per share (excluding 
gene editing costs) achieved in the three 
financial years ending 30 June 2019

BASE SALARY

BENEFITS

£625,878

BASE SALARY

£389,560

£179,077

BENEFITS

£71,672

Maximum of 125% of salary, target award of 62.5% of salary

ADJUSTED PROFIT BEFORE 
TAX GROWTH g 80% OF SALARY

CASH GENERATION g 20% OF SALARY

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES g 25% OF SALARY

g

Maximum award of 75% of salary 
for Chief Executive

Maximum award of 50% of salary 
for Group Finance Director

SHARES WORTH
UP TO 75% OF SALARY
0%

Maximum

Maximum

SHARES WORTH
UP TO 50% OF SALARY
0%

75%

50%

Chief Executive – award
(shares)

Group Finance Director – award 
(shares)

UP TO 58,186 SHARES

UP TO 34,500 SHARES

5 PSP (September 2018 Awards)

•  The vesting of these awards will be subject 
to an adjusted earnings per share growth, 
with the 2021 adjusted earnings per share 
being compared to the 2018 adjusted 
earnings per share (excluding gene 
editing costs)

•  5% annual growth threshold – 20% vesting
•  15% annual growth – 100% vesting
•  Vesting levels will be calculated based on a 
straight-line basis between the above values

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Award to Chief Executive 
of 200% of salary

Award to Group Finance Director 
of 175% of salary

5%

Annual adjusted EPS

15%

20%

% of award vesting

100%

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION70

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION C: REMUNERATION AND PERFORMANCE STATEMENT

Genus’s Strategy and its Link to Performance-Related Pay
See pages 85 to 88 for a summary of our Remuneration Policy, as agreed by shareholders in 2016. Our strategy and the way this 
is linked to variable reward is shown below. 

INCREASE GENETIC 
CONTROL AND 
PRODUCT 
DIFFERENTIATION 

TARGETING KEY 
MARKETS AND 
SEGMENTS 

SHARING IN 
THE VALUE 
DELIVERED 

SUCCESS 
MEASURED BY 

R&D AND BUSINESS 
INNOVATION

LINK TO
REMUNERATION
POLICY

PROPRIETARY GENETIC 
IMPROVEMENT AND 
DISSEMINATION POSITIONS 

VOLUME GROWTH

OPERATING PROFIT

CASH CONVERSION

Specific events are 
captured through the 
Company Milestone 
element of the annual 
bonus (where awarded).  

Personal objectives within 
the Core Element of the 
annual bonus recognise 
wider progress than 
financial measures alone

Measured through the profit 
element of the annual bonus 

Over the longer term will flow 
into EPS, used to determine 
vesting under the PSP 

Measured through the 
cash element of the 
annual bonus 

Performance Components and Their Impact on Remuneration

2017

2018 Movement % Impact on remuneration

Adjusted results

Revenue

£459.1m £470.3m

Adjusted profit before tax

£56.4m

£58.5m

Generation of free cash flow

£25.4m

£24.3m

Adjusted earnings per share

Dividend per share

69.4p

23.6p

75.9p

26.0p

Share price at year end

1,780p

2,636p

2

4

(4)

9

10

48

Input to annual bonus profit and earnings per share 
in PSP.

Annual bonus measure.

Annual bonus measure.

PSP performance condition.

Executives rewarded via dividend equivalent feature 
of deferred bonuses and PSP awards.

Determines the value of deferred bonuses and 
PSP awards.

Values in the table are in actual currency as shown in the Annual Report. A number of adjustments are made to these for the 
purposes of calculating awards under our incentive plans as described in this report and in line with our Remuneration Policy.

Executive Directors’ Alignment to Share Price
The table below shows the value of shares currently held by the Executive Directors and those awarded under the Deferred 
Share Bonus Plan (‘DSBP’), but not yet released (on a post-tax basis). It does not include those awards under the PSP which are 
scheduled to vest in the future subject to Company earnings per share performance, which have the potential to significantly 
increase the alignment of the Executives, subject to the resulting level of vesting.

Shares  
awarded  
under the  
DSBP  

(post-tax)

Shares  
owned

Total share 
exposure

Indicative  
value on  
1 July  
2017 
(£)1

Indicative  
value on  
30 June  
2018 
(£)2

Consequence  
of a +/- £2  
share price 
change 
(£)

Difference 
(£)

Chief Executive

68,213

20,950

89,163

1,624,550 2,249,582

625,032

178,326

Group Finance 
Director

39,528

12,147

51,675

941,519

1,303,760

362,241

103,350

Conclusion

Executives  
remain aligned  
to share price

1  Value calculated using the average share price for the final quarter of the financial year ended 30 June 2017 (1,822p).
2  Value calculated using the average share price for the final quarter of the financial year ended 30 June 2018 (2,523p).

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
71

SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

Introduction
This section of the Directors’ Remuneration Report is subject to an advisory vote at the AGM.

We have split this section into the following chapters to balance our formal disclosure obligations with our desire to have a clear 
and understandable report:
1.  What the Executive Directors Were Paid in 2018.
2.  What the Executive Directors Can Earn in 2019.
3.  The Process the Committee Followed to Arrive at These Decisions.
4.  How the Chief Executive’s Pay Compares to Shareholder Returns Over the Past Nine Years and to Employees’ Pay.
5.  The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors’ Fees.
6.  Details of the Directors’ Shareholdings and Rights to Shares.
7.  Details of the Executive Directors’ Contracts and Non-Executive Directors’ Letters of Appointment.

1.  What the Executive Directors Were Paid in 2018
Executive Directors’ Single Total Remuneration Figure (Audited)
The following table shows a single total figure of remuneration for the 2018 financial year for each of the Executive Directors and 
compares this figure to the prior year.

Karim Bitar

Stephen Wilson

Salary  
and fees 
£000s

Benefits1 
£000s

Pension2 
£000s

Subtotal 
for fixed 
pay 
£000s

Annual 
bonus3 
(Core 
Bonus) 
£000s

Annual 
bonus4 
(Company 
Milestone) 
£000s

555
548

376
371

23
23

13
13

138
137

57
56

716
708

446
440

515
312

349
212

195
329

88
149

Subtotal  
for  
variable 
pay 
£000s

1,824
2,148

1,098
1,255

PSP5 
£000s

1,1145
1,5076

6615
8946

Total 
£000s

2,540
2,856

1,544
1,695

Year

2018
2017

2018
2017

1  Benefits include a car allowance of £20,000 for Karim Bitar and £12,000 for Stephen Wilson. Insured benefits include life assurance, private medical insurance and 

a medical screen.

2  Executive Directors receive a cash allowance in lieu of pension, which is shown in the Pension column.
3  Bonus earned includes the 25% of the Core Bonus element which is deferred into Company shares.
4  All awards under the Company Milestone element are made in shares deferred for three years.
5  The value of the PSP is determined by the number of awards vesting in relation to performance in the period ended 30 June 2018. Dividend equivalents are not added to 
awards made under the PSP. The value shown for 2018 is based on the average share price for the final three months of the 2018 financial year (which was 2,523p).

6  The 2017 values shown as estimated in the previous Annual Report have been restated to reflect the actual value at vesting. The share price was 2,200p on 20 November 

2017 when awards vested for the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director.

How the Bonuses for 2018 Were Calculated
Annual Bonus: Core Bonus Element
The 2018 bonuses for Executive Directors were calculated by reference to performance against a challenging sliding scale of 
profit, cash flow and personal targets. Targets were set by the Committee to exclude the costs of gene editing. This was a 
decision by the Committee (as was the case in 2017) to ensure that management’s reward was not unfairly affected by making 
the right long-term investment decisions on behalf of the business. 

The following results were achieved for each element of the annual bonus incentive.

Bonus target1

Strategic objective

Adjusted profit 
before tax2

Year-on-year profit 
growth

Generation of 
free cash flow

Personal 
objectives

Generate cash 
for reinvestment 
and dividend

To build  
the foundation for 
future growth

Proportion 
of salary 
(maximum)

Actual 2018 
performance

Threshold

Target

Stretch

Extent to which targets were met 
(%)

80%

£66.7m £59.9m £65.8m £68.8m

20%

£24.3m £18.6m £21.6m £24.6m

63.9%

94.4%

25%

See  

page 72

Chief Executive 90% 
Group Finance Director 90%

1  The financial elements of the bonus are payable on a straight-line basis between each threshold, target and stretch level.
2  Adjusted profit before tax in constant currency was £61.5m (actual currency was £58.5m).

Overall extent to which targets for the Core Bonus element of the annual bonus were met:

Chief Executive 74%
Group Finance Director 74%

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION72

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

1.  What the Executive Directors Were Paid in 2018 continued
Personal Objectives
Performance against personal objectives related to targets set in a number of areas that included customers, people, and product 
and service improvement. Performance against these targets is disclosed retrospectively, as follows:

Payout against 
maximum of  

25% of salary

90%

Executive Director

Key achievements in the year

Karim Bitar

Customer

People

Product  
and service 
improvement

Customer/
stakeholders

Stephen Wilson

•  Establishment of strategic partnership with Møllevang
•  Successful global launch of Sexcel and IntelliGen
•  Strategic clarity on beef and dairy go-to market strategy
•  Effective integration of Hermitage across Europe

•  Strengthening of ABS leadership and development of GELT
•  Strong strategic alignment and engagement across Genus 
employees as captured through “Your Voice” process

•  Robust advancement of PRRSv resistance technology
•  Advancements of dairy, beef and porcine genetics portfolio, and 

strengthening of our IP position

•  Advancing of strategic agenda through Board strategy day
•  Delivery of 2018 Capital Markets Day with positive feedback 

90%

from Shareholders

People

•  Enhanced employee engagement and improved capabilities 

within IT

•  Continued to strengthen the accounting function and processes 

with a strong business partnering model in Finance

Product  
and service 
improvement

•  Enterprise System project launched and tracking to project plan
•  Important progress on several strategic priorities including the 
Møllevang relationship, the launch of Sexcel and IntelliGen 
securing third party contracts

•  Improved Company-wide technology infrastructure 

with upgraded hardware and software and end-user 
service provisioning

•  Maintained tight internal management disciplines and cash flow 

management, risk management and controls

Annual Bonus: Company Milestones
The Committee included this element of the annual bonus for 2018 as disclosed in our 2017 Directors’ Remuneration Report.

The maximum opportunity under the Company Milestone element of the bonus was an award of shares deferred for three years 
and worth up to 75% of salary for the Chief Executive and 50% of salary for the Group Finance Director. The performance criteria 
and resulting awards as determined by the Committee are as follows:

Performance criteria

Outcome/progress made

Resulting award

Generation of revenue from Sexcel, 
commercialising the technology and 
securing long-term benefit from it.

Highly successful launch of product across 
multiple markets.

Revenue generation in excess of budgets.

Securing key customers to use 
IntelliGen technology.

Signed contracts to produce in excess of 
targets set.

Defined outputs on additional 
business project.

Strong progress was made during the year 
but the specific target set by the Committee 
was not achieved. The project remains 
commercially sensitive and has not been 
disclosed within the report for this reason. 

Having reviewed the level of 
progress made against these 
pivotal areas for the business 
the Committee determined that 
partial awards under the Company 
Milestone element should 
be made. 

Award levels were determined 
of deferred shares worth 35% 
of salary for the Chief Executive 
and 23.3% of salary for the Group 
Finance Director. 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

73

As a result of this performance, the total annual bonus (comprising both the Core Bonus and Company Milestone elements) 
awarded to the Executive Directors was:

Annual bonus:  
Core Bonus

Annual bonus:  
Company Milestone

Total bonus

Extent 
to which 
targets  

were met

(75%) 
Cash  
bonus

(25%) 
Deferred  
shares

Extent 
to which 
targets  

were met

Deferred  
shares

Total  
cash

Deferred 
shares1

Total

Karim Bitar

Stephen Wilson

74% £385,958

£128,653

47% £194,718

£385,958

£323,371

£709,329

74% £261,539

£87,180

47% £87,965

£261,539

£175,145

£436,684

1  The number of shares will be calculated in September when bonuses are paid.

How the Performance Share Plan Figure was Calculated in the Single Total Remuneration Table
Karim Bitar’s and Stephen Wilson’s PSP awards granted on 14 September 2015 were subject to a performance condition, based 
on the growth in adjusted earnings per share from 2015 to 2018. The range of targets applicable to the awards, which had a 
value of 200% of salary for the Chief Executive and 175% of salary for the Group Finance Director, was as follows:

Average annual growth in adjusted earnings per share1

Less than 6% per annum

6% per annum

20% per annum

1  Straight line vesting between the points in the above table.

% of award 
vesting

Nil

20%

100%

The Committee exercised discretion to calculate the long-term award after excluding gene editing costs incurred during the 
performance period, to avoid an unintended impact on the Executives’ remuneration whilst making long-term decisions in 
support of value creation. This is consistent with the approach previously communicated to shareholders and taken in 2016 
and 2017.

The adjusted 2018 earnings per share after the cost of share-based payments and adjusting for costs relating to gene editing was 
75.4p. This represents an average annual growth in adjusted earnings per share of 12.3% compared to the comparable 2015 
adjusted earnings per share figure (after the cost of share-based payments). The resulting level of vesting is therefore 56% of 
maximum for both the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director1.

Karim Bitar’s award was over a maximum of 78,850 shares, so the actual level of vesting is 44,156 shares and these will vest on 
14 September 2018. Stephen Wilson’s award was over a maximum of 46,753 shares, so the actual level of vesting is 26,182 
shares and these will vest on the same date.

The Company’s average share price for the period from 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018 was 2,523p, meaning that the values 
shown for these awards within the single figure table are £1,114,056 for Karim Bitar and £660,564 for Stephen Wilson.

1  The average annual earnings per share growth including gene editing costs after share based payments was 8.4% and the associated vesting level would have been 33.7% 

of maximum.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION74

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

1.  What the Executive Directors Were Paid in 2018 continued
Breakdown of Vesting for Chief Executive:

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0
0

£472,879

£512,210

£1,074,726

+85%

£1,114,056

£601,846

VALUE AT
AWARD

VALUE OF 
SHARES LAPSED

VALUE OF 
SHARES RETAINED

SHARE PRICE
GROWTH

VALUE AT 
30 JUNE 2018

2015 PSP AWARD:
Key points:
•  Our average annual earnings per share growth of 

12.3% means that 56% of the original grant of shares 
will vest.

•  Significant share price growth over the period has been 
seen, from 1,363p at award to 2,523p (based on the 
average price over the last three months of the year)

•  This has increased the value of the shares that vest 

by over 85%

Material Contracts
There were no other contracts or arrangements during the financial year in which a Director of the Company was materially 
interested and/or which were significant in relation to the Group’s business.

Payments for Loss of Office and Payments to Former Directors (Audited)
There were no payments for loss of office in the year or to any former Directors of the business.

Executive Directors’ External Appointments
Executive Directors are permitted to accept an external non-executive position, with the Board’s approval. Any fees received in 
respect of these appointments may be retained by the Executive. The Chief Executive (Karim Bitar) was appointed as a 
Non-Executive Director of Spectris Plc with effect from 1 July 2017 and received fees totalling £55,000 during the year.

2.  What the Executive Directors Can Earn in 2019
A summary of this chapter is given on page 69.

Base Salary
As outlined in the letter from the Committee Chairman, an increase in the salary of the Chief Executive of 15% is being 
implemented, designed to reflect the experience he brings to the role and the ongoing strategic transformation of the business. 
The salary of the Group Finance Director will be increased by 4%, in line with the way we link strong individual performance to 
pay investment across the wider employee population.

In line with other UK employees, the date of salary review is 1 September 2018. The Executive Directors’ current salary levels 
(with effect from 1 September 2018) are as follows:
•  Karim Bitar: £639,786 (15% increase); and
•  Stephen Wilson: £392,074 (4% increase).

Benefits
The Executive Directors will receive benefits including a car allowance, private fuel (for Chief Executive), life assurance, an annual 
medical screen and private medical insurance.

Pension
In lieu of Company pension contributions, the Company pays the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director a taxable pension 
allowance of 25% and 15% of basic salary per annum respectively.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

75

Performance-Related Annual Bonus
Consistent with the Remuneration Policy agreed by shareholders in 2016, the Company bonus scheme for 2019 for the 
Executive Directors is as follows:

Annual Bonus: Core Bonus Element

Value of bonus

A Core Bonus element of 125% of salary based on profit, cash generation and personal objectives.

Bonus

Performance  
measures

Chief Executive/Group Finance Director
On-target value of bonus 62.5% (Core Bonus element)

Adjusted profit before tax  – 80% of salary weighting.
– 20% of salary weighting.
Cash generation 
– 25% of salary weighting.
Personal objectives 

Calibration of 
profit target

No bonus is payable in respect of profit unless the prior year’s result is exceeded. Thereafter, the Core 
Bonus award is determined on the following basis:

Growth on prior year adjusted profit before tax1

0%

10% per annum delivers

15% per annum delivers

Straight-line payout between performance points.

1 

In constant currency and excluding gene editing costs.

Payout  
(profit 
element)

Percentage 
of salary 
awarded

0%

50%

100%

0%

40%

80%

Calibration of cash 
generation target

The cash target is the budgeted figure, with a specific range of £3m below the target and £3m above. 
Specific numbers were set (rather than a percentage range) to ensure Executives are focused on 
actual cash generation.

Calibration of personal 
objectives

Personal objectives are linked to successful implementation of objectives for the Executive Directors. 
It would be commercially sensitive to disclose them in advance. We will retrospectively disclose 
performance against these targets.

Bonus deferral

Of the 125% Core Bonus element, one quarter of the total award will be deferred by way of  
shares for three years and will vest subject to continued employment, other than in certain good 
leaver circumstances.

Malus and clawback

The Committee can apply malus to deferred bonuses and claw back any element of paid bonuses  
that should not have been awarded or paid, in the event of a material misstatement of the Group’s 
annual results.

Annual Bonus: Company Milestone Element

Value of bonus

Performance  
measures

The Company Milestones element allows for awards of deferred shares of up to 75% of salary for the 
Chief Executive and 50% of salary for the Group Finance Director.

Company Milestones represent pivotal and significant events in the Company’s development, which 
reposition the Company as an agricultural biotechnology pioneer. Such events would be significant 
strategic achievements and long-term value creating.

The Committee has determined that this element of the annual bonus will be included for 2019 
for the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director. Due to commercial sensitivity the target and 
achievement against it including any resulting award will be disclosed retrospectively.

Bonus deferral

For achievement of the Company Milestone element, any award will be deferred into shares for three 
years and will vest subject to continued employment, other than in certain good leaver circumstances.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION76

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

2.  What the Executive Directors Can Earn in 2019 continued
Long-Term Incentives
Awards to be granted in 2019 will be granted in line with the Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders and under the 2014 
PSP. The Chief Executive will be granted an award over shares worth 200% of salary and the Group Finance Director will be 
granted an award over shares worth 175% of salary. These awards are in line with those awarded in 2016, due to vest in 2019.

The performance targets for the awards to be granted in 2019 will primarily relate to average annual growth in adjusted earnings  
per share, measured over three years and excluding gene editing costs. The same approach will govern awards due to vest in 2019.

The range of targets for the 2019 awards is as follows:

Average annual growth in adjusted earnings per share1

Less than 5% per annum

5% per annum

15% per annum

Vesting2
(% award)

0%

20%

100%

1  Growth in adjusted earnings per share over the three-year performance period will be calculated on a simple average annual growth rate after the cost of share-based 

payments and excluding gene editing costs.

2  Straight-line vesting between performance points.

The Committee remains convinced that using adjusted earnings per share is the correct approach and is consistent with awards 
made in 2018. The Committee believes the above targets are appropriately challenging, that they incentivise Executives to 
deliver the Company’s growth strategy and are therefore aligned with shareholders’ interests. They also adhere to the principles 
of transparency and simplicity, to maximise the incentive provided to participants by the 2014 PSP.

As with awards currently granted under the 2014 PSP, the Committee will be able to scale back vesting based on earnings  
per share performance if it does not consider the vesting result to be consistent with the progress achieved against the 
Company’s strategy during the performance period. This is considered appropriate to broaden the Executive team’s focus 
beyond financial performance.

2014 PSP awards granted in 2019 will continue to require the Executives to retain the after-tax number of shares vesting
in 2022 for two years. Clawback and malus provisions may be applied at the Committee’s discretion, if the Company’s results are 
found to have been materially misstated within three years of vesting.

3.  The Process the Committee Followed to Arrive at These Decisions
The Committee complies with the UK Corporate Governance Code. It makes recommendations to the Board, within agreed 
terms of reference, on remuneration for the Executive Directors and other members of GELT. The Committee’s full terms of 
reference are available on the Company’s website at www.genusplc.com.

During 2018, the Committee comprised:

Director

Nigel Turner (Chairman)

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lysanne Gray

Lesley Knox1

Bob Lawson

1  Lesley Knox was appointed on 1 June 2018.

Independent

Attendance  
at meetings

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

5/5

5/5

5/5

5/5

0/0

5/5

None of the Committee members has any personal financial interest (other than as shareholders), conflicts of interests arising 
from cross-directorships or day-to-day involvement in running the business. The Chief Executive and the Group Finance Director 
attend meetings at the Committee’s invitation but are not present when their own remuneration is being discussed. 
The Committee is supported by the Group HR Director, Group Reward Director, Finance and Company Secretariat functions.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

7 7

During the year, the Committee continued to use PricewaterhouseCoopers (‘PwC’) for advice it considers is of value,  
objective and independent. PwC’s fees were £35,000 for its remuneration advice to the Committee. PwC is a member of the 
Remuneration Consultants Group and complies with its Code of Conduct. Separate teams within PwC provide unrelated advisory 
service to the Group, including taxation, international assignments and actuarial advice.

During the year to 30 June 2018, the Committee met five times and considered the following matters:

JULY 2017
•  Pay review for GELT members.
•  Discussion of Company Milestones.

JULY 2017
•  Review of Directors’ Remuneration 

Report.

SEPTEMBER 2017
•  Approval of the Directors’ Remuneration 

Report for 2017.

•  Determination of Annual Bonus awards 

NOVEMBER 2017
•  Review of shareholder voting on the 
Remuneration Policy and Annual 
Remuneration Report.

in respect of 2017.

•  Discussion of gender pay within Genus 

•  Testing of the performance conditions 
and approval of the vesting levels of 
long-term share incentive awards 
granted in 2014.

•  Approval of long-term share incentive 

awards under the Company’s 2014 PSP 
and the associated performance targets.

•  Review of shareholdings by Executive 

Directors and GELT.

•  Approval of PSP for senior leadership 

and review of share dilution.

Breeding Limited.

•  Review of remuneration reporting 

for 2017.

APRIL 2018
•  Discussion of Company Milestone 
element within the annual bonus.

•  Review of shareholder perspectives and 

trends in corporate governance and 
discussion of AGM season.
•  Review of the Committee’s 

effectiveness.

How Shareholders’ Views are Taken into Account
We consulted with shareholders ahead of proposing a revised Remuneration Policy to shareholders at our 2016 AGM. We were 
pleased with the constructive dialogue with shareholders and for their time and feedback on the proposed policy changes. 
The result of the most recent vote in November 2017 was as follows:

For

Against

Total number of shares in respect of which votes were validly made

Votes withheld

Vote on Directors’ 
Remuneration Report 
(advisory)

Total number  

% of  

of votes

votes cast

41,359,892

1,197,783

42,557,675

190,033

97.2

2.8

100

How Employees’ Pay is Taken into Account
While the Company does not consult employees on matters of Directors’ remuneration, the Committee does take account of the 
policy for employees across the workforce when determining the Remuneration Policy for Directors.

The Group HR Director facilitates this process, presenting to the Committee on the pay structures across the organisation and 
how they fit the Group’s Remuneration Policy. The process includes a staff engagement survey that includes questions on pay, 
as well as consulting employees informally on their views of the current overall Remuneration Policy. This forms part of the 
feedback provided to the Committee and is used by the Group HR Director to assess the Remuneration Policy’s ongoing 
effectiveness and the changes that should be made.

When setting the Executive Directors’ base salaries, the Committee compares the salary increases proposed for each Executive 
Director within those proposed for employees in their geographical location, as well as considering the typical increase proposed 
across our UK business and the wider Group.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION78

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

4.  How the Chief Executive’s Pay Compares to Shareholder Returns Over the Past Nine Years and to Employees’ Pay
Total Shareholder Return
The following graph shows the Company’s performance measured by total shareholder return (‘TSR’), compared with the TSR 
performance of the FTSE 250 Index. The FTSE 250 Index was selected as it represents a broad equity market of which the 
Company is a member.

Nine Years of Total Shareholder Return

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

)
£
(

)
d
e
s
a
b
e
r
(

R
S
T

0

June 09

June 10

June 11

June 12

June 13

June 14

June 15

June 16

June 17

June 18

Genus 

FTSE 250 

This graph shows the value, by 30 June 2018, of £100 invested in Genus plc on 30 June 2009 compared with the value of £100 invested in the FTSE 250 index.  
Source: Thomson Datastream.
This graph shows the value, by 30 June 2018, of £100 invested in Genus plc on 30 June 2009 compared with the value of £100 invested in the FTSE 250 index. 
Source: Thomson Datastream.

As required under the reporting regulations, the table below shows the “single figure” pay for the Chief Executive over the same 
period, to allow comparison between variability in reward and the shareholder experience over the same period. 

Richard Wood

Karim Bitar

Year ending 30 June 2018

2010

20111

2012

20122

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Total remuneration 
(£000s)

Annual bonus 
(% of max)

Total PSP vesting 
(% of max)

£2,034

£2,383

£231

£1,776

£868

£877

£1,622

£1,704

£2,856

£2,540

64%

94%

88%

77%

31%

32%

99%

78% 58.5%3

63.8%3

100%

88%

–

–

–

–

26%

34% 79.4%

56%

1  PSP vesting relates to all awards that were tested early on cessation of employment.
2 

Includes payment (as previously disclosed) for loss of annual bonus (£163,000) and the value of restricted stock (£755,000) granted to compensate him for loss of value 
forfeit on joining Genus.
Includes the award under the Company Milestone element of the annual bonus.

3 

Chief Executive Pay Compared to Genus Employees
Remuneration Received (% Change from 2017 to 2018)

Chief Executive

UK comparators2

Salary 
%

1.3%

3.9%

Benefits3
%

(0.6%)

0%

Annual  
bonus 
%

10.6%1

48%

Includes the award made under the Company Milestone element of the annual bonus.

1 
2  A subset of the UK workforce comprising employees with a bonus structure based on Group performance. This is considered the most relevant comparator group for 

these purposes.
3  Excludes pension.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
 
Distribution Statement

Employee costs (£m)

Distributions to shareholders1

1 

Includes dividends and share buy-backs.

5.  The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors’ Fees
Fees payable to the Non-Executive Directors per annum are as follows:

Position

Chairman

Audit and Remuneration Committee Chairs

Adviser to R&D PMT

Base Non-Executive Director fee

79

2017

2018

% change

£137.6m £148.4m

£13.5m

£14.9m

7.8

10.4

2017 fees

2018 fees

2019 fees

£160,000

£160,000

£160,000

£60,000

£60,000

£60,000

n/a

£65,000

£65,000

£55,000

£55,000

£55,000

Fees were increased in 2016 (as explained in the Directors’ Remuneration Report set out in the 2015 Annual Report and 
approved at the 2015 AGM). The Chairman’s fee, which had not been reviewed since 2010, was increased to £160,000 and 
Non-Executive Director fees, which were last reviewed in 2012, increased to £55,000 which includes, for each of them, their 
fees for membership of the Board’s Committees. The responsibilities of chairing the Audit and Remuneration Committees were 
also recognised with an additional fee of £5,000, giving the Chairs of these Committees a total fee of £60,000.

Fees will continue at this level for 2019. 

Total Single Figure of Remuneration (Audited) for 2017 and 2018 are as follows:

Non-Executive Directors
Bob Lawson

Nigel Turner

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lysanne Gray

Lesley Knox1

Total

Fees  

£000s

Taxable 
expenses  
£000s

Benefits  
£000s

Total  

£000s

2018
2017

2018
2017

2018
2017

2018
2017

2018
2017

2018
2017

2018
2017

160
160

60
60

65
55

55
55

60
58

5
n/a

405
388

3
2

2
1

2
2

1
1

1
1

–
n/a

9
7

–
–

–
–

–
–

3
11

–
–

–
n/a

3
11

163
162

62
61

67
57

59
67

61
59

5
n/a

417
406

1  Lesley Knox was appointed on 1 June 2018.

The Non-Executive Directors’ taxable expenses are travel expenses related to their role and have been grossed up for tax where 
applicable, in line with HMRC rules.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION80

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

5.  The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors’ Fees continued

Spotlight: Increased Alignment of Executives to 
Genus Through Shareholding
The Remuneration Policy in 2016 increased the 
shareholding guideline for Executives from 100% of 
salary to 200% of salary. A significant part of the Core 
Bonus element of the annual bonus is delivered in shares, 
along with any awards under the Company Milestone 
Element. In addition, Executives are required to retain the 
post-tax shares from vesting PSP awards for a further 
two years.

Shareholding as percentage of salary

Karim Bitar

2018

309%

2017

217%

2016

143%

30%

173%

Stephen Wilson

95%

404%

41%

259%

We have seen significant progress by both Executives in 
developing their shareholding in the business as 
highlighted in the adjacent chart.

2018

2017

2016

265%

81%

346%

79%

42%

121%

35% 28%

63%

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Ordinary Shares %

Deferred Bonus Shares (net) %

Target

SHAREHOLDING REQUIREMENT
TO 2016 =
100% OF SALARY

SHAREHOLDING REQUIREMENT
FROM 2017 =
200% OF SALARY 

6.  Details of the Directors’ Shareholdings and Rights to Shares
Directors’ Shareholdings (Audited)
At the year end, the Directors had the following interests in the Company’s shares:

Bob Lawson

Karim Bitar

Stephen Wilson

Nigel Turner

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lysanne Gray

Lesley Knox

Total

At  
30 June 
2018  

Number

8,557

68,213

39,528

15,000

0

3,750

0

2,000

137,048

% of salary 
held1

% of 
shareholding 
guideline2

n/a

404%

346%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

200%

200%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Unvested 
DSBP 
awards at 
30 June 
2018  

Number

Unvested 
PSP awards 
held at  
30 June 
2018  

Number

n/a

n/a

39,529

193,440

22,918

114,696

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

At  
30 June 
2017 
Number

8,557

65,353

16,214

15,000

–

3,750

–

–

62,447

308,136

108,874

There were no changes in the Directors’ interests between 30 June 2018 and the date of this report.

1  Based on the combined number of beneficially held shares and the net of tax DSBP awards held and the average closing share price over the three months to 30 June 2018 

of 2,523p.

2  Executive Directors are expected to work towards achieve a shareholding of 200% of salary as set out in the Remuneration Policy agreed by shareholders in 2016. This 

was increased from 100% in 2016.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

81

Company Share Price
The market price of the Company’s shares on 30 June 2018 was 2,636p and the lowest and highest share prices during the 
financial year were 1,695p and 2,688p respectively.

Performance Share Awards Granted in 2018 (Audited)
The awards granted under the 2014 PSP were as follows:

Executive

Karim Bitar

Stephen Wilson

Number of shares  
comprising award

Face/maximum value of 
awards at grant date  

(% salary)1

% of award vesting  

at threshold

56,404

33,443

£1,112,851 (200%)

£659,830 (175%)

20

20

Performance period

01.07.17–30.06.20

01.07.17–30.06.20

1  The closing average share price over the three days prior to the award being granted has been used to determine the maximum face value of the awards. This was 1,973p 

for Karim Bitar and Stephen Wilson (award granted on 13 September 2017).

The awards were granted as nil-cost share options and vesting will be subject to achieving a challenging sliding scale of adjusted 
earnings per share growth target and a strategic underpin, consistent with our Remuneration Policy. The adjusted earnings per 
share growth performance target for the above awards is:

Average annual growth in adjusted earnings per share1

Less than 5% per annum

5% per annum

15% per annum

Straight-line vesting between performance points

Vesting  

(% award)

0%

20%

100%

1  Growth in adjusted earnings per share over the three-year performance period will be calculated on a simple average annual growth rate after the cost of share-based 

payments and adjusted for gene editing costs in line with previous awards.

Deferred Bonus Awards Granted in 2018 (Audited)
The following DSBP awards were granted in relation to the 2017 annual bonus. The basis of the awards’ calculation is described 
in more detail on page 71:

Executive

Karim Bitar

Stephen Wilson

Number 
of shares 
comprising 
award

Face value 
of awards at 
grant date1

20,629

£407,010

10,213

£201,502

These awards are not subject to any further performance conditions and will normally vest in full on 13 September 2020, subject 
to continued service.

1  The closing average share price over the three days prior to the award being granted has been used to determine the maximum face value of the awards. This was 1,973p 

for Karim Bitar and Stephen Wilson (award granted on 13 September 2017).

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION82

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION D: ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

6.  Details of the Directors’ Shareholdings and Rights to Shares continued
Summary of Scheme Interests (Audited)
At 30 June 2018, the Executive Directors had the following beneficial interests in share awards and share options:

Karim Bitar

Grant date

21 October 2014

Award

DSBP

20 November 2014

PSP

14 September 2015

DSBP

14 September 2015

14 September 2016

PSP

PSP

14 September 2016

DSBP

13 September 2017

PSP

13 September 2017

DSBP

Total

Stephen Wilson

Grant date

21 October 2014

Award

DSBP

20 November 2014

PSP

14 September 2015

DSBP

14 September 2015

14 September 2016

PSP

PSP

14 September 2016

DSBP

13 September 2017

PSP

13 September 2017

DSBP

Vesting period

21 October 2014 to 
21 October 2017

20 November 2014 to 
20 November 2017

14 September 2015 to 
14 September 2018

14 September 2015 to 
14 September 2018

14 September 2016 to 
14 September 2019

14 September 2016 to 
14 September 2019

13 September 2017 to 
13 September 2020

13 September 2017 to 
13 September 2020

Share 
price at 
grant

At 30 June 
2017  

Number

Granted 
in year  

Number

Lapsed 
in year  

Number

Exercised 
in year  

Number

1,111p

4,648

1,221p

86,271

1,363p

11,927

1,363p

78,850

1,884p

58,186

1,884p

6,973

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,973p

1,973p

–

–

56,404

20,629

–

(4,648)

(17,772)

(68,499)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

At 
30 June 
2018  

Number

0

0

11,927

78,850

58,186

6,973

56,404

20,629

246,855

77,033

(17,772)

(73,147) 232,969

Vesting period

21 October 2014 to 
21 October 2017

20 November 2014 to 
20 November 2017

14 September 2015 to 
14 September 2018

14 September 2015 to 
14 September 2018

14 September 2016 to 
14 September 2019

14 September 2016 to 
14 September 2019

13 September 2017 to 
13 September 2020

13 September 2017 to 
13 September 2020

Share 
price at 
grant

At 30 June 
2017  

Number

Granted 
in year  

Number

Lapsed 
in year  

Number

Exercised 
in year  

Number

–

–

–

–

1,111p

3,445

1,221p

51,153

1,363p

7,980

1,363p

46,753

1,884p

34,500

1,884p

4,725

1,973p

1,973p

–

–

33,443

10,213

–

(3,445)

(10,538)

(40,615)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

At 
30 June 
2018  

Number

0

0

7,980

46,753

34,500

4,725

33,443

10,213

Total

148,556

43,656

(10,538)

(44,060) 137,614

In relation to the share awards granted on 13 September 2017, the closing average share price over the three days prior to 
13 September 2017 (the grant date for the PSP awards) of (1,973p) was used to determine the number of shares comprising 
individual awards.

The performance targets applying to the 13 September 2017 awards are as described above. An earnings per share range also 
applied to awards made in 2016 and 2015. No further performance conditions apply to the DSBP awards.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

83

Dilution
The aggregate dilution of all relevant share incentives was 4.72% at 30 June 2018, which is less than the permissible 10% in ten 
years dilution limit.

7.  Details of the Executive Directors’ Contracts and Non-Executive Directors’ Letters of Appointment

Appointment date

Current contract date

Expiry date

Notice period (Months)

Director

Executives
Karim Bitar 

24 May 2011 

24 May 2011 

Stephen Wilson 

12 December 2012 

12 December 2012 

n/a 

n/a 

12 (from Company) 
6 (from Executive)

12 (from Company) 
6 (from Executive)

Non-Executives
Bob Lawson

Nigel Turner

Duncan Maskell

Lykele van der Broek

Lysanne Gray

Lesley Knox

11 November 2010

11 November 2016

11 November 2019

17 January 2008

17 January 2017

16 January 2020

1 April 2014

1 July 2014

1 April 2016

1 June 2018

1 April 2017

1 July 2017

1 April 2016

1 June 2018

1 April 2020

1 July 2020

1 April 2019

1 June 2021

1

1

1

1

1

1

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION84

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION E: SUMMARY OF DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY

Our Directors’ Remuneration Policy was approved by shareholders on 17 November 2016 with over 96% support from 
Shareholders. There are no proposed changes to the Policy this year and therefore there will be no resolution seeking 
shareholder approval at the forthcoming AGM. We will continue to review the effectiveness of our Policy during the year ahead 
of presenting an updated Policy for shareholder approval in 2019. We will continue to have the annual resolution seeking 
shareholder approval of how we have implemented the Remuneration Policy.

The table summarising the Remuneration Policy is shown below for information. Full details of the Remuneration Policy can be 
found in our 2016 Annual Report which is available from our website at www.genusplc.com.

Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report
The key objectives of the Remuneration Policy are that:
•  pay should be competitive, so we can attract and retain the best people;
•  fixed pay (base salary, pension and benefits) should take account of appropriate external benchmarks (both in the UK where 

we are listed and globally) and pay for our other employees;

•  short and long-term incentive pay should provide the opportunity to earn upper quartile total remuneration, subject to 

delivering our above-market long-term growth aspirations;

•  we can recognise significant biotechnology and strategic Company Milestones;
•  incentive pay should be directly linked to the Group’s strategy, with targets relating to our key performance indicators (using 
non-financial ‘input’ measures and/or ‘output’ measures such as earnings per share) and should be stretching, in light of our 
strategic plan;

•  incentive structures should be simple, reward long-term sustained growth and key strategic milestones, rather than volatile 

performance;

•  the policy should be clearly aligned with shareholders’ interests, take due account of current best practice and not encourage 

undue risk taking; and

•  policy principles for Executive Directors should apply to GELT members with appropriate tiering through the wider workforce.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

85

Base Salary

Benefits

Pension

To provide competitive fixed 
remuneration that will attract and retain 
key employees and reflect their 
experience and position in the Group.

To provide competitive benefits and to 
attract and retain high-calibre employees.

To provide a competitive Company 
contribution that enables effective 
retirement planning.

Operation

Operation

Operation

Reviewed annually as the norm, with 
increases from 2017 usually effective from 
1 September.

Benefits generally include a car allowance 
and insured benefits (e.g. life assurance and 
private medical insurance).

Periodically benchmarked against relevant 
market comparators, reflecting the size and 
nature of the role, individual performance and 
experience, increases awarded to other 
employees, Group performance and broader 
economic conditions.

Where Executive Directors are recruited from 
overseas, or required to relocate on an 
international assignment, benefits more 
tailored to their geographical location may  
be provided and may include relocation  
costs and/or tax equalisation arrangements 
as necessary.

Only basic salary is pensionable.

Pension is provided by way of contribution to 
a personal pension or as a salary supplement 
in lieu of pension provision.

Where revised benefits are offered in a 
geographic location or across the Group, 
Executive Directors are likely to be eligible  
to receive those benefits on similar terms.

If the Company introduces an all-employee 
share plan, Executive Directors will be 
eligible to participate on the same terms  
as other employees.

Maximum

Maximum

Maximum

Annual percentage increases are generally 
consistent with the range awarded across 
the Group and in line with the salary  
awards for the home country in which 
the Executive works.

Percentage increases in salary above this 
level may be made in certain circumstances, 
such as a change in responsibility or a 
significant increase in the role’s scale or the 
Group’s size and complexity.

The car allowance is limited to £20,000  
per annum.

The value of insured benefits will vary year 
on year, based on the cost of providing 
insured benefits, and is included in the total 
single figure table on page 71.

Pension contribution or salary supplements in 
lieu of pension are provided to a maximum of 
25% of basic salary.

Performance Conditions

Performance Conditions

Performance Conditions

A broad assessment of individual and 
Company performance is used as part of the 
salary review.

None.

The salaries payable to the Executive 
Directors from 1 September 2018 are 
disclosed on page 74.

None.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION86

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION E: SUMMARY OF DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY

Annual Bonus

The bonus is split into two parts:
A Core Bonus element incentivises against 
a combination of financial targets and 
personal objectives.

A Company Milestone element 
incentivises achievement of significant 
Company Milestones. This element is 
included at the discretion of the Committee.

In combination, these elements support 
achievement of the Group’s goals.

Operation

25% of the payments under the Core Bonus 
element are made in Company shares 
deferred for three years subject to continued 
service. The remaining award is payable 
in cash.

Payments under the Company Milestone 
element are made fully in Company  
shares deferred for three years subject  
to continued service.

Maximum

Core Bonus opportunity: 125% of salary

The Committee has the discretion to award 
an additional variable award (up to 75% of 
salary for the Chief Executive, up to 50% of 
salary for other Executive Directors) to 
reward achievement of Company milestones 
under the Company Milestone element.

Performance Conditions

Core Bonus awards are subject to 
achievement against a sliding scale of 
challenging financial targets and personal 
objectives, which the Committee sets  
each year to reflect the priorities for  
the year ahead.

The specific performance measures, targets 
and weightings are set every year to align 
with the Company’s strategy.

Financial targets govern the majority of Core 
Bonus payments and are typically linked  
to the Group’s key performance indicators 
(e.g. profit and cash generation), with a 
minority earned based on performance 
against personal objectives.

Malus and clawback provisions may apply  
for a period of three years from the point  
of award, in the event of a material 
misstatement of the Group’s financial results.

Share awards made under the DSBP (under 
either the Core Bonus element or Company 
Milestone element) will vest after three 
years, subject to continued service.

A dividend equivalent provision operates, 
enabling dividends to be paid (in cash or 
shares) on deferred shares that vest.

The Committee has the discretion to 
determine in which year the award is earned, 
and can choose to recognise achievement in 
a subsequent year. The maximum award in 
any year will be up to 75% for the Chief 
Executive and 50% for other Executive 
Directors.

Therefore the maximum under the  
annual bonus is 200% of salary for the  
Chief Executive and 175% for other 
Executive Directors.

The Committee may include the Company 
Milestone element to incentivise and  
reward the achievement of pre-determined 
Company Milestones.

The Committee has the discretion to adjust 
the bonus outcome in light of overall 
underlying performance. Any adjustment 
made will be disclosed within the following 
Annual Report on Remuneration.

For financial performance targets under the 
Core Bonus element, bonus is earned on a 
graduated scale. The level of payment at 
threshold is set annually but will not exceed 
25% of maximum. Maximum awards (100% 
payable) are for substantial outperformance 
against targets.

A summary of the performance targets for 
2019 is included on page 75.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

87

Share Ownership Guidelines

To align Executives and shareholders.

Operation

Executives are expected to achieve a 
shareholding of 200% of salary, by retaining 
50% of the net of post-tax number of vested 
shares under the Company’s DSBP and PSP.

Maximum

n/a

Performance Conditions

For awards granted from 2014, the post-tax 
number of vested shares must be held for  
at least a two-year period following vesting.

A dividend equivalent provision enables 
dividends to be paid (in cash or shares)  
on shares that vest.

Malus and clawback provisions may apply  
for a period of three years, in the event  
of a material misstatement of the Group’s 
financial results.

A summary of the performance targets for 
2019 is given on page 78.

n/a

The Committee will review performance 
conditions annually, specifically the range of 
earnings per share targets and the metrics 
and weightings applied to each element  
of the PSP. Any revisions to the metrics  
and/or weightings will only take place if it  
is necessary because of developments in  
the Company’s strategy and, where these 
are material, following dialogue with the 
Company’s major shareholders. Should the 
Committee believe that a major change to 
the current approach is appropriate (for 
example, replacing a primary performance 
metric with an alternative), this would  
only take place following a revised  
Directors’ Remuneration Policy being  
tabled to shareholders.

2014 PSP

The 2014 PSP incentivises Executives to 
achieve superior returns to shareholders 
over a three-year period, to retain key 
individuals and align their interests with 
shareholders.

Operation

Eligibility to receive awards is at the 
Committee’s discretion each year.

Awards vest three years from grant, subject 
to continued employment and satisfaction of 
challenging three-year performance targets.

Maximum

Maximum annual award of 200% of salary 
(300% of salary in exceptional 
circumstances, such as recruitment).

Performance Conditions

Awards vest based on three-year 
performance against a challenging range of 
targets, aligned with the delivery of the 
Company’s long-term strategy.

Financial targets (including adjusted earnings 
per share growth) will determine the vesting 
of a majority of awards granted in any year.

Targets are typically structured as a 
challenging sliding scale, with no more than 
20% of the maximum award vesting for 
achieving the threshold performance level 
through to full vesting for substantial 
outperformance of the threshold.

The awards will also be subject to an 
underpin that enables the Committee to 
scale back (but not scale up) vesting, if the 
Group’s performance over the period is not 
considered to reflect the progress made 
against its strategic business targets.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATION88

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SECTION E: SUMMARY OF DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY

Non-Executive Directors

To provide compensation that attracts high-calibre individuals and reflects their experience and knowledge.

Operation

The Committee determines the Chairman’s fee.

The Board periodically reviews Non-Executive Directors’ fees.

No Directors take part in meetings where their own remuneration is discussed.

Fees are based on the time commitments involved in each role and set with reference to the fees paid in other similarly sized UK
listed companies.

Maximum

Any increase in Non-Executive Director fees may be above the level awarded to other employees, given that they may only be reviewed 
periodically and may need to reflect any changes to time commitments or responsibilities.

The periodic review may result in an increase beyond the fees currently payable.

Non-Executive Directors also receive reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in connection with Company business and may settle 
any tax incurred in relation to these.

The fees payable for 2018 are stated on page 79.

Performance Conditions

None.

Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Nigel Turner
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
5 September 2018

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

89

OTHER STATUTORY DISCLOSURES

Directors
The Directors and the dates of their respective appointments 
are listed on pages 44 and 45.

Substantial Shareholdings
As at 3 September 2018, we were aware of the following 
material interests in the Company’s ordinary shares:

Equal Opportunities/Employees with Disabilities
Genus values diversity and aims to make best use of 
everyone’s skills and abilities. We are therefore committed to 
equal opportunities at every stage of our employees’ careers. 
Our policy on employees with disabilities is to fully and fairly 
consider people with disabilities for all vacancies. We 
interview and recruit people with disabilities and endeavour to 
retain employees if they become disabled while they work for 
us. Where possible, we will retrain employees who become 
disabled and adjust their working environment, so they can 
maximise their potential.

As at 3 September 2018

Lansdowne Partners

Baillie Gifford & Co Limited

Columbia Threadneedle 
Investments

NFU Mutual Investment Mgrs

M&G Investment Mgt

Shares held

5,352,933

4,405,616

3,324,465

2,020,733

1,928,567

Legal & General Investment Mgt

1,883,139

%

8.70

7.16

5.40

3.28

3.13

3.06

Political Contributions
The Group does not make political contributions.

There have been no material changes in shareholding since 
30 June 2018.

No other person has notified an interest in the Company’s 
ordinary shares, which is required to be disclosed to us.

Provision of Information to the Company’s Auditor
Each of the Directors at the date of approval of this Annual 
Report confirms that:
•  so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit 

information of which the Company’s auditor is unaware; and

•  the Director has taken all the steps that he or she ought 
to have taken as a Director in order to make himself 
or herself aware of any relevant audit information and 
to establish that the Company’s auditor is aware of 
that information.

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance 
with the provisions of section 418 Companies Act 2006.

Appointment of Auditor
Deloitte LLP has expressed its willingness to continue in 
office as auditor and a resolution to reappoint them will be 
proposed at the forthcoming AGM.

Directors’ Indemnities
The Company has made qualifying third-party indemnity 
provisions for the benefit of its Directors, which were made 
during the year and remained in force at the date of this report.

Requirements of the Listing Rules
Details of the Company’s long-term incentive schemes can  
be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 65 
to 88.

Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Dan Hartley
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
5 September 2018

Dividend
The Board is recommending to shareholders a final dividend of 
17.9 pence per ordinary share, resulting in a total dividend for 
the year of 26.0 pence per ordinary share, an increase of 10% 
for the year. It is proposed that the final dividend will be paid 
on 30 November 2018, to shareholders on the register at the 
close of business on 16 November 2018.

Share Capital
Note 29 gives details of the Company’s issued share capital and 
any movements in the issued share capital during the year. The 
Directors may only issue shares to the extent authorised by the 
shareholders in a general meeting. The current power to allot 
shares was granted by shareholder resolution at the 2017 AGM 
and a new authority is being sought at the 2018 AGM within the 
limits set out in the notice of meeting, that is up to a nominal 
value of £4,102,831.12 (representing two-thirds of the 
Company’s current issued share capital).

The Company has one class of ordinary share, with the rights 
set out in the Articles of Association. All issued shares are fully 
paid and each share has the right to one vote at the Company’s 
general meetings. There are no specific restrictions either on 
the size of a holding or on the transfer of shares, which are  
both governed by our Articles of Association and prevailing 
legislation. No person has any special rights of control over the 
Company’s share capital.

Details of the Company’s employee share schemes are set out 
in note 51. In connection with these schemes, the Genus plc 
Employee Benefit Trust holds shares in the Company from time 
to time and abstains from voting in respect of any such shares.

For additional information on capital risk management, 
including financial instruments, see note 24.

Authority to Acquire the Company’s Own Shares
The Directors may only buy back shares to the extent 
authorised by the shareholders in general meeting. The 
current power to buy back shares was granted by shareholder 
resolution at the 2017 AGM and a new authority is being 
sought at the 2018 AGM within the limits set out in the notice 
of meeting, that is up to a nominal value of £615,425 
(representing 10% of the Company’s current issued share 
capital). No shares were bought back by the Company under 
the authority granted at the 2017 AGM, from the date of that 
AGM up to the date of this report.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL  STATEMENTSADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONThe Directors are responsible for the maintenance and 
integrity of the corporate and financial information included on 
the Company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the 
preparation and dissemination of Financial Statements may 
differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Directors’ Responsibility Statement
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:
•  the Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with the 
relevant financial reporting framework, give a true and fair 
view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or 
loss of the Company and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole;

•  the Strategic Report includes a fair review of the 

development and performance of the business and the 
position of the Company and the undertakings included  
in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a 
description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they 
face; and

•  the Annual Report and Financial Statements, taken as a 

whole, are fair, balanced and understandable, and provide 
the information necessary for shareholders to assess  
the Company’s position, performance, business model  
and strategy.

Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Karim Bitar
Chief Executive
5 September 2018

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director
5 September 2018

90

DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report 
and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable 
law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Financial 
Statements for each financial year. Under that law, the 
Directors are required to prepare the Group Financial 
Statements in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (‘IFRSs’) as adopted by the European 
Union and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation and have chosen  
to prepare the Parent Company Financial Statements in 
accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101 ‘Reduced 
Disclosure Framework’. Under company law, the Directors 
must not approve the financial statements unless they are 
satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of 
affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the 
Company for that period.

In preparing the Parent Company Financial Statements,  
the Directors are required to:
•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply  

them consistently;

•  make judgements and accounting estimates that are 

reasonable and prudent;

•  state whether Financial Reporting Standard 101 ‘Reduced 
Disclosure Framework’ has been followed, subject to any 
material departures disclosed and explained in the Financial 
Statements; and

•  prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern 
basis, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the 
Company will continue in business.

In preparing the Group Financial Statements, International 
Accounting Standard 1 requires that Directors: 
•  properly select and apply accounting policies;
•  present information, including accounting policies, in a 

manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and 
understandable information;

•  provide additional disclosures when compliance with the 
specific requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable 
users to understand the impact of particular transactions, 
other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position 
and financial performance; and

•  make an assessment of the Company’s ability to continue 

as a going concern.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting 
records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s 
transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at  
any time the financial position of the Company and enable 
them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with  
the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for 
safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking 
reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and 
other irregularities.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

91

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
TO THE MEMBERS OF GENUS PLC

REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Opinion
In our opinion:
•  the financial statements of Genus plc (the ‘Parent Company’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘Group’) give a true and fair 

view of the state of the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 30 June 2018 and of the Group’s profit for 
the year then ended;

•  the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 

Standards (‘IFRSs’) as adopted by the European Union;

•  the Parent Company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom 
Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standard 101 ‘Reduced Disclosure 
Framework’; and

•  the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and, 

as regards the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

We have audited the financial statements which comprise:
•  the Group Income Statement;
•  the Group Statement of Comprehensive Income;
•  the Group and Parent Company Statements of Changes in Equity;
•  the Group and Parent Company Balance Sheets;
•  the Group Statement of cash flows; and
•  the related notes 1 to 55.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group financial statements is applicable law and 
IFRSs as adopted by the European Union. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the 
Parent Company financial statements is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 101 ‘Reduced 
Disclosure Framework’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our 
responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial 
statements section of our report.

We are independent of the Group and the Parent Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our 
audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Council’s (the ‘FRC’s’) Ethical Standard as applied  
to listed public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.  
We confirm that the non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were not provided to the Group or the 
Parent Company.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Summary of our audit approach

Key audit matters

The key audit matters that we identified in the current year were:
•  Key estimates and assumptions used in determining the fair value of biological assets under IAS 41 

Materiality

Scoping

‘Agriculture’

•  Consideration of the key assumptions used in the impairment model for the ABS cash generating unit

The materiality that we used for the Group financial statements was £2,300,000 (2017: £2,200,000) 
which is 5.4% (2017: 5.0%) of pre-tax profit before exceptional items and changes in fair value in 
biological assets.

Our audit scope covered 15 components (2017: 17). Of these, seven were subject to a full audit 
(2017: eight), whilst the other eight (2017: nine) were subject to specified audit procedures. The coverage 
of key account balances was 75% of revenue (2017: 82%), 75% pre-tax profit before exceptional items 
and changes in fair value in biological assets (2017: 80%) and 84% of net assets (2017: 92%).

Significant changes 
in our approach

Given the improved position on the Milk Pension Fund defined benefit pension scheme and the 
continued contributions of other employers of the scheme, we no longer include this as a key 
audit matter.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS92

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF GENUS PLC

Conclusions relating to going concern, principal risks and viability statement
Going concern
We have reviewed the Directors’ statement in note 2 to the financial statements about 
whether they considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in 
preparing them and their identification of any material uncertainties to the Group’s and 
Company’s ability to continue to do so over a period of at least 12 months from the date of 
approval of the financial statements.

We are required to state whether we have anything material to add, or draw attention to, 
in relation to that statement required by Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) and report if the statement 
is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit.

Principal risks and viability statement
Based solely on reading the Directors’ statements and considering whether they were 
consistent with the knowledge we obtained in the course of the audit, including the 
knowledge obtained in the evaluation of the Directors’ assessment of the Group’s and the 
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, we are required to state whether we have 
anything material to add or draw attention to in relation to:
•  the disclosures on pages 12 and 13 that describe the principal risks and explain how they 

are being managed or mitigated;

•  the Directors’ confirmation on page 14 that they have carried out a robust assessment of 

the principal risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, 
future performance, solvency or liquidity; or

•  the Directors’ explanation on page 14 as to how they have assessed the prospects of the 

Group, over what period they have done so and why they consider that period to be 
appropriate, and their statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the 
period of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to any 
necessary qualifications or assumptions.

We are also required to report whether the Directors’ statement relating to the prospects of 
the Group required by Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) is materially inconsistent with our knowledge 
obtained in the audit.

We confirm that we have 
nothing material to report, 
add or draw attention to in 
respect of these matters.

We confirm that we have 
nothing material to report, 
add or draw attention to in 
respect of these matters.

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the financial 
statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due to 
fraud) that we identified. These matters included those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy, the allocation 
of resources in the audit and directing the efforts of the engagement team.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion 
thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

Key estimates and assumptions used in determining the fair value of biological assets under IAS 41 ‘Agriculture’

Key audit matter description The Group calculates the fair value of biological assets through the use of discounted cash flow 

models and recent transaction prices. As at 30 June 2018, the total fair value of biological 
assets is £343m (2017: £353m).

Certain assumptions contain high levels of estimation and therefore represent potential areas 
where management could fraudulently manipulate the financial statements. Our key audit 
matter is focused specifically on the following key assumptions for each species, being the 
most sensitive assumptions applied in the valuation models. For bovine asset valuations: the 
future growth rates of semen volumes; the forecast average age of bulls producing saleable 
semen; expected unit prices; and the discount rates applied.

For porcine asset valuations: the expected useful breeding life of pigs; the number of future 
generations attributable to the current herds; and the discount rate applied.

Details of the biological assets are disclosed in note 15 to the financial statements. The Audit 
Committee has included their assessment of this key audit matter on page 63 and it is included 
in the key accounting estimates and judgements in note 4 to the financial statements.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

93

Key estimates and assumptions used in determining the fair value of biological assets under IAS 41 ‘Agriculture’ continued

How the scope of our audit 
responded to the key audit 
matter

Our response to this key audit matter considers the separate elements of the fair value 
calculations, specifically the basis for management’s key estimates and assumptions.

For the bovine asset valuations, our audit work comprised of evaluating the design and 
implementation of controls relevant to the valuation model and substantive procedures.  
Our substantive procedures included challenging management’s assumptions by performing 
sensitivities, assessing historical forecasting accuracy, comparing to third-party data and 
reviewing the model logic and accounting treatment given the change in the year.

For the porcine asset valuations our audit work included consideration of the appropriateness 
of management’s assessment of the number of future generations from which output is 
attributable to the current herd and expected useful lives. We tested the expected percentages 
of animals to be sold, retained and slaughtered as well as recent selling prices by reference to 
historical transactional data. For all other key assumptions in each model we challenged the 
significant estimates with reference to third-party or historical transactional data as appropriate. 
We also performed sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions.

For both species’ valuation models, we used internal valuation experts in our testing of the 
discount rates applied to the cash flows.

Key observations

From the work performed, we are satisfied that the key assumptions applied in respect of the 
fair value determination of biological assets are appropriate.

Consideration of the key assumptions used in the impairment model for the ABS cash generating unit

Key audit matter description The Group has £31.2m of goodwill (2017: £32.4m) on its balance sheet and total assets of 

£160.6m (2017: £132.8m) in relation to the ABS CGU.

On an annual basis, management is required to perform an impairment assessment for 
goodwill, and to assess for indicators of impairment in respect of other intangible and  
tangible assets.

Assessment of the carrying value of the CGU’s assets is a key audit matter due to the quantum 
of the balance and the judgements and estimates involved in setting the key assumptions and 
assertions used by management to support their assessment of the carrying value.

Our key audit matter in the current period has been focused specifically on the assets 
associated with the ABS business due to the more limited headroom associated with this cash 
generating unit. The key assumptions in testing the carrying value of the ABS CGU for 
impairment include the short-term and long-term growth rates and the discount rate.

The associated disclosure is included in note 14 to the financial statements. The Audit 
Committee has included their assessment of this key audit matter on page 63 and it is included 
in the key accounting estimates and judgements in note 4 to the financial statements.

We challenged the assumptions used by management in their annual impairment assessment, 
by comparing the projected growth rates and forecast cash flows against historical trends 
achieved in the business. We analysed historical budgeting accuracy to assess the reliability of 
the growth rates used in management’s forecasts. Where available, we reviewed third-party 
market data to challenge the assumptions used, including benchmarking the long-term growth 
rate against the applicable industry and regional long-term growth rates which Genus operate in.

We evaluated management’s assessment of the sensitivity of the Group’s key impairment 
assumptions, as identified above, to reasonably possible changes and considered the 
disclosures provided by the Group in relation to its impairment review within note 14 to the 
financial statements.

We used valuation specialists within the audit team to challenge the discount rates applied 
to these cash flows by reference to market data, including the risk premium applied to the 
ABS CGU.

We are satisfied with management’s conclusions that the ABS CGU is not impaired and 
a reasonably possible change in any one of the key assumptions does not give rise to 
an impairment.

How the scope of our audit 
responded to the key audit 
matter

Key observations

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS94

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF GENUS PLC

Our application of materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that makes it probable that the economic 
decisions of a reasonably knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both in planning the scope 
of our audit work and in evaluating the results of our work.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Materiality

Basis for 
determining 
materiality

Rationale for the 
benchmark applied

Group financial statements

Parent Company financial statements

£2,300,000 (2017: £2,200,000)

£1,820,000 (2017: £1,100,000)

5.4% of pre-tax profit before exceptional items 
and changes in fair value of biological assets 
(2017: 5.0%).

We have used a profit-based measure given the 
Group is listed and, therefore, shareholders focus 
on profitability. The profit is adjusted for the 
exceptional items and changes in fair value of 
biological assets, to avoid distortion that could 
otherwise arise due to non-recurring items and 
fair value movements.

1% of net assets, which is lower than our 
benchmark of 80% of Group materiality (2017: 1% 
of net assets, which was capped at our benchmark 
of 50% of Group materiality).

Genus plc (Company only) does not generate  
any external income and, therefore, we deem  
that net assets is a more appropriate basis for 
determining materiality.

Profit before tax 
before exceptional items
and IAS 41 movements 
£42.4m

Group materiality
£2.3m

Component 
materiality range
£1.8m to £0.9m

Audit Committee
reporting threshold
£0.115m

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to the Committee all audit differences in excess of £115,000 
(2017: £100,000), as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds. 
We also report to the Audit Committee on disclosure matters that we identified when assessing the overall presentation of 
the financial statements.

An overview of the scope of our audit
Our group audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the Group and its environment, including Group-wide controls, 
and assessing the risks of material misstatement at the Group level. Based on that assessment, we focused our Group audit 
scope primarily on the audit work at 15 components (2017: 17). Of these, seven were subject to a full audit (2017: eight), whilst 
the remaining eight (2017: nine) were subject to specified audit procedures, where the extent of our testing was based on our 
assessment of the risks of material misstatement and of the materiality of the Group’s operations at those locations.

These 15 components represent the principal business units and account for 75% (2017: 82%) of the Group’s revenue,  
75% (2017: 80%) of the Group’s pre-tax profit before exceptional items and changes in fair value of biological assets,  
and 84% (2017: 92%) of the Group’s net assets.

REVENUE

PROFIT BEFORE TAX

NET ASSETS

63%  Full audit scope
12%  Specified audit procedures
25%  Revenue at Group level

52%  Full audit scope
23%  Specified audit procedures
25%  Revenue at Group level

70%  Full audit scope
14%  Specified audit procedures
16%  Revenue at Group level

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

95

At the parent entity level we also tested the consolidation process and carried out analytical procedures to confirm our 
conclusion that there were no significant risks of material misstatement of the aggregated financial information of the remaining 
components not subject to audit or audit of specified account balances.

The group audit team continued to follow a programme of planned visits. The lead audit partner visited the USA during the 
current year, and in the previous year visited the USA, Mexico and Brazil. In years when we do not visit a significant component, 
we include the component audit team in our team briefing, discuss their risk assessment, and review documentation of the 
findings from their work. As well as component reporting, in the current year we have reviewed a selection of audit papers for 
all in scope components. 

Other information
The Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the 
information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our 
auditor’s report thereon.

We have nothing to report in 
respect of these matters.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to 
the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance 
conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other 
information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent 
with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to 
be materially misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are 
required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or 
a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, 
we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required 
to report that fact.

In this context, matters that we are specifically required to report to you as uncorrected 
material misstatements of the other information include where we conclude that:
•  Fair, balanced and understandable – the statement given by the Directors that they 

consider the Annual Report and financial statements taken as a whole is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the 
Group’s position and performance, business model and strategy, is materially inconsistent 
with our knowledge obtained in the audit; or

•  Audit Committee reporting – the section describing the work of the Audit Committee 

does not appropriately address matters communicated by us to the Audit Committee; or
•  Directors’ statement of compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code – the parts 
of the Directors’ statement required under the Listing Rules relating to the Company’s 
compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code containing provisions specified for 
review by the auditor in accordance with Listing Rule 9.8.10R(2) do not properly disclose 
a departure from a relevant provision of the UK Corporate Governance Code.

Responsibilities of Directors
As explained more fully in the Directors’ responsibilities statement, the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the 
financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Directors 
determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether 
due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Directors are responsible for assessing the group’s and the Parent Company’s ability 
to continue as a going concern, disclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of 
accounting unless the Directors either intend to liquidate the Group or the Parent Company or to cease operations, or have no 
realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance 
is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a 
material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or 
in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these 
financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the FRC’s website at:  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS96

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF GENUS PLC

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the 
Companies Act 2006.

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
•  the information given in the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial 

statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

•  the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and of the Parent Company and their environment obtained in 
the course of the audit, we have not identified any material misstatements in the Strategic Report or the Directors’ Report.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception
Adequacy of explanations received and accounting records
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:
•  we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
•  adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent Company, or returns 
adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
•  the Parent Company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting 

records and returns.

Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006, we are also required to report if in our opinion certain 
disclosures of Directors’ remuneration have not been made or the part of the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report to be audited is not in agreement with the accounting records 
and returns.

We have nothing to report 
in respect of these matters.

We have nothing to report 
in respect of these matters.

Other matters
Auditor tenure
Following the recommendation of the audit committee, we were appointed by the Board of Directors on 8 June 2006 to audit 
the financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2006 and subsequent financial periods. The period of total uninterrupted 
engagement including previous renewals and reappointments of the firm is 13 years, covering the years ending 30 June 2006 
to 30 June 2018.

Consistency of the audit report with the additional report to the Audit Committee
Our audit opinion is consistent with the additional report to the Audit Committee we are required to provide in accordance with 
ISAs (UK).

Use of our report
This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies 
Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s members those matters we are 
required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not 
accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company’s members as a body, for our audit work, 
for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Andrew Bond, FCA (Senior statutory auditor)
For and on behalf of Deloitte LLP
Statutory Auditor
Reading, United Kingdom
5 September 2018

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
97

2018 
£m

470.3

2017 
£m

459.1

57.7

55.1

(28.7)
(9.5)
(5.4)

(43.6)

(5.0)
(1.2)
0.3
–

(5.9)

(1.1)
(8.7)
(4.6)

(14.4)

(5.3)
(0.6)
(2.3)
5.7

(2.5)

(49.5)

(16.9)

8.2
4.2
(4.8)
0.2

7.8
33.8

41.6

42.7
(1.1)

41.6

38.2
6.2
(4.5)
0.8

40.7
(6.4)

34.3

32.8
1.5

34.3

69.7p
68.7p

53.8p
53.0p

57.7
(0.8)

6.2

63.1
(4.6)

58.5

55.1
(2.1)

7.1

60.1
(3.7)

56.4

75.9p
74.9p

69.4p
68.4p

Note

5, 6

5

15
14
28

7

8
17
10
10

11

12

10

12

GROUP INCOME STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

Revenue 

 Adjusted operating profit
 Adjusting items:
 – Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
 – Amortisation of acquired intangible assets
 – Share-based payment expense

 – Exceptional items:
   – Litigation
   – Acquisition and integration
   – Other (including restructuring)
   – Pension related

 Total exceptional items

 Total adjusting items

Operating profit 
Share of post-tax profit of joint ventures and associates retained
Finance costs
Finance income

Profit before tax
Taxation

Profit for the year from continuing operations

Attributable to:
Owners of the Company
Non-controlling interest

Earnings per share from continuing operations
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

 Alternative measure of performance
 Adjusted operating profit from continuing operations 
 Adjusted operating profit attributable to non-controlling interest
 Pre-tax share of profits from joint ventures and associates excluding net IAS 41 

valuation movement 

 Adjusted operating profit including joint ventures and associates 
 Net finance costs

 Adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations

 Adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations
 Basic adjusted earnings per share 
 Diluted adjusted earnings per share

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS 
98

GROUP STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

Profit for the year
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss
Foreign exchange translation differences
Fair value movement on net investment hedges
Fair value movement on cash flow hedges
Tax relating to components of other comprehensive income 

Items that may not be reclassified subsequently to profit 

or loss

Actuarial gain on retirement benefit obligations
Movement on pension asset recognition restriction 
Recognition of additional pension liability
Tax relating to components of other comprehensive income 

Other comprehensive (expense)/income for the year

Total comprehensive income for the year

Attributable to:
Owners of the Company
Non-controlling interest

Note

2018 
£m

(22.4)
1.3
1.1
2.2

43.4
(2.5)
(39.4)
(0.3)

11

27
27
27
11

2018 
£m

41.6

(17.8)

1.2

(16.6)

25.0

26.1
(1.1)

25.0

2017 
£m

7.7
(2.7)
2.1
(4.6)

1.2
0.3
(4.3)
0.4

2017 
£m

34.3

2.5

(2.4)

0.1

34.4

33.8
0.6

34.4

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

GROUP STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

99

Called 
up share 
capital 
£m

Share 
premium 
account 
£m

Own 
shares 
£m

Trans-
lation 
reserve 
£m

Note

Hedging 
reserve 
£m

Retained 
earnings 
£m

Non- 
controlling 
interest 
£m

Total 
£m

Total 
equity 
£m

6.1

112.3

(0.1)

37.5

(0.6)

219.3

374.5

(6.4)

368.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
0.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–

3.9

(2.2)

–

–

–

–

1.7
–

1.7

–

–
–
–

13

–

–

1.7

–

–

–

–

–
–
–

3.9

(0.9)

3.0

–

–

–

1.0

0.3

(2.2)

1.7

1.0

0.3

(3.7)

(3.7)

–

–

–

–

–

(2.2)

1.7

1.0

0.3

(3.7)

1.7
–

(2.4)
32.8

1.0
32.8

(0.9)
1.5

0.1
34.3

1.7

30.4

33.8

0.6

34.4

4.0

4.0

–

4.0

6.1

112.8

(0.1)

39.2

1.1

240.2

399.3

–
(13.5)
–

–
(13.5)
0.5

(19.7)

1.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.9

–

–

–

–

–

–

(19.7)

1.0

0.9

36.0

36.0

(2.1)

(2.1)

(32.7)

(32.7)

8.6
–
–

2.8

–

–

–

–

–

–

8.6
(13.5)
0.5

402.1

(19.7)

1.0

0.9

36.0

(2.1)

(32.7)

(18.7)
–

0.9
–

1.2
42.7

(16.6)
42.7

–
(1.1)

(16.6)
41.6

(18.7)

0.9

43.9

26.1

(1.1)

25.0

–

–
–
–

–

–
–
–

6.0

6.0

–

6.0

–
(14.9)
–

–
(14.9)
0.1

0.8
–
–

2.5

0.8
(14.9)
0.1

419.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–

112.8

(0.1)

20.5

2.0

275.2

416.6

–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

13

–
–
0.1

6.2

Balance at 30 June 2016
Foreign exchange translation 

differences, net of tax

Fair value movement on net 

investment hedges, net of tax
Fair value movement on cash flow 

hedges, net of tax

Actuarial gain on retirement benefit 

obligations, net of tax

Movement on pension asset 

recognition restriction, net of tax
Recognition of additional pension 

liability, net of tax

Other comprehensive (expense)/

income for the year

Profit for the year

Total comprehensive income for the 

year

Recognition of share-based 

payments, net of tax

Adjustment arising from change 
in non-controlling interest and 
written put option

Dividends
Issue of ordinary shares

Balance at 30 June 2017
Foreign exchange translation 

differences, net of tax

Fair value movement on net 

investment hedges, net of tax
Fair value movement on cash flow 

hedges, net of tax

Actuarial gain on retirement benefit 

obligations, net of tax

Movement on pension asset 

recognition restriction, net of tax
Recognition of additional pension 

liability, net of tax

Other comprehensive (expense)/

income for the year
Profit/(loss) for the year

Total comprehensive (expense)/

income for the year

Recognition of share-based 

payments, net of tax

Adjustment arising from change in 

non-controlling interest

Dividends
Issue of ordinary shares

Balance at 30 June 2018

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS100

GROUP BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30 JUNE 2018

Assets
Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Biological assets
Property, plant and equipment
Interests in joint ventures and associates
Other investments
Derivative financial asset
Deferred tax assets

Total non-current assets

Inventories
Biological assets
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Income tax receivable
Derivative financial asset
Asset held for sale

Total current assets

Total assets

Liabilities
Trade and other payables
Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
Provisions
Deferred consideration
Obligations under finance leases
Current tax liabilities
Derivative financial liabilities

Total current liabilities

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
Retirement benefit obligations
Provisions
Deferred consideration
Non-current income tax liability 
Deferred tax liabilities
Derivative financial liabilities
Obligations under finance leases

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Note

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

14
14
15
16
17
18
24
11

19
15
20
21

24

22
25
23
36
26

24

25
27
23
36

11
24
26

102.0
78.7
305.8
76.9
19.9
5.9
0.3
4.3

593.8

34.2
37.0
91.0
29.1
1.4
2.5
0.2

195.4

789.2

(83.7)
(13.4)
(2.8)
(19.3)
(1.4)
(4.4)
(0.3)

(125.3)

(120.7)
(33.9)
(4.5)
(4.2)
(0.9)
(74.8)
(3.7)
(2.1)

(244.8)

(370.1)

419.1

104.7
88.3
309.3
67.5
22.7
5.5
0.1
3.8

601.9

33.1
43.8
88.8
26.5
1.9
1.3
0.3

195.7

797.6

(76.4)
(7.7)
(2.7)
–
(1.4)
(5.2)
(0.6)

(94.0)

(127.2)
(40.9)
(3.7)
–
–
(124.2)
(3.7)
(1.8)

(301.5)

(395.5)

402.1

Equity
Called up share capital
Share premium account
Own shares
Translation reserve
Hedging reserve
Retained earnings

Equity attributable to owners of the Company 
Non-controlling interest
Put option over non-controlling interest

Total non-controlling interest

Total equity

101

Note

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

29

29
29
29

24

6.2
112.8
(0.1)
20.5
2.0
275.2

416.6
5.7
(3.2)

2.5

419.1

6.1
112.8
(0.1)
39.2
1.1
240.2

399.3
6.1
(3.3)

2.8

402.1

The Financial Statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 5 September 2018.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors

Karim Bitar 
Chief Executive   

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
102

GROUP STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

Net cash flow from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Dividends received from joint ventures and associates
Joint venture loan repayment
Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired
Increase in investment in subsidiaries
Acquisition of investment
Acquisition of investment in joint venture
Payment of deferred consideration
Disposal of joint venture
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Purchase of intangible assets 
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale 

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Drawdown of borrowings
Repayment of borrowings
Payment of finance lease liabilities
Equity dividends paid
Dividend to non-controlling interest
Issue of ordinary shares
Debt issue costs

Note

30

36
36
18
17

14

Net cash outflow from financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at start of the year
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents

Total cash and cash equivalents at 30 June

21

2018 
£m

43.2

2.8
–
–
–
–
–
(1.8)
–
(17.8)
(4.7)
0.4
0.3

2017 
£m

34.6

3.8
3.0
(17.5)
(12.0)
(0.3)
(0.2)
–
1.5
(13.4)
(5.5)
1.4
–

(20.8)

(39.2)

64.4
(66.5)
(2.2)
(14.9)
–
0.1
–

(19.1)

3.3

26.5
3.3
(0.7)

29.1

68.1
(55.7)
(2.0)
(13.5)
(0.1)
0.5
(0.4)

(3.1)

(7.7)

34.0
(7.7)
0.2

26.5

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

103

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

1. Reporting entity
Genus plc (the ‘Company’) is a public company limited by shares and incorporated in the United Kingdom under the Companies 
Act 2006. Its registered office is Matrix House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ. The Group Financial 
Statements for the year ended 30 June 2018 comprise the Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to as the ‘Group’). 
We have used the equity method to account for the Group’s interests in joint ventures and associates. Our business model on 
pages 6 and 7 explains the Group’s operations and principal activities.

2. Basis of preparation
We have prepared the Group Financial Statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRSs’) as 
adopted by the European Union and therefore comply with Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

Unless otherwise stated, we have consistently applied the significant accounting policies set out below to all periods presented 
in these Group Financial Statements.

The going concern statement has been included in the Strategic Report on page 14 and forms part of these statements.

In note 5, we have reclassified the comparative period to reflect changes between current and non-current assets in our porcine 
biological assets. In note 15, we have reclassified the comparative period to reflect a change in the classification in our porcine 
biological assets between current and non-current assets.

Functional and presentation currency
We present the Group Financial Statements in Sterling, which is the Company’s functional and presentational currency. 
All financial information presented in Sterling has been rounded to the nearest £0.1m.

Use of estimates
Preparing financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect our application 
of accounting policies and our reported assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Our actual results may differ from these 
estimates. We review our estimates and underlying assumptions on an ongoing basis, and recognise revisions to accounting 
estimates in the period in which we revise the estimate and in any future periods affected.

Note 4 provides information about significant areas of estimation uncertainty and the critical judgements we made in applying 
accounting policies that have the most effect on the amounts we recognised in the financial statements.

Alternative performance measures
In reporting financial information, the Group presents alternative performance measures, (‘APMs’), which are not defined or 
specified under the requirements of IFRS.

The Group believes that these APMs, which are not considered to be a substitute for or superior to IFRS measures, provide 
stakeholders with additional helpful information on the performance of the business. The APMs are consistent with how we plan 
our business performance and report on it in our internal management reporting to the Board and the executive leadership team. 
Some of these measures are also used to set remuneration targets.

The key APMs that the Group uses include: adjusted operating profit, adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations, 
adjusted earnings per share, net debt and adjusted EBITDA (as calculated under our financing facilities and includes cash 
received from joint ventures and historical cost depreciation of biological assets).

The Group reports some financial measures on both a reported and constant currency basis. The constant currency basis, which 
is an APM, retranslates the current year’s results at the average actual periodic exchange rates used in the previous financial 
year. This measure eliminates the effects of exchange rate fluctuations on the year-on-year reported results.

The Group makes certain adjustments to the statutory profit measures in order to derive many of these APMs. The Group’s 
policy is to exclude items that are considered to be significant in nature and/or quantum and where treatment as an adjusted item 
provides stakeholders with additional useful information to assess the Group’s year-on-year trading performance. On this basis, 
the following were included within adjusted items for the year ended 30 June 2018:
•  net IAS 41 valuation movements on biological assets – movements can be materially volatile and do not directly correlate to 
the underlying trading performance in the period. Furthermore, the movement is non-cash related and many assumptions 
used in the valuation model are based on projections rather than current trading;

•  amortisation of acquired intangible assets – excluding this improves the comparability between acquired and organically 

grown operations, as the latter cannot recognise internally generated intangible assets. Adjusting for amortisation provides a 
more consistent basis for comparison between the two;

•  share-based payments – this expense is considered to be relatively volatile and not fully reflective of the current period 

trading, as the performance criteria are based on EPS performance over a three-year period and include estimates of future 
performance; and

•  exceptional items – these are items which due to either their size or their nature are excluded to improve the understanding of 

the Group’s underlying performance. See note 7 for further details.

The reconciliation between operating profit from continuing operations and adjusted operating profit from continuing operations 
is shown on the face of the Group Income Statement. All other reconciliations are included within the Financial Review section.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS104

3. Significant accounting policies applied in the current reporting period that relate to the Financial Statements as 
a whole
This section sets out our significant accounting policies that relate to the Financial Statements as a whole. Where an accounting 
policy is generally applicable to a specific note to the Financial Statements, the policy has been described in that note. We have 
also detailed below the new accounting pronouncements that we will adopt in future years and our current view of the impact 
they will have on our financial reporting.

Accounting convention
We prepare the Group Financial Statements under the historical cost convention, except for our biological assets, share-based 
payment expense, pension liabilities and derivative financial instruments. In accordance with IFRS, we measure: biological assets 
at fair value less point-of-sale costs, which represent distribution costs and selling expenses, share-based payment expense, 
pension liabilities, and certain financial instruments at fair value.

Basis of consolidation
Subsidiaries are entities the Group controls. We have control of an entity when we are exposed, or have the rights, to variable 
returns from the entity and have the ability to affect the returns through power over the entity. In assessing control, we take into 
account potential voting rights that we can currently exercise or convert. We fully consolidate the results of subsidiaries we 
acquire from the date that control transfers to the Group. We cease consolidating the results of subsidiaries that we cease to 
control from the date that control passes.

In preparing the Group Financial Statements, we eliminate intra-Group balances and any unrealised income and expenses arising 
from intra-Group transactions. Unrealised gains arising from transactions with equity accounted investees are eliminated against 
the investment, to the extent of our interest in the investee. We eliminate unrealised losses in the same way as unrealised gains, 
but only to the extent that there is no evidence of impairment.

Foreign currencies
We record foreign currency transactions in the relevant Group entity’s functional currency, at the exchange rate on the 
transaction date. At each balance sheet date, we retranslate monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at 
the exchange rate on the balance sheet date. We recognise the foreign exchange differences arising on retranslation in the Group 
Income Statement.

When non-monetary assets and liabilities are measured at historical cost in a foreign currency, we translate them at the 
exchange rate at the transaction date. When non-monetary assets and liabilities are stated at fair value in a foreign currency, 
we translate them at the prevailing exchange rate on the date we determined the fair value.

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, including goodwill arising on consolidation, are translated into Sterling at the 
prevailing exchange rates at the balance sheet date. We translate these operations’ revenues and expenses using an average 
rate for the period.

When exchange differences arise from translating foreign operations into Sterling, or from the fair value movement of related 
effective hedges, we take them to the foreign currency translation reserve. When we dispose of a foreign operation, we release 
these differences to the income statement. Exchange movements on inter-Company loans designated as long-term funding are 
taken to the foreign currency translation reserve, together with any related taxation.

The principal exchange rates were as follows:

US Dollar/£
Euro/£
Brazilian Real/£
Mexican Peso/£

2018

1.35
1.13
4.51
25.37

Average

2017

1.27
1.16
4.11
24.61

2016

1.47
1.33
5.47
25.38

2018

1.32
1.13
5.12
26.30

Closing

2017

1.30
1.14
4.30
23.51

2016

1.34
1.20
4.28
24.66

Revenue
Revenue is the value of sales and royalties receivable from customers, net of trade discounts and value added tax.

The principal components of the Group’s revenue and their respective accounting treatments are:
•  Revenue from the sale of bovine and porcine semen, porcine breeding animals, embryos and ancillary products, which we 
recognise when risks and rewards transfer to the customer or distributor. This is either when we ship to customers or on 
delivery, depending on the terms of sale.

•  Royalties, which we recognise when receivable. We receive royalty payments from certain porcine customers based on key 

performance variables, such as the number of pigs born per litter, the number of litters born per sow and the average 
slaughter weight of the animals born. This amount is confirmed directly to Genus by the customer.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018105

3. Significant accounting policies applied in the current reporting period that relate to the Financial Statements as 
a whole continued
•  Revenue from consulting, which represent the amounts we charged for services we provided during the year, including 

recoverable expenses but excluding value added tax. We recognise services provided but not yet billed as revenue, based on 
a fair value assessment of the work we have delivered and our contractual right to receive payment. Where unbilled revenue 
is contingent on a future event, we do not recognise any revenue until the event occurs.

•  Revenue from a contract to provide services is recognised by reference to the stage of completion of the contract. The stage 

of completion of the contract is determined based on the fair value of services provided to date.

•  Revenue from the slaughter of porcine animals, which we recognise when the risks and rewards transfer to the slaughterhouse.

Research and development
We undertake research with the aim of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge, and recognise this expenditure in the 
income statement as we incur it.

The Group constantly monitors its research activities. When research projects achieve technical feasibility and are commercially 
viable, our policy is to capitalise further development costs within intangible assets, in accordance with IAS 38.

Our development activities include developing and maintaining our porcine genetic nucleus herd and our bovine pre-stud herds. 
We do not capitalise development expenditure separately for these herds, as their fair value is included in the fair value of the 
Group’s biological assets, in accordance with IAS 41.

We disclose the costs of research and herd development activities, as required by IAS 38.

New standards and interpretations
In the current year, the Group has applied a number of amendments to IFRSs issued by the International Accounting Standards 
Board that are mandatorily effective for an accounting period that begins after 1 January 2017. Their addition has not had any 
material impact on the disclosures or the amounts reported in the Group Financial Statements.
•  Amendments to IAS 7 – ‘Disclosure Initiative’;
•  Amendments to IAS 12 – ‘Recognition of Deferred tax Assets for Unrealised Losses’; and
•  ‘Annual Improvements to IFRSs 2014 -2016’.

New standards and interpretations not yet adopted
At the date of the annual report, the following standards and interpretations which have not been applied in the report were in 
issue but not yet effective (and in some cases had not yet been adopted by the EU).
•  IFRS 9 – ‘Financial Instruments’;
•  IFRS 15 – ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’;
•  IFRS 16 – ‘Leases’;
•  Amendments to IFRS 2 – ‘Classification and Measurement of Share-based Payments Transactions’;
•  IFRIC 22 – ‘Foreign Currency Transactions and Advance Consideration’; and
•  IFRIC 23 – ‘Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments’.

IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’ is effective for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018 and therefore  
will be effective in the Group financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2019. The standard establishes a principles-based 
approach for revenue recognition and is based on the concept of recognising revenue for performance obligations only when 
they are satisfied and the control of goods or services is transferred. In doing so, the standard applies a five-step approach  
to the timing of revenue recognition and applies to all contracts with customers, except those in the scope of other standards.  
It replaces the separate models for goods, services and construction contracts under the current accounting standards.

The Group has reviewed the impact of IFRS 15 on a sample of the contracts that it enters into with its customers. Following this 
review, we determined that there are no material impacts to the revenue recognised in the results for the year ended 30 June 
2018. Consequently, no restatement will be made to the comparatives presented in this report and no adjustment is required to 
the reserves.

IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’ replaces IAS 39 ‘Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement’. The standard is effective 
for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018 and therefore will be effective in the Group Financial Statements for the year 
ending 30 June 2019.

The standard introduces changes to three key areas:
•  new requirements for the classification and measurement of financial instruments;
•  a new impairment model, based on expected credit losses for recognising provisions; and
•  simplified hedge accounting, through closer alignment with an entity’s risk management methodology.

The Group has completed an initial assessment of the impact of IFRS 9 and has concluded that adoption will not have a material 
impact on either the Consolidated Income Statement or the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Group will apply all aspects  
of the new standard at the transition date of 1 July 2018, by adjusting opening retained earnings in the balance sheet. However,  
a restatement of the comparative periods is not expected.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS106

3. Significant accounting policies applied in the current reporting period that relate to the Financial Statements as 
a whole continued
IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ is effective for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019 and therefore will be effective in the Group 
Financial Statements for the year ending 30 June 2020.

The Group will transition to IFRS 16 on 1 June 2019. The standard introduces a comprehensive model for identifying lease 
arrangements and accounting treatments for both lessors and lessees and will replace the current lease accounting requirements 
including IAS 17 Leases and the related interpretations.

For lessees, IFRS 16 removes distinctions between operating leases and finance leases. These are replaced by a model  
where a right of use asset and a corresponding liability are recognised for all leases except for short-term leases and low value 
assets. In contrast to lessee accounting, IFRS 16 substantially carries forward the lessor accounting requirements in IAS 17, 
and continues to require a lessor to classify a lease either as an operating lease or a finance lease.

From the undiscounted lease commitments presented in note 31, we anticipate that implementing the new standard will have 
a significant impact on the Group’s reported assets and liabilities. In addition, the implementation of the standard will affect the 
Consolidated Income Statement and classification of cash flows. A reliable estimate of the financial impact on the Group’s 
consolidated results depends on a number of unresolved areas, including; choice of transition option, approach to determining 
discount rates, estimates of lease-term for leases with options to break and renew and conclusion of data collection. In addition, 
the financial impact depends on the facts and circumstances at the time of transition. For these reasons, it is not yet practicable 
to determine a reliable estimate of the financial impact on the Group.

The Group is currently assessing the impact of the other new pronouncements on its results, financial position and cash flows.  
It is not practicable to provide a reasonable estimate of the effect of these standards until a detailed review has been completed.

4. Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
In applying the Group’s accounting policies, which are described in note 3 or in the specific note the policy relates to, the 
Directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that 
are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and 
other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised 
in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future 
periods, if the revision affects both current and future periods.

Estimates and key sources of estimation uncertainty
Determination of the fair value of biological assets (note 15)
Determining the fair values of our bovine and porcine biological assets requires significant estimates and assumptions.

Below is a list of these significant estimates and assumptions, showing whether we consider them to be observable or 
unobservable inputs to the fair value determination. In addition, we identify those inputs that are ‘readily obtainable transactional 
data’ or ‘open market prices’.

Bovine

Significant estimates and assumptions

Observable/ 
Unobservable

Long-term dairy volume growth rate 
Short-term dairy volume growth rate
Value at point of production
Unit prices
Animals’ useful lifespan
Percentage of volume from dairy bulls to be produced internally Unobservable
Unobservable
Risk-adjusted discount rate

Unobservable
Unobservable
Unobservable
Observable
Observable

Porcine 
(general)

Animals’ useful lifespan
The proportion of animals that go to slaughter
The mix of boars and gilts
Discount rate

Porcine (pure 
line herds)

Number of future generations attributable to the current herds
Fair value prices achieved on sales
Animals’ expected useful lifespan and productivity
Risk-adjusted discount rate

Observable
Observable
Observable
Unobservable

Observable
Observable
Observable
Unobservable

n/a
n/a
n/a
readily obtainable
readily obtainable
n/a
n/a

readily obtainable
readily obtainable
readily obtainable
n/a

readily obtainable
open market prices
readily obtainable
n/a

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018107

4. Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty continued
Impairment of Bovine goodwill and related intangible assets (note 14)
Determining whether bovine goodwill and related intangible assets are impaired requires us to consider any specific impairment 
indicators and to estimate the value in use of the cash-generating units to which we have allocated goodwill and intangible 
tangible assets. The value in use calculation requires us to estimate the future cash flows arising from the cash-generating unit 
(‘CGU’), the appropriate discount rate and the growth rates, in order to calculate present value.

5. Segmental information
IFRS 8 ‘Operating Segments’ requires operating segments to be identified on the basis of internal reports about components of 
the Group that are regularly reviewed by the Group Chief Executive and the Board to allocate resources to the segments and to 
assess their performance. The Group’s operating and reporting structure comprises of three operating segments: Genus PIC, 
Genus ABS and Research and Development. These segments are the basis on which the Group reports its segmental 
information. The principal activities of each segment are as follows:
•  Genus PIC – our global porcine sales business;
•  Genus ABS – our global bovine sales business; and
•  Research and Development – our global spend on research and development.

A segmental analysis of revenue, operating profit, depreciation, amortisation, non-current asset additions and segment assets 
and liabilities is provided below. We do not include our adjusting items in the segments, as we believe these do not reflect the 
underlying progress of the segments. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as the Group’s 
accounting policies, as described in the Financial Statements.

Revenue

Genus PIC
Genus ABS
Research and Development

 Porcine Product Development
 Bovine Product Development
 Gene Editing
 Other Research and Development

2018
 £m

247.7
210.6

9.8
2.2
–
–

12.0

470.3

2017 
£m

249.5
195.9

10.7
3.0
–
–

13.7

459.1

Operating profit by segment is set out below and reconciled to the Group’s adjusted operating profit. A reconciliation of adjusted 
operating profit to profit for the year is shown on the Group Income Statement.

Adjusted operating profit

Genus PIC
Genus ABS
Research and Development

 Porcine Product Development
 Bovine Product Development
 Gene Editing
 Other Research and Development

Adjusted segment operating profit
Central

Adjusted operating profit

2018
 £m

88.7
26.2

(17.0)
(16.6)
(5.0)
(7.6)

(46.2)

68.7
(11.0)

57.7

2017 
£m

87.7
22.3

(16.6)
(14.2)
(3.5)
(8.4)

(42.7)

67.3
(12.2)

55.1

Our business is not highly seasonal and our customer base is diversified, with no individual customer generating more than 2% 
of revenue.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS108

5. Segmental information continued
Other segment information

Genus PIC
Genus ABS
Research and Development

 Research
 Porcine Product Development
 Bovine Product Development

Segment total
Central

Total

Genus PIC
Genus ABS
Research and Development

 Research
 Porcine Product Development
 Bovine Product Development

Segment total
Central 

Total

Depreciation
2018 
£m 

2017 
£m 

Amortisation
2018 
£m 

2017 
£m 

0.8
2.3

0.3
2.0
2.1

4.4

7.5
2.9

10.4

0.8
2.1

0.3
1.9
1.4

3.6

6.5
2.3

8.8

7.0
2.1

1.1
–
3.6

4.7

13.8
–

13.8

6.0
2.1

0.9
–
2.2

3.1

11.2
–

11.2

Additions to  
non-current assets

2018 
£m 

2.9
9.7

–
0.8
8.9

9.7

22.3
5.5

27.8

2017 
£m

1.1
3.4

2.5
2.6
5.6

10.7

15.2
5.0

20.2

Segment assets

Segment liabilities

2018 
£m 

235.9
160.6

12.5
209.5
152.8

374.8

771.3
17.9

789.2

2017 
£m 

258.3
132.8

5.9
182.4
202.7

391.0

782.1
15.5

797.6

2018 
£m 

(48.3)
(41.2)

(1.3)
(76.5)
(31.1)

(108.9)

(198.4)
(171.7)

(370.1)

2017 
£m 

(60.1)
(41.1)

(1.4)
(72.0)
(52.6)

(126.0)

(227.2)
(168.3)

(395.5)

In the current year, IntelliGen assets are included within Genus ABS. However, in the prior year these assets were included 
within Bovine Product Development, as the technology had not yet commercialised globally.

Exceptional items of £5.9m expense (2017: £2.5m expense), relate to Genus ABS (£5.0m expense), Genus PIC (£0.4m expense) 
and our central segment (£0.5m expense). Note 7 provides details of these exceptional items.

We consider share-based payment expenses on a Group-wide basis and do not allocate them to reportable segments.

Geographical information
The Group’s revenue by geographical segment is analysed below. This analysis is stated on the basis of where the legal entity is 
incorporated, which is the country in which the revenue will be reported.

Revenue

North America
Latin America
Rest of Europe, Middle East and Africa
UK
Asia

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
£m 

208.6
75.1
51.1
76.7
58.8

470.3

2017 
£m 

214.5
71.4
48.5
70.0
54.7

459.1

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 20185. Segmental information continued
Non-current assets (excluding deferred taxation and financial instruments)

North America
Latin America
Rest of Europe, Middle East and Africa
UK
Asia

6. Revenue

Sale of animals, semen, embryos and associated products and services
Royalties – animal and semen
Consulting services

Interest income (see note 10)

109

2017 
£m 

440.1
46.4
37.3
61.0
13.2

598.0

2017 
£m 

335.7
116.1
7.3

459.1
0.8

459.9

2018 
£m 

450.2
37.4
41.7
41.0
18.9

589.2

2018 
£m 

341.1
121.8
7.4

470.3
0.2

470.5

7. Exceptional items
Accounting policy
We present exceptional items separately, as we believe it helps to improve the understanding of the Group’s underlying 
performance.

In determining whether an item should be presented as exceptional, we consider items which are material either because of 
their size or their nature, and those which are non-recurring. For an item to be considered as exceptional, it must initially meet at 
least one of the following criteria:
•  it is a one-off material item;
•  it has been directly incurred as the result of either an acquisition, integration or other major restructuring programme;
•  it has been previously classified as an exceptional item, and as such consistent accounting treatment is being applied; or
•  it is unusual in nature e.g. outside the normal course of business.

If an item meets at least one of the criteria, we then exercise judgement as to whether the item should be classified as 
exceptional.

The tax impact of the exceptional items is disclosed in note 11.

Operating (expense)/income:
Litigation
Acquisition and integration
Other (including restructuring)
Pension related

2018 
£m 

(5.0)
(1.2)
0.3
–

(5.9)

2017 
£m 

(5.3)
(0.6)
(2.3)
5.7

(2.5)

Litigation
Litigation includes legal fees of £5.0m (2017: £5.3m) related to the actions between ABS Global, Inc. (‘ABS’) and Inguran, LLC 
(aka Sexing Technologies or STGenetics (‘ST’)).

On 14 July 2014, ABS launched a legal action against ST in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin alleging, 
among other matters, that ST: (i) has a monopoly in the processing of sexed bovine semen in the US; and (ii) unlawfully maintains 
this monopoly through anticompetitive conduct. The legal action aimed to remove these barriers and allow free and fair 
competition in the sexed bovine semen processing market (‘ABS Action’). In parallel with the ABS Action, ABS also filed Inter-
Partes Review applications (‘IPR’) before the US Patent Office challenging the validity of several of ST’s group patents, which ST 
later claimed were infringed by ABS.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS110

7. Exceptional items continued
On 11 January and 15 April 2016, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (‘PTAB’) ruled that US Patent No. 7,195,920 (the ‘’920 
patent’) and US Patent No. 7,820,425 (the ‘’425 patent’) were unpatentable. ST appealed these decisions, and the appeal was 
heard by a federal court of appeals on 5 December 2017. On 23 May 2018, the federal court of appeals confirmed that the ‘920 
and ‘425 patents were unpatentable. On 14 July 2015 and 2 October 2017, PTAB declined to revoke US Patent No. 8,206,987 
(the ‘’987 patent’) and US Patent No. 8,198,092 (the ‘’092 patent’) respectively. ABS has appealed the ‘092 patent decision and 
the validity of the ‘987 patent will be considered as part of the ABS Action appeal.

On 31 March 2017, the Court entered a judgment in the ABS Action which confirmed: (i) the Company and ABS had proved that 
ST had wilfully maintained a monopoly in the market for sexed bovine semen processing in the US since July 2012, and awarded 
a permanent injunction against ST which, among other matters, relieved ABS of certain research, marketing and other non-
compete restrictions contained in the 2012 semen sorting agreement between the parties; (ii) ST’s ’987 and ’092 patents were 
valid and infringed; and (iii) that ABS had materially breached the confidentiality obligations under the 2012 semen sorting 
agreement. The Court also confirmed that: (i) the Company and ABS should pay ST an upfront amount of US$750,000 and an 
ongoing royalty of US$1.25 per straw on commercialisation of the Genus Sexed Semen technology for the use of ST’s ’987 
patent in the US; (ii) the Company and ABS should pay ST an up-front payment of US$500,000 and an ongoing royalty of 
US$0.50 per straw for the use of ST’s ’092 patent in the US; (iii) ABS should pay XY, LLC damages of US$750,000 for the use of 
certain XY trade secrets; and (iv) ABS had breached the confidentiality obligations under the 2012 semen sorting agreement.

ABS and the Company appealed the ‘987 patent and the breach of contract decisions and the appeal hearing was heard on 
20 February 2018. The parties await the Court of Appeal’s decision. Damages of US$1,250,000 were paid by ABS to ST shortly 
after the Court’s decision in the ABS Action, and ABS has subsequently amended its technology such that it does not infringe 
the ‘092 patent claims. ABS has informed ST that it does not intend to pay the US$0.50 royalty going forward. Claims for legal 
costs (and post judgement interest) already incurred in connection with the ABS Action have been filed by both parties. ABS has 
sought approximately US$5.4m in legal fees and costs already charged to the income statement and ST has sought 
approximately US$280,000 in legal costs (excluding fees). Both parties await the Court’s decision.

On 7 June 2017, ST, XY LLC and Cytonome/ST, LLC filed proceedings against ABS, the Company and Premium Genetics (UK) 
Limited (‘PG’) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (‘New Litigation’). The New Litigation 
alleges that ABS and the Company infringe seven further patents and asserts trade secret and breach of contract claims. ABS 
and the Company have filed an Answer and Counterclaim confirming that they do not infringe any valid patent, and alleging 
among other things that: (i) ST has breached its 2012 semen sorting agreement with ABS by failing to produce sorted semen 
that complies with the contractual specifications; and (ii) ST has obtained certain patents through inequitable conduct. In 
addition, ABS has filed six IPRs seeking to revoke the additional patents raised in the New Litigation. PTAB instituted hearings in 
relation to two IPRs, refused to institute hearings on two other IPRs, and the parties await a decision on another IPR. In relation 
to the final IPR, relating to U.S. Patent No. 7,208,265 (‘’265 patent’), ST requested an adverse judgment. ST has subsequently 
dismissed its ‘265 patent infringement claim from the New Litigation and ABS has also dismissed its anti-trust and unfair 
competition counter claims. ABS filed Motions for Rehearing in relation to the IPRs that were not instituted.

The hearing date for the New Litigation has been set for 1 April 2019, and the Company and ABS intend to pursue vigorously 
their counterclaims and defend the patent infringement and other claims.

Acquisitions and integration
During the year, £1.2m of expenses were incurred, with £0.8m of expenses in relation to acquisitions and integration, principally 
of Møllevang (see note 36).

Other (including restructuring)
Included within ‘Other’ there is a credit of £0.3m which principally relates to an insurance receipt from a legacy environmental claim.

Pension related
During the prior year, National Milk Records plc (‘NMR’) withdrew from the Mandatory Provident Fund (‘MPF’) under a Flexible 
Apportionment Arrangement between NMR, Genus and the Trustees of the MPF. In return for the right to withdraw from the 
MPF, NMR made a one-off, lump sum cash payment of £10.1m to the MPF, equivalent to the undiscounted value of all NMR’s 
future payments under the existing MPF recovery plan, which extends to March 2026. NMR also made a payment to Genus of 
£4.7m, with £1.4m being satisfied by the issue of NMR shares.

As a result of the NMR withdrawal, Genus recognised in the prior year £5.7m as an exceptional credit in the year ended 30 June 
2017, with £4.5m (£4.7m payment, net of fees) being received directly from NMR, and £1.2m from the MPF pension scheme 
reflecting the impact of NMR paying undiscounted amounts into the scheme.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 20188. Operating profit
Operating costs comprise:

Cost of sales excluding net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets and amortisation of 

multiplier contract intangible assets

Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
Amortisation of multiplier contract intangible assets

Cost of goods sold

Other cost of sales
Amortisation of customer relationship intangible assets

Other cost of sales

Research and Development expenditure
Amortisation of technology and licences and patents 

Research and Development costs

Administrative expenses 
Share-based payment expense
Amortisation of software, licences and patents
Exceptional items within administrative expenses

Total administrative expenses

Total operating costs

Profit for the year is stated after charging/(crediting):

Net foreign exchange losses
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
Depreciation of assets held under finance leases and hire purchase contracts
(Profit)/loss on disposal of fixed assets
Operating lease rentals
– plant and machinery
– other
Employee costs (see note 9)
Cost of inventories recognised as an expense

Auditor’s remuneration is as follows:

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor and their associates for the audit of the Company’s Annual 

Report and Financial Statements

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor and their associates for other services to the Group
– The audit of the Company’s undertakings

Total audit fees

Tax compliance services
Other services

Total non-audit fees

Total fees to the Group’s auditor

Fees payable to other auditors of Group companies

111

2018 
£m 

2017 
£m 

(196.6)
(28.7)
(0.3)

(225.6)

(91.0)
(6.2)

(97.2)

(45.5)
(5.9)

(51.4)

(75.2)
(5.4)
(1.4)
(5.9)

(87.9)

(199.7)
(1.1)
(0.2)

(201.0)

(88.2)
(5.8)

(94.0)

(41.5)
(3.9)

(45.4)

(72.1)
(4.6)
(1.3)
(2.5)

(80.5)

(462.1)

(420.9)

2018 
£m 

0.2
8.5
1.9
(0.1)

4.0
4.3
147.4
92.6

2017 
£m 

0.1
7.1
1.7
0.2

4.0
4.5
137.6
98.5

2018 
£m 

2017 
£m 

0.3

0.5

0.8

0.1
–

0.1

0.9

–

0.3

0.5

0.8

0.1
0.2

0.3

1.1

–

Non-audit tax services principally comprise tax compliance support services. In the prior year, other services included financial 
due diligence provided in relation to the acquisition of Hermitage Genetics. These services fall within the non-audit services 
policy approved by the Company’s Audit Committee.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS11 2

9. Employee costs
This note shows the total employment costs and the average number of people employed by segment during the year.

Employee costs, including Directors’ remuneration, amounted to:

Wages and salaries (including bonuses and sales commission)
Social security costs
Contributions to defined contribution pension plans
Share-based payment expense (excluding National Insurance)

2018
 £m

127.5
12.7
3.6
4.6

148.4

 2017
 £m

118.4
12.1
3.5
3.6

137.6

The employee costs above are inclusive of £1.0m (2017: £nil) which has been capitalised into intangible assets as part of the 
development of GenusOne (see note 14).

The average monthly number of employees and full-time equivalent employees, including Directors, was as follows:

Genus PIC
Genus ABS
Research and Development
Central

Included in the totals above:
UK

Number of employees

Full time equivalent

2018 
Number

2017 
Number

2018 
Number

2017 
Number

707
1,749
219
112

2,787

738
1,683
168
76

2,665

658
1,665
215
104

2,642

686
1,603
163
69

2,521

766

763

707

704

The Directors’ Remuneration Report sets out details of the Directors’ remuneration, pensions and share options.

10. Net finance costs
Net finance costs mainly arise from interest due on bank loans, pension scheme liabilities, amortisation of debt issue costs and 
the results of hedging transactions used to manage foreign exchange and interest rate movements.

Accounting policy
We recognise interest income and interest expense in the income statement, as they accrue.

2018 
£m

(3.0)
(0.4)
(0.2)
(1.0)
(0.2)

(4.8)
0.2

0.2

(4.6)

 2017
 £m

(2.7)
(0.4)
(0.1)
(1.2)
(0.1)

(4.5)
0.8

0.8

(3.7)

Interest payable on bank loans and overdrafts
Amortisation of debt issue costs 
Other interest payable
Net interest cost in respect of pension scheme liabilities
Net interest cost on derivative financial instruments

Total interest expense
Interest income on bank deposits

Total interest income

Net finance costs

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018113

11. Taxation and deferred taxation
This note explains how our Group tax charge arises. The deferred tax section of the note also provides information on our 
expected future tax charges and sets out the tax assets and liabilities held across the Group, together with our view on whether 
or not we expect to be able to make use of them in the future.

Accounting policies
Tax on the profit or loss for the year comprises current and deferred tax. We recognise tax in the income statement, unless:
•  it relates to items we have recognised directly in equity, in which case we recognise it in equity; or
•  it arises as a fair value adjustment in a business combination.

We provide for current tax, including UK corporation tax and foreign tax, at the amounts we expect to pay (or recover), using the 
tax rates and the laws enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date, together with any adjustments to tax payable 
in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is tax we expect to pay or recover due to differences between the carrying amounts of our assets and liabilities in 
our Financial Statements and the corresponding tax bases used in calculating our taxable profit. We account for deferred tax 
using the balance sheet liability method.

We generally recognise deferred tax liabilities for all taxable temporary differences, and deferred tax assets to the extent that we 
will probably have taxable profits to utilise deductible temporary differences against. We do not recognise these assets and 
liabilities if the temporary difference arises from:
•  our initial recognition of goodwill; or
•  our initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction (other than a business combination) that affects neither our 

taxable profit nor our accounting profit.

We recognise deferred tax liabilities for taxable temporary differences arising on our investments in subsidiaries, and interests in 
joint ventures and associates, except where we can control the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that it will 
not reverse in the foreseeable future.

We calculate deferred tax at the tax rates we expect to apply in the period when we settle the liability or realise the asset. We 
charge or credit deferred tax in the income statement, except when it relates to items we have charged or credited directly to 
equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity.

Income tax expense

Current tax expense
Current period
Adjustment for prior periods

Total current tax expense in the Group Income Statement

Deferred tax expense
Origination and reversal of temporary differences
Adjustment for prior periods

Total deferred tax credit in the Group Income Statement

Total income tax (credit)/expense excluding share of income tax of equity accounted 

investees

Share of income tax of equity accounted investees (see note 17)

Total income tax (credit)/expense in the Group Income Statement

2018 
£m 

11.7
0.9

12.6

(45.3)
(1.1)

(46.4)

(33.8)
1.5

(32.3)

2017 
£m 

9.9
0.4

10.3

(2.6)
(1.3)

(3.9)

6.4
1.4

7.8

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS114

11. Taxation and deferred taxation continued
Reconciliation of effective tax rate

Profit before tax
Add back share of income tax of equity accounted investees

Profit before tax excluding share of income tax of equity accounted 

investees

Income tax at UK corporation tax of 19.00% (2017: 19.75%)
Effect of tax rates in foreign jurisdictions
Non-deductible expenses
Tax exempt income and incentives
Change in tax rate
Movements in recognition of tax losses
Change in unrecognised temporary differences
Tax overprovided in prior periods
Tax on undistributed reserves 

Total income tax expense in the Group Income Statement

2018 
%

19.0
–
25.3
(27.8)
(350.4)
(2.3)
(1.4)
(1.4)
(8.3)

(347.3)

2018 
£m

7.8
1.5

9.3
1.8
–
2.3
(2.6)
(32.6)
(0.2)
(0.1)
(0.1)
(0.8)

(32.3)

2017 
%

19.8
7.8
0.7
(5.0)
(2.8)
0.7
(0.7)
(1.0)
(1.0)

18.5

2017 
£m

40.7
1.4

42.1
8.3
3.3
0.3
(2.1)
(1.2)
0.3
(0.3)
(0.4)
(0.4)

7.8

The tax rate for the year depends on our mix of profits by country and our ability to recognise deferred tax assets in respect of 
losses in some of our smaller territories. Tax is calculated using prevailing tax legislation, reliefs, and existing interpretations and 
practice. The effective tax rate of (347.3)% is lower than the UK corporation tax rate of 19% primarily due to the impact of the 
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (US Tax Reform), enacted on 22 December 2017, which reduced the US Federal corporate income tax 
rate from 35% to 21%. This has resulted in a one-off non-cash tax credit of £32.5m, as a result of the remeasurement of the 
Group’s US deferred tax liabilities in the current period.

The Group’s future tax charge and effective tax rate could be affected by factors such as countries reforming their tax legislation 
to implement the OECD’s BEPS recommendations and by European Commission initiatives, including State Aid investigations.

In October 2017, the European Commission announced that it would be conducting a State Aid investigation into the Group 
Financing Partial Exemption contained within the UK’s controlled foreign company (‘CFC’) legislation. Similar to other UK-based 
international companies, the Group may be affected by the final outcome of this investigation.

There is considerable uncertainty as to both the final outcome of this investigation and any corresponding liability, but the Group 
has calculated that the maximum potential exposure would be £3.3 million if the European Commission were to conclude that 
the Group Financing Partial Exemption was in contravention of the EU’s State Aid rules. In view of the uncertainty as to the final 
outcome of this investigation, the Group does not consider that a provision is required at this current time.

The tax credit attributable to exceptional items is £1.6m (2017: credit of £1.5m).

Income tax recognised directly in the Statement of Comprehensive Income and Statement of Changes in Equity

Income tax recognised directly to the Statement of Comprehensive Income
Financial instruments
Foreign exchange differences on long-term intra-Group currency loans and balances
Actuarial movement on retirement benefit obligations
Translation of biological assets, intangible assets and finance leases

Income tax recognised directly to the Statement of Changes in Equity
Share-based payment expense
Change of non-controlling interest deferred tax on biological assets and intangibles

2018 
£m 

0.2
0.2
0.3
(2.6)

(1.9)

(1.4)
(0.8)

(2.2)

2017 
£m 

0.4
0.4
(0.4)
3.8

4.2

(0.4)
–

(0.4)

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018115

11. Taxation and deferred taxation continued
Unrecognised deferred tax assets and liabilities
At the balance sheet date, the Group had unused tax losses which were available for offset against future profits, with a potential 
tax benefit of £14.5m (2017: £15.6m). We have recognised a deferred tax asset in respect of £2.2m (2017: £2.4m) of these 
benefits, as we expect these losses to be offset against future profits of the relevant jurisdictions in the near term. We have not 
recognised a deferred tax asset in respect of the remaining £12.3m (2017: £13.2m), due to uncertainty about the availability of 
future taxable profits in the relevant jurisdictions.

At 30 June 2018, the expiry dates of deferred tax assets in respect of losses available for the carry forward were as follows:

Losses for which a deferred tax asset is recognised
Losses for which no deferred tax asset is recognised

Expiring within

1-10 years 
£m

11-20 years 
£m

Unlimited 
£m

–
–

–

0.1
–

0.1

2.1
12.3

14.4

Total 
£m

2.2
12.3

14.5

At 30 June 2017, the expiry dates of deferred tax assets in respect of losses available for the carry forward were as follows:

Losses for which a deferred tax asset is recognised
Losses for which no deferred tax asset is recognised

Expiring within

1-10 years 
£m

11-20 years 
£m

Unlimited 
£m

–
–

–

0.2
–

0.2

2.2
13.2

15.4

Total 
£m

2.4
13.2

15.6

The gross value of losses for which deferred tax assets are recognised is £12.7m (2017: £12.9m). The gross value of losses for 
which deferred tax assets are not recognised is £42.3m (2017: £44.9m).

We have not recognised deferred tax liabilities totalling £2.0m (2017: £4.5m) for the withholding tax and other taxes that would 
be payable on the unremitted earnings of certain overseas subsidiaries. This is because we can control the timing and reversal of 
these differences and it is probable that the differences will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

Recognised deferred tax assets and liabilities
We have offset deferred tax assets and liabilities above, to the extent that they arise in the same tax jurisdiction.

The analysis of deferred tax balances is set out below:

Deferred tax assets 
Deferred tax liabilities

2018 
£m 

(4.3)
74.8

70.5

2017 
£m 

(3.8)
124.2

120.4

UK deferred tax assets and liabilities are stated at 17%, which is the UK headline rate of tax effective from 1 April 2020.  
The tax effect of timing differences reversing in the UK between the reporting date and 1 April 2020, at current rates over 17%, 
is immaterial.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS116

11. Taxation and deferred taxation continued
Movement in net deferred tax liabilities during the year

Property, plant and 

equipment

Intangible assets
Biological assets
Retirement benefit 

obligations

Share-based payment 

expense

Short-term timing 

differences

Tax loss carry-forwards

Property, plant and 

equipment

Intangible assets
Biological assets
Retirement benefit 

obligations

Share-based payment 

expense

Short-term timing 

differences

Tax loss carry-forwards

As at 
1 July 2017
 £m

Recognised 
in income 
statement 
£m

Changes 
in tax rate 
recognised 
in income 
statement 
£m

Prior year 
adjustments 
recognised 
in income 
statement
£m

Recognised 
in equity 
£m

Acquisitions 
£m

Foreign 
exchange 
difference 
£m

As at 
30 June 
2018 
£m

8.6
20.8
111.7

(8.5)

(2.6)

(7.2)
(2.4)

(0.8)
(2.4)
(10.2)

1.1

(0.1)

(0.7)
0.4

(3.0)
(3.6)
(29.3)

0.7

–

2.6
–

120.4

(12.7)

(32.6)

0.3
(0.5)
0.6

0.3

–

(1.6)
(0.2)

(1.1)

–
(1.3)
(2.1)

0.3

(0.7)

0.2
–

(3.6)

–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–

(0.2)
–
–

0.1

–

0.2
–

0.1

4.9
13.0
70.7

(6.0)

(3.4)

(6.5)
(2.2)

70.5

As at 
1 July 2016
 £m

Recognised 
in income 
statement 
£m

Changes 
in tax rate 
recognised 
in income 
statement 
£m

Prior year 
adjustments 
recognised 
in income 
statement
£m

Recognised 
in equity 
£m

Acquisitions 
£m

Foreign 
exchange 
difference 
£m

As at 
30 June 
2017 
£m

7.0
18.7
109.7

(9.6)

(2.2)

(7.3)
(2.5)

113.8

1.2
(2.2)
(0.1)

1.3

(0.6)

(0.8)
–

(1.2)

0.3
(0.4)
(1.6)

0.2

–

(0.2)
0.1

(1.6)

(0.1)
–
–

0.1

0.2

(1.2)
–

(1.0)

–
–
3.7

(0.4)

–

1.2
–

4.5

–
4.4
–

–

–

0.8
–

5.2

0.2
0.3
–

(0.1)

–

0.3
–

0.7

8.6
20.8
111.7

(8.5)

(2.6)

(7.2)
(2.4)

120.4

12. Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is the profit generated for the financial year attributable to equity shareholders divided by the weighted 
average number of shares in issue during the year.

Basic earnings per share from continuing operations

Basic earnings per share

2018
(pence)

69.7

2017
(pence)

53.8

The calculation of basic earnings per share from continuing operations for the year ended 30 June 2018 is based on the net profit 
attributable to owners of the Company from continuing operations of £42.7m (2017: £32.8m) and a weighted average number of 
ordinary shares outstanding of 61,234,000 (2017: 60,944,000), which is calculated as follows:

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (basic)

Issued ordinary shares at the start of the year
Effect of own shares held
Shares issued on exercise of stock options
Shares issued in relation to Employee Benefit Trust

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in year

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
000s

61,162
(180)
20
232

2017 
000s

61,013
(163)
47
47

61,234

60,944

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 201812. Earnings per share continued
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations

Diluted earnings per share

117

2018
(pence)

68.7

2017
(pence)

53.0

The calculation of diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for the year ended 30 June 2018 is based on the net 
profit attributable to owners of the Company from continuing operations of £42.7m (2017: £32.8m) and a weighted average 
number of ordinary shares outstanding, after adjusting for the effects of all potential dilutive ordinary shares, of 62,120,000 (2017: 
61,833,000), which is calculated as follows:

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (diluted)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (basic)
Dilutive effect of share options

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of diluted earnings per share

Adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations

Adjusted earnings per share
Diluted adjusted earnings per share

2018 
000s

61,234
886

62,120

2017 
000s

60,944
889

61,833

2018
(pence)

75.9
74.9

2017
(pence)

69.4
68.4

Adjusted earnings per share is calculated on profit before net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets, amortisation of 
acquired intangible assets, share-based payment expense and exceptional items, after charging taxation associated with those 
profits, of £46.5m (2017: £42.3m), which is calculated as follows:

Profit before tax from continuing operations

Add/(deduct):
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
Amortisation of acquired intangible assets
Share-based payment expense
Exceptional items (see note 7)
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets in joint ventures
Tax on joint ventures and associates
Attributable to non-controlling interest

Adjusted profit before tax
Adjusted tax charge

Adjusted profit after tax

2018 
£m 

7.8

28.7
9.5
5.4
5.9
0.5
1.5
(0.8)

58.5
(12.0)

46.5

2017 
£m

40.7

1.1
8.7
4.6
2.5
(0.5)
1.4
(2.1)

56.4
(14.1)

42.3

Effective tax rate on adjusted profit 

20.5%

25.0%

Reconciliation of effective tax rate

Total income tax expense in the Group Income Statement
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
Amortisation of acquired intangible assets
Share-based payment expense
Exceptional items (see note 7)
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets in joint ventures
Attributable to non-controlling interest

Adjusted profit before tax

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
Profit 
£m

9.3
28.7
9.5
5.4
5.9
0.5
(0.8)

58.5

2018 
Tax 
£m

(32.3)
38.8
3.1
0.9
1.6
–
(0.1)

12.0

2018
%

(347.3)
135.2
32.6
16.7
27.1
–
12.5

20.5

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS118

12. Earnings per share continued

Total income tax expense in the Group Income Statement
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
Amortisation of acquired intangible assets
Share-based payment expense
Exceptional items (see note 7)
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets in joint ventures
Attributable to non-controlling interest

Adjusted profit before tax

2017 
Profit 
£m

42.1
1.1
8.7
4.6
2.5
(0.5)
(2.1)

56.4

2017 
Tax 
£m

7.8
1.7
3.1
0.5
1.5
(0.2)
(0.3)

14.1

13. Dividends
Dividends are one type of shareholder return, historically paid to our shareholders in early December and late March.

Amounts recognised as distributions to equity holders in the year

Final dividend 
Final dividend for the year ended 30 June 2017 of 16.2 pence per share
Final dividend for the year ended 30 June 2016 of 14.7 pence per share

Interim dividend
Interim dividend for the year ended 30 June 2018 of 8.1 pence per share
Interim dividend for the year ended 30 June 2017 of 7.4 pence per share

2018 
£m 

9.9
–

5.0
–

14.9

2017
%

18.5
154.5
35.6
10.9
60.0
40.0
14.3

25.0

2017 
£m

–
9.0

–
4.5

13.5

The Directors have proposed a final dividend of 17.9 pence per share for 2018. This is subject to shareholders’ approval at the 
Annual General Meeting and we have therefore not included it as a liability in these financial statements.

14. Intangible assets
Our Group Balance Sheet contains significant intangible assets, mainly in relation to goodwill, acquired technology, customer 
relationships and our IntelliGen (previously known as Genus Sexed Semen) development project.

Accounting policies
Identifiable intangible assets are recognised when the Group controls the asset, it is probable that future economic benefits 
attributed to the asset will flow to the Group and the cost of the asset can be reliably measured.

Goodwill
When we acquire a subsidiary, associate or joint venture, the goodwill arising is the excess of the acquisition cost, excluding 
transaction costs, over our interest in the net fair value of the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities. 
Identifiable assets include intangible assets which could be sold separately or which arise from legal rights, regardless of 
whether those rights are separable.

We state goodwill at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. We allocate goodwill to CGUs, which are the smallest 
identifiable group of assets that generate cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or 
groups of assets. We do not amortise goodwill but we do test it annually for impairment.

IAS 21 requires us to treat the following as assets and liabilities of the acquired entity, rather than of the acquiring entity:
•  goodwill arising on acquisition of a foreign operation; and
•  any fair value adjustments we make on acquisition to the carrying amounts of the acquiree’s assets and liabilities.

We therefore express them in the foreign operation’s functional currency and retranslate them at the balance sheet date.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018119

14. Intangible assets continued
Intangible assets
Intangible assets that we have acquired in a business combination since 1 April 2005 are identified and recognised separately 
from goodwill, where they meet the definition of an intangible asset and we can reliably measure their fair values. Their cost is 
their fair value at the acquisition date.

After their initial recognition, we report these intangible assets at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated 
impairment losses. This is the same basis as for intangible assets acquired separately.

The estimated useful lives for intangible assets are as follows:

Porcine and bovine genetics technology 
Multiplier contracts 
Customer relationships 
IntelliGen 
Patents and licences 
Software 

20 years
15 years
10 to 17 years
10 years
term of agreement (4 years)
2 to 10 years

Intangible assets acquired separately
We carry intangible assets acquired other than through a business combination at cost less accumulated amortisation and any 
impairment loss. We charge amortisation on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, and review the useful life and 
amortisation method at the end of each financial year, accounting for the effect of any changes in estimate on a prospective 
basis.

Impairment
We recognise that accounting for intangible assets is an area which includes critical accounting judgements and key sources of 
estimation uncertainty. See note 4.

We review the carrying amounts of our tangible and intangible assets at each balance sheet date, to determine whether there is 
any indication of impairment. If any indication exists, we estimate the asset’s recoverable amount.

For goodwill, and tangible and intangible assets that are not yet available for use, we estimate the recoverable amount at each 
balance sheet date. The recoverable amount is the greater of their net selling price and value in use. In assessing value in use, 
we discount the estimated future cash flows to their present value, using a pre-tax discount rate of 10.4% (2017: 10.7%), which 
is derived from the Group’s weighted average cost of capital (‘WACC’). For some countries we add a premium to this rate, to 
reflect the risk attributable to that country. If the asset does not generate largely independent cash inflows, we determine the 
recoverable amount for the cash-generating units (‘CGUs’) that the asset belongs to.

We recognise an impairment loss in the income statement whenever the carrying amount of an asset or its CGU exceeds its 
recoverable amount.

When we recognise an impairment loss in respect of a CGU, we first allocate it to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill 
allocated to CGUs, and then apply any remaining loss to reduce the carrying amount of the unit’s other assets on a pro rata basis.

Reversals of impairment
We reverse an impairment loss in respect of assets other than goodwill when the impairment loss may no longer exist and we 
have changed the estimates we used to determine the recoverable amount.

We only reverse an impairment loss to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount it would 
have had, net of depreciation or amortisation, if we had not recognised the impairment loss.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 20

14. Intangible assets continued

Cost
Balance at 1 July 2016
Additions
Acquisition
Reclassified from 

tangible fixed assets
Effect of movements in 

exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 

2017

Additions
Reclassified from 

tangible fixed assets

Transfer between 

classes
Disposals
Effect of movements in 

exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 

2018

Amortisation and 

impairment losses
Balance at 1 July 2016
Reclassified from 

tangible fixed assets
Amortisation for the year
Effect of movements in 

exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 

2017

Reclassified from 

tangible fixed assets
Amortisation for the year
Effect of movements in 

exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 

2018

Carrying amounts 
At 30 June 2018

Brand, 
multiplier 
contracts 
and 
customer 
relationships
 £m

Separately 
identified 
acquired 
intangible 
assets 
£m

Software 
Including 
Assets  
Under 
Construction 
£m

Technology 
£m

IntelliGen 
£m

Patents, 
licence and 
other
£m

Total 
£m

Goodwill 
£m

46.6
–
6.7

–

0.1

72.7
–
7.4

–

2.2

119.3
–
14.1

–

2.3

53.4

82.3

135.7

–

–

(1.3)
–

(0.4)

–

–

–
–

(1.8)

–

–

(1.3)
–

(2.2)

6.9
0.9
–

1.0

–

8.8

3.6

1.9

1.3
–

17.8
3.1
–

–

0.4

21.3

1.1

–

–
–

(0.2)

(0.2)

2.6
1.5
–

–

–

146.6
5.5
14.1

1.0

2.7

86.0
–
16.2

–

2.5

4.1

169.9

104.7

–

–

–
(0.2)

–

4.7

1.9

–
(0.2)

(2.6)

–

–

–
–

(2.7)

51.7

80.5

132.2

15.4

22.2

3.9

173.7

102.0

22.1

40.9

63.0

–
2.7

–

–
6.0

1.0

–
8.7

1.0

24.8

47.9

72.7

–
3.0

–
6.5

–
9.5

(0.1)

 (0.7)

(0.8)

27.7

53.7

81.4

24.0

26.8

50.8

5.4

0.7
1.3

0.1

7.5

0.4
1.4

–

9.3

6.1

1.3

1.5

–

–
0.4

–

0.4

–
2.1

–

2.5

19.7

20.9

17.8

0.2

–
0.8

–

1.0

–
0.8

–

1.8

2.1

3.1

2.4

68.6

0.7
11.2

1.1

81.6

0.4
13.8

(0.8)

95.0

–

–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–

78.7

102.0

88.3

104.7

78.0

86.0

At 30 June 2017

28.6

34.4

63.0

At 30 June 2016

24.5

31.8

56.3

Included within the software class of assets is £3.4m of costs capitalised in relation to software assets that are in the course of 
construction. Of this, £2.6m relates to the ongoing development of GenusOne, a single global enterprise system.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 20181 21

14. Intangible assets continued
Impairment testing for CGUs containing goodwill
To test impairment, we allocate goodwill to our CGUs which are in line with our operating segments. These are the lowest level 
within the Group at which we monitor goodwill for internal management purposes.

The aggregate carrying amounts of goodwill allocated to each operating segment are as follows:

Genus PIC
Genus ABS

2018 
£m 

70.8
31.2

2017 
£m

72.3
32.4

102.0

104.7

We test goodwill annually for impairment, or more frequently if there are indications that goodwill might be impaired. We 
determine the recoverable amount of our CGUs by using value in use calculations. The key assumptions for these calculations 
relate to discount rates, growth rates, expected changes to selling prices, direct costs and the cost saving derived from the use 
of IntelliGen technology.

We have estimated the pre-tax discount rate using the Group’s WACC. We risk-adjusted the discount rate for risks specific to 
each market, adding between nil and 10% to the WACC as appropriate. The post-tax WACC of 8.0% (2017: 8.0%) we applied to 
our cash flow projections equates to a pre-tax rate of approximately 10.4% (2017: 10.7%). Our estimates of changes in selling 
prices and direct costs are based on past experience and our expectations of future changes in the market.

The annual impairment test is performed immediately before year end. It is based on cash flows derived from our most recent 
financial and strategic plans approved by management. A growth rate of 2.5% (2017: 2.5%) has been used to extrapolate cash 
flows beyond this period. Short-term profitability and growth rates are based on past experience, current trading conditions and 
our expectations of future changes in the market.

The Genus PIC and Genus ABS CGUs are deemed to be significant. The individual country assumptions used to determine value 
in use for these CGUs are:

Genus PIC
Genus ABS

Genus PIC
Genus ABS

Risk premium used to 
adjust discount rate

Short-term growth rates  
(CAGR)

2018

2017

nil-10%
nil-10%

nil-14%
nil-14%

 2018

6-23%
8-20%

2017

6-24%
1-26%

Long-term growth rates
2017

2018

2.5%
2.5%

2.5%
2.5%

Weighted average  
risk-adjusted discount rate

Weighted average  
short-term growth rates 
 (CAGR)

2018

9%
9%

2017

9%
9%

2018

10%
11%

2017

11%
8%

The rates towards the higher end of the range above represent those which are applied to our smaller entities and those in 
emerging markets and hence appear high relative to others.

Sensitivity to changes in assumptions
Management has performed sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions with other variables held constant, with other variables 
simultaneously changed and incorporating the potential impact of the principal risk and uncertainties outlined on pages 12 and 
13, in particular the impacts of biosecurity, market downturns, continuity of supply and increased competition taking into account 
the likely degree of available mitigating actions. Management has concluded that there are no reasonably possible changes in 
any one of the key assumptions that would cause the carrying amounts of goodwill to exceed the value in use of PIC and ABS.

Management has identified the following assumptions as key sources of estimation uncertainty within the ABS CGU (see note 4).

Weighted average risk-adjusted discount 

rate

Weighted average short-term growth rates 

(CAGR)

Long-term growth rate

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018

9%

11%

2.5%

2017

Sensitivity

9% Increase of 1% in the discount rate would decrease

the recoverable amount by £52.8m

8% Decrease of 1% in the CAGR would decrease the

recoverable amount by £20.5m

2.5% Decrease of 1% in the long-term growth rate would 
decrease the recoverable amount by £43.4m

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS1 22

15. Biological assets
The Group applies quantitative genetics and biotechnology to animal breeding. We use these techniques to identify and select 
animals with the genes responsible for superior milk and meat, high health and performance traits. We sell breeding animals and 
semen to customers, who use them to produce offspring which yield greater production efficiency, milk and meat quality, for the 
global dairy and meat supply chain. We recognise that accounting for biological assets is an area which includes critical 
accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty. See note 4.

Accounting policies
Biological assets and inventories
In bovine, we use research and development to identify genetically superior bulls in a number of breeds, primarily the Holstein 
dairy breed. Each selected bull has its performance measured against its peers, by using genomic evaluations and progeny 
testing of its daughters’ performance. We collect and freeze semen from the best bulls, to satisfy our customers’ demand. 
Farmers use semen from dairy breeds to breed replacement milking stock. They use the semen we sell from beef breeds in 
either specialist beef breeding herds, for multiplying breeding bulls for use in natural service, or on dairy cows to produce animals 
to be reared for meat.

Our research and development also enables us to produce and select our own genetically superior females from which we will 
breed future bulls.

We hold our bovine biological assets for long-term internal use and classify them as non-current assets. We transfer bull semen 
to inventory at its fair value at the point of harvest, which becomes its deemed cost under IAS 2. We state our inventories at the 
lower of this deemed cost and net realisable value.

Sorting semen is a production process rather than a biological process. As a result, we transfer semen inventory into sexed 
semen production at its fair value at the point of harvest, less the cost to sell, and it becomes a component of the production 
process. We carry sexed semen in finished goods at production cost.

In porcine, we maintain and develop a central breeding stock (the ‘nucleus herd’), to provide genetically superior animals. These 
genetics help make farmers and food processors more profitable, by increasing their output of consistently high-quality products, 
which yield higher value. So we can capitalise on our intellectual property, we outsource the vast majority of our pig production 
to our global multiplier network. We also sell the offspring or semen we obtain from animals in the nucleus herd to customers for 
use in commercial farming.

Pig sales generally occur in one of two ways: ‘upfront’ and ‘royalty’. Under upfront sales, we receive the full fair value of the 
animal at the point we transfer it to the customer. Under royalty sales, the pig is regarded as comprising two separately 
identifiable components: its carcass and its genetic potential. We receive the initial consideration, which is approximately the 
animal’s carcass value, at the point we transfer the pig to the customer. We retain our interest in the pig’s genetic potential and 
receive royalties for the customer’s use of this genetic potential.

The breeding animal biological assets we own, and our retained interest in the biological assets we have sold under royalty 
contracts, are recognised and measured at fair value at each balance sheet date. We recognise changes in fair value in the 
income statement, within operating profit for the period.

We classify the porcine biological assets we are using as breeding animals as non-current assets and carry them at fair value. 
The porcine biological assets we are holding for resale, which are the offspring of the breeding herd, are carried at fair value and 
classified as current assets.

In the current year, we have refined certain aspects of our IAS 41 accounting policy, specifically in respect of the balance sheet 
presentation of our retained interest in the genetics from royalty sales. Having considered the principles of control as part of our 
assessment of the impact of adoption of IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’ and applying these to the nature of 
the asset that corresponds to our retained interest, we have concluded that the most appropriate presentation of these retained 
interests is as non-current assets. They continue to be carried at fair value. In accordance with IAS 8 ‘Accounting policies, 
changes in accounting estimate and errors’, this change in presentation has been applied retrospectively. The change of £30.1m 
from current to non-current biological assets does not affect prior year earnings per share or earnings.

Determination of fair values – biological assets
IAS 41 ‘Agriculture’ requires us to show the carrying value of biological assets in the Group Balance Sheet. We determine this 
carrying value according to IAS 41’s provisions and show the net valuation movement in the income statement. There are 
important differences in how we value our bovine and porcine assets, as explained below.

Bovine – we base the fair value of all bulls on the net cash flows we expect to receive from selling their semen, discounted at a current 
risk-adjusted market-determined pre-tax rate. The significant assumptions determining the fair values are the expected future demand 
for semen, the estimated biological value and the marketable life of bulls. The biological value is the estimated value at the point of 
production. We adjust the fair value of the bovine herd and semen inventory where a third party has a royalty from semen sales from a 
particular bull. Females are valued by reference to market prices and published independent genetic evaluations.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 20181 23

15. Biological assets continued
Porcine – the fair value of porcine biological assets includes the animals we own entirely and our retained interest in the genetics 
of animals we have sold under royalty arrangements. The fair value of animals we own is calculated using the animals’ average 
live weights, plus a premium where we believe that their genetics make them saleable. We base the live weight value and the 
genetic premium on recent transaction prices we have achieved. The significant assumptions in determining fair values are the 
breeding animals’ expected life, the percentage of production animals that are saleable as breeding animals and the expected 
sales prices. For our retained interest in the genetics of animals sold under royalty contracts, we base the initial fair value on the 
fair values we achieved in recent direct sales of similar animals, less the amount we received upfront for the carcass element. 
We then remeasure the fair value of our retained interest at each reporting date. The significant assumption in determining the 
fair value of the retained interest is the animals’ expected life.

We value the pigs in our pure line herds, which are the repository of our proprietary genetics, as a single unit of account. We do 
this using a discounted cash flow model, applied to the herds’ future outputs at current prices. The significant assumptions we 
make are the number of future generations attributable to the current herds, the fair value prices we achieve on sales, the 
animals’ expected useful lifespan and productivity, and the discount rate.

Non-recognition of porcine multiplier contracts where no contractual interest is retained by the Group
To manage commercial risk, a very large part of our porcine business model involves selling pigs to farmers (‘multipliers’) who 
produce piglets on farms we neither manage nor control. We have the option, but not the obligation, to buy the offspring at 
slaughter market value plus a premium. Because the offspring have superior genetics, we can then sell them to other farmers at 
a premium.

We do not recognise the right to purchase offspring on the balance sheet, as we enter into the contracts and continue to hold 
them for the purpose of receiving non-financial items (the offspring), in accordance with our expected purchase requirements. 
This means the option is outside the scope of IAS 39. We do not recognise the offspring as biological assets under IAS 41, as 
we do not own or control them.

Fair value of biological assets

Non-current biological assets
Current biological assets

Balance at 30 June 2016

Increases due to purchases
Decreases attributable to sales
Decrease due to harvest
Changes in fair value less estimated sale costs
Acquisition
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 2017

Non-current biological assets
Current biological assets

Balance at 30 June 2017

Increases due to purchases
Decreases attributable to sales
Decrease due to harvest
Changes in fair value less estimated sale costs
Acquisition (see note 37)
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 2018

Non-current biological assets
Current biological assets

Balance at 30 June 2018

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Bovine 
£m

146.3
–

146.3

11.9
–
(40.7)
10.3
5.4
4.3

137.5

137.5
–

137.5

9.1
–
(35.5)
(4.2)
–
(2.9)

104.0

104.0
–

104.0

Porcine 
£m

118.3
66.4

184.7

176.0
(197.8)
(19.3)
66.0
–
6.0

215.6

171.8
43.8

215.6

117.3
(194.7)
(20.0)
99.9
25.1
(4.4)

238.8

201.8
37.0

238.8

Total 
£m

264.6
66.4

331.0

187.9
(197.8)
(60.0)
76.3
5.4
10.3

353.1

309.3
43.8

353.1

126.4
(194.7)
(55.5)
95.7
25.1
(7.3)

342.8

305.8
37.0

342.8

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS1 24

15. Biological assets continued
Bovine biological assets include £6.7m (2017: £6.9m) representing the fair value of bulls owned by third parties but managed by 
the Group, net of expected future payments to such third parties, which are therefore treated as assets held under finance leases.

There were no movements in the carrying value of the bovine biological assets in respect of sales or other changes during the year.

The current market-determined post-tax rate used to discount expected future net cash flows from the sale of bull semen is the 
Group’s weighted risk-adjusted cost of capital. This has been assessed as 8.7% (2017: 8.0%).

Decreases due to harvest represent the semen extracted from the biological assets. Inventories of such semen are shown as 
biological asset harvest in note 19.

Included in increases due to purchases is the aggregate increase arising during the year on initial recognition of biological assets 
in respect of multiplier purchases, other than parent gilts, of £47.7m (2017: £87.0m).

Decreases attributable to sales during the year of £194.7m (2017: £197.8m) include £71.9m (2017: £66.6m) in respect of the 
reduction in fair value of the retained interest in the genetics of animals, other than parent gilts, transferred under royalty contracts.

Also included is £88.2m (2017: £111.0m) relating to the fair value of the retained interest in the genetics in respect of animals, 
other than parent gilts, sold to customers under royalty contracts in the year.

Total revenue in the year, including parent gilts, includes £157.2m (2017: £159.5m) in respect of these contracts, comprising 
£48.9m (2017: £54.0m) on initial transfer of animals to customers and £108.3m (2017: £105.5m) in respect of royalties received.

For pure line porcine herds, the net cash flows from the expected output of the herds are discounted at the Group’s required rate 
of return, adjusted for the greater risk implicit in including output from future generations. This adjusted rate has been assessed 
as 11.0% (2017: 11.0%). The number of future generations which have been taken into account is seven (2017: seven) and their 
estimated useful lifespan is 1.4 years (2017: 1.4 years).

Year ended 30 June 2018

Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets1

Changes in fair value of biological assets
Inventory transferred to cost of sales at fair value
Biological assets transferred to cost of sales at fair value

Fair value movement in related financial derivative 

Year ended 30 June 2017

Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets1

Changes in fair value of biological assets2
Inventory transferred to cost of sales at fair value
Biological assets transferred to cost of sales at fair value

Fair value movement in related financial derivative 

Bovine 
£m

Porcine 
£m

Total 
£m

(4.2)
(29.8)
–

(34.0)
–

(34.0)

99.9
(20.0)
(75.1)

4.8
0.5

5.3

95.7
(49.8)
(75.1)

(29.2)
0.5

(28.7)

Bovine 
£m

Porcine 
£m

Total 
£m

10.3
(38.8)
–

(28.5)
–

(28.5)

66.0
(19.3)
(18.8)

27.9
(0.5)

27.4

76.3
(58.1)
(18.8)

(0.6)
(0.5)

(1.1)

1  This represents the difference between operating profit prepared under IAS 41 and operating profit prepared under historical cost accounting, which forms part of the 

reconciliation to adjusted operating profit.
Includes £2.1m write down of bovine assets.

2 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 20181 25

15. Biological assets continued
Fair value measurement
All of the biological assets fall under Level 3 of the hierarchy defined in IFRS 13.

Unobservable inputs

Bovine
Risk-adjusted discount rate 

2018

Sensitivity

8.7% 1% increase in the discount rate would result in approximately  

a £3.0m reduction in value.

Value at point of production

38.8% 1% decrease in the rate would result in approximately a £4.3m 

% of volume from dairy bulls to be 
produced internally

FY19 55% 
FY20 65% 
FY21 75% 
FY22 and 
thereafter 80%

reduction in value.
If % remained at FY18 level of 50% there would be a decrease 
in value of approximately £5.4m.

Long-term dairy volume growth rate 

1.9% 1% decrease in the growth rate would result in approximately  

a £0.3m reduction in value.

Short-term dairy volume growth rate 

5.5% 1% decrease in the growth rate would result in approximately  

a £1.8m reduction in value.

Porcine
Discount rate – upfront prices

8% 1% increase in the discount rate would result in approximately  

a £0.3m reduction in value.

Risk-adjusted discount rate – pure 

11% 1% increase in the discount rate would result in approximately  

line herd

a £2.8m reduction in value.

Significant increases/(decreases) in any of these inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower or higher fair value 
measurement.

Additional information

Bovine
Quantities at period end
Number of bulls in production
Number of bulls under development (including calves)

Total number of bulls

Number of doses of semen valued in inventory

Amounts during the year 
Fair value of agricultural produce – semen harvested during the period

Porcine
Quantities at period end
Number of pigs (own farms)

2018

2017

628
979

577
979

1,607

1,556

10.2m

7.2m

£35.5m

£40.7m

88,091

108,549

Number of pigs, excluding parent gilts, despatched on a royalty basis and valued at fair value

87,431

110,632

Amounts during the year
Fair value of agricultural produce – semen harvested during the period

£20.0m

£19.3m

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS1 26

16. Property, plant and equipment
We make significant investments in our property, plant and equipment. All assets are depreciated over their useful economic lives.

Accounting policies
We state property, plant and equipment at cost, together with any directly attributable acquisition expenses, or at their latest 
valuation, less depreciation and any impairment losses. Where parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different 
useful lives, we account for them separately.

We charge depreciation to the income statement on a straight-line basis, over the estimated useful lives of each part of an asset. 
The estimated useful lives are as follows:

•  Freehold buildings 
•  Leasehold buildings  
•  Plant and equipment 
•  Motor vehicles 

10 to 40 years
over the term of the lease
3 to 20 years
3 to 5 years

We do not depreciate land or assets under construction.

Cost or deemed cost
Balance at 1 July 2016
Additions
Reclassification to intangible assets
Transfer 
Disposals
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 2017

Additions
Reclassification to intangible assets
Transfer
Disposals
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 2018

Depreciation and impairment losses
Balance at 1 July 2016
Depreciation for the year
Reclassification to intangible assets
Disposals
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 2017

Depreciation for the year
Reclassification to intangible assets
Disposals
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 2018

Carrying amounts
At 30 June 2018

At 30 June 2017

At 30 June 2016

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Land and 
buildings 
£m

Plant, motor 
vehicles and 
equipment
 £m

Assets 
under 
construction 
£m

47.3
1.2
–
2.2
(0.6)
1.6

51.7

4.7
–
2.0
(0.3)
(1.6)

56.5

17.2
2.4
–
(0.5)
0.6

19.7

2.5
–
(0.3)
(0.6)

21.3

58.7
3.8
(1.0)
6.9
(3.7)
1.7

66.4

10.6
(0.7)
7.3
(4.2)
(1.3)

78.1

33.6
6.4
(0.7)
(2.7)
1.2

37.8

7.9
(0.4)
(3.9)
(1.0)

40.4

35.2

37.7

32.0

28.6

30.1

25.1

6.6
9.7
–
(9.1)
(0.5)
0.2

6.9

7.8
(1.2)
(9.3)
–
(0.2)

4.0

–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–

–

4.0

6.9

6.6

Total 
£m

112.6
14.7
(1.0)
–
(4.8)
3.5

125.0

23.1
(1.9)
–
(4.5)
(3.1)

138.6

50.8
8.8
(0.7)
(3.2)
1.8

57.5

10.4
(0.4)
(4.2)
(1.6)

61.7

76.9

67.5

61.8

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018 
1 27

16. Property, plant and equipment continued
Leased plant and machinery
At 30 June 2018, plant, motor vehicles and equipment included assets held under finance leases with a carrying value of £7.6m 
(2017: £7.3m, 2016: £7.8m). The associated depreciation charge for the year was £1.9m (2017: £1.7m, 2016: £1.5m).

17. Equity accounted investees
We hold interests in several joint ventures and associates where we have significant influence.

Accounting policies
Joint ventures are entities over whose activities we have joint control, under a contractual agreement. The Group Financial 
Statements include the Group’s share of profit or loss arising from joint ventures.

Associates are entities in which the Group has significant influence, but not control, over the financial and operating policies. The 
Group Financial Statements include the Group’s share of the total recognised income and expense of associates on an equity 
accounted basis, from the date that significant influence commences until the date it ceases. When our share of losses exceeds 
our interest in an associate, we reduce the carrying amount to nil and stop recognising further losses, except to the extent that 
the Group has incurred legal or constructive obligations or made payments on an associate’s behalf.

Under the equity method, investments in joint ventures or associates are initially recognised in the Group Balance Sheet at cost 
and adjusted thereafter to recognised the Group’s share of the profit or loss and other comprehensive income of the joint 
ventures and associates. Related party transactions with the Group’s joint ventures and associates primarily comprise products 
and services. As each arrangement is a separate legal entity and control rights are substantially equal with the other parties, no 
significant judgements are required.

The Group’s share of profit after tax in its equity accounted investees for the year was £4.2m (2017: £6.2m).

The carrying value of the investment is reconciled as follows:

Balance at 1 July 
Share of post-tax profits of joint ventures and associates retained
Dividends received from Agroceres – PIC Genética de Suínos Ltda (Brazil)
Shareholder loan repayment
Addition 
Disposal of Humei Pig Improvement Company (China)
Effect of other movements including exchange rates

Balance at 30 June 

2018 
£m 

22.7
4.2
(2.8)
–
–
–
(4.2)

19.9

2017 
£m

24.3
6.2
(3.8)
(3.0)
0.2
(1.5)
0.3

22.7

During the prior year, the Group injected further capital of £0.2m into Chitale Genus ABS (India) Private Ltd, which is its 
investment under a joint venture agreement with B.G. Chitale Dairies Private Ltd in India.

There are no significant restrictions on the ability of the joint ventures and associates to transfer funds to the parent, other than 
those imposed by the Companies Act 2006 or equivalent government rules within the joint venture’s jurisdiction.

Related party transactions with joint ventures and associates

Purchase of goods and services from joint ventures and associates 

Transaction value

Balance outstanding

2018 
£m

3.5

2017 
£m

3.7

2018 
£m

(1.3)

2017 
£m

(0.3)

All outstanding balances with joint ventures and associates are priced on an arm’s length basis and are to be settled in cash 
within six months of the reporting date. None of the balances are secured.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS1 28

17. Equity accounted investees continued
Summary financial information for equity accounted investees, adjusted for the Group’s percentage ownership, is shown below:

Joint ventures and associates – Year ended 30 June 2018

Net assets 

Ownership

Current
 assets 
£m

Non-current 
assets 
£m

Biological 
assets
 £m

Total
 assets 
£m

Current 
liabilities 
£m

Total 
liabilities 
£m

Net 
assets
£m

Agroceres – PIC 

Genética de Suínos 
Ltda (Brazil)

HY-CO Hybridschweine- 
Cooperations GmbH 
(Germany)

Xianyang Yongxiang 

Agriculture Technology 
Co., Ltd.(China)1
Chitale Genus ABS 

(India) Private Limited 
(India)

49%

50%

49%

50%

Income statement

Agroceres – PIC Genética de Suínos 

Ltda (Brazil)

HY-CO Hybridschweine-Cooperations 

GmbH (Germany)

Xianyang Yongxiang Agriculture 
Technology Co., Ltd. (China)1
Chitale Genus ABS (India) Private 

Limited (India)

1  Classified as an associate.

4.9

0.3

2.1

0.4

7.7

8.0

4.3

17.2

(2.8)

(2.8)

14.4

–

3.6

1.0

12.6

–

0.7

–

5.0

0.3

6.4

1.4

25.3

(0.1)

(0.1)

(2.2)

(2.2)

(0.3)

(5.4)

(0.3)

(5.4)

0.2

4.2

1.1

19.9

Net IAS 41 
valuation 
movement 
on 
biological 
assets 
£m

Ownership

Revenue
 £m

Expenses 
£m

Operating 
profit 
£m

Taxation 
£m

Profit 
after tax 
£m

49%

50%

49%

50%

22.2

0.7

2.3

0.3

25.5

–

–

(0.5)

–

(0.5)

(16.0)

(0.6)

(2.4)

(0.3)

(19.3)

6.2

0.1

(0.6)

–

5.7

(1.5)

–

–

–

(1.5)

4.7

0.1

(0.6)

–

4.2

Joint ventures and associates have a December year end, except Chitale Genus ABS (India) Private Limited, which has a March 
year end.

Joint ventures and associates – Year ended 30 June 2017

Net assets 

Ownership

Current
 assets 
£m

Non-current 
assets 
£m

Biological 
assets
 £m

Total
 assets 
£m

Current 
liabilities 
£m

Total 
liabilities 
£m

Net 
assets
£m

Agroceres – PIC 

Genética de Suínos 
Ltda (Brazil)

HY-CO Hybridschweine-

Cooperations
GmbH (Germany)
Xianyang Yongxiang 

Agriculture Technology 
Co., Ltd.(China)1
Chitale Genus ABS 

(India) Private Limited 
(India)

49%

50%

49%

50%

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

5.0

0.3

2.2

1.3

8.8

10.4

4.4

19.8

(3.1)

(3.1)

16.7

–

3.9

–

14.3

–

1.0

–

5.4

0.3

7.1

1.3

28.5

(0.2)

(0.2)

(2.3)

(2.3)

(0.2)

(5.8)

(0.2)

(5.8)

0.1

4.8

1.1

22.7

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 20181 29

17. Equity accounted investees continued

Ownership

Revenue
 £m

Net IAS 41 
valuation 
movement 
on biological 
assets 
£m

Expenses 
£m

Operating 
profit 
£m

49%

50%

50%

49%

50%

21.1

0.7

(15.2)

1.7

1.6

3.8

0.2

28.4

–

–

(0.2)

–

0.5

(1.5)

(1.6)

(2.8)

(0.2)

(21.3)

6.6

0.2

–

0.8

–

7.6

Taxation 
£m

(1.4)

–

–

–

–

(1.4)

Profit 
after tax 
£m

5.2

0.2

–

0.8

–

6.2

Income statement

Agroceres – PIC Genética de Suínos 

Ltda (Brazil)

HY-CO Hybridschweine- 

Cooperations GmbH (Germany)
Humei Pig Improvement Company 

(China)

Xianyang Yongxiang Agriculture 
Technology Co., Ltd. (China)1
Chitale Genus ABS (India) Private 

Limited (India)

1  Classified as an associate.

Joint ventures and associates have a December year end, except Chitale Genus ABS (India) Private Limited which has a March 
year end.

18. Other investments
We hold a number of unlisted and listed investments, mainly comprising our strategic investment in Caribou Biosciences, Inc. 
and shares in listed entity National Milk Records plc (‘NMR’).

Accounting policy
Available for sale (‘AFS’) financial assets are non-derivatives that are either designated as AFS or are not classified as: (a) loans 
and receivables; (b) held-to-maturity; or (c) financial assets at fair value through the profit and loss.

AFS listed equity investments are stated at fair value. AFS unlisted equity investments that do not have a quoted market price in 
an active market and whose fair value cannot be reliably measured are measured at cost less any identified impairment losses at 
the end of each reporting period.

AFS investments carried at fair value

Unlisted equity shares – Caribou Biosciences, Inc.
Unlisted equity shares – RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc.
Listed equity shares – NMR

2018 
£m

3.7
0.3
1.9

5.9

2017 
£m

3.6
0.3
1.6

5.5

In the prior year, as part of the NMR pension agreement, we acquired 2,120,000 ordinary shares in NMR.

We also invested US$5.0m to acquire a strategic non-controlling interest of 5% in Caribou Biosciences, Inc. These shares are not 
held for trading and accordingly are classified as AFS.

19. Inventories
Our inventory primarily consists of bovine semen, raw materials and ancillary products.

Accounting policies
Inventory (excluding biological assets’ harvest) is stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is determined on the 
basis of weighted average costs and comprises direct materials and, where appropriate, direct labour costs and those overheads 
that have been incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS130

19. Inventories continued
For our biological assets accounting policies, see note 15.

Biological assets’ harvest classed as inventories
Raw materials and consumables
Goods held for resale

2018 
£m

20.2
0.6
13.4

34.2

2017 
£m

22.2
0.7
10.2

33.1

20. Trade and other receivables
Our trade and other receivables mainly consist of amounts owed to us by customers and amounts we pay to our suppliers  
in advance.

Accounting policies
We state trade and other receivables at their amortised cost less any impairment losses.

Trade receivables
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other taxes and social security

2018 
£m

73.9
5.3
10.3
1.5

91.0

 2017
 £m

73.7
5.4
7.8
1.9

88.8

Trade receivables
The average credit period our customers take on the sales of goods is 58 days (2017: 59 days). We do not charge interest on 
receivables for the first 30 days from the date of the invoice. We provide for all receivables based on knowledge of the customer 
and historical experience, and estimate irrecoverable amounts by reference to past default experience.

No customer represents more than 5% of the total balance of trade receivables (2017: nil).

At 30 June 2018, £55.4m (2017: £56.4m) of trade receivables were not yet due for payment.

Included in the Group’s trade receivables balance, net of provision, are debtors with a carrying amount of £18.0m (2017: £17.3m) 
which are past due at the reporting date but which we have not provided for, as there has been no significant change in credit 
quality and we consider the amounts are recoverable. The Group does not hold any collateral over these balances. The average 
age of these receivables is 42 days (2017: 48 days).

Ageing of trade receivables that are past due and presented net of provisions that have been established:

Days past due
0-30 days
31-90 days 
91-180 days
Over 180 days

2018 
£m

9.6
6.3
1.7
0.4

18.0

 2017
 £m

9.2
5.8
1.5
0.8

17.3

At 30 June 2018, trade receivables of £22.4m (2017: £21.7m) were past due but not impaired. The ageing of these receivables is 
as follows:

Days past due
0-30 days
31-90 days 
91-180 days
Over 180 days

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
£m

9.6
6.4
2.4
4.0

22.4

 2017
 £m

9.2
5.9
2.0
4.6

21.7

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 201820. Trade and other receivables continued
The Directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables approximates their fair value.

At 30 June 2018, trade receivables are shown net of an allowance for doubtful debts of £4.4m (2017: £4.4m).

Movement in the allowance for doubtful debts

Balance at the start of the year
Impairment losses recognised 
Amounts written off as uncollectible
Impairment losses reversed
Effect of movements in exchange rates

Balance at the end of the year

131

2018 
£m

4.4
1.0
(0.2)
(0.8)
–

4.4

 2017
 £m

4.3
1.6
(0.4)
(1.5)
0.4

4.4

In determining the recoverability of a trade receivable, we consider any change in the receivable’s credit quality from the date  
we initially granted credit up to the reporting date. The concentration of credit risk is limited, as our customer base is large 
and unrelated.

Receivables denominated in currencies other than Sterling: comprise £31.6m denominated in US Dollars (2017: £32.1m), £11.0m 
denominated in Euros (2017: £11.0m) and £29.8m denominated in other currencies (2017: £27.9m).

21. Cash and cash equivalents
We hold cash and bank deposits which have a maturity of three months or less, to enable us to meet our short-term liquidity 
requirements.

Accounting policies
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand form an integral part of our 
cash management and are included in interest-bearing loans and borrowings less than one year. We only include them in cash 
and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows.

Bank balances

The carrying amount of these assets approximates to their fair value.

2018 
£m

29.1

 2017
 £m

26.5

Included within bank balances above is £11.4m (2017: £9.7m) which is subject to certain local restrictions, principally in China.

22. Trade and other payables
Our trade and other payables mainly consist of amounts we owe to our suppliers that have been invoiced or are accrued. 
They also include taxes and social security amounts due in relation to our role as an employer.

Accounting policies
Trade payables are not interest bearing and are stated at their nominal value.

Trade payables
Other payables, accrued expenses and deferred income
Other taxes and social security

2018 
£m

23.6
53.7
6.4

83.7

 2017
 £m

20.7
49.0
6.7

76.4

Payables denominated in currencies other than Sterling comprise: £33.6m denominated in US Dollars (2017: £32.3m), £10.2m 
denominated in Euros (2017: £9.8m) and £18.9m denominated in other currencies (2017: £17.9m). The carrying values of these 
liabilities are a reasonable approximation of their fair values.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS132

23. Provisions
A provision is a liability recorded in the balance sheet, where there is uncertainty over the timing or amount that will be paid,  
and is therefore estimated. The main provisions we hold relate to contingent deferred consideration and share forfeiture.

Accounting policies
We recognise a provision in the balance sheet when an event results in the Group having a current legal or constructive 
obligation, and it is probable that we will have to settle the obligation through an outflow of economic benefits. If the effect is 
material, we discount provisions to their present value.

Balance at 1 July 2016
Acquisition
Additional provision in the year
Utilisation of provision 
Release of provision

Balance at 30 June 2017
Additional provision in the year 
Utilisation of provision 
Release of provision

Balance at 30 June 2018

Current 
Non-current

Contingent 
deferred 
consideration 
£m

Share 
forfeiture 
£m

Other 
provisions 
£m

–
5.1
–
–
–

5.1
–
(0.8)
(0.3)

4.0

–
–
–
–
–

–
2.2
–
–

2.2

1.2
–
1.1
(0.5)
(0.5)

1.3
0.6
(0.7)
(0.1)

1.1

2018 
£m

2.8
4.5

7.3

Total 
£m

1.2
5.1
1.1
(0.5)
(0.5)

6.4
2.8
(1.5)
(0.4)

7.3

 2017
 £m

2.7
3.7

6.4

Contingent deferred consideration of £4.0m relates to the prior year acquisition of Hermitage Genetics and is subject to certain 
conditions being met by the seller.

The share forfeiture provision of £2.2m relates to potential claims that could be made by untraced members over the next three 
years relating to the resale proceeds of shares that were identified during the year as being forfeited.

Other provisions mainly relate to legal (£0.9m) and environmental (£0.1m) provisions. The timing and cash flows associated with 
the majority of legal claims are expected to be less than one year. However, for some legal claims the timing of cash flows may 
be long term in nature.

24. Financial instruments
This note details our treasury management and financial risk management objectives and policies, as well as the Group’s 
exposure and sensitivity to credit, liquidity, interest and foreign exchange rate risk, and the policies in place to monitor and 
manage these risks.

Financial risk management objectives
The Group’s Corporate Treasury function provides services to the business, coordinates our access to domestic and international 
financial markets, and monitors and manages the financial risks relating to the Group’s operations, through internal risk reports 
that analyse exposures by degree and magnitude of risks. These risks include market risk (including currency risk, fair value 
interest rate risk and price risk), credit risk, liquidity risk and cash flow interest rate risk.

We seek to minimise the effects of these risks by hedging them using derivative financial instruments. Our use of financial 
derivatives is governed by policies approved by the Board of Directors, which provide written principles on foreign exchange risk, 
interest rate risk, credit risk, the use of financial derivatives and non-derivative financial instruments, and the investment of 
excess liquidity. The Board of Directors regularly reviews our compliance with policies and exposure limits. The Group does not 
enter into or trade financial instruments, including derivative financial instruments, for speculative purposes.

Key financial risks and exposures are monitored through a monthly report to the Board of Directors, together with an annual 
Board review of corporate treasury matters.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018133

24. Financial instruments continued
Financial risk
The principal financial risks our activities expose us to are the risks of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates 
and commodity prices. We use derivative financial instruments to manage our exposure to interest rate, foreign currency and 
commodity price risks, including:
•  forward foreign exchange contracts, to hedge the exchange rate risk arising on the sale of goods and purchase of supplies in 

foreign currencies;

•  interest rate swaps, to mitigate the risk of rising interest rates; and
•  forward commodity contracts, to hedge commodity price risk.

Accounting policies
Financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities, in respect of financial instruments are recognised on the Group’s balance sheet when the Group 
becomes a party to the instrument’s contractual provisions.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments
Financial liabilities and equity instruments issued by the Group are classified according to the substance of the contractual 
arrangements entered into and the definitions of a financial liability and an equity instrument. An equity instrument is any  
contract that provides a residual interest in the assets of the Group after deducting all of its liabilities and includes no obligation  
to deliver cash or other financial assets. The accounting policies adopted for specific financial liabilities and equity instruments 
are set out below.

Put option arrangements over non-controlling interest
The potential cash payments related to put options issued by the Group over the equity of subsidiary companies are accounted 
for as financial liabilities, when such options may only be settled by exchanging a fixed amount of cash or other financial asset for 
a fixed number of shares in the subsidiary.

The amount that may become payable under the option on exercise is initially recognised at present value within borrowings, 
with a corresponding charge directly to equity. The charge to equity is recognised separately as written put options over non-
controlling interest, adjacent to non-controlling interest in the net assets of consolidated subsidiaries.

Such options are subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method, in order to accrete the 
liability up to the amount payable under the option at the date at which it first becomes exercisable. The charge arising is 
recorded as a financing cost. If the option expires unexercised, the liability is derecognised, with a corresponding adjustment  
to equity.

Derivative financial instruments and hedging activities
The fair value of interest rate swaps is the estimated amount that we would receive or pay to terminate the swap at the balance 
sheet date, taking into account current interest rates and the creditworthiness of the swap counterparties.

The fair values of forward exchange contracts and forward commodity contracts are their quoted market price at the balance 
sheet date, which is the present value of the quoted forward price.

Cash flow hedges
Where a derivative financial instrument is designated as hedging the variability in cash flows of a recognised asset or liability,  
or a highly probable forecast transaction, we recognise the effective part of any gain or loss on the instrument directly in the 
Group Statement of Comprehensive Income. We recognise any ineffective portion of the hedge immediately in the Group 
Income Statement.

If we hedge a forecast transaction that subsequently results in our recognising a financial asset or liability, we recycle in the 
Group Income Statement the associated gains and losses that we had recognised in equity. We do this in the same period or 
periods that the asset or liability affects the Group Income Statement, which are the periods when we recognise the interest 
income or expense.

If we expect a hedged forecast transaction to occur but the hedging instrument has expired, been sold, terminated or exercised, 
or we have revoked the designation of the hedge relationship, then the cumulative gain or loss at that point remains in equity and 
we recognise it in accordance with the above policy when the transaction occurs. If we no longer expect the hedged transaction 
to take place, we immediately recognise in the Group Income Statement the cumulative unrealised gain or loss recognised 
in equity.

Net investment hedges
Where we have designated a derivative financial instrument as hedging the variability of the net assets of an overseas subsidiary, 
which arises from the spot or forward exchange rate translation risk associated with the subsidiary’s functional currency, we 
recognise the effective part of any gain or loss on the instrument directly in the hedging reserve. Any ineffective portion of the 
hedge is recognised immediately in the Group Income Statement.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS134

24. Financial instruments continued
When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised, or we revoke designation of the hedge relationship, 
the cumulative gain or loss at that point remains in equity until we dispose of the investment it relates to.

We only apply net investment hedge accounting in the Group Financial Statements.

Capital risk management
The Group manages its capital to ensure that Group entities can continue as going concerns, while maximising the return to 
shareholders by optimising our debt and equity balance. The Group’s capital structure consists of debt, which includes the 
borrowings disclosed in note 25, cash and cash equivalents, and equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent, comprising 
issued capital, reserves and retained earnings, as disclosed in note 29.

Gearing ratio
The Group keeps its capital structure under review and monitors it monthly to ensure the gearing ratio remains below 60%. 
The Group is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements. The gearing ratio at the year end was as follows:

Debt (see note 25)
Cash and cash equivalents (see note 21)

Net debt (see note 30)
Equity
Net debt to equity ratio

2018 
£m

137.6
(29.1)

108.5
419.1
26%

 2017
 £m

138.1
(26.5)

111.6
402.1
28%

Debt is defined as long and short-term borrowings, as detailed in note 25.

Equity includes all capital and reserves of the Group attributable to equity holders of the Parent.

Categories of financial instruments
We have categorised financial instruments held at valuation into a three-level fair value hierarchy, based on the priority of the 
inputs to the valuation technique in accordance with IFRS 13. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active 
markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to 
measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, we base the category level on the lowest priority level input that is 
significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument in its entirety. We have estimated the fair values of the Group’s 
outstanding interest rate swaps by calculating the present value of future cash flows, using appropriate market discount rates, 
representing Level 2 fair value measurements as defined by IFRS 13. We have not categorised any financial instruments as 
Level 1 or Level 3.

Financial assets
Other investments
Trade receivables and other debtors, excluding prepayments (see note 20)
Cash and cash equivalents
Derivative instruments in non-designated hedge accounting relationships
Assets held for sale
Derivative instruments in designated hedge accounting relationships

Financial liabilities
Trade and other payables, excluding other taxes and social security (see note 22)
Derivative instruments in designated hedge accounting relationships
Loans and overdrafts (see note 25)
Leasing obligations (see note 26)
Derivative instruments in non-designated hedge accounting relationships
Put option over non-controlling interest

There is no material difference between the carrying value and fair value.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
Carrying 
value 
£m

2017 
Carrying 
value 
£m

5.9
80.7
29.1
0.3
0.2
2.5

(77.3)
(0.6)
(134.1)
(3.5)
(0.3)
(3.2)

5.5
81.0
26.5
1.3
0.3
0.1

(69.7)
(0.4)
(134.9)
(3.2)
(0.6)
(3.3)

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018135

24. Financial instruments continued
Foreign currency risk management
We undertake transactions denominated in foreign currencies.

The carrying amounts of the Group’s foreign currency denominated monetary assets and monetary liabilities at the reporting date 
were as follows:

US Dollar (including leases)
Euro
Brazilian Real
Chinese Yuan Renminbi

Liabilities

Assets

2018
 £m

(92.9)
(11.9)
–
–

2017 
£m

(106.2)
(12.1)
–
(1.9)

2018 
£m

8.8
–
–
1.9

2017
 £m

8.7
1.9
0.1
1.9

Foreign currency income statement sensitivity analysis
The Group is mainly exposed to movements in the US Dollar, Euro, Brazilian Real, Mexican Peso and Chinese Yuan Renminbi 
exchange rates.

The following table details the Group’s sensitivity to a 10% increase and decrease in Sterling against these currencies. Ten 
percent is the sensitivity rate used when reporting foreign currency risk internally to key management and represents our 
assessment of a significant change in foreign exchange rates. The sensitivity analysis includes only outstanding foreign currency 
denominated monetary items and adjusts their translation at the period end for a 10% change in foreign currency rates. It 
includes external loans, as well as loans to foreign operations within the Group where the loan is denominated in a currency other 
than the lender or borrower’s currency. A positive number below indicates an increase in profit when Sterling weakens against 
the relevant currency. A strengthening of Sterling against the relevant currency would produce an equal but opposite reduction in 
profit, and the balances below would be negative.

10% currency movement
Euro
US Dollar
Brazilian Real
Mexican Peso
Chinese Yuan Renminbi

Increase in profit

2018
 £m

0.9
1.7
1.0
1.2
0.8

2017 
£m

1.0
2.0
0.9
1.2
0.9

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS136

24. Financial instruments continued
Forward foreign exchange contracts
The Group’s policy is to enter into forward foreign exchange contracts, to cover specific foreign currency payments and receipts. 
The following table details the forward foreign currency contracts outstanding as at the year end:

Average exchange rate
2017

2018

Foreign 
currency

Contract value

Fair value

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

Outstanding contracts
Buy DKK
Buy CNY
Sell CNY
Buy AUD
Sell PHP
Sell RUB
Sell EUR
Buy EUR
Sell PLN
Buy USD
Buy EUR/Sell CHF
Buy USD/Sell COP
Buy BRL/Sell USD
Buy PHP/Sell AUD
Buy USD/Sell CLP
Buy USD/Sell ARS
Buy USD/Sell CNY
Buy PHP/Sell USD
Buy CAD/Sell USD
Buy USD/Sell MXN
Buy USD/Sell EUR
Buy USD/Sell RUB
Buy USD/Sell INR
Buy USD/Sell ZAR

8.40
–
8.90
1.76
71.4
83.20
–
1.13
4.79
1.33
1.15
2,924
–
–
–
26.35
6.42
53.15
1.30
–
1.18
62.57
68.45
13.72

–
8.64
–
1.75
–
76.75
1.14
–
4.79
–
1.06
2,930
3.37
37.4
659
16.16
6.81
49.98
1.32
18.27
1.14
–
–
13.04

DKK
CNY
CNY
AUD
PHP
RUB
EUR
EUR
PLN
USD
CHF
COP
BRL
PHP
CLP
ARS
CNY
PHP
CAD
MXN
EUR
RUB
INR
ZAR

19.5
–
2.2
1.5
0.5
1.0
–
8.8
0.3
7.6
0.3
0.6
–
–
–
0.3
1.0
2.7
1.0
–
1.0
0.1
1.2
0.1

–
1.0
–
1.8
–
0.2
0.6
–
0.3
–
0.3
0.2
0.5
0.2
0.1
0.4
0.3
4.6
0.4
0.2
0.6
–
–
0.1

(0.1)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
0.1
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
(0.1)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
0.1
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

Interest rate risk management
The Group is exposed to interest rate risk, as Group entities borrow funds at both fixed and floating interest rates. We manage this 
risk centrally, by maintaining an appropriate mix between fixed and floating rate borrowings, using interest rate swaps. We regularly 
review our hedging activities, to align with our interest rate views and defined risk appetite, thereby ensuring we apply optimal 
hedging strategies to minimise the adverse impact of fluctuations in interest expense through different interest rate cycles.

The Group’s exposures to interest rates on financial assets and financial liabilities are detailed in the liquidity risk management 
section of this note.

Interest rate sensitivity analysis
We have determined the sensitivity analyses below, based on the Group’s exposure to interest rates for both derivatives and 
non-derivative instruments, at the balance sheet date. For floating rate liabilities, we prepared the analysis assuming the liability 
outstanding at the balance sheet date was outstanding for the whole year. A 1.0% increase or decrease is used when reporting 
interest rate risk internally to key management and is our assessment of a significant change in interest rates.

If interest rates had been 1.0% higher or lower and all other variables were held constant, the Group’s profit for the year ended 
30 June 2018 would have decreased or increased by £0.3m (2017: decrease/increase by £0.5m). This impact is smaller than 
would otherwise be the case, due to our fixed rate hedging.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018137

24. Financial instruments continued
Interest rate swap contracts
Under interest rate swap contracts, the Group agrees to exchange the difference between fixed and floating rate interest 
amounts, calculated on agreed notional principal amounts. These contracts enable us to mitigate the risk of changing interest 
rates on the cash flow exposures on the variable rate debt we hold. We determine the fair value of interest rate swaps at the 
reporting date by discounting the future cash flows, using the yield curves at the reporting date and the credit risk inherent in the 
contract. This fair value is disclosed below. The average interest rate is based on the outstanding balances at the end of the 
financial year.

Cash flow hedges
The following table details the notional principal amounts and remaining terms of interest rate swap contracts outstanding as at 
the reporting date:

Outstanding receive floating pay fixed contracts

USD interest rate swaps
Two to five years

GBP interest rate swaps
Two to five years

2018 
%

1.04

0.73

Average contract  
fixed interest rate

Notional principal amount
2017 
£m

2018
 £m

Fair value

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

2017 
%

1.10

83.3

84.7

0.51

35.0

20.0

2.3

0.2

1.2

0.1

The interest rate swaps settle on a quarterly basis. The corresponding floating rate on the interest rate swaps is three-month 
LIBOR. We settle the difference between the fixed and floating interest rate on a net basis.

Interest rate swap contracts that exchange floating rate interest amounts for fixed rate interest amounts are designated as cash 
flow hedges, to reduce our cash flow exposure resulting from variable interest rates on borrowings. The interest rate swaps and 
the interest payments on the loan occur simultaneously and we recognise the amount deferred in equity in profit or loss, over the 
period that the floating rate interest payments on debt affect profit or loss.

Commodity hedges
The Group hedges both feed and slaughter exposures by using the Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog, corn and soybean 
meal commodity futures.

Commodity hedge

Open commodity contracts as at June 2018
Lean hog futures
Corn
Soybean meal

Average price
2018 
US$

2017 
US$

Notional principal amount
2017
 £m

2018 
£m

0.67
3.77
353

0.68
3.95
314

6.8
(3.0)
(2.9)

0.9

10.7
(2.2)
(2.3)

6.2

Fair value

2018
 £m

0.2
(0.1)
(0.1)

–

2017
 £m

(0.1)
(0.2)
(0.2)

(0.5)

Credit risk management
Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty will default on its contractual obligations, resulting in financial loss to the Group. We 
have a policy of only dealing with creditworthy counterparties. We regularly monitor our exposure and the credit ratings of our 
counterparties, and the aggregate value of transactions concluded is spread amongst approved counterparties. Credit exposure 
on financial instruments is controlled by counterparty limits that the Board reviews and approves annually.

Trade receivables consist of a large number of customers, spread across diverse industries and geographical areas. We carry out 
ongoing credit evaluation of the financial condition of accounts receivable.

Liquidity risk management
The Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for managing liquidity risk. We manage this risk by maintaining adequate 
reserves and banking facilities, by continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows, and by matching the maturity profiles 
of financial assets and liabilities.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS138

24. Financial instruments continued
Liquidity and interest risk tables
For non-derivative financial liabilities, see notes 25 and 26.

The following table details the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its non-derivative financial liabilities, excluding trade 
payables and other creditors. We have drawn up the table based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities, using the 
earliest date on which we can be required to pay. The table includes both interest and principal cash flows.

Weighted 
average 
effective 
interest 
rate
%

Less than 
1 month
 £m

1-3 months
£m

3 months – 
1 year
 £m

1-5 years 
£m

5+ years 
£m

2018
Variable interest rate instruments

2017
Variable interest rate instruments

2.8

2.3

3.4

7.8

11.4

0.5

4.1

4.7

139.1

144.4

–

–

Total
 £m

158.0

157.5

The following table details the Group’s expected maturity for other non-derivative financial assets, excluding trade receivables 
and other debtors. We have drawn up this table based on the undiscounted contractual maturities of the assets, including 
interest we will earn on them, except where we expect the cash flow to occur in a different period.

Weighted 
average 
effective 
interest 
rate
%

Less than 
1 month
 £m

1-3 months
£m

3 months – 
1 year
 £m

1-5 years 
£m

5+ years 
£m

2018
Variable interest rate instruments

2017
Variable interest rate instruments

0.66

29.1

0.63

26.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total
 £m

29.1

26.5

The Group has financing facilities with a total unused amount of £99.3m (2017: £73.6m) at the balance sheet date. We expect to 
meet our other obligations from operating cash flows and the proceeds of maturing financial assets. We expect to reduce the 
debt to equity ratio, as borrowings decrease through repayment from operating cash flows.

The following table details the Group’s liquidity analysis for its derivative financial instruments. We have drawn up the table 
based on the undiscounted net cash outflows on derivative instruments that settle on a net basis and the undiscounted gross 
outflows on derivatives that require gross settlement. When the amount payable or receivable is not fixed, we have determined 
the amount disclosed by reference to the projected interest and foreign currency rates, as illustrated by the yield curves at the 
reporting date.

2018
Interest rate swaps

2017
Interest rate swaps

Less than 
1 month
 £m

1-3 months
£m

3 months – 
1 year
 £m

1-5 years 
£m

5+ years 
£m

Total
 £m

–

–

–

–

0.5

0.1

2.0

0.9

–

–

2.5

1.0

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018139

25. Loans and borrowings
The Group’s borrowing for funding and liquidity purposes comes from a range of committed bank facilities.

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
We initially recognise interest-bearing loans and borrowings at their fair value, less attributable transaction costs. After this initial 
recognition, we state them at amortised cost and recognise any difference between the cost and redemption value in the 
income statement over the borrowings’ expected life, on an effective interest rate basis.

Non-current liabilities
Unsecured bank loans
Obligations under finance leases (see note 26)

Current liabilities
Unsecured bank loans and overdrafts
Obligations under finance leases (see note 26)
Other unsecured borrowings

2018 
£m

120.7
2.1

122.8

10.6
1.4
2.8

14.8

 2017
 £m

127.2
1.8

129.0

7.7
1.4
–

9.1

Total interest-bearing liabilities

137.6

138.1

Terms and debt repayment schedule
Terms and conditions of outstanding loans and overdrafts were as follows:

Revolving credit facility and overdraft
Revolving credit facility, term loan and overdraft
Revolving credit facility and overdraft
Finance lease liabilities
Other unsecured bank borrowings
Other unsecured borrowings

Total interest-bearing liabilities

Currency

Interest rate

GBP
USD
EUR
USD
Other
USD

1.5%
3.3%
1.2%
5.0%
1.0%
2.2%

2018 
£m

33.5
90.1
0.9
3.5
6.8
2.8

137.6

 2017
 £m

22.6
106.2
–
3.2
6.1
–

138.1

The above revolving credit facilities are unsecured. Information about the Group’s exposure to interest rate and foreign currency 
risks is shown in note 24.

Loans and borrowings (excluding finance leases) comprise amounts falling due:
In one year or less or on demand
In more than one year but not more than two years
In more than two years but not more than five years

Less: unamortised issue costs

Current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

2018 
£m

 2017
 £m

13.8
–
121.4

135.2
(1.1)

134.1
(13.4)

120.7

8.1
–
128.2

136.3
(1.4)

134.9
(7.7)

127.2

During the year, we exercised an accordion request, which increased our available credit facilities by £20m. At the balance sheet 
date, the Group’s credit facilities comprised a £95m multi-currency revolving credit facility and a US$165m revolving credit 
facility. £46m of the Group’s credit facilities expire in February 2021. The remaining facilities will expire in February 2022.

As part of its interest rate strategy, the Group has entered into interest rate swaps to hedge floating LIBOR rates. As a result, 
bank loan and overdrafts include borrowings of US$110m (£83.3m) fixed at 1.17% and GBP £35m fixed at 0.73%, excluding 
applicable bank margin.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS140

26. Finance lease liabilities
A finance lease is a commitment to make a payment in the future, primarily in relation to plant and machinery and motor vehicles.

Accounting policies
We classify leases as finance leases whenever the lease terms transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to us. 
All other leases are operating leases.

We recognise the assets we hold under finance leases at their fair value or, if lower, at the present value of the minimum lease 
payments, each of which we determine at the start of the lease. We include our corresponding liability in the balance sheet,  
as a finance lease obligation.

We apportion lease payments between finance charges and a reduction in our lease obligation, so we achieve a constant rate  
of interest on the remaining liability. We recognise finance charges directly in the income statement, unless they are directly 
attributable to qualifying assets, in which case we capitalise them in accordance with our general policy on borrowing costs.

Finance lease liabilities are payable as follows:

Less than one year
Between one and five years

Minimum 
lease 
payments 
2018 
£m

1.4
2.1

3.5

Interest 
2018 
£m

Principal
 2018 
£m

0.1
0.1

0.2

1.5
2.2

3.7

Minimum 
lease 
payments 
2017 
£m

1.4
1.8

3.2

Interest 
2017 
£m

Principal 
2017 
£m

0.1
0.1

0.2

1.5
1.9

3.4

Finance lease liabilities are secured on the assets to which they relate. There are no other restrictions imposed by the lessor.  
The fair value of the leases is approximately equal to the carrying amount.

27. Retirement benefit obligations
The Group operates a number of defined contribution and defined benefit pension schemes covering many of its employees. 
The principal funds are the Milk Pension Fund and the Dalgety Pension Fund (‘DPF’) in the UK, which are defined benefit 
schemes. The assets of these funds are held separately from the Group’s assets and are administered by trustees and  
managed professionally.

Accounting policies
Defined contribution pension schemes
A number of our employees are members of defined contribution pension schemes. We charge contributions to the income 
statement as they become payable under the scheme rules. We show differences between the contributions payable and the 
amount we have paid as either accruals or prepayments in the balance sheet. The schemes’ assets are held separately from 
those of the Group.

Defined benefit pension schemes
The Group operates defined benefit pension schemes for some of its employees. These schemes are closed to new members 
and to further accrual. We calculate our net obligation separately for each scheme, by estimating the amount of future benefit 
that employees have earned, in return for their service to date. We discount that benefit to determine its present value and 
deduct the fair value of the plan’s assets (at bid price). The liability discount rate we use is the market yield at the balance sheet 
date on high-quality corporate bonds, with terms to maturity approximating our pension liabilities. Qualified actuaries perform the 
calculations, using the projected unit method.

We recognise actuarial gains and losses in equity in the period in which they occur, through the Group Statement of 
Comprehensive Income. Actuarial gains and losses include the difference between the expected and actual return on scheme 
assets and experience gains and losses on scheme liabilities.

Genus and the other participating employers are jointly and severally liable for the MPF’s obligations. We account for our section 
of the scheme and our share of any orphan assets and liabilities, and provide for any amounts we believe we will have to pay 
under our joint and several liability. The joint and several liability also means we have a contingent liability for the scheme’s 
obligations that we have not accounted for.

Under the joint and several liability, we initially recognise any changes in our share of orphan assets and liabilities in the income 
statement. After this initial recognition, any actuarial gains and losses on the orphan assets and liabilities are recognised directly 
in equity through the Group Statement of Changes in Equity, in the period in which they occur.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018141

27. Retirement benefit obligations continued
Retirement benefit obligations
The financial positions of the defined benefit schemes, as recorded in accordance with IAS 19 and IFRIC 14, are aggregated for 
disclosure purposes. The liability split by principal scheme is set out below.

The Milk Pension Fund – Genus’s share
The Dalgety Pension Fund
Other retirement benefit obligations and other unfunded schemes

Overall net pension liability

2018 
£m

24.2
–
9.7

33.9

 2017
 £m

30.4
–
10.5

40.9

Overall, we expect to pay £7.5m (2018: £7.3m) in contributions to defined benefit plans in the 2019 financial year.

The defined benefit plans are administered by Trustee boards that are legally separated from the Group. The Trustee board of 
each pension fund consists of representatives who are employees, former employees or are independent from the Group. The 
boards of the pension funds are required by law to act in the best interest of the plan participants and are responsible for setting 
certain policies, such as investment and contribution policies, and for the governance of the fund.

The defined benefit pension schemes expose the Group to actuarial risks such as greater than expected longevity of members, 
lower than expected return on investments and higher than expected inflation, which may increase the plans’ liabilities or reduce 
the value of their assets.

UK pensions are regulated by The Pensions Regulator, a non-departmental public body established under the Pensions Act 2004 
and sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, operating within a legal regulatory framework set by the UK 
Parliament. The Pensions Regulator has statutory objectives set out in legislation, which include promoting and improving 
understanding of the good administration of work-based pensions, protecting member benefits and regulating occupational 
defined benefit and contribution schemes. The Pensions Regulator’s statutory objectives and regulatory powers are described 
on its website at www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk.

All defined benefit schemes are registered as an occupational pension plan with HMRC and are subject to UK legislation  
and oversight from The Pensions Regulator. UK legislation requires that pension schemes are funded prudently and valued  
at least every three years. Separate valuations are required for each scheme. Within 15 months of each valuation date,  
the plan Trustees and the Group must agree any contributions required to ensure that the plan is fully funded over time,  
on a suitably prudent measure.

Funding plans are individually agreed with the respective Trustees for each of the Group’s defined benefit pension schemes, 
taking into account local regulatory requirements.

The Milk Pension Fund (‘MPF’)
The MPF was previously operated by the Milk Marketing Board and was also open to staff working for Milk Marque Ltd  
(the principal employer, now known as Community Foods Group Limited), National Milk Records plc, First Milk Ltd, hauliers 
associated to First Milk Ltd, Dairy Farmers of Britain Ltd (which went into receivership in June 2009) and Milk Link Ltd.

We have accounted for our section of the scheme and our share of any orphan assets and liabilities, which together represent 
approximately 86% of the MPF (2017: 85%). Although the MPF is managed on a sectionalised basis, it is a ‘last man standing 
scheme’, which means that all participating employers are jointly and severally liable for all of the fund’s liabilities. With effect 
from 30 June 2013, Genus’s remaining active members ceased accruing benefits in the fund and became deferred pensioners.

The most recent actuarial triennial valuation of the MPF was at 31 March 2015 and was carried out by qualified actuaries. 
The valuation has been agreed by the Trustees.

The principal actuarial assumptions adopted in the 2015 valuation were that:
•  investment returns on existing assets would exceed fixed interest gilt yields by 1.1% per annum;
•  Consumer Price Index (‘CPI’) price inflation is expected to be 0.9% per annum lower than Retail Price Index (‘RPI’) price 

inflation; and

•  pensions in payment and pensions in deferment would increase in future in line with CPI price inflation, subject to various 

minimum and maximum increases.

At 31 March 2015, the market value of the fund’s assets was £403m. This represented approximately 87% of the value of the 
uninsured liabilities, which were £465m at that date.

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STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS142

27. Retirement benefit obligations continued
The deficit in the fund as a whole, by reference to the 31 March 2015 valuation, was £62m (of which Genus’s notional share was 
£47m). This shortfall is being addressed by additional contributions from the participating employers. Under the Trustee prepared 
schedule of contributions, Genus is required to make deficit repair contributions of £5.6m per annum commencing 31 March 
2017, and rising thereafter by 3.4% per annum until 31 August 2022, in addition to funding the scheme’s operating expenses. 
Genus has assessed its additional pension liability under IFRIC 14 by reference to this schedule of contributions, resulting in an 
amount of £59.5m (2017: £19.6m) being recognised in the Group Statement of Comprehensive Income.

In the previous year, NMR withdrew from the MPF under a Flexible Apportionment Arrangement between NMR, Genus and the 
Trustees of the MPF. In return for the right to withdraw from the MPF, NMR made a one-off, lump sum cash payment of £10.1m 
to the MPF, equivalent to the undiscounted value of all NMR’s future payments under the existing MPF recovery plan, which 
extends to March 2026. NMR also made a payment to Genus of £4.7m, with £1.4m being satisfied by the issue of NMR shares.

As a result of the NMR withdrawal, in the prior year Genus recognised £5.7m as an exceptional credit, with £4.5m (£4.7m 
payment net of fees) being received directly from NMR, and £1.2m from the MPF, reflecting the impact of NMR paying 
undiscounted amounts into the scheme.

Dalgety Pension Fund (‘DPF’)
The most recent actuarial valuation of the DPF was at 31 March 2015 and was carried out by qualified actuaries.

The principal actuarial assumptions adopted in the 2015 valuation were that investment returns on existing assets would be 4.1% 
per annum before retirement and 2.2% per annum after retirement and that the annual increase in pensions in payment would be 
3.3% per annum.

The market value of the available assets at 31 March 2015 was £31.6m. The value of those assets represented approximately 
101% of the value of the uninsured liabilities, which were £31.3m at 31 March 2015. Under the funding agreement, the Company 
will not have to make deficit repair contributions.

The disclosures required under IAS 19 have been calculated by an independent actuary, based on accurate calculations carried 
out as at 31 March 2015 and updated to 30 June 2018.

As at 30 June 2018, the DPF was in an overall net pension asset position of £8.2m. However, the Group does not have the 
unilateral right to this surplus and, therefore, in line with IFRIC 14 the recognition of this asset is restricted.

The Trustees of the DPF hold a £20.9m reserve against future unknown liabilities materialising. As the economic benefit to 
Genus of this amount is not certain, it is treated as a contingent asset.

In addition to the aggregate assets and liabilities disclosed, a bulk annuity policy was secured with an insurance company in July 
1999, which matched the benefit entitlement of almost all of the fund’s current and deferred pension liabilities at that time. The 
value of the policy and related liabilities at 30 June 2018 was £698m (2017: £708m).

Other defined benefit scheme in deficit
The Group operates a closed defined benefit scheme for a small number of former employees of the National Pig Development 
Company Limited. The total market value of scheme assets and liabilities at 30 June 2018, under the provisions of IAS 19, were 
£5.2m (2017: £5.2m) and £6.3m (2017: £6.7m), respectively.

Other unfunded schemes
When the Group acquired Sygen International plc, it also acquired three unfunded defined benefit schemes and an unfunded 
retirement health benefit plan, which it now operates for the benefit of the previous Group’s senior employees and executives.

The scheme liabilities for the three unfunded defined benefit schemes amounted to £7.9m (2017: £8.1m), based on IAS 19’s 
methods and assumptions. This amount is included within pension liabilities in the Group Balance Sheet. Interest on pension 
scheme liabilities amounted to £0.2m (2017: £0.2m).

The principal assumptions used to calculate the scheme liabilities were that the discount rate would be 2.90% (2017: 2.65%) and 
that inflation and pension payment increases would be 3.1% per annum (2017: 3.1%).

The scheme liabilities for the unfunded retirement health benefit plan amounted to £0.7m (2017: £0.9m), based on IAS 19’s 
methods and assumptions. This amount is included within retirement benefit obligations in the Group Balance Sheet. Interest on 
plan liabilities amounted to £nil (2017: £nil).

The principal assumptions used to calculate the plan liabilities were that the discount rate would be 2.90% (2017: 2.65%) and 
that the long-term rate of medical expense inflation would be 7.1% (2017: 7.1%).

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 201827. Retirement benefit obligations continued
Aggregated position of defined benefit schemes

Present value of funded obligations (includes Genus’s 86% share of the MPF (2017: 85%))
Present value of unfunded obligations 

Total present value of obligations
Fair value of plan assets (includes Genus’s 86% share of the MPF (2017: 85%))
Restrict recognition of asset (DPF)
Recognition of additional liability (MPF)

Recognised liability for defined benefit obligations

Plan assets consist of the following:

Equities
Diversified growth funds
Liability driven investments
Gilts and corporate bonds
Cash
Other

143

 2017
 £m

424.2
9.0

433.2
(418.4)
6.5
19.6

40.9

 2017
 £m

90.4
93.7
93.5
59.5
8.9
72.4

418.4

2018 
£m

388.6
8.6

397.2
(431.8)
9.0
59.5

33.9

2018 
£m

78.9
100.9
91.8
59.6
22.0
78.6

431.8

Each of the defined benefit schemes manages risks through a variety of methods and strategies, including equity protection, to 
limit the downside risk of falls in equity markets, as well as inflation and interest rate hedging.

Movement in the liability for defined benefit obligations

Liability for defined benefit obligations at the start of the year
Benefits paid by the plans
Current service costs and interest
Actuarial gains recognised on fund liabilities arising from changes in demographic assumptions
Actuarial (gains)/losses recognised on fund liabilities arising from changes in financial assumptions
Actuarial losses recognised on fund liabilities arising from experience (other)
Recognition of additional liabilities due to increasing Genus’s share of the MPF
Reclassified from accruals
Exchange rate adjustment

Liability for defined benefit obligations at the end of year

Movement in plan assets

Fair value of plan assets at the start of the year
Administration expenses
Recognition of additional assets due to increasing Genus’s share of the MPF
Contributions paid into the plans
Benefits paid by the plans
Interest income on plan assets
Actuarial gains recognised in equity

Fair value of plan assets at the end of the year

2018 
£m

433.2
(18.6)
11.2
(10.4)
(22.0)
3.4
–
0.5
(0.1)

397.2

2018 
£m

418.4
(0.4)
–
7.3
(18.6)
10.7
14.4

431.8

 2017
 £m

356.8
(15.3)
9.8
–
28.0
2.2
51.5
–
0.2

433.2

 2017
 £m

334.0
(0.6)
52.7
7.2
(15.3)
9.0
31.4

418.4

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS14 4

27. Retirement benefit obligations continued
Summary of movements in Group deficit during the year

Deficit in schemes at the start of the year
Administration expenses
Exceptional gain on NMR withdrawal from the MPF
Contributions paid into the plans
Net pension finance cost 
Actuarial gain recognised during the year
Movement in restriction of assets
Recognition of additional liability
Reclassified from accruals
Exchange rate adjustment

Deficit in schemes at the end of the year

Amounts recognised in the Group Income Statement

Administrative expenses
Interest obligation
Interest income on plan assets
Interest on additional liability
Exceptional gain on NMR withdrawal from the MPF

The expense/(income) is recognised in the following line items in the Income Statement

Administrative expenses
Exceptional gain on NMR withdrawal from the MPF
Net finance charge

Actuarial (gains)/losses recognised in the Group Statement of Comprehensive Income

Cumulative loss at the start of the year
Actuarial gain recognised during the year
Movement in restriction of assets
Recognition of additional liability
Exchange rate adjustment

Cumulative loss at the end of the year

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
£m

(40.9)
(0.4)
–
7.3
(1.0)
43.4
(2.5)
(39.4)
(0.5)
0.1

(33.9)

2018 
£m

0.4
11.2
(10.7)
0.5
–

1.4

2018 
£m

0.4
–
1.0

1.4

2018 
£m

82.4
(43.4)
2.5
39.4
(0.1)

80.8

 2017
 £m

(44.5)
(0.6)
1.2
7.2
(1.2)
1.2
0.3
(4.3)
–
(0.2)

(40.9)

 2017
 £m

0.6
9.8
(9.0)
0.4
(1.2)

0.6

 2017
 £m

0.6
(1.2)
1.2

0.6

 2017
 £m

79.4
(1.2)
(0.3)
4.3
0.2

82.4

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 201827. Retirement benefit obligations continued
Actuarial assumptions and sensitivity analysis
Principal actuarial assumptions at the reporting date (expressed as weighted averages):

Discount rate
CPI
RPI

145

2018

2.90%
1.95%
3.05%

2017

2.65%
2.05%
3.15%

The mortality assumptions used are consistent with those recommended by the schemes’ actuaries and reflect the latest 
available tables, adjusted for the experience of the scheme where appropriate. For 2018, the mortality tables used are 97% of 
the S2NA tables, with birth year and 2017 CMI projections with a smoothing parameter of Sk = 7.5, subject to a long-term rate of 
improvement of 1.25% for males and females (2017: the mortality tables used are 97% of the S2NA tables, with birth year and 
2014 CMI projections, subject to a long-term rate of improvement of 1.25% for males and females).

The following table shows the assumptions used for all schemes and illustrates the life expectancy of an average member 
retiring at age 65 at the balance sheet date and a member reaching age 65 in 20 years’ time.

Retiring at balance sheet date at age 65

Retiring at age 65 in 20 years’ time

2018 
Years

22.4
24.6

23.8
26.1

2017 
Years

23.0
25.2

24.7
27.0

Male
Female

Male
Female

Duration of benefit obligations
The weighted average duration of the defined benefit obligations at 30 June 2018 was 17.3 years (2017: 17.4 years).

Sensitivity analysis
Measurement of the Group’s defined benefit obligation is sensitive to changes in certain key assumptions. The sensitivity 
analysis below shows how a reasonably possible increase or decrease in a particular assumption would, in isolation, result in an 
increase or decrease in the present value of the defined benefit obligation as at 30 June 2018.

Discount rate

Rate of inflation

Life expectancy

Decrease 
by 0.25%
 £m

Increase 
by 0.25% 
£m

Decrease
 by 0.25%
 £m

Increase 
by 0.25%
 £m

Decrease
 by 1 year 
£m

Increase 
by 1 year 
£m

Increase/(decrease) in present value of defined 

obligation

15.7

(14.4)

(10.7)

11.4

(17.1)

17.1

The sensitivity analysis may not be representative of an actual change in the defined benefit obligation, as it is unlikely that 
changes in assumptions would occur in isolation from one another.

The sensitivities assume the funds’ assets remain unchanged. However, in practice changes in interest rates and inflation will 
also affect the value of the funds’ assets. The funds’ investment strategy aims to hold matching assets which should move 
broadly in line with the liabilities of the funds, to protect partially against changes in interest rates and inflation.

This sensitivity analysis has been prepared using the same method adopted when adjusting results of the latest funding valuation 
to the balance sheet date. This is the same approach adopted in previous periods.

The history of experience adjustment is as follows:

Present value of the defined benefit obligation
Fair value of plan assets
Restrict recognition of asset and recognition of additional 

liability

Deficit in the plans

Experience adjustments arising on plan liabilities (%)
Experience adjustments arising on plan assets (%)

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
£m

397.2
(431.8)

68.5

33.9

7.1
2.8

2017
 £m

433.2
(418.4)

26.1

40.9

7.1
7.6

2016 
£m

356.8
(334.0)

21.7

44.5

5.3
4.1

2015 
£m

386.1
(329.2)

6.2

63.1

4.9
3.7

2014 
£m

367.8
(314.6)

5.0

58.2

2.9
4.9

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS146

28. Share-based payments
We have a number of share plans used to award shares to Directors and senior management as part of their remuneration. 
To record the cost of these, a charge is recognised over the vesting period in the Consolidated Income Statement, based on 
the fair value of the award on the date of grant.

Accounting policies
We recognise the fair value of share awards and options granted as an employee expense, with a corresponding increase in 
equity. We measure the fair value at the grant date and spread it over the vesting period of each option. We use a binomial 
valuation model to measure the fair value of options and a Black-Scholes valuation model to measure the fair value of share 
awards. We adjust the amount we recognise as an expense, to reflect the estimated performance against non-market related 
conditions and the number of share awards and options that actually vest at the end of the vesting period.

The Group recognised a total share-based payment expense of £5.4m (2017: £4.6m), including National Insurance contributions 
of £0.8m (2017: £1.0m).

Share awards
There were 980,421 conditional share awards outstanding at 30 June 2018. These conditional shares were awarded to Executive 
Directors and senior management under the 2014 Performance Share Plan on 20 November 2014, 14 September 2015, 
14 September 2016 and 13 September 2017. In accordance with the plan’s terms, participants have received a conditional annual 
award of shares or nil cost option awards which will normally vest after three years, with the proportion of the award vesting 
depending on growth in the Group’s adjusted earnings per share. Further details of the plan’s performance conditions are given 
in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

In the year ended 30 June 2018, 336,688 awards were granted on 13 September 2017, with an aggregate fair value of 
£6,522,000. The fair value of services received in return for share awards granted is based on the fair value of share awards 
granted, measured using a Black-Scholes valuation model. At the date of grant, the fair value of a share awarded was £19.37, 
based on an expected dividend yield of 1.19%.

Outstanding at the start of year
Exercised during the year
Forfeited during the year
Granted during the year

Outstanding at 30 June
Exercisable at 30 June

Number of 
awards 
2018

Number of 
awards 
2017

1,089,391
(336,949)
(108,709)
336,688

1,122,448
(94,882)
(243,030)
304,855

980,421
9,986

1,089,391
31,026

Bonus and restricted stock share awards
In addition to the outstanding share awards above, there were 128,843 bonus and restricted stock share awards outstanding at 
30 June 2018. The bonus shares were awarded to Executive Directors and senior management as part of the compulsory 
deferred bonus, and restricted stock share awards were granted to senior management in connection with recruitment. In 
accordance with the awards’ terms, participants have received a conditional annual bonus award of shares or nil cost option 
awards, which will normally vest between one and three years, after award, providing the participant is employed by the Group 
at that time.

In the year ended 30 June 2018, 49,187 bonus share awards were granted on 13 September 2017, with an aggregate fair value of 
£953,000, and 12,017 restricted stock share awards were granted in total on 29 September 2017, with an aggregate fair value of 
£211,000.

Outstanding at the start of year
Exercised during the year
Forfeited during the year
Granted during the year

Outstanding at 30 June
Exercisable at 30 June

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Number of 
awards 
2018

Number of 
awards 
2017

102,731
(35,092)
–
61,204

128,843
–

68,870
(12,153)
(1,700)
47,714

102,731
–

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018147

28. Share-based payments continued
Share options
On 12 August 2004, the Group established a share option programme that entitles key management and other senior employees 
to purchase shares in the Company. Further grants on similar terms were offered to these employee groups as set out below. 
The terms and conditions of the grants are as set out below. All options are to be settled by physical delivery of shares and meet 
the criteria for being treated as equity settled.

Employees entitled

2004 Company share plan
2004 Company share plan 
2004 Company share plan 
2004 Company share plan 
2004 Company share plan 
2004 Company share plan 

Total share options

Grant date

Number of 
instruments 

Vesting 
conditions

Option 
exercise price

Contractual 
life of options

19 September 2008
15 September 2009
10 September 2010
9 September 2011
7 September 2012
26 September 2013

5,775
10,051
20,723
32,647
36,185
40,447

145,828

Exercisable
Exercisable
Exercisable
Exercisable
Exercisable
Exercisable

775.67p
654.50p
729.83p
977.83p
1,334.00p
1,413.00p

10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years

The number and weighted average exercise prices of share options are as follows:

Outstanding at the start of year
Forfeited during the year
SAR effected during the year
Exercised during the year

Outstanding at 30 June
Exercisable at 30 June

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price 2018

1,118p
703p
1,232p
1,078p

1,121p
1,121p

Number 
of options
 2018

223,365
(8,199)
(38,493)
(30,845)

145,828
145,828

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price 2017

1,132p
1,351p
1,215p
1,092p

1,118p
1,118p

Number 
of options 
2017

396,971
(17,470)
(87,296)
(68,840)

223,365
223,365

The options at 30 June 2018 had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 3.4 years (2017: 4.4 years). No share options 
were granted during the year (2017: nil). The weighted average share price at the date of exercise during the year was £20.95 
(2017: £19.45).

29. Capital and reserves
Called up share capital is the number of shares in issue at their par value. A number of shares were issued in the year, in relation 
to employee share schemes.

Accounting policies
Equity instruments issued by the Group are recorded at the amounts of the proceeds received, net of direct issuance costs.

Own shares
We include the transactions, assets and liabilities of the Group-sponsored Qualifying Employee Share Ownership Trust 
(‘QUEST’) in the Group Financial Statements. In particular, the trust’s purchases of the Company’s shares are deducted from 
shareholders’ funds until they vest unconditionally with employees.

Share capital

Issued and fully paid
Ordinary shares of 10 pence

2018 
Number

2017 
Number

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

61,542,467 61,161,622

6.2

6.1

The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends, as declared from time to time.

The movement in share capital for the period was as follows:

Issued under the Executive Share Option Plan
Issued to Employee Benefits Trust 

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
Number

30,845
350,000

2017 
Number

68,840
80,079

380,845

148,919

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

–
–

–

–
–

–

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS148

29. Capital and reserves continued
Shares issued under the Executive Share Option Plans were issued at option prices as follows:

Executive Share Option Plan

2018 
Number

Price
(pence)

2017 
Number

Price
(pence)

582.00
776.00
654.50
729.83
977.83
1,334.00
1,413.00

2,721
2,970
3,268
2,034
4,580
4,145
11,127

30,845

582.00
776.00
654.50
729.83
977.83
1,334.00
1,413.00

1,984
2,847
2,434
8,065
24,139
9,206
20,165

68,840

Reserve for own shares
The Company’s shares are held by a QUEST, which is an employee benefit trust established to facilitate the operation of our 
long-term incentive scheme for senior management. The reserve amount represents the deduction in arriving at shareholders’ 
funds for the consideration the trust paid for the Company’s shares, which had not vested unconditionally at the balance sheet 
date. The number and market value of the ordinary shares held by the employee benefit trust and the QUEST were:

Shares allocated but not vested
Unallocated shares

2018 
Number

87,265
92,334

2017 
Number

70,272
92,334

179,599

162,606

2018 
£m

2.3
2.4

4.7

2017 
£m

1.3
1.6

2.9

The shares have a nominal value of £17,960 (2017: £16,261).

Translation reserve
The translation reserve comprises all foreign currency differences arising from translating the financial statements of our foreign 
operations.

The Group uses foreign currency denominated borrowings as a hedge against the translation exposure on the Group’s net 
investment in overseas companies. Where the hedge is fully effective at hedging the variability in the net assets of such 
companies caused by changes in exchange rates, the changes in value of the borrowings are recognised in the Consolidated 
Statement of Comprehensive Income and accumulated in the hedging and translation reserves. The ineffective part of any 
change in value caused by changes in exchange rates is recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement.

Hedging reserve
The hedging reserve comprises the effective portion of the cumulative net change in the fair value of cash flow hedging 
instruments, net of taxation.

Hedging and translation reserves

Balance at 30 June 2016

Exchange differences on translation of overseas operations
Loss recognised on net investment hedges
Loss recognised on cash flow hedges – interest swaps
Income tax related to net gains recognised in other comprehensive income

Balance at 30 June 2017

Exchange differences on translation of overseas operations
Loss recognised on net investment hedges
Gain recognised on cash flow hedges – interest swaps
Income tax related to net gains recognised in other comprehensive income

Balance at 30 June 2018

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Hedging 
reserve 
£m

Translation 
reserve 
£m

(0.6)

–
–
2.1
(0.4)

1.1

–
–
1.1
(0.2)

2.0

37.5

8.6
(2.7)
–
(4.2)

39.2

(22.4)
1.3
–
2.4

20.5

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018149

 2017
 £m

34.3

1.1
8.7
4.6
(6.2)
3.7
6.4
2.5

55.1

8.8
0.2
2.5

66.6

(5.4)
(5.7)
0.1
(6.6)
(0.9)

48.1

1.4
(9.0)
5.8

46.3

0.8
(3.1)
0.6
(10.0)

34.6

2018 
£m

41.6

28.7
9.5
5.4
(4.2)
4.6
(33.8)
5.9

57.7

10.4
(0.1)
4.3

72.3

(4.9)
(1.9)
1.7
(6.9)
(2.0)

58.3

(4.2)
(5.7)
9.9

58.3

0.2
(3.9)
0.2
(11.6)

43.2

30. Notes to the cash flow statement

Profit for the year
Adjustment for:
Net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets
Amortisation of acquired intangible assets
Share-based payment expense
Share of profit of joint ventures and associates
Finance costs (net)
Income tax expense
Exceptional items

Adjusted operating profit from continuing operations

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
(Profit)/loss on disposal of plant and equipment
Amortisation of intangible assets

Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation

Exceptional item cash
Other movements in biological assets and harvested produce
Increase in provisions
Additional pension contributions in excess of pension charge
Other

Operating cash flows before movement in working capital

(Increase)/decrease in inventories
Increase in receivables
Increase in payables

Cash generated by operations

Interest received
Interest and other finance costs paid
Cash flow from derivative financial instruments 
Income taxes paid

Net cash from operating activities

Analysis of net debt

Cash and cash equivalents

Interest-bearing loans – current
Obligation under finance leases – current

Interest-bearing loans – non-current
Obligation under finance lease – non-current

Net debt

At 1 July 
2017 
£m

Net 
cash flows 
£m

Foreign 
exchange 
£m

Non-cash 
movements
 £m

At 30 June 
2018
 £m

26.5

(7.7)
(1.4)

(9.1)

(127.2)
(1.8)

(129.0)

(111.6)

3.3

(2.6)
2.2

(0.4)

4.7
–

4.7

7.6

(0.7)

0.1
–

0.1

1.8
–

1.8

1.2

–

(3.2)
(2.2)

(5.4)

–
(0.3)

(0.3)

(5.7)

29.1

(13.4)
(1.4)

(14.8)

(120.7)
(2.1)

(122.8)

(108.5)

Included within non-cash movements is £5.3m in relation to other unsecured borrowings and new finance leases.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS150

31. Operating leases
The Group has entered into non-cancellable commercial arrangements on certain properties, plant, motor vehicles and equipment.

Accounting policies
For operating leases, we charge the rentals payable, and any incentives we receive to enter into an operating lease, to the 
income statement on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Total of future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases which expire within:

Less than one year
Between one and five years
More than five years

2018 
£m

2.1
12.4
6.3

20.8

 2017
 £m

2.7
10.7
5.8

19.2

The leases have various terms and renewal rights. There are no other restrictions imposed by these lease agreements.

32. Capital and other commitments
At 30 June 2018, outstanding contracted capital expenditure amounted to £1.8m and all related to the purchase of property, plant 
and equipment (2017: £4.9m).

A software agreement was signed on 23 June 2017, with a minimum five-year term, with an annual cost of £0.8m.

33. Contingencies and bank guarantees
Contingent liabilities are potential future cash outflows, where the likelihood of payments is considered more than remote but is 
not considered probable or cannot be measured reliably.

The retirement benefit obligations referred to in note 27 include obligations relating to the MPF defined benefit scheme. Genus, 
together with other participating employers, is joint and severally liable for the scheme’s obligations. Genus has accounted for its 
section and its share of any orphan assets and liabilities, collectively representing approximately 86% (2017: 85%) of the MPF. As 
a result of the joint and several liability, Genus has a contingent liability for the scheme’s obligations that it has not accounted for. 
The total deficit of the MPF from the most recent triennial valuation can be found in note 27.

The Group’s future tax charge and effective tax rate could be affected by factors such as countries reforming their tax legislation 
to implement the OECD’s BEPS recommendations and by European Commission initiatives including State Aid investigations. 
Further information can be found in note 11.

At 30 June 2018, we had entered into bank guarantees totalling £1.0m.

34. Directors and key management compensation
This note details the total amounts earned by the Company’s Directors and members of the Executive Committee.

Salaries and short-term employee benefits
Post-employment benefits
Share-based payment expense

Directors
Further details of Directors’ compensation are included in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Other transactions with key management personnel
Other than remuneration, there were no transactions with key management personnel.

2018 
£m

7.0
0.3
3.4

10.7

 2017
 £m

6.1
0.3
2.6

9.0

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018151

35. Group entities
In accordance with section 409 of the Companies Act 2006, a list of subsidiaries and joint ventures and associates as at 30 June 
2018 is set out below. All subsidiary undertakings are subsidiary undertakings of their immediate parent undertaking(s), unless 
otherwise indicated.

Nature of business
Bovine

Name of undertaking

Registered address

Africa (Pty) Ltd

ABS Global, Inc.

ABS Chile Limitada

ABS Argentina S.A.

ABS Genetics South 

A.Castellanos 1169, (3080) Esperanza, 
Sante Fe, Argentina
Avenida del Parque #4161 office #601, 
Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
Prestige Park Block B, Unit No 5B, 
Pastorale Street, Durbanville Industrial 
Park, Durbanville, 7550, South Africa
ABS Global (Canada) Inc. 1525 Floradale Road, Elmira ON N3B 
2Z1, Canada
1525 River Road, De Forest WI 
53532, United States
Via Bastida nr. 6, loc. Cavatigozzi, 
26020, Cremona, Italy
Kansas No. 2028, Quintas Campestre, 
31214, Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico
Suite 6, Rineanna House, Shannon 
Free Zone, Co. Clare, Ireland
69 Chemin des Molieres, 69210, 
Lentilly, France
Amar Neptune, Office No.406, off 
Baner Road, S. No.6/1/1, Village 
Baner, Tal. Haveli, Pune, Pune, 
Maharashtra, India

ABS México, S.A. de 

(India) Private Limited

ABS Progen Ireland 

Chitale Genus ABS 

ABS Italia S.r.l.

Bovec SASU

Limited

C.V.

Country of 
incorporation

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Share class

% of share 
capital/
voting 
rights held 
by Group 
companies

Argentina

Direct

ARS1 ordinary

100%

Chile

Direct

South Africa

Indirect

CLP1 common 
Stock
ZAR1 ordinary

100%

100%

Canada

Indirect

CAD1 ordinary

100%

United States

Indirect

Italy

Indirect

USD0.01 
common
€1 Quota

Mexico

Direct

Ireland

Indirect

MXN10 class 1
MXN10 class 2
€1.25 ordinary

100%

100%

100%

100%

France

Indirect

€10 ordinary

100%

India

Indirect

INR100 ordinary

50%1

De Novo Genetics LLC 1286 Oriole Drive, New Albin IA 

United States

Genus ABS Colombia 

SAS

52160, Untied States
Avenida Carrera 70, No. 105 – 51, 
Bogota, Colombia

Genus (Beijing) 

Genus Breeding India 

International Trade Co., 
Ltd.

Genus Australia Pty Ltd 2 Fleet Street, Somerton VIC 3062, 
Australia
B1608, Lucky Tower, East5 3rd Ring 
Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 
100027, China
Amar Neptune, Office No.406, off 
Baner Road, S. No.6/1/1, Village 
Baner, Tal. Haveli, Pune, Pune, 
Maharashtra, India
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Pidlisna str., 1, KYIV 03164, Ukraine

“Genus Ukraine” LLC

Limited (01192037)2

Genus Breeding  

Private Limited

GIFCO (Ireland) 

Designated Activity 
Company

Inimex Genetics  

Limited (01315335)2

In Vitro Brasil México, 

S.A. de C.V.

Suite 6, Rineanna House, Shannon 
Free Zone, Co. Clare, Ireland

Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Plaza Comercial Punto Colorines, 
Boulevard Independencia #746, 
Interior 6, CP. 27140, Cidade Torreon – 
Estado, Coahuila, Mexico

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Colombia

Australia

China

Indirect

Indirect No par value LLC 
units
COP10,000 
ordinary
No par value 
ordinary 
No par value
common stock

Indirect

Indirect

51%

100%

100%

100%

India

Indirect

INR1 ordinary

100%

United 
Kingdom

Direct

£1 ordinary

100%

Ukraine

Indirect

Ireland

Indirect 

No par value 
common stock
USD1 ordinary

100%

100%

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

Mexico

Indirect

MXN1 ordinary

99%

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS152

35. Group entities continued

Name of undertaking

Registered address

In Vitro Brasil Ltda. 

Goiás Street, 1.840, Santa Maria, City 
of Ueraba – Minas Gerais, 38.050-
060, Brazil
In Vitro Colombia S.A.S. Calle 51, N˚71A – 18 Apto 101, Barrio 

Normandia, Bogota DC, Colombia
188671, Distrito De Leningrado Região 
De Vsevolojskiy, Vilarejo De Lepsar, 
Russian Federation
1525 River Road, De Forest WI 
53532, United States
Rod. BR 050 Km 196 + 150metros, 
Zona Rural, Delta, MG – 38108-000, 
Brazil
1525 River Road, De Forest WI 
53532, United States
Avenue Mao Tse Tung, n° 162 – 
Provincia da Zambezia, Quelimane – 
Moçambique, Mozambique
Maximo Tajes 7189, Uruguay

In Vitro Russia LLC

IVB USA, Inc.

Pecplan ABS Imp. e Exp. 

Ltda.

St Jacobs Animal 
Breeding Corp.

In Vitro Mozambique, 

Limitada

Zitery S.A

Nature of business
Porcine

Name of undertaking

Registered address

Agricola PIC Andina 

Limitada

Agroceres PIC Genética 

de Suínos Ltda

Agroceres PIC Suínos 

Ltda

Autopista Los Libertadores Km39.5, 
Chacabuco, Colina, Santiago, Chile
Rua 1 JN, n˚ 1411, Sala 16 – Jardim 
Novo, Rio Claro/SP – CEP, 13.502-741, 
Brazil
Rua 1 JN, n˚ 1411, Sala 17 – Jardim 
Novo, Rio Claro/SP – CEP, 13.502-741, 
Brazil

Country of 
incorporation

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Brazil

Indirect

% of share 
capital/
voting 
rights held 
by Group 
companies

100%

Share class

No par value 
common stock

Colombia

Indirect

COP1 common

Russia

Indirect

RUB1 ordinary

United States

Indirect

Brazil

Indirect

USD0.001 
common
BRL1 ordinary

United States

Indirect

Mozambique

Indirect

No par value 
common stock
MZN1 ordinary

Uruguay

Indirect

UYU0.54 
provisional 
certified 
registered 
UYU1.00 
registered

51%

50%

100%

100%

100%

80%

100%

Country of 
incorporation

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Chile

Indirect

Brazil

Indirect

Share class

CLP1 common 
stock
BRL1 ordinary

% of share 
capital/
voting rights 
held 
by Group 
companies

100%

49%1

Brazil

Indirect

BRL1 ordinary

49%1

Birchwood Genetics, Inc. 465 Stephens Road, West 

United States

Indirect

Genetiporc International 

Minnesota, LLC

Génétiporc México, S.A. 

de C.V.

Genetiporc USA, LLC

Genus China Limited 

Company

Manchester OH 45382, United States
100 BlueGrass Commons Blvd, Suite 
2200, Hendersonville, TN 37075 
United States
Wenceslao de la Barquera No. 7, 
Col. Villas del Sur, 76040 Queretaro, 
Queretaro, Mexico
100 BlueGrass Commons Blvd, Suite 
2200, Hendersonville, TN 37075 
United States
Office 1106, Ramada Plaza, 509 
Caobao Road, Xuhui District, 
Shanghai, 200233, China

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

United States

Indirect

No par value 
ordinary
No par value 
ordinary

100%

100%

Mexico

Indirect MXN1 ordinary

100%

United States

Indirect

China

Indirect 

USD100 LLC 
units

No par value 
common stock

100%

100%

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018 
153

35. Group entities continued

Name of undertaking

Registered address

Hermitage Genetics 
Designated Activity 
Company

Riverside One, Sir John Rogerson’s 
Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland

HY-CO Hybridschweine-
Cooperations GmbH

PIC Genetics LLC

Morganite Investments 

Limited

PIC (Zhangjiagang) Pig 
Improvement Co., Ltd.

PIC Andina SpA

PIC Andina Venezuela 

S.A.

PIC Canada Ltd.

PIC France SA

Tegelberg 19-21, 24576 Bad 
Bramstedt, Germany
79 Narodnyy Boulevard, 308000, 
Belgorod, Russian Federation
Riverside One, Sir John Rogerson’s 
Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland
Office 1210, International Finance 
Tower, 20 Jingang Road, Zhangjiagang 
Bonded Zone, Zhangjiagang City, 
Jiangsu Province, China
Avenida del Parque #4161 office #601, 
Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
5TA. Avenida De La Urbanización 
San Jacinto, Residencias Ambar 1, 
Apto. E-2-A, Maracay, Estado Aragua, 
Venezuela, (Bolivarian Republic of)
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, 1900-
520, 3rd Avenue, S.W., Calgary, 
Alberta T2P OR3, Canada
69 Chemin des Molieres, 69210, 
Lentilly, France

Country of 
incorporation

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Ireland

Indirect

Germany

Indirect

Russia

Indirect

% of share 
capital/
voting rights 
held 
by Group 
companies

100%

50%1

100%

Share class

€1.27 ordinary 
€1.27 
redeemable 
preference 
shares
No par value 
common stock
RUB1 ordinary

Ireland

Indirect

€1 ordinary

100%

China

Indirect

USD1 ordinary

100%

Chile

Indirect

Venezuela

Indirect

USD65.449 
ordinary
VEF1 ordinary

100%

100%

Canada

Indirect

CAD1 ordinary

100%

France

Indirect

€17 ordinary

100%

PIG Datendienst GmbH Ratsteich 31, 24837 Schleswig, 

Germany

Indirect

Pig Improvement 

Company de México,  
S. de R.L. de C.V. 

PIG Improvement 

Company Deutschland 
GmbH

Germany
Wenceslao de la Barquera No.7, 
Col. Villas del Sur, 76040 Queretaro, 
Queretaro, Mexico
Jathostraße 11a, D-30163 Hannover, 
Germany

Mexico

Indirect

Germany

Indirect

No par value 
common stock
No par value 
common stock

No par value 
common stock

50%1

100%

100%

Pig Improvement 

Pig Improvement 

PIC Philippines, Inc.

Company España, S.A.

Company UK Limited 
(00716304)2
PIC Italia S.r.l.

C/Pau Vila, 22 2º puerta 6, 08174 Sant 
Cugat del Valles, Barcelona, Spain
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Strada dei Loggi 22, 06135, Ponte San 
Giovanni, Perugia, Italy
Unit 2101/2102, 21st Floor Jollibee 
Plaza, F. Ortigas, Jr. Rd., Ortigas 
Center, Pasig City, 1605, Philippines
ul. Gwiazdzista 7 lok.2, 01-651, 
Warszawa, Poland
PIC Romania SRL, 8, Caimatei Street, 
Sector 2, Bucharest, Romania
100 BlueGrass Commons Blvd, Suite 
2200, Hendersonville, TN 37075 
United States
3500 South Dupont Highway, Dover, 
Delaware 19901, United States
Reprodutores PIC, Lda Rua Sampaio e Pina, no. 58, 2 

RenOVAte Biosciences, 

PIC Polska Sp. z o.o.

PIC Romania S.R.L.

PIC USA, Inc.

Inc.

esquerdo 1070-250, Lisboa, Portugal

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Spain

Indirect

€25 ordinary

100%

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

£0.10 ordinary

100%

Italy

Indirect

€1 ordinary

85%

Philippines

Indirect PHP100 ordinary

100%

Poland

Indirect

Romania

Indirect

United States

Indirect

PLN1,000 
ordinary
RON2,983.10 
ordinary
USD1 ordinary

United States

Portugal

Direct USD0.001 series 
seed preferred
No par value 
common stock

Indirect

100%

100%

100%

50%

100%

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS154

35. Group entities continued

Name of undertaking

Registered address

Shaanxi PIC Pig 

Improvement Co., Ltd.

Xianyang Yongxiang 

Agriculture Technology 
Co., Ltd.

Other

Room 2008, Unit 1, Building 1, 
Block Saigao, Weiyang Road, 
Xi’an Economic and Technological 
Development Zone, Xi’an City, Shaanxi 
Province, China
Qiaojiaguan Village, Jianjun Town 
Yongshou County, Xianyang Shaanxi 
Province, China

Name of undertaking

Registered address

Promar International 

Limited (03004562)2

Accounting & 

Managerial Services 
S. de R.L. de C.V.
Génétiporc Servicios 

Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Kansas No. 2028, Quintas Campestre, 
31214, Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico

PIC Servicios 

Brazilian Holdings 

ABS Pecplan Ltda.

GIL Finance S.à.r.l.

Limited (00479048)2

Fyfield (SM) Limited 

Tecnicos S.A. de C.V.

Agropecuarios, 
S.A. de C.V.

Wenceslao de la Barquera No. 7, 
Col. Villas del Sur, 76040 Queretaro, 
Queretaro, Mexico
Wenceslao de la Barquera No. 7, 
Col. Villas del Sur, 76040 Queretaro, 
Queretaro, Mexico
121 Avenue de la Faiencerie , L-1511, 
Luxembourg
ABS International, Inc. 1525 River Road, De Forest WI 53532, 
United States
Rod. BR 050 Km 196 + 150metros, 
Zona Rural, Delta, MG – 38108-000, 
Brazil
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Rua 1 JN, no. 1411, Sala 13,, Jardim 
Novo, Rio Claro, Estado De Sao Paulo, 
CEP 13.502.741, Brazil
100%
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom

Empreendimentos e 
Participações Ltda.

Limited (02028517)2

Genus Investments 

PIC Fyfield Limited 

Fyfield Holland B.V.

PIC (UK) Limited

PIC Do Brasil 

(00019739)2

(01026475)2

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Country of 
incorporation

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

China

Indirect

% of share 
capital/
voting rights 
held 
by Group 
companies

100%

Share class

No par value 
common stock

China

Indirect

No par value 
common stock

49%1

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Direct

Country of 
incorporation

United 
Kingdom

% of share 
capital/
voting rights 
held 
by Group 
companies

Share class

£1 ordinary

100%

Mexico

Indirect

MXN1 class 1

100%

Mexico

Indirect MXN1 ordinary

100%

Mexico

Indirect

MXN1,000 
ordinary

100%

Luxembourg

Indirect

USD1 ordinary

100%

United States

Indirect

USD1 ordinary

100%

Brazil

Direct

BRL1 ordinary

100%

United 
Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

Netherlands

Indirect

NLG100  
ordinary

100%

United 
Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

Direct

£1 ordinary

100%

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

Brazil

Indirect

BRL0.01  
ordinary

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018155

35. Group entities continued

Name of undertaking

Registered address

Pig Improvement 

Company Overseas 
Limited (00716304)2
Premium Genetics (UK) 
Limited (08461779)2

Premium Genetics 

Limited
Sygen, Inc.

Sygen International 

Limited (03215874)2

Agence Spillers N.V.

Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Alpha Building, London Road, 
Nantwich, Stapeley, Cheshire, CW5 
7JW, United Kingdom
Suite 6, Rineanna House, Shannon 
Free Zone, Co. Clare, Ireland
100 BlueGrass Commons Blvd, Suite 
2200, Hendersonville, TN 37075 
United States
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Place Saint-Lambert 14, 1200 Woluwe-
Saint-Lambert, Belgium

Bellapais Farm Limited Julia House, 3 Th Dervis Street, 

Bellapais Hatcheries 

Limited

Brazilian Properties 

Limited

Busby Participações 

Ltda.

Cannavarro 

Participações Ltda.

Nicosia, Ch 1066, Cyprus
Julia House, 3 Th Dervis Street, 
Nicosia, Ch 1066, Cyprus
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Av. Leopoldino de Oliveira, 4.113, 
Sala 303, Centro, CEP: 38010-000, 
UBERABA-MG
Av. Leopoldino de Oliveira, 4.113, 
Sala 303, Centro, CEP: 38010-000, 
UBERABA-MG

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Indirect

% of share 
capital/
voting rights 
held 
by Group 
companies

Share class

£1 ordinary

100%

Indirect

£0.10 ordinary

100%

Country of 
incorporation

United 
Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

Ireland

Indirect

€1.27 ordinary

100%

United States

Indirect

USD1 common

100%

United 
Kingdom

Direct

£0.10 ordinary

100%

Belgium
Cyprus

Indirect
Indirect

Cyprus

Indirect

United 
Kingdom

Direct

No par value 
common stock
No par value 
common stock
No par value 
common stock
£1 ordinary

100%
34.1%1

34.1%1

100%

Brazil

Indirect

BRL1 ordinary

100%

Brazil

Indirect

BRL1 ordinary

100%

Dalco Exportadora Ltda. Av. Leopoldino de Oliveira, 4.113,  

Brazil

Indirect

BRL1 ordinary

100%

Dalgety Pension Trust 

Limited

Elmira ABC Ltd.

Sala 303, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, CEP 
38010-000, Brazil
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
1525 Floradale Road, Elmira ON N3B 
2Z1, Canada

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

Canada

Indirect

NPV class “A” 
special shares
NPV class “B” 
special shares
NPV common 
shares
£1 ordinary

€1.25 ‘A’  
ordinary
€1.25 ‘B’  
ordinary
USD0.001 
common
£1 ordinary

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Direct

£1 ordinary

100%

Fyfield Dormant

Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

Fyfield Ireland Limited One Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, 

Ireland

Indirect

Dublin 1, Ireland

Genus Americas, Inc.

Genus Quest Trustees 

Limited

1525 River Road, De Forest WI 53532, 
United States
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom

Genus Trustees Limited Matrix House, Basing View, 

Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

United States

Indirect

Direct

United 
Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS156

35. Group entities continued

Name of undertaking

Registered address

PIC Benelux B.V.

Pigtales Limited

Progen Ltd

Skogluno Participações 

Ltda.

Spillers Limited 
(00024021)2

Spillers Overseas 

Limited

Spratts GmbH

Sygen Investimentos 

Ltda.

Usicafé SA

Saffierborch 18, 5241 LN Rosmaien, 
Netherlands
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Av. Leopoldino de Oliveira, 4.113, 
Sala 303, Centro, CEP: 38010-000, 
UBERABA-MG
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Matrix House, Basing View, 
Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4DZ, 
United Kingdom
Ratsteich 31, 24837 Schleswig, 
Germany
Av. Leopoldino de Oliveira, 4113 – Sala 
303, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, CEP 
38010-000, Brazil
c/o Cabinet Mayor, avocats, Rue Jean-
Gabriel Eynard 6, 1205 Genève

% of share 
capital/
voting rights 
held 
by Group 
companies

100%

100%

Share class

No par value 
common stock
£1 ordinary

Country of 
incorporation

Direct/
indirect 
Group
 interest

Netherlands

Indirect

Indirect

United 
Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

£1 ordinary

100%

Brazil

Indirect

BRL1 Ordinary

100%

United 
Kingdom

United 
Kingdom

Indirect

Indirect

£0.25  
ordinary £1 
preference
£0.25 ordinary

Germany

Indirect

Brazil

Indirect

Switzerland

Indirect

No par value 
common stock

BRL0.63  
ordinary

CHF1,000 
ordinary

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

1  Associated undertakings including joint venture interests.
2  UK subsidiaries’ name and registered number taking advantage of the audit exemption within section 479A of the Companies Act 2006.

36. Deferred consideration
During the year, we recognised the value of Møllevang Genetics and made deferred consideration payments totalling £1.8m in 
respect of our previous acquisitions of De Novo Genetics and Hermitage Genetics.

Avlscenter Møllevang A/S (‘Møllevang’)
On 14 November 2017, Genus PIC announced that commencing 2 July 2018, it had entered into a strategic relationship with 
Møllevang, a leading Danish porcine genetics company. After 2 July 2018, Møllevang became an elite porcine genetics production 
partner for PIC in Denmark and will continue to distribute elite genetics to the Danish market and certain other countries.

As all material conditions for completion of the transaction with Møllevang under the terms of the subscription agreement were 
fulfilled at the balance sheet date, we have recognised the value of the genetics acquired in biological assets and a related total 
deferred consideration of £23.5m was recorded in current and non-current liabilities.

The preliminary amounts recognised in respect of the identifiable assets acquired are set out in the table below.

Biological assets acquired (see note 15)

Satisfied by:
Cash consideration
Deferred consideration – current
Deferred consideration – non-current

£m

25.1

1.6
19.3
4.2

25.1

37. Post balance sheet events
On 2 July 2018, Genus PIC and Møllevang, a leading Danish porcine genetics company, signed an exclusive distribution 
agreement for Denmark, entered into a sireline nucleus agreement and Genus PIC purchased 49% of Møllevang. In accordance 
with the subscription agreement, Genus PIC paid £19.3m on 2 July 2018. Møllevang will be an elite porcine genetics production 
partner for PIC in Denmark and will continue to distribute elite genetics to the Danish market and certain other countries.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

NOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 201838. Non-controlling interest

Non-controlling interest
Put option over non-controlling interest (see note 24)

Total non-controlling interest

157

2018 
£m

5.7
(3.2)

2.5

 2017
 £m

6.1
(3.3)

2.8

Summarised financial information in respect of each of the Group’s subsidiaries that has a material non-controlling interest is set 
out below. The summarised financial information below represents amounts before intra-Group eliminations.

De Novo Genetics

Biological assets
Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities

Net assets
Equity attributable to owners of the Company

Non-controlling interest for De Novo Genetics
Other non-controlling interest

Non-controlling interest

No dividends were paid to non-controlling interests (2017: £0.1m).

2018 
£m

10.7
0.7
3.1
(4.2)

10.3
(5.2)

5.1
0.6

5.7

 2017
 £m

10.2
1.4
2.4
(2.1)

11.9
(6.1)

5.8
0.3

6.1

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS 
158

PARENT COMPANY BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30 JUNE 2018

Non-current assets
Intangible assets
Tangible assets
Investments in subsidiaries
Other investments
Derivative financial asset

Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Net current assets

Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

Net assets

Capital and reserves
Called up share capital
Share premium account
Own shares
Retained earnings
Hedging reserve

Shareholders’ funds

Note

2018 
£m

2017 
£m

41
42
43
44
50

45

47

48

51

4.9
0.6
87.2
2.2
0.3

95.2

461.7
–

461.7
(249.8)

211.9

307.1
(123.5)

183.6

6.2
112.8
(0.1)
62.7
2.0

183.6

3.1
0.8
84.4
1.9
1.3

91.5

465.2
–

465.2
(257.5)

207.7

299.2
(127.8)

171.4

6.1
112.8
(0.1)
51.5
1.1

171.4

The Company recognised a total comprehensive profit for the year of £21.6m (2017: £35.8m profit).

The Financial Statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 5 September 2018.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors

Karim Bitar 
Chief Executive   

Company number: 02972325

Stephen Wilson
Group Finance Director

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PARENT COMPANY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

Balance at 1 July 2016
Total comprehensive profit for the financial year
Movement on pension asset recognition 

restriction
Shares issued
Dividends
Share-based payment expense, net of tax
Fair value of movement on cash flow hedges, net 

of tax

Balance at 30 June 2017
Total comprehensive profit for the financial year
Actuarial gain on retirement benefits obligations
Movement on pension asset recognition 

restriction
Shares issued
Dividends
Share-based payment expense, net of tax
Fair value of movement on cash flow hedges, net 

of tax

Balance at 30 June 2018

Called 
up share 
capital 
£m

Share 
premium 
account 
£m

Own shares 
£m

Retained 
earnings
 £m

Hedging 
reserve 
£m

6.1
–

112.3
–

(0.1)
–

–
–
–
–

–

6.1
–
–

–
0.1
–
–

–

6.2

–
0.5
–
–

–

112.8
–
–

–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–

–

(0.1)
–
–

–
–
–
–

–

112.8

(0.1)

26.8
35.8

(1.2)
–
(13.5)
3.6

–

51.5
21.6
2.8

(2.8)
–
(14.9)
4.5

–

62.7

(0.6)
–

–
–
–
–

1.7

1.1
–
–

–
–
–
–

0.9

2.0

For information on dividends see note 13, cash flow hedges see note 24 and share-based payment expense see note 28.

159

Total 
equity 
£m

144.5
35.8

(1.2)
0.5
(13.5)
3.6

1.7

171.4
21.6
2.8

(2.8)
0.1
(14.9)
4.5

0.9

183.6

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS160

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

39. Accounting information and policies
Basis of preparation
The Parent Company Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101, ‘Reduced 
Disclosure Framework’ (‘FRS 101’) and the Companies Act 2006 (the ‘Act’). FRS 101 sets out a reduced disclosure framework 
for a ‘qualifying entity’ as defined in the standard, which addresses the financial reporting requirements and disclosure 
exemptions in the individual financial statements of qualifying entities that otherwise apply the recognition, measurement and 
disclosure requirements of EU-adopted IFRSs.

The Company Financial Statements have been prepared using the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of 
certain financial assets and financial liabilities and in accordance with the Act. The Financial Statements have been prepared on a 
going concern basis, as set out in note 1 of the Consolidated Financial Statements of Genus plc. The accounting policies set out 
below and stated in the relevant notes have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these Financial Statements.

The Company has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available under FRS 101 in relation to share-based payments, 
business combinations, financial instruments, presentation of comparative information in respect of certain assets, presentation 
of a cash flow statement, standards issued not yet effective, impairment of assets and related party transactions. Where 
required, equivalent disclosures are given in the Consolidated Financial Statements of Genus plc.

As permitted by section 408 of the Act, the Company has not presented its own income statement in this Annual Report.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
Preparing Company Financial Statements in conformity with FRS 101 requires management to make estimates and assumptions 
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the 
Company Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results 
could differ from those estimates. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to 
accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in 
the period of the revision and future periods, if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The areas of judgement that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are the 
review for impairment of investment carrying values and the valuation of share-based payments.

Pensions
A number of our employees are members of defined contribution pension schemes. We charge contributions to profit and loss 
as they become payable under the schemes’ rules. We show differences between the contributions payable and the amounts 
actually paid as either accruals or prepayments in the balance sheet. The schemes’ assets are held separately from those of 
the Company.

Certain former employees of the Company are members of one of the Group’s defined benefit pension schemes, further details 
of which are given in note 27 of the Group Financial Statements. The schemes are all multi-employer defined benefit schemes, 
whose assets and liabilities are held independently from the Group but within their sponsored Group company.

Significant accounting policies applied in the current reporting period that relate to the Financial Statements 
as a whole
Taxation
We provide for current tax, including UK corporation tax and foreign tax, at the amounts we expect to pay or recover, using the 
tax rates and the laws enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date.

Foreign currencies
We record transactions in foreign currencies at the rate ruling at the transaction date or at the contracted rate, if the transaction is 
covered by a forward foreign currency contract. We retranslate monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies 
at the prevailing rate of exchange at the balance sheet date or, if appropriate, at the forward contract rate. All differences are 
taken to the income statement.

Own shares
The Company has adopted FRS 101, which requires us to recognise the assets and liabilities associated with the Company’s 
investment in its own shares in the Company’s Financial Statements, where there is de facto control of the assets and liabilities.

The Company’s own shares held by a Qualifying Employee Share Ownership Trust remain deducted from shareholders’ funds 
until they vest unconditionally with employees.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

161

39. Accounting information and policies continued
Employee share schemes
The Company’s Executive Directors and Chief Operating Officers receive part of their remuneration in the form of share awards, 
which vest upon meeting performance criteria over a three-year period.

We measure the cost of these awards by reference to the shares’ fair value at the award date. At the end of each financial 
reporting period, we estimate the extent to which the performance criteria will be met at the end of three years and record an 
appropriate charge in the profit and loss account, together with a corresponding credit to profit and loss reserves. Changes in 
estimates of the number of shares vesting may result in charges or credits to the profit and loss account in subsequent periods.

Share-based payments
We have implemented the generally accepted accounting principle for accounting for share-based payments with subsidiary 
undertakings under FRS 101, whereby the Company has granted rights to its shares to employees of its subsidiary undertakings 
under an equity-settled arrangement, and the subsidiaries have not reimbursed the Company for these rights. Under this 
arrangement, the Company treats the share-based payment recognised in the subsidiary’s Financial Statements as a cost of 
investment in the subsidiary and credits equity with an equal amount.

Derivative financial instruments and hedging
Our activities expose us primarily to the financial risks of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates.

We use interest rate swaps to hedge interest rate risk. We also use forward foreign currency contracts, implemented through a 
medium-term US Dollar cross currency borrowing and related interest rate swap, to hedge exposure to translation risk associated 
with US Dollar net assets of subsidiaries. Forward foreign currency contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting in the Parent 
Company Financial Statements, as the hedged item is not in its balance sheet.

Our use of financial derivative instruments is governed by the Group’s policies, which are approved by the Board of Directors. 
The notes to the Group Financial Statements include information about the Group’s financial risks and their management, and its 
use of financial instruments and their impact on the Group’s risk profile, performance and financial condition.

The fair value of the US Dollar and interest rate swaps is the estimated amount that we would receive or pay to terminate the 
swap at the balance sheet date, taking into account current interest rates and the creditworthiness of the swap counterparties.

The fair value of forward exchange contracts is their quoted market price at the balance sheet date, which is the present value of 
the quoted forward price.

Cash flow hedges
Where a derivative financial instrument is designated as hedging the variability in cash flows of a recognised asset or liability, or a 
highly probable forecast transaction, we recognise the effective part of any gain or loss on the instrument directly in the hedging 
reserve. We recognise any ineffective portion of the hedge immediately in the profit and loss account.

If we hedge a forecast transaction that subsequently results in our recognising a financial asset or liability, then we reclassify the 
associated gains and losses that we had recognised directly in equity into profit or loss. We do this in the same period or periods 
that the asset or liability affects profit or loss, which are the periods when we recognise the interest income or expense.

If we expect a hedged forecast transaction to occur but the hedging instrument has expired, been sold, terminated or exercised, 
or we have revoked the designation of the hedge relationship, then the cumulative gain or loss at that point remains in equity and 
we recognise it in accordance with the above policy when the transaction occurs. If we no longer expect the hedged transaction 
to occur, we immediately recognise in the profit and loss account the cumulative unrealised gain or loss recognised in equity.

When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised, or we revoke designation of the hedge relationship, the 
cumulative gain or loss at that point remains in equity until we dispose of the investment it relates to.

We treat derivatives embedded in other financial instruments or other host contracts as separate derivatives, when their risks 
and characteristics are not closely related to those of the host contracts and the host contracts are not carried at fair value, with 
unrealised gains and losses reported in the income statement.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS162

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

40. Employees
Staff costs including Directors’ remuneration during the year amounted to:

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
Share-based payment expense

2018 
£m

5.5
0.9
0.1
2.4

8.9

 2017
 £m

4.9
1.5
0.1
2.0

8.5

The employee costs above are inclusive of £0.1m (2017: £nil) which has been capitalised into intangible assets as part of the 
development of GenusOne (see note 41). 

The Directors’ Remuneration Report sets out details of the Directors’ remuneration, pensions and share options.

The average monthly number of employees including Directors during the year was as follows:

Administration

2018 
Number

2017 
Number

38

37

41. Intangible assets
Accounting policies
Patents, licences and software are stated at acquisition cost less accumulated amortisation. The amortisation period is 
determined by reference to expected useful life, which is reviewed at least annually. Amortisation is charged to the income 
statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life. Changes in the expected useful life or the expected pattern of 
consumption of future economic benefits embodied in the asset are accounted for by changing the amortisation period or 
method, as appropriate, and are treated as changes in accounting estimates.

Cost
Balance at 1 July 2017
Additions
Reclassified from tangible fixed assets
Transfers
Disposals

Balance at 30 June 2018

Amortisation
Balance at 1 July 2017
Amortisation for the year

Balance at 30 June 2018

Carrying amounts
At 30 June 2018

At 30 June 2017

Software 
£m

Patents and 
licences
 £m

Asset under 
construction 
£m

1.3
–
0.2
0.1
(0.1)

1.5

0.9
0.2

1.1

0.4

0.4

3.7
–
–
–
–

3.7

1.0
0.9

1.9

1.8

2.7

–
2.8
–
(0.1)
–

2.7

–
–

–

2.7

–

Total 
£m

5.0
2.8
0.2
–
(0.1)

7.9

1.9
1.1

3.0

4.9

3.1

Assets under construction primarily relate to the ongoing development of GenusOne, a unified enterprise-wide business system.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

163

42. Tangible assets
Accounting policies
We state fixed assets at cost, together with any incidental acquisition expenses, or at their latest valuation, less depreciation and 
any provision for impairment. We calculate depreciation on a straight-line basis, to write the assets down to their estimated 
residual values over their estimated useful lives. The rates of annual depreciation on tangible fixed assets are as follows:

Leasehold improvements 
Equipment 

period of lease
3 to 20 years

We review the carrying value of fixed assets for impairment, if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying 
value may not be recoverable.

Cost
Balance at 1 July 2017
Reclassified to intangible assets

Balance at 30 June 2018

Depreciation
Balance at 1 July 2017
Depreciation for the year

Balance at 30 June 2018

Carrying amounts
At 30 June 2018

At 30 June 2017

Short 
leasehold 
improvements 
£m

Equipment 
£m

0.5
–

0.5

0.1
–

0.1

0.4

0.4

0.8
(0.2)

0.6

0.4
–

0.4

0.2

0.4

Total 
£m

1.3
(0.2)

1.1

0.5
–

0.5

0.6

0.8

43. Investments in subsidiaries
Accounting policies
Shares in subsidiary undertakings are stated at cost less any provision for impairment.

The Company assesses investments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying 
value of an investment may not be recoverable. If any such indication of impairment exists, then we estimate the recoverable 
amount. If the recoverable amount of the CGU is less than the value of the investment, it is considered to be impaired and we 
write it down to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in the profit and loss account.

Cost
Balance at 1 July 2017
Additions

Balance at 30 June 2018

Provision for impairment
Balance at 1 July 2017
Provided during the year 

Balance at 30 June 2018

Carrying amounts
At 30 June 2018

At 30 June 2017

Additions relate to increasing our investment in ABS Argentina S.A. and Genus Investments Limited.

Principal subsidiary undertakings
The Company’s principal subsidiaries and their main activities are given in note 35.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

Shares in 
subsidiary 
undertakings 
£m

277.6
2.8

280.4

193.2
–

193.2

87.2

84.4

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS 
 
 
164

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

44. Other investments
Accounting policies
Listed equity investments are stated at fair value. Unlisted equity investments that do not have a quoted market price in an active 
market and whose fair value cannot be reliably measured are measured at cost less any identified impairment losses at the end 
of each reporting period.

Listed investment
Other investment

2018 
£m

1.9
0.3

2.2

 2017
 £m

1.6
0.3

1.9

In the prior year, as part of the NMR pension agreement, we acquired 2,120,000 ordinary shares in National Milk records plc – 
see note 27.

In the prior year, we also invested £0.3m in RenOVAte Biosciences Inc.

45. Debtors

Amounts due within one year
Amounts owed by Group undertakings
Corporation tax recoverable
Prepayments and accrued income
Deferred taxation
Derivative financial asset

Note

2018 
£m

 2017
 £m

453.9
2.0
1.8
1.5
2.5

461.7

462.3
0.1
1.3
1.5
–

465.2

46
50

At the balance sheet date, the amounts owed by Group undertakings were £453.9m (2017: £462.3m). The carrying amount of 
these assets approximates their fair value. There are impaired receivable balances of £nil (2017: £nil). Of the amounts owed by 
Group undertakings, £333.3m (2017: £334.7m) is interest bearing.

46. Deferred taxation
Accounting policies
We recognise deferred taxation in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet 
date, where transactions or events that result in an obligation to pay more tax in future or a right to pay less tax in future have 
occurred at the balance sheet date.

We only recognise deferred taxation assets if we consider it more likely than not that we will have suitable profits from which we 
can deduct the future reversal of the underlying timing differences. Timing differences are differences arising between the 
Company’s taxable profits and its results as stated in the Financial Statements, and which are capable of reversing in one or 
more subsequent periods.

We only recognise deferred taxation in respect of the future remittance of retained earnings of overseas subsidiaries to the 
extent that, at the balance sheet date, dividends have been accrued as receivable.

We measure deferred taxation on a non-discounted basis, at the tax rates we expect to apply in the periods in which we expect 
the timing differences to reverse, based on tax rates and laws enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date.

The movements in deferred taxation are as follows:

At the start of the year
Recognised in income statement
Release in equity

At the end of the year

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
£m

1.5
–
–

1.5

 2017
 £m

1.6
0.1
(0.2)

1.5

46. Deferred taxation continued
The amounts provided are as follows:

Share-based payment expense
Other timing differences

165

2018 
£m

1.5
–

1.5

 2017
 £m

1.3
0.2

1.5

Unrecognised deferred tax assets
At the balance sheet date, the Company had no unused tax losses available for offset against future profits, with a potential tax 
benefit of £nil (2017: £nil).

47. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Bank loans and overdrafts
Trade creditors
Other creditors 
Amounts owed to Group undertakings
Accruals and deferred income
Derivative financial liabilities

Note

49

50

2018 
£m

10.6
2.5
1.0
233.1
2.3
0.3

249.8

 2017
 £m

7.5
0.8
0.7
245.0
2.9
0.6

257.5

Included within amounts owed to Group undertakings are amounts of £207.5m (2017: £209.6m) which are interest bearing and 
payable on demand.

There are no outstanding contributions due to defined contribution pension schemes for the benefit of the employees (2017: £nil).

48. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

Bank loans and overdrafts
Derivative financial liabilities
Provisions – share forfeiture

Note

49
50

2018 
£m

120.7
0.6
2.2

123.5

 2017
 £m

127.4
0.4
–

127.8

The share forfeiture provision of £2.2m relates to potential claims that could be made by untraced members over the next three 
years, relating to the resale proceeds of shares that were identified during the year as being forfeited.

49. Loans and borrowings
Accounting policies
We initially state debt at the amount of the net proceeds, after deducting issue costs. The carrying amount is increased by the 
finance cost in respect of the accounting period and reduced by payments made in the period.

We charge the finance costs of debt to the profit and loss account over the debt term, at a constant rate on the carrying value of 
the debt to which they relate.

Loans and borrowings comprise amounts falling due:
In one year or less or on demand
In more than one year but not more than two years
In more than two years but not more than five years

Less: unamortised issue costs

Amounts falling due within one year

Amounts falling due after more than one year

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

2018 
£m

 2017
 £m

11.0
–
121.4

132.4
(1.1)

131.3
(10.6)

120.7

8.1
–
128.2

136.3
(1.4)

134.9
(7.5)

127.4

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS166

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

49. Loans and borrowings continued
During the year, we exercised an accordion request, which increased our available credit facilities by £20m. At the balance sheet 
date, the Company’s credit facilities comprised a £95m multi-currency revolving credit facility and a US$165m revolving credit 
facility. £46m of the Company’s credit facilities expire in February 2021. The remaining facilities will expire in February 2022.

As part of its interest rate strategy, the Company has entered into interest rate swaps to hedge floating LIBOR rates. As a result, 
bank loan and overdrafts include borrowings of US$110m (£83.3m) fixed at 1.17% and £35m fixed at 0.73%, excluding applicable 
bank margin.

Terms and debt repayment schedule
Terms and conditions of outstanding loans and overdrafts were as follows:

Revolving credit facility and overdraft
Revolving credit facility, term loan and overdraft
Revolving credit facility and overdraft
Other unsecured bank borrowings

Total interest-bearing liabilities

The above revolving credit facilities are unsecured.

50. Derivatives and other financial instruments
Additional disclosures on financial instruments can be found in note 24.

51. Capital and reserves
Share capital

Issued and fully paid
Ordinary shares of 10 pence

Currency

Interest rate

GBP
USD
EUR
Other

1.5%
3.3%
1.2%
1.0%

2018 
£m

33.5
90.1
0.9
6.8

131.3

2017 
£m

22.6
106.2
–
6.1

134.9

2018 
Number

2017 
Number

2018 
£m

61,542,467

61,161,622

6.2

2017
 £m

6.1

The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends, as declared from time to time.

The movement in share capital for the period was as follows:

Issued under the Executive Share Option Plan
Issued to Employee Benefits Trust 

2018 
Number

30,845
350,000

380,845

2017 
Number

68,840
80,079

148,919

2018 
£m

2017
 £m

–
–

–

–
–

–

Shares issued under the Executive Share Option Plan were issued at option prices as follows:

2018 
Number

Price
(pence)

2017 
Number

Price
(pence)

582.00
776.00
654.50
729.83
977.83
1,334.00
1,413.00

2,721
2,970
3,268
2,034
4,580
4,145
11,127

30,845

582.00
776.00
654.50
729.83
977.83
1,334.00
1,413.00

1,984
2,847
2,434
8,065
24,139
9,206
20,165

68,840

Executive Share Option Plan

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

167

51. Capital and reserves continued
Reserve for own shares
The Company’s shares are held by a QUEST, which is an employee benefit trust established to facilitate the operation of our 
long-term incentive scheme for senior management. The reserve amount represents the deduction in arriving at shareholders’ 
funds for the consideration the trust paid for the Company’s shares, which had not vested unconditionally at the balance sheet 
date. The number and market value of the ordinary shares held by the employee benefit trust and the QUEST were:

Shares allocated but not vested
Unallocated shares

2018 
Number

87,265
92,334

2017 
Number

70,272
92,334

179,599

162,606

2018 
£m

2.3
2.4

4.7

2017
 £m

1.3
1.6

2.9

The shares have a nominal value of £17,960 (2017: £16,261).

Hedging reserve
The hedging reserve comprises the effective portion of the cumulative net change in the fair value of cash flow hedging 
instruments net of taxation – see note 24.

52. Operating leases
Accounting policies
For operating leases, we charge the rentals payable, and any incentives we receive to enter into an operating lease, to the 
income statement on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company has entered into non-cancellable commercial arrangements on certain equipment, properties and motor vehicles. 
The leases have various terms and renewal rights.

Total of future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases which expire after:

More than five-years

Operating lease rentals charged in the year:

Other

2018 
£m

0.8

2018 
£m

0.2

2017
 £m

1.0

2017
 £m

0.2

The leases have various terms and renewal rights. There are no other restrictions imposed by these lease agreements.

53. Related party transactions
The Company is exempt under FRS 101 from disclosing transactions with other members of the Group.

Transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation and are 
not disclosed in this note. Details of other related party transactions are disclosed in note 17, note 27 and note 34 in the Group 
Financial Statements.

54. Capital and other commitments
At 30 June 2018, outstanding contracted capital expenditure amounted to £nil (2017: nil).

A software agreement was signed on 23 June 2017, with a minimum five-year term, with an annual cost of £0.8m.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS168

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

55. Pensions, guarantees and contingencies
On 23 June 2017, NMR withdrew from the MPF under a Flexible Apportionment Arrangement (‘FAA’) between NMR, Genus 
and the Trustees of the MPF. In return for the right to withdraw from the MPF, NMR made a one-off, lump sum cash payment of 
£10.1m to the MPF, equivalent to the undiscounted value of all NMR’s future payments under the existing MPF recovery plan 
which extends to March 2026. NMR also made a payment to Genus of £4.7m, with £1.4m being satisfied by the issue of NMR 
shares.

As a result of the NMR withdrawal, Genus plc has recognised in the prior year £5.7m as an exceptional credit, with £4.5m (£4.7m 
payment net of fees) being received directly from NMR, and £1.2m from the MPF pension scheme, reflecting the impact of 
NMR paying undiscounted amounts into the scheme.

During the year, the NMR pension assigned to Genus plc under the FAA recorded an actuarial gain of £2.8m, which was 
restricted in accordance with IFRIC 14 to £nil, as the Company does not have unilateral right to this surplus. For additional 
information on the MPF pension scheme to which NMR was one of the participating employers, please see note 27.

The retirement benefit obligations referred to in note 27 include obligations relating to the Milk Pension Fund defined benefit 
scheme. Genus, together with other participating employers, is joint and severally liable for the scheme’s obligations. Genus has 
accounted for its section and its share of any orphan assets and liabilities, collectively representing approximately 86% (2017: 
85%) of the MPF. As a result of the joint and several liability, Genus has a contingent liability for the scheme’s obligations that it 
has not accounted for. The total deficit of the MPF scheme from the most recent triennial valuation can be found in note 27.

Certain UK subsidiaries which are detailed in note 35 will take advantage of the audit exemption set out within section 479A of 
the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 30 June 2018, The Company has assessed the probability of loss under the 
guarantee as remote.

At 30 June 2018, we had entered into bank guarantees totalling £1.0m.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

169

FIVE-YEAR RECORD – CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

The information included in the five-year record below is in accordance with IFRS as adopted for use in the European Union.

Financial results

Revenue from continuing operations

Adjusted operating profit from continuing operations1
Adjusted operating profit including joint ventures and 

associates1

Adjusted profit before tax1

Basic adjusted earnings per share1
Diluted adjusted earnings per share1

Operating profit from continuing operations
Profit before tax from continuing operations
Profit after tax from continuing operations

Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

Net assets
Net debt 

2018 
£m

470.3

57.7

63.1
58.5

75.9p
74.9p

8.2
7.8
41.6

69.7p
68.7p

419.1
108.5

2017 
£m

459.1

55.1

60.1
56.4

69.4p
68.4p

38.2
40.7
34.3

53.8p
53.0p

402.1
111.6

2016
 £m

388.3

49.3

54.3
49.7

60.7p
60.1p

58.6
60.9
50.3

81.1p
80.3p

368.1
89.7

2015 
£m

2014 
£m

398.5

372.2

47.2

51.2
46.6

56.8p
56.1p

59.5
57.8
40.5

65.7p
64.9p

305.1
71.8

42.9

44.8
39.3

46.5p
46.4p

41.8
38.2
28.9

47.7p
47.6p

285.3
63.9

1  Adjusted operating profit, adjusted profit before tax and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share are before net IAS 41 valuation movement on biological assets, 

amortisation of acquired intangible assets, share-based payment expense, exceptional items and other gains and losses.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS170

GLOSSARY

AGM – Annual General Meeting.

Artificial insemination (‘AI’) – Using semen collected from  
a bull or boar to impregnate a cow or sow when in estrus. 
Artificial insemination allows a genetically superior male to be 
used to mate with many more females than would be possible 
with natural mating.

ASF – African Swine Fever.

Biosecurity – The precautions taken to reduce the chance  
of transmitting disease agents from one livestock operation  
to another.

Boar – A male pig.

BRD – Bovine Respiratory Disease, a complex, bacterial and 
viral infection that causes lung disease in cattle (particularly 
calves) and is often fatal.

CPI – Consumer Price Index.

CRISPR-Cas 9 – Technology which accurately targets and 
cuts DNA to produce precise and controllable changes to 
the genome.

CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility.

DSBP – Deferred Share Bonus Plan.

EPS – Earnings per share.

Farrow – When a sow gives birth to piglets.

GMS – ABS’s Genetic Management System, which creates a 
genetic solution tailored to each individual dairy producer to 
obtain improved herd genetics.

Grandparent – The relationship of a breeding pig to the 
generation of terminal market pigs. A grandparent produces 
parents, who in turn produce the commercial generation of 
terminal pigs.

Group – Genus plc and its subsidiary companies.

GSS – Genus Sexed Semen.

In vitro fertilisation (‘IVF’) – The fertilisation of an oocyte 
with semen (outside an animal) in a laboratory for transfer into 
a surrogate.

Index/Indices – A formula incorporating economically 
important traits for ranking the genetic potential of animals as 
parents of the next generation.

Integrated pork producer – Producers of pork typically 
involved in raising animals to slaughter weight all the way 
through to packaged and/or branded pork products.

IntelliGen – The technology platform used to process sexed 
bovine semen for ABS and third-party customers and 
commercialised by ABS globally as Sexcel.

IP – Intellectual property.

IPR – Inter Partes Review before the US Patent and 
Trademarks Office.

GELT – Genus Executive Leadership Team.

IVB – In Vitro Brasil S.A.

Gender skew – The ability to influence the proportion of 
offspring being of a particular sex.

JV – Joint venture.

Genetic gain – The change of the genetic make up of a 
particular animal population in response to having selected 
parents that excelled genetically for important traits.

Genetic lag – The amount of time required to disseminate 
genetic gain from a nucleus herd to the commercial customer.

Genetic nucleus – A specialised pig herd, where Genus PIC 
keeps its pure lines. Pigs are genetically tested at the nucleus 
to select the best animals to produce the next generation.

Genomic bull – A bull which has been assessed through 
genomic testing. This typically refers to bulls which have not 
been progeny-tested.

Genomically tested – An animal that has been DNA profiled.

Line – Multiple animals that have been mated together in a 
closed breeding population. Pure lines can have their origins in 
one founding breed or in several breeds.

Market pig equivalents (‘MPE’) – Refers to a standardised 
measure of our customers’ production of slaughter animals 
that contain our genetics with genes from each of the sow and 
boar counting for half of the animal.

Multiplier – A producer whose farm contains grandparent 
sows. The farm crosses together two lines of grandparents, 
multiplying the number of genetically improved parents that 
are available for sale.

NuEra – The ABS beef breeding programme and index 
designed to drive the customer’s genetic improvement and 
deliver total system profitability for the beef supply chain.

Genomics – The study of the genome, which is the DNA 
sequence of an animal’s chromosomes.

PQA – Pork Quality Assurance.

Gilt – A young female pig, which has not yet given birth.

Progeny tested – Elite animals whose genetic value as a 
parent has been tested and validated through the performance 
of their offspring.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

171

PRRSv – Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome 
Virus.

PSP – Performance Share Plan.

PTAB – Patent Trail and Appeal Board before the US Patent 
and Trademarks Office.

R&D – Research and development.

RMS – ABS’s Reproductive Management System, which is a 
systematic approach to maximising pregnancy production and 
its contribution to herd profitability.

RPI – Retail Price Index.

RWD – ABS’s Real World Data System of observed 
performance data from many dairy herds.

Sexcel – The ABS brand of sexed bovine genetics produced 
using IntelliGen.

Sire – The male parent of an animal.

Sire line – The male line selected for traits desirable for 
the market.

Sow – A female pig which has given birth at least once.

Straw – A narrow tube used to package frozen bull semen.

Stud – Locations where bulls or boars are housed and their 
semen collected, evaluated, diluted into multiple doses/straws 
and packaged, ready for shipping to farms.

Terminal boars – The male pig that is used to mate with a 
parent female to produce a terminal pig.

Trait – A measurable characteristic that may be a target for 
genetic selection.

TransitionRight – Genus ABS’s patent-pending genetic 
selection tool to help prevent multiple post calving metabolic 
disorders that occur during transition.

Unit – A straw of frozen bull semen or tube/bag of fresh boar 
semen sold to a customer.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS172

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, you should consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant 
or other independent financial adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. If you have sold or 
transferred all your shares in Genus plc, please send this document and the accompanying documents as soon as possible to the 
purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for 
transmission to the purchaser or transferee.

Notice of Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the 2018 Annual General Meeting of Genus plc (the ‘Company’) will be held at Buchanan 
Communications, 107 Cheapside, London EC2V 6DN on Thursday, 15 November 2018 at 11.00 am for the following purposes:

To consider and if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, of which numbers 1 to 13 will be proposed as ordinary 
resolutions and numbers 14 to 17 as special resolutions.

Ordinary Resolutions

1.  To receive the Company’s audited Financial Statements and the Directors’ Reports for the year ended 30 June 2018 (the 

‘Annual Report and Accounts’). 

2.  To approve the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the year ended 30 June 2018, as set out on pages 65 to 88 of the 

Company’s Annual Report 2018.

3.  To declare a final dividend of 17.9 pence per ordinary share, payable on 30 November 2018 to shareholders on the register of 

members at the close of business on 16 November 2018. 

4.  To re-elect Bob Lawson as a Director of the Company who, being eligible, offers himself for re-election.

5.  To re-elect Karim Bitar as a Director of the Company who, being eligible, offers himself for re-election.

6.  To re-elect Stephen Wilson as a Director of the Company who, being eligible, offers himself for re-election.

7.  To re-elect Lysanne Gray as a Director of the Company who, being eligible, offers herself for re-election.

8.  To re-elect Lykele van der Broek as a Director of the Company who, being eligible, offers himself for re-election.

9.  To elect Lesley Knox as a Director of the Company.

10. To elect Ian Charles as a Director of the Company.

11. To reappoint Deloitte LLP as auditor of the Company to hold office from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting until 

the conclusion of the next general meeting of the Company at which Financial Statements are laid.

12. To authorise the Audit Committee of the Board to determine the remuneration of the auditor.

13. That the Directors be generally and unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 

(the ‘Act’) to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot shares in the Company and to grant rights to subscribe for, or to 
convert any security into, shares in the Company up to a maximum aggregate nominal amount of:

13.1.   £2,064,864.70 being 20,648,647 ordinary shares of 10 pence each (‘Ordinary Shares’) representing one third of the 

issued share capital of the Company; and 

13.2.  2,064,864.70 being 20,648,647 Ordinary Shares representing a further third of the issued share capital of the Company, 

provided that (i) they are equity securities (within the meaning of section 560(1) of the Act) and (ii) they are offered by 
way of an offer to holders of Ordinary Shares open for acceptance for a period fixed by the Directors to holders on the 
register on a fixed record date (as the Directors may determine) in proportion as nearly as may be to the respective 
numbers of Ordinary Shares held by them on any such record date and to other holders of equity securities entitled to 
participate therein, but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or 
expedient to deal with any fractional entitlements or legal or practical difficulties under the laws of, or the requirements 
of any regulatory body or any stock exchange in, any territory or by virtue of shares being represented by depositary 
receipts or any other matter (a ‘rights issue’), such authority to expire on the conclusion of the Company’s Annual 
General Meeting next following or, if earlier, the close of business on the day which is 15 months after the date on 
which this resolution is passed save that the Company may, before the expiry of such period, make an offer or 
agreement which would or might require shares to be allotted or such rights to be granted after such expiry and the 
Directors may allot shares and grant rights in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the authority conferred 
hereby had not expired. 

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Special Resolutions

14. That subject to and conditional on the passing of resolution 13, the Directors be authorised, pursuant to sections 570 and 573 

of the Companies Act 2006 (the ‘Act’), to allot equity securities (within the meaning of section 560 of the Act) for cash 
pursuant to the authority conferred by resolution 13 and by way of a sale of treasury shares as if section 561(1) of the Act did 
not apply to any such allotment, provided that this power shall be limited to the allotment of equity securities (and sale of 
treasury shares):

14.1.   in connection with an offer of securities (but in the case of the authority granted under paragraph 13.2 of resolution 13 
above by way of rights issue only, as defined in that paragraph) to the holders of Ordinary Shares on a fixed record date 
(as the Directors may determine) in proportion as nearly as may be to the respective numbers of Ordinary Shares held 
by them, on any such record date and to such other holders of equity securities entitled to participate therein, but 
subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient to deal with  
any fractional entitlements or legal or practical difficulties under the laws of, or the requirement of any regulatory body 
or any stock exchange in, any territory or by virtue of shares being represented by depository receipts or any other 
matter; and

14.2.  other than pursuant to paragraph 14.1 above, to any person or persons up to an aggregate nominal amount of 

£309,729.71 representing not more than 5% of the issued share capital of the Company as at 1 October 2018 (being 
the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice), such authority to expire upon the expiry of the general 
authority conferred by resolution 13 above, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement 
which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted, or treasury shares to be sold, after such expiry and the 
Directors may allot equity securities or sell treasury shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the power 
had not expired.

15. That subject to and conditional on the passing of resolution 13, the Directors be authorised, pursuant to sections 570 and 573 
of the Companies Act 2006 (the ‘Act’), and in addition to any authority granted under resolution 14 to allot equity securities 
(within the meaning of section 560 of the Act) for cash pursuant to the authority conferred by that resolution and by way of a 
sale of treasury shares as if section 561(1) of the Act did not apply to any such allotment and sale, provided that this power 
shall be:

15.1.   limited to the allotment of equity securities, or sale of treasury shares, up to an aggregate nominal amount of 

£309,729.71 representing not more than 5% of the issued share capital of the Company as at 1 October 2018 (being 
the latest practicable date before publication of this Notice); and

15.2.  used only for the purposes of financing (or refinancing, if the authority is to be used within six months after the original 

transaction) a transaction which the Directors of the Company determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment 
of a kind contemplated by the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-Emption Rights most recently published by 
the Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this Notice,

such authority to upon the expiry of the general authority conferred by resolution 13 above, save that the Company may, 
before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted, or treasury 
shares sold, after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities or sell treasury shares in pursuance of any such 
offer or agreement as if the power had not expired.

16. That the Company be generally and unconditionally authorised to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 

693(4) of the Companies Act 2006) of Ordinary Shares on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit provided 
that: 

16.1.  the maximum aggregate number of Ordinary Shares hereby authorised to be purchased is 6,194,594 (representing 10% 
of the Company’s issued ordinary share capital as at 1 October 2018, being the latest practicable date before publication 
of this Notice); 

16.2. the minimum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is 10 pence; 

16.3.  the maximum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is an amount equal to the 

higher of: (a) 105% of the average of the middle market quotations for an Ordinary Share, as derived from the London 
Stock Exchange Daily Official List, for the five business days immediately before the day on which such share is 
contracted to be purchased; and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current 
independent bid for an Ordinary Share in the Company on the trading venues where the market purchases by the 
Company pursuant to the authority conferred by this resolution 16 will be carried out; and 

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

16.4.  the authority conferred by this resolution shall expire on the conclusion of the Company’s Annual General Meeting next 

following or the close of business on the day which is 15 months after the date of its passing (whichever occurs first) 
unless previously renewed, varied or revoked by the Company in general meeting, except that the Company may, 
before such expiry, enter into a contract for the purchase of Ordinary Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior 
to the expiry of such authority, which will or may be completed by or executed wholly or partly after the expiration of 
this authority, and may purchase its Ordinary Shares in pursuance of any such contract. 

17. That a General Meeting, other than an Annual General Meeting, may be called on not less than 14 clear days’ notice and that 

such authority shall expire on the conclusion of the Company’s Annual General Meeting next following. 

The Board considers that all the resolutions to be considered at the Annual General Meeting are in the best interests of the 
Company and its members as a whole and are therefore likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of its 
members as a whole. The Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of all the proposed resolutions as they 
intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings which amount in aggregate to 182,502 shares representing 
approximately 0.295% of the existing issued ordinary share capital of the Company.

By order of the Board
Registered office:
Matrix House
Basing View
Basingstoke
RG21 4DZ
Registered in England and Wales with number 02972325

Dan Hartley
Group General Counsel & Company Secretary 
1 October 2018

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Explanatory Notes 
This section contains an explanation of each of the resolutions to be put to the Annual General Meeting. Resolutions 1 to 13 are 
ordinary resolutions requiring the approval of a simple majority of shareholders present (in person or by proxy) and voting at the 
Annual General Meeting. Resolutions 14 to 17 are special resolutions requiring the approval of 75% of shareholders present 
(in person or by proxy) and voting at the Annual General Meeting.

Resolution 1 – To Receive the Annual Report 
The Chairman will present the Annual Report to the Annual General Meeting.

Resolution 2 – Approval of the Directors’ Remuneration Report 
The Company is required to offer an annual advisory vote on the implementation of the Company’s existing remuneration policy 
in terms of the payments and share awards made to Directors during the year (the ‘Directors’ Remuneration Report’) and a 
separate binding vote on the Company’s forward looking remuneration policy (the ‘Directors’ Remuneration Policy’) at least once 
every three years, or earlier if a change is made to the Directors’ Remuneration Policy, or if the advisory vote is not passed by 
shareholders.

Resolution 2 seeks shareholder approval for the Directors’ Remuneration Report as set out on pages 65 to 88 of the Company’s 
Annual Report 2018. The Directors’ Remuneration Report gives details of the Directors’ remuneration for the year ended 30 June 
2018. Resolution 2 is an advisory resolution and does not affect the future remuneration paid to any Director. The report also 
includes details of the Remuneration Committee’s representations and activities. The Company’s auditor Deloitte LLP has 
audited those parts of the Directors’ Remuneration Report which are required to be audited and their report is issued in the 
Company’s Annual Report 2018.

Shareholder approval for the Directors’ Remuneration Policy was given at the Company’s Annual General Meeting held in 
November 2016. As there are no proposed changes to the Directors’ Remuneration Policy, it is not required to be offered at this 
year’s Annual General Meeting. For ease of reference, a table summarising the Directors’ Remuneration Policy has been included 
on pages 68 to 69 of the Directors’ Remuneration Report, but that table does not form part of the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report for the purposes of resolution 2.

Resolution 3 – Final Dividend
Final dividends must be approved by shareholders but must not exceed the amount recommended by Directors. If the meeting 
approves the recommended final dividend it will be paid out in accordance with resolution 3. An interim dividend of 8.1 pence per 
Ordinary Share was paid on 4 April 2018 to shareholders on the register at 9 March 2018, resulting in a total dividend for the year 
of 26.0 pence per Ordinary Share.

Resolutions 4 to 10 – Re-election/Election of Directors
In accordance with provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code, all Directors of the Company are required to offer 
themselves for annual re-election. This is the first meeting at which Lesley Knox and Ian Charles stand for election. Biographies 
of all of the current Directors can be found on pages 46 to 47 of the Company’s Annual Report 2018. The Board has confirmed, 
following a performance review, that all Directors standing for re-election continue to perform effectively and demonstrate 
commitment to their roles. The Board has considered whether each of the independent Non-Executive Directors is free from any 
relationship that could materially interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgement and has determined that each 
continues to be considered to be independent.

Resolutions 11 and 12 – Appointment of Auditor and Auditor’s Remuneration
The Company is required to appoint an auditor at each general meeting at which accounts are presented, to hold office until the 
end of the next such meeting. This resolution is recommended by the Audit Committee and proposes the reappointment of the 
Company’s existing auditor, Deloitte LLP and gives authority to the Audit Committee to agree the auditor’s remuneration.

Resolution 13 – Authority to Allot Shares 
Resolution 13 is proposed as an ordinary resolution and seeks the approval of shareholders, in accordance with section 551 of 
the Act, to authorise the Directors to allot Ordinary Shares for a period as stated in resolution 13. 

The Investment Association (‘IA’) guidelines on directors’ authority to allot shares state that IA members will regard as routine 
resolutions seeking the authority to allot shares representing up to two-thirds of the Company’s issued share capital, provided 
that any amount in excess of one-third of the Company’s issued share capital is only used to allot shares pursuant to a fully 
pre-emptive rights issue.

In light of the IA guidelines, the Board considers it appropriate that Directors be granted authority to allot shares in the capital of 
the Company up to a maximum nominal amount of £4,129,729.40 representing two-thirds of the Company’s issued ordinary 
share capital as at 1 October 2018 (the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice). If the Company wishes to allot 
more than a nominal amount of £2,064,864.70 (representing one-third of the Company’s issued ordinary share capital), then any 
additional amount can only be allotted pursuant to a rights issue. The power will last until the end of the next Annual General 
Meeting of the Company or, if earlier, on the close of business on the day which is 15 months after the date on which resolution 
13 is passed.

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The Directors have no current intention to allot new Ordinary Shares (other than in relation to the Company’s employee share 
schemes) however they consider it appropriate to maintain the flexibility that this resolution provides. As at the date of this 
Notice, no shares are held by the Company in treasury.

Resolutions 14 and 15 – Disapplication of Pre-emption Rights 
Resolutions 14 and 15 are special resolutions and give the Directors authority to allot Ordinary Shares in the capital of the 
Company pursuant to the authority granted under resolution 13 above for cash without complying with the pre-emption rights in 
the Act in certain circumstances. 

Resolution 14 will permit the Directors to allot:

(a)  equity securities for cash and sell treasury shares up to a nominal amount of £4,129,729.40, representing two-thirds of the 

Company’s issued share capital as at 1 October 2018 (the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice) on an offer 
to existing shareholders on a pre-emptive basis (that is including a rights issue or an open offer), with one-third being available 
only in connection with a rights issue (in each case subject to any adjustments, such as for fractional entitlements and 
overseas shareholders, as the Directors see fit); and 

(b)  equity securities for cash and sell treasury shares up to a maximum nominal value of £309,729.71, representing 

approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 1 October 2018 (the latest practicable date prior 
to publication of this Notice) otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer to existing shareholders. 

Resolution 15 is being proposed as a separate resolution to authorise the Directors to allot additional equity securities for cash 
and sell treasury shares up to a maximum nominal value of £309,729.71, representing a further 5% of the issued ordinary share 
capital of the Company (as at 1 October 2018, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice), otherwise than 
in connection with a pre-emptive offer to existing shareholders for the purposes of financing a transaction (or refinancing within 
six months of the transaction) which the Directors determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment contemplated by 
the Pre-Emption Group’s Statement of Principles (the ‘Pre-Emption Group Principles’).

The Pre-Emption Group Principles allow the Company to seek authority for an issue of shares for cash otherwise than in 
connection with a pre-emptive offer of up to 10% of the Company’s issued share capital, provided that 5% of the authority can 
only be used in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the 
issue or which has taken place in the preceding six-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue (a ‘Relevant 
Acquisition or Specified Capital Investment’). The Directors believe that it is appropriate to seek this additional 5% authority in 
resolution 15 to give the Company the flexibility that this resolution affords. In line with Pre-Emption Group guidance, the annual 
disapplication of pre-emption rights is being proposed as two separate resolutions. 

The Board intends to adhere to the provisions in the Pre-Emption Group’s Principles and to not allot shares for cash on a non 
pre-emptive basis in excess of an amount equal to 7.5% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding 
treasury shares) within a rolling three-year period, without prior consultation with shareholders. 

The authorities contained in resolutions 14 and 15 will expire upon the expiry of the authority to allot shares conferred in 
resolution 15 (that is at the end of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or, if earlier, on the close of business on the 
day which is 15 months from the date of these resolutions). The Directors’ existing authority expires at the forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting.

Resolution 16 – Authority to Purchase Own Shares
Resolution 16, is proposed as a special resolution and seeks authority for the Company to purchase up to 10% of its Ordinary 
Shares at, or between, the minimum and maximum prices specified in this resolution. This power would be used only after 
careful consideration by the Directors, having taken into account market conditions prevailing at that time, the investment needs 
of the Company, its opportunities for expansion and its overall financial position. The Directors would exercise the authority to 
purchase Ordinary Shares only if they considered it to be in the best interests of shareholders as a whole and if the purchase 
could be reasonably expected to result in an increase in earnings per share.

The Directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to purchase Ordinary Shares but consider it prudent to obtain 
the flexibility this resolution provides. In considering whether to use this authority, the Directors will take into account factors 
including the financial resources of the Company, the Company’s share price and future funding opportunities. The authority will 
be exercised only if the Directors believe that to do so would result in an increase in earnings per share and would be in the 
interests of shareholders generally. Any purchases of Ordinary Shares would be by means of market purchases through the 
London Stock Exchange.

Under the Act, the Company is allowed to hold its own shares in treasury following a purchase of its own shares, instead of 
cancelling them. Such shares may be resold for cash or used to satisfy share options and share awards under the Company’s 
share incentive schemes but all rights attaching to them, including voting rights and any right to receive dividends, are suspended 
whilst they are held in treasury. If the Directors exercise the authority conferred by resolution 16, the Company will have the 
option of holding repurchased shares in treasury. 

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If resolution 16 is passed at the Annual General Meeting, it is the Company’s current intention to hold in treasury all of the shares 
it may purchase pursuant to the authority granted to it. However, in order to respond properly to the Company’s capital 
requirements and prevailing market conditions, the Directors will reassess at the time of any and each actual purchase whether 
to hold the shares in treasury or cancel them, provided it is permitted to do so. As at the date of this Notice, no shares are held 
by the Company in treasury. 

At 1 October 2018 (the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice), options were outstanding to subscribe for 
709,331 Ordinary Shares, representing 1.15% of the issued share capital at that date. If the full authority to purchase such shares 
(existing and sought) was exercised, they would represent 1.27% of the Company’s issued share capital as at that date. The 
authority sought at the Annual General Meeting will expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting next following, or the 
close of business on the day which is 15 months from the date of this resolution (whichever is earlier). 

Resolution 17 – Notice Period for General Meetings 
Resolution 17, is proposed as a special resolution and seeks the approval of shareholders to reduce to 14 clear days the notice 
period required for a general meeting (other than an Annual General Meeting). The notice period required for general meetings for 
listed companies is 21 days but the Company may provide a shorter notice period of 14 clear days (for meetings other than Annual 
General Meetings) provided two conditions are met. The first condition is that the Company offers a facility for shareholders to 
vote by electronic means. This condition is met if the Company offers a facility, accessible to all shareholders, to appoint a proxy 
by means of a website. The second condition is that there is an annual resolution of shareholders approving the reduction of the 
minimum notice period from 21 days to 14 days. Annual General Meetings will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days’ 
notice. It is intended that the shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine for general meetings but only where 
the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be in the interests of the shareholders as a whole. 

General Notes
This Notice is being sent to all members and to any person nominated by a member of the Company under section 146 of the 
Act to enjoy information rights. Information regarding the Annual General Meeting, including the information required by section 
311A of the Act, is available from www.genusplc.com.

Proxies
Members will find an attendance card and a form of proxy enclosed with this Notice. If you are attending the Annual General 
Meeting, you should bring the attendance card with you. Only holders of Ordinary Shares, or their duly appointed 
representatives, are entitled to attend, vote and speak at the Annual General Meeting. Any member so entitled may appoint one 
or more proxies to attend, speak and to vote instead of him or her. A proxy need not be a member of the Company but must 
attend the Annual General Meeting to represent you. Your proxy could be the Chairman, another Director of the Company or 
another person who has agreed to attend to represent you. Your proxy must vote as you instruct and must attend the meeting 
for your vote to be counted. Details of how to appoint one or more proxies are set out in the notes to the proxy form. A member 
may appoint more than one proxy provided each proxy is appointed to exercise rights attached to different shares. You may not 
appoint more than one proxy to exercise rights attached to any one share. A vote withheld is not a vote in law, which means that 
the vote will not be counted in the calculation of votes for or against the resolution. If no voting indication is given, your proxy will 
vote or abstain from voting at his or her discretion. Your proxy will vote (or abstain from voting) as he or she thinks fit in relation to 
any other matter which is put before the Annual General Meeting.

To be valid, a duly executed form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting together, if appropriate, with the power of 
attorney or other authority (if any) under which it is signed or a duly certified copy of such power or authority must be deposited 
at the offices of Equiniti Registrars, Freepost RTHJ-CLLL-KBKU, Equiniti, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, BN99 8LU at 
least 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the Annual General Meeting or any adjournment thereof. Alternatively, 
proxies may be appointed by having an appropriate CREST message transmitted, if you are a user of the CREST system (further 
details are below). In the case of a member which is a company, the proxy form must be executed under its common seal or 
signed on its behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company.

To change your proxy instructions you may return a new proxy appointment using the methods set out above. Where you have 
appointed a proxy using the hard copy proxy form and would like to change the instructions using another hard copy proxy form, 
please contact Equiniti Limited, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing BN99 6DA. The deadline for receipt of proxy 
appointments (see above) also applies in relation to amended instructions. Where two or more valid separate appointments of 
proxy are received in respect of the same share in respect of the same meeting, the one which is last sent shall be treated as 
replacing and revoking the other or others.

Completion and return of a form of proxy will not preclude shareholders from attending the Annual General Meeting and voting in 
person if they wish to do so.

The right to appoint a proxy does not apply to persons whose shares are held on their behalf by another person and who have 
been nominated to receive communications from the Company in accordance with section 146 of the Act (‘nominated persons’). 
Nominated persons may have a right under an agreement with the registered member who holds shares on their behalf to be 
appointed (or to have someone else appointed) as a proxy. Alternatively, if nominated persons do not have such a right, or do not 
wish to exercise it, they may have a right under such an agreement to give instructions to the person holding the shares as to the 
exercise of voting rights.

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Voting record date
Pursuant to Regulation 41 of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001, the time by which a person must be entered on the 
register of members of the Company in order to have the right to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting is 6.30pm on 
13 November 2018 (or if the Annual General Meeting is adjourned, members on the register of members not later than 6.30pm 
on the day that is two working days prior to the reconvened Annual General Meeting). Changes to entries on the register of 
members after the relevant time will be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend or vote (and the number 
of votes they may cast) at the Annual General Meeting or adjourned meeting.

Documents on display
Copies of contracts of service and letters of appointment between the Directors and the Company will be available for inspection 
at the Registered Office of the Company during normal business hours until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting, and 
at the place of the Annual General Meeting for at least 15 minutes prior to the Annual General Meeting until its conclusion.

CREST
CREST members who wish to appoint a proxy or proxies through the CREST electronic proxy appointment service may do  
so for this Annual General Meeting to be held on 15 November 2018 at 11.00am and any adjournment(s) thereof by using the 
procedures described in the CREST Manual found on the Euroclear website www.euroclear.com. CREST Personal Members or 
other CREST sponsored members, and those CREST members who have appointed a voting service provider(s), should refer to 
their CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s), who will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf. In order for a 
proxy appointment or instruction made using the CREST service to be valid, the appropriate CREST message (a ‘CREST Proxy 
Instruction’) must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear UK and Ireland Limited’s specifications and must 
contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message, regardless of whether  
it constitutes the appointment of a proxy or to an amendment to the instruction given to a previously appointed proxy must, in 
order to be valid, be transmitted so as to be received by the issuer’s agent (ID RA19) by the latest time(s) for receipt of proxy 
appointments specified in this Notice of Annual General Meeting. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the 
time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST Applications Host) from which the issuer’s agent is 
able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner prescribed by CREST. After this time, any change of instructions 
to proxies appointed through CREST should be communicated to the appointee through other means.

CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers should note that Euroclear UK and 
Ireland Limited do not make available special procedures in CREST for any particular messages. Normal system timings and 
limitations will therefore apply in relation to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member 
concerned to take (or, if the CREST member is a CREST personal member or sponsored member or has appointed a voting 
service provider(s), to procure that his CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall be necessary  
to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. In this connection, CREST 
members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers are referred, in particular, to those sections  
of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations of the CREST system and timings.

The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5) (a) of the 
Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001, as amended.

Corporate Representatives
Any corporation that is a member can appoint one or more corporate representatives who may exercise on its behalf all of its 
powers as a member provided that they do not do so in relation to the same shares.

Total Voting Rights
As at 1 October 2018 (being the latest practicable date before publication of this Notice), the Company’s issued share capital 
comprised 61,945,941 Ordinary Shares of 10 pence each. As at the date of this Notice, no shares are held by the Company in 
treasury. Each Ordinary Share carries the right to one vote at a general meeting of the Company and, therefore, the total number 
of voting rights in the Company as at 1 October 2018 is 61,945,941. The Company’s website, referred to above, will include the 
contents of this Notice, information on the number of shares and voting rights and, if applicable, any shareholders’ statements, 
shareholders’ resolutions or shareholders’ matters of business received by the Company after the date of this Notice.

Questions
Under section 319A of the Act, the Company must cause to be answered at the Annual General Meeting any question a member 
asks relating to the business being dealt with at the Annual General Meeting unless answering the question would interfere 
unduly with the preparation for the Annual General Meeting or involve the disclosure of confidential information; the answer has 
already been given on a website in the form of an answer to a question; or it is undesirable in the interests of the Company or the 
good order of the Annual General Meeting that the question be answered.

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Requisition Rights
Under section 527 of the Act, members meeting the threshold requirements set out in that section have the right to require the 
Company to publish on its website a statement setting out any matter relating to: (i) the audit of the Company’s Accounts 
(including the auditor’s report and the conduct of the audit) that are to be laid before the Annual General Meeting; or (ii) any 
circumstances connected with an auditor of the Company ceasing to hold office since the previous meeting at which annual 
accounts and reports were laid in accordance with section 437 of the Act. The Company may not require the members 
requesting any such website publication to pay its expenses in complying with sections 527 or 528 of the Act. Where the 
Company is required to place a statement on its website under section 527 of the Act, it must forward the statement to the 
Company’s auditor not later than the time when it makes the statement available on the website. The business which may be 
dealt with at the Annual General Meeting includes any statement that the Company has been required under section 527 of the 
Act to publish on its website.

Voting at the meeting
In order for the voting preferences of all shareholders including those who cannot attend the meeting but who validly appoint 
a proxy, to be taken into account, a poll will be conducted on all resolutions at the Annual General Meeting this year. Each 
shareholder and proxy present at the meeting will be invited to complete a poll card indicating how they wish to cast their votes 
in respect of each resolution. The results of the voting will be posted on the Company’s website as soon as practicable after the 
meeting. Except as provided above, members who have general queries about the Annual General Meeting should call Equiniti 
registrars on 0371 384 2290. If calling from overseas, please call the Equiniti overseas helpline number of +44 121 415 7047. 
Lines open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding UK public holidays). No other methods of communication will be 
accepted. You may not use any electronic address provided either in this Notice of Annual General Meeting, or any related 
documents (including the proxy form) to communicate with the Company for any purposes other than those expressly stated.

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

STRATEGIC  REPORTCORPORATE  GOVERNANCEADDITIONAL  INFORMATIONFINANCIAL  STATEMENTS180

NOTES

Genus plc  |  Annual Report 2018

S T R AT E G I C   
R E P O R T

C O R P O R AT E   
G O V E R N A N C E

F I N A N C I A L   
S TAT E M E N T S

A D D I T I O N A L   
I N F O R M AT I O N

181

ADVISERS

SECRETARY AND 
REGISTERED OFFICE
Dan Hartley
Matrix House
Basing View
Basingstoke
Hampshire RG21 4DZ
Registered Number 02972325 

FINANCIAL 
ADVISER
HSBC Bank plc
8 Canada Square
London E14 5HQ

STATUTORY AUDITOR
Deloitte LLP
Abbots House
Abbey Street
Reading RG1 3BD

STOCKBROKERS
Peel Hunt
Moor House
120 London Wall
London EC2Y 5ET

Liberum Capital Limited
Ropemaker Place
Level 12
25 Ropemaker Street
London EC2Y 9LY

SOLICITORS
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Exchange House
Primrose Street
London EC2A 2EG

BANKERS
Barclays Bank PLC
2nd Floor
90–92 High Street
Crawley
West Sussex RH10 1BP

REGISTRARS
Equiniti Limited
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex BN99 6DA 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GENUSPLC.COM

Genus plc 
Matrix House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4DZ
T: +44 (0)1256 347100   F: +44 (0)1256 477385

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