Quarterlytics / IMI

IMI

imi · LSE
Claim this profile
Ticker imi
Exchange LSE
Sector
Industry
Employees 10,000+
← All annual reports
FY2023 Annual Report · IMI
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
Annual Report 2023

Accelerating  
better world 
growth

The essence of IMI

3
2
0
2
t
r
o
p
e
R

l

a
u
n
n
A
c
p

l

I

M

I

Who we are
A global specialist engineering company 
that creates breakthrough solutions. We 
are curious and like to solve problems, 
partnering with our customers to meet 
the demands of today and prepare for 
the challenges of tomorrow. We embrace 
innovation and care about outcomes that 
are good for business, everyday life and 
making a better world – creating lasting 
impact for everyone.

What we do
We design, build and service highly 
engineered products in fluid and motion 
control applications. We focus on five 
market sectors: Process Automation, 
Industrial Automation, Climate Control, 
Life Science & Fluid Control and Transport. 
Some customer problems require 
complex, precision solutions, others 
call for immediacy: what stays constant 
is our drive for customer satisfaction.

How we do it
Our partnership approach breaks 
through problems and reduces 
complexity. We don’t invent in isolation 
– we collaborate with our customers. 
We listen closely and we think differently, 
creating space for diverse minds to 
innovate. We are working together to 
make businesses safer, more sustainable 
and more productive. This is how we 
create lasting value for our customers 
and for us.

Our purpose

Breakthrough 
engineering for 
a better world

In this report
Strategic Report
Strong performance across the business  02
04
Our purpose-driven strategy 
Our operations 
06
Unlocking the hydrogen economy 
of the future 
Chair’s letter 
Investment case 
Chief Executive Officer’s review  
Our business model and strategy 
Operational and sector reviews 
Key performance indicators 
Financial review 
Our stakeholders 
S.172 statement  
Creating a better world 
Sustainability at a glance 
Empowering people 
Sustainable solutions 
Climate action 
Task Force on Climate-related Financial 
Disclosures assessment  
Responsible business 
Non-financial and sustainability 
information statement  
Risk management 
Viability statement 
Going concern 

08
10
11
12
14
16
28
30
38
42
44
46
48
52
56

61
82

86
88
100 
101

Corporate Governance
Governance at a glance 
Chair’s Governance Letter 
Board of Directors 
Executive Committee 
Corporate Governance Report  
Nomination Committee Report  
Audit Committee Report  
Remuneration Committee Report 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report  
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report 
Directors’ Report  
Statement of directors’ responsibilities 
in respect of the Annual Report and 
the financial statements  

Financial Statements
Independent Auditor’s Report to the 
members of IMI plc  
Primary statements  
Notes to the consolidated
financial statements  
Subsidiary undertakings  
Five-year summary  
Shareholder and general information  

102
104
106
109
112
123
130
136
138
146
168

172

173
183

188
264
269
271

1

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
Accelerating better world growth through

Strong performance 
across the business

Financial highlights

Financial
Revenue

£2,196m
7% (2022: £2,049m)

Non-financial
Total recordable incident frequency rate

0.44

26% (2022: 0.35)

 –   7% sales growth, 12% adjusted profit before tax growth
 – Adjusted basic earnings per share were 11% higher than 2022
 – Complexity reduction programme delivered £20m benefits
 – Adjusted operating margin up 90bps to 18.7%
 – Statutory profit before tax increased by 6%
 – Significant growth in operating cash flow to £366m (2022: £290m)
 – Return on invested capital increased to 13.1% (2022: 12.7%)
 – Record Process Automation order book provides 

momentum into 2024

 – Proposed final dividend of 19.2p, increased by 10%

Strategic highlights

 – Re-entered FTSE 100 after nine years
 – Business structure aligned to key sectors to accelerate growth
 –   Doubled hydrogen orders across IMI to £15m
 – Heatmiser launched in Germany and France
 – New branding and values unifying the Group

Adjusted operating margin

18.7%

Statutory operating margin

14.5%

CO2 intensity

1.98

90bps (2022: 17.8%)

10bps (2022: 14.6%)

-5% (2022: 2.09)

Adjusted profit before tax

£387m
12% (2022: £346m)

Adjusted basic earnings per share

116.8p

11% (2022: 105.5p)

Statutory profit before tax

£302m
6% (2022: £285m)

Employee engagement

77%

3% (2022: 80%)

Statutory basic earnings per share

Women in management

91.5p

4% (2022: 87.6p)

22% 

(2022: 22%)

2

3

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements3
2
0
2
t
r
o
p
e
R

l

a
u
n
n
A
c
p

l

I

M

I

Accelerating better world growth through

Our purpose-driven 
strategy

Our 
purpose

Breakthrough 
engineering for 
a better world

IMI is a global specialist engineering 
company creating breakthrough 
solutions to improve lives. We design, 
manufacture and service highly 
engineered products in fluid and 
motion control applications. We 
continuously create value through a 
focus on industry-leading customer 
service, market-led innovation and 
complexity reduction.

What sets us apart is our close 
customer partnerships. We immerse 
ourselves in our customers’ challenges 
to drive safety, sustainability and 
productivity. Combining our deep 
engineering knowledge with our 
applications expertise, we develop 
solutions that accelerate better 
world growth.

4

Read more on pages 16 to 27

Our 
strategy

We combine our deep engineering knowledge with strong 
applications expertise to develop solutions for the most acute 
industry problems. We help our customers become safer, 
more sustainable, and more productive.

Pillars

Enablers

Our 
values

Customer satisfaction

Market-led innovation

Complexity reduction

We provide world-class 
engineering expertise 
and excellent customer 
service. We have deep 
applications knowledge 
and know-how. We have 
market-leading brands.

We solve acute customer 
problems by developing 
innovative new products and 
solutions. We work in teams 
to rapidly validate the problem, 
create the solution and test 
customer willingness to pay. 
We build scalable operation 
processes to deliver quality 
products on time to customers.

We continue to simplify 
and improve our global 
manufacturing footprint and 
demonstrate a resilient supply 
chain to support our customers.

Sustainability

Talent and engagement

Digital

We focus on supporting 
the sustainability goals 
of our customers, as well 
as ensuring we improve 
our sustainability through 
our ESG initiatives.

Developing and retaining our 
key people and attracting 
high-quality, diverse talent, 
as well as having a highly 
engaged workforce, enables 
us to deliver excellent service 
to our customers.

We actively develop connected 
products and digital tools to 
improve our value and service 
to customers.

Always care

Be curious

Create impact

We are attentive to the 
needs of our customers, our 
employees and the planet. 
We put their welfare and 
wellbeing ahead of all other 
priorities. We always do the 
right thing. We are one big 
team – we act as a team 
and look out for each other. 
We listen, we empathise, 
we understand and we act. 
We show we care in all we do.

On our path towards a 
better world, we are always 
questioning how things are 
and seeking solutions for how 
things could be. Our curiosity 
fuels our innovative drive. 
We strive to go beyond the 
obvious. We dare to ask “Why 
not?” and “What if?” and are 
energised by our search for 
the answers.

We build a better world by 
bringing the best of who we 
are; we make things better 
for others. We make space for 
change to happen. We find 
ways to simplify the complex. 
We seek out challenges and 
opportunities, and use our 
expertise to create valuable 
outcomes. We are ambitious 
and drive positive growth.

5

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
Accelerating better world growth through

Our operations

Launched the Active 
Controls range of 
products, including 
our Air Infinity pipettor, 
drastically reducing design 
complexity for OEM 
customers – Switzerland

Our commitment 
to global growth

Automation 

Life Technology

High-speed cylinder 
solution to enhance 
BMX rider safety – 
Rockford, USA

IMI’s geographical presence

Largest field service 
order in our history 
to a refinery – UAE

D

A

A  Europe 

B  Americas 

C  Asia Pacific 

D   Middle East & Africa 

43%

30%

22%

5%

C

Revenue by 
geography

6

B

Expansion into Suzhou 
manufacturing facility, 
with new lines built 
to accommodate 
new Transport OEM 
pipeline – China

Our new operating 
structure
We have restructured our 
business into two platforms, 
Automation and Life Technology 
– focused on five major
market sectors.

Benefits
Greater opportunities 
to harness creativity and 
innovation, share best 
practices, pool resources, 
avoid duplication, 
leverage talent and 
expand market 
sector knowledge.

Sales synergies
Accelerating selling of 
the complete product 
portfolio, more 
effective utilisation 
of our engineering 
resources towards the 
best opportunities.

Our platforms and sectors

Automation
  Platform overview
We help our customers to operate their industrial plant, 
manufacturing, and warehouse operations more efficiently, 
safely and sustainably. We engineer smart solutions for 
production lines, flow control components for severe, 
high-temperature and high-pressure environments and 
new decarbonisation technologies.

Our sectors
Process Automation
We engineer solutions to enhance the efficiency, 
sustainability and safety of severe service applications, 
including oil and gas, power and marine. Our products 
improve plant operations and process safety, by protecting 
people and assets from pressure surges and curbing 
greenhouse gas emissions. We are also creating sustainable 
solutions that contribute to a cleaner energy supply.

Industrial Automation
We create solutions for our customers which enable 
smarter, safer, more productive and sustainable factories, 
production lines and warehouse operations. Our pneumatic 
and electric motion systems help machine builders and 
end users around the world automate and optimise 
manufacturing and warehousing processes.

Life Technology
  Platform overview
We engineer solutions to help our customers create 
a better world. Our technology and expertise enable 
everything from cleaner air in transportation to reduced 
energy use in buildings, and from life-saving medical 
equipment to smarter, more sustainable agriculture.

Our sectors
Climate Control
We create innovative solutions to help our customers 
optimise heating and cooling systems, reduce energy use and 
improve building comfort. Our valves, actuators and digitally 
connected products curb our customers’ carbon footprints, 
save money on energy bills and create greener buildings.

Life Science & Fluid Control
We develop innovative solutions that empower our Life 
Sciences customers to diagnose disease earlier and provide 
highly-tailored, patient-focused critical care. In Fluid Control, 
our solutions accelerate the safety, reliability and performance 
of everyday commodities in highly diverse end markets.

Transport
We are at the heart of progress in making cleaner, safer 
and more efficient commercial vehicles, and advancing zero 
emissions transport. Our solutions help our customers to 
improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance safety 
and driver comfort. We are also developing new technologies 
to support zero-emissions vehicles.

19.1%

(2022: 18.1%)
Adjusted operating margin

£1,350m

(2022: £1,248m)
Revenue by platform

18.1%

(2022: 17.3%)
Adjusted operating margin

£846m

(2022: £801m)
Revenue by platform

15.0%

(2022: 15.1%)
Statutory operating margin

13.7%

(2022: 13.7%)
Statutory operating margin

7

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAccelerating better world growth through

Unlocking the 
hydrogen economy 
of the future

Green hydrogen, produced 
through electrolysis with a 
renewable electricity source, 
has a key role to play in global 
decarbonisation. It has been 
identified as an energy source for 
the future, especially for mobility, 
transport and heavy industries, 
from refineries to chemical 
companies. Hydrogen and other 
low-emission alternative fuels are 
expected to make a significant 
contribution to energy supply by 
2050, and we are helping to build 
the hydrogen economy of 
tomorrow. Across different IMI 
sectors and at every stage of the 
hydrogen value chain – 
from production, storage, 
transportation and distribution 
to its use and application – we 
are developing transformative 
solutions for our customers.

Process 
Automation

Transport

Fluid 
Control

We are using our ingenuity and 
expertise in fluid control valves 
to support safer, more reliable 
green hydrogen storage and 
refuelling station infrastructure. 
Our products help designers 
and refuelling station OEMs 
overcome the challenges of 
a high-pressure application 
and achieve regulations such 
as the Transportable Pressure 
Equipment Directive (TPED) 
certification with a safe, 
reliable solution. For example 
our unique thermal pressure 
relief device valve, operates 
via melting at the required 
temperature without a vial of 
fluid and helps offer a solution 
for providing availability of green 
hydrogen for transportation.

Our customisable IMI VIVO Proton 
Exchange Membrane (PEM) 
electrolysers transform water into 
green hydrogen using renewable 
electricity. We also manufacture 
low-pressure hydrogen storage 
vessels and offer a real-time digital 
dashboard for remote monitoring 
and diagnostics, preventive and 
predictive maintenance. In 2023, 
we successfully delivered and 
installed complete hydrogen 
production, storage and 
monitoring systems for two 
pilot research projects in the UK. 
The University of Sheffield, for 
example, deployed our solutions 
to study how green hydrogen 
can produce renewable synthetic 
fuels to reduce aviation emissions. 
This year, we gained orders for 
another pilot research project 
in Germany and made further 
strategic progress with our 
first two orders for industrial 
applications, one in Europe and 
the other in the Asia Pacific region.

£11m

IMI VIVO orders to date

Zero-emission fuel cell vehicles, 
powered by hydrogen, are an 
exciting growth area for IMI. 
Our high-flow, motorised fluid 
control valves are already being 
used in fuel cell technology for 
the commercial vehicle market – 
from local bus systems to trucks. 
These innovative components 
control the thermal dynamics and 
flow of gases going into a cell, 
enabling greater energy generation. 
Thermal management of fuel cells 
is particularly important to the 
performance of hydrogen vehicles 
because a fuel cell needs to be 
kept at the right temperature to 
maximise fuel efficiency. Unlike 
traditional engines, they are much 
more sensitive to temperature 
changes, with colder weather 
significantly limiting driving range. 
We have been applying our 
expertise and technology, and 
partnering with our customers 
to evolve our solutions, enabling 
them to develop more efficient 
and robust fuel cells of the future, 
that all helps advance the green 
hydrogen economy of tomorrow.

>5,000

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles 
with our products on board

8

9

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023Chair’s letter

Accelerating better 
world growth

 It has been four years since we launched our 
purpose-led strategy and I am very pleased with the 
considerable progress made in the year. Our focus 
on customer satisfaction, complexity reduction and 
market-led innovation is accelerating better world 
growth and creating value for all our stakeholders. 
Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chair

Evidence of the significant value we are 
creating for all our stakeholders is clear, 
with adjusted basic earnings per share 
now 60% higher than 2019, and it was 
pleasing to see IMI return to the FTSE 100.

In July 2023, we announced a new 
business structure. This organises the 
Group around five better world sectors 
with global mega-trends that will support 
our sustainable, profitable growth.

The Board
I will soon have served as Chair of IMI for 
nine years and will, therefore, be stepping 
down from the Board on 31 December 
2024. As announced on 30 January 2024, 
Jamie Pike will join as Chair of the Board 
and Nomination Committee, with effect 
from 1 January 2025. In order to ensure an 
orderly succession, I will seek re-election at 
the AGM on 9 May 2024 and plan to step 
down from the Board at the end of 2024.

Having served on the Board since 2015, 
Isobel Sharp will step down as a non-
executive director and Chair of the Audit 
Committee on 31 August 2024. On behalf 
of the Board, I would like to express our 
thanks for her valuable contribution to IMI.

We were delighted to welcome Jackie 
Callaway to the Board as a non-executive 
director in July 2023. Jackie has joined 
the Nomination Committee and the 
Audit Committee.

Jackie will be appointed as Chair of the 
Audit Committee on 1 September 2024.

Culture, values and people
I am incredibly proud of the inclusive, 
collaborative and commercial culture 
at IMI. Meeting with our employees 
throughout the year, it is clear to see 
how our unique culture, the way we 
work and our unifying purpose have made 
significant contributions to our strategic 
and financial progress. I am delighted to 
report that employee engagement levels 
remained high during 2023. For further 
information, please see page 48.

During the year, the Board considered and 
approved IMI’s new values, which better 
reflect our business. In 2023, we undertook 
extensive research to help shape our 
approach to culture, purpose, values and 
brand alignment, which was led by the 
Executive Committee. For further 
information, please see page 43.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank 
all our employees for their contribution to 
delivering our strong performance this year. 
We are proud to employ the best people. 
The significant progress that we have 
made in the year would not have been 
possible without their continued hard 
work and commitment.

Creating value – for all
We consider the interests of all our 
different stakeholder groups in our 
decision-making, each with different 
expectations and priorities – whether they 
are employees, customers, our wider 
communities, or our investors. For more 
information about our stakeholders and 
our Section 172(1) statement, please go 
to pages 38 and 42, respectively.

Dividend
The Board is recommending a 2023 final 
dividend of 19.2p per share (2022: 17.4p per 
share). Payment will be made on 17 May 
2024 to shareholders on the register at the 
close of business on 5 April 2024.

Reflections
It has been an honour and a privilege to 
serve as Chair of your company for the 
past nine years. We have made significant 
strategic progress during this period, and I 
have full confidence that the Group is well 
placed to continue creating value for all 
our stakeholders.

I would like to express my sincere 
gratitude to my Board colleagues and 
everyone at IMI for their support during 
my time as Chair. I wish you all much 
success in the future.

Lord Smith of Kelvin
Chair

10

Investment case
Compounding sustainable profitable growth

Purpose-led strategy

Through-cycle resilience

Our sustainable solutions

Delivering improved margins and 
sustainable, profitable growth

Harnessing our expertise in fluid 
and motion control engineering, 
with exposure to structural growth 
markets and around 45% of sales 
coming from the aftermarket

Enabling the energy efficiency, 
sustainability and safety of 
our customers

Adjusted basic earnings per share (p)

12%

growth CAGR since 2019

116.8

105.5

92.0

79.7

73.2

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

11

applications from Growth Hub  
with > £1m orders

29%

carbon intensity reduction since 2019

Strong balance sheet

Offering strategic flexibility whilst maintaining financial discipline

Financial framework through-cycle

Capital allocation

Organic growth

Cash conversion

5%

Adjusted 
operating margin

20%

90%

Return on 
invested capital 

>12%

Organic growth
 – R&D as a percentage of sales >3%
 –   Capital spend to depreciation 1.1-1.2x
 –  Growth Hub 50+ projects

M&A
 –   Better world growth
 –  Year 3 returns >WACC%
 –  Year 5 returns ~ Group ROIC%

Attractive growth markets

Aligning the Group to markets supported by global macro-trend with our better world purpose

Sector

Process 
Automation

Industrial
Automation

Climate
Control

Life Science & 
Fluid Control

Transport

Market 
growth 
trends

 – Energy security
 – Decarbonisation
 – Efficiency & safety

 –  Labour productivity  

 –  Energy efficiency  

& shortages

& comfort

 – Reshoring
 – Mass customisation

 – Smart buildings
 – Regulation

 –  Demographics
 – Healthcare demand
 – Scientific advances

 – Emissions 
reduction

 – Safety & comfort
 – Regulation

Organic 
revenue 
growth 
target

5%

5%

5%+

5%-10% 3%-5%

11

Strategic ReportIMI plc Annual Report 2023Financial StatementsCorporate GovernanceChief Executive Officer’s review

Delivering on 
our strategy

 We continued to make significant 

strategic progress in 2023 as we delivered 
our fourth consecutive year of profit and 
margin growth. 
Roy Twite, Chief Executive Officer

Our purpose-led strategy, Breakthrough 
engineering for a better world, is 
accelerating growth as we continue to help 
our customers to operate more efficiently, 
safely and sustainably. We are aligned to 
attractive growth markets and are creating 
real value for all our stakeholders through a 
focus on customer satisfaction, market-led 
innovation and complexity reduction.

There is great momentum in our business, 
and I am delighted that we have delivered 
another strong financial performance in 
2023. We have seen exceptionally strong 
growth in our Process Automation sector, 
where our focus on growing the 
aftermarket is showing tangible results, and 
global investments in energy security have 
led to a significant increase in demand for 
our solutions. Our focus on hydrogen as a 
sustainable fuel is also delivering results, 
and I am pleased to report that hydrogen 
orders doubled to £15m in 2023 
(2022: £7m). The integration of Heatmiser, 
acquired in December 2022 and now part 
of our Climate Control sector, is 
progressing well and we successfully 
launched its innovative range of smart 
control products in Germany and 
France during the year.

I would like to thank everyone across IMI 
for contributing to another impressive 
year. We would not be where we are today 
without your dedication, collaboration, 
innovation and expertise.

Delivering sustainable, 
profitable growth
IMI delivered another strong financial 
performance in 2023. Organic revenue 
increased by 6% and organic adjusted 
operating profit increased by 10%. Group 
adjusted operating margin increased by 
90bps to 18.7% and both platforms 
increased margins in the year. Statutory 
operating margin reduced by 10bps to 
14.5% as we accelerated our complexity 
reduction programme in the year. 
Statutory profit before tax increased by 
6%. Cash conversion was strong at 89% 
(2022: 80%) and the Group’s return on 
invested capital increased to 13.1% 
(2022: 12.7%). Our adjusted basic earnings 
per share increased by 11% to 116.8p 
(2022: 105.5p).

Everyone at IMI was pleased to see the 
Company rejoin the FTSE 100 index during 
the year. The sustainable improvements in 
financial performance that are being 
delivered are testament to the hard work of 
all our people. It is an important milestone 
in the continued delivery of our strategy.

As we unite our people and business around 
our purpose, it is time for the next step in our 
journey. We are consolidating under a unified 
IMI master brand while maintaining strong 
product brands within our sectors, all 
presented through a singular visual identity. 
This approach will simplify our engagement 
with customers, support our growth 

ambitions, unite us as one team and help us 
to attract top talent. Great things happen 
when we come together as one – finding the 
best ways of solving customer problems with 
breakthrough solutions that help build a 
better world.

Our new structure
In July 2023, we announced a new 
business structure as the next step in our 
purpose-led strategy, Breakthrough 
engineering for a better world. To build on 
the opportunities for growth, IMI has been 
organised into five market-focused 
sectors operating within two business 
platforms, Automation and Life 
Technology (see pages 16-17).

Our five market-focused sectors bring us 
even closer to our customers and align 
with long-term macro-trend that will 
support our sustainable, profitable growth 
in the years to come.

Customer satisfaction
Understanding our customers and providing 
world-class engineering expertise is crucial 
to the delivery of our strategy. We continue 
to invest in our people and processes to 
strengthen the customer experience 
further, and are achieving industry-leading 
customer satisfaction scores across the 
Group. We thank our customers and 
partners for their business and look forward 
to continuing these partnerships which 
contribute to a better world.

12

Our new structure

Platform
Automation

Life Technology

Sector
Process Automation
Industrial Automation
Climate Control
Life Science & Fluid Control
Transport

Previous Name
IMI Critical Engineering
IMI Precision Industrial Automation
IMI Hydronic Engineering
IMI Precision Fluid OEM
IMI Precision Transportation

targets during the year and have submitted 
both a near-term and net zero target to the 
Science Based Targets initiative for 
validation. We continue to improve our 
metrics regarding water withdrawal and 
non-recyclable waste generation.

We also agreed our first sustainability 
linked revolving credit facility in June 2023 
and used this as a template for a further 
revolving credit facility in the second half 
of the year.

Market-led innovation
We are accelerating market-led innovation 
by embracing our Growth Hub culture 
and processes. We are developing 
breakthrough solutions to solve key 
industry problems and support our 
customers with their most complex 
engineering challenges. Our innovation 
pipeline remains strong, with exciting 
projects across IMI. Supported by selective 
M&A, this is delivering better world 
growth. The integration of recent 
acquisitions is progressing well, giving us 
further exposure to attractive end markets.

Complexity reduction
During the year, we have continued to 
identify and execute opportunities to 
reduce complexity and drive more 
efficient, resilient operations. As forecast, 
our restructuring programmes delivered 
£20m of incremental annual benefits in 
2023. We now expect to deliver a further 
£15m of benefits in 2024 and £7m in 2025. 
Our complexity reduction investment is 
expected to complete in 2024.

We have also progressed initiatives focused 
on reducing the complexity and increasing 
the resilience of our supply chains. We are 
strengthening relationships with key 
suppliers whilst dual-sourcing components 
where appropriate to ensure we can 
continue to serve our customers’ needs.

Environmental, Social 
and Governance (ESG)
Our purpose, Breakthrough engineering 
for a better world, continues to focus 
our actions and create real energy across 
our organisation.

Empowering people
Ensuring all our employees feel safe at work 
has always been our number one priority. 
The Total Recordable Incident Frequency 
Rate (TRIFR) in 2023 was 0.44 (2022: 0.35), 
which despite remaining in the top quartile 
for our industry, was a disappointing 
outcome. We remain focused on identifying 
and reducing workplace hazards and are 

committed to the ambition of an accident-
free workplace.

Our Inclusion and Diversity activities are 
helping to build a more dynamic and 
innovative organisation. The female 
representation on the Board is currently 
44% and the Executive Committee is now at 
50% as at 1 February 2024. Women in 
management, a key metric for improving 
gender balance in leadership roles, 
remained at 22% (2022: 22%).

More information about our ESG 
credentials and initiatives, including our 
policies and practices, can be found on 
our website: www.imiplc.com.

Outlook
Based on current market conditions, we 
expect 2024 full year adjusted basic EPS 
to be between 120p and 126p.

Our continued focus on empowering 
people and on creating an inclusive, diverse, 
and safe workplace is being recognised. Our 
employee engagement remains high, with 
77% of employees seeing IMI as a great 
place to work (2022: 80%). We were pleased 
to see an increase in survey participation.

Sustainable solutions
IMI’s solutions support our customers’ 
products and operations and often directly 
contribute to the delivery of their carbon 
reduction targets. When considering 
investments, we ensure that the impact on 
IMI’s overall ESG positioning and 
performance is a prime consideration.

IMI sees a natural link between pursuing 
our ESG objectives with vigour and our 
wider ambitions for improved growth 
and profitability. Many of our best 
growth opportunities involve supporting 
customers in developing solutions for 
a zero-carbon future.

In particular, we are developing solutions 
for many aspects of the hydrogen value 
chain, including electrolysis, liquid storage, 
refuelling and heavy-duty trucks. We 
delivered £15m of hydrogen-related 
orders in 2023 (2022: £7m) and expect 
further growth in 2024.

Climate action
We improved our CO2 intensity by 5% in 
2023. Both platforms are progressing 
actions that will further reduce our Scope 1, 
2 and 3 emissions as we make meaningful 
progress towards our net zero targets. We 
committed to setting science-based 

This guidance reflects strong growth in 
our Automation platform from the record 
order book in Process Automation and 
continued resiliency in our Industrial 
Automation sector as the competitive 
labour market drives investment. The Life 
Technology platform is expected to be 
broadly flat in the full year, reflecting 
continued demand for our energy 
efficient products in Climate Control, 
offset by softer performance in Life 
Science & Fluid Control and Transport. 
We expect that Life Technology revenue 
will be down in the first half.

We expect continued margin progression 
in 2024 towards our 20% through-cycle 
target, supported by the benefits from the 
complexity reduction programme.

Our guidance assumes a net interest 
charge of £17m, that our tax rate will 
increase to 24% and a weighted average 
number of shares of 260.5m. Foreign 
exchange rates are expected to have 
an adverse impact on sales and profits 
of c.2%.

Conclusion
It has been an excellent year for IMI. 
I am excited about the year ahead and 
our long-term future. We are aligned to 
attractive markets and long-term growth 
trends. I have full confidence that we 
will continue to create value for all our 
stakeholders and make a significant, 
positive impact on society.

13

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsOur business model and strategy

Accelerating better 
world growth

How we create value
Intellectual capital
We provide knowledge, expertise, and 
intellectual property. Our world-class 
applications engineering expertise provides 
our customers with the right support to solve 
their problems.

Human capital
Our success is fuelled by our diverse 
and talented workforce. We invest in our 
employees, providing continuous learning 
and career development.

Operational capital
We commit to operational excellence, 
maintaining state-of-the-art manufacturing 
facilities and technology to deliver 
high-quality products.

Social capital
We take community engagement 
very seriously. We aim to build strong, 
positive relationships in the communities we 
operate in, and contribute to social welfare.

Natural capital
We recognise the importance of preserving 
natural resources and minimising our 
environmental footprint. We strive to reduce 
our environmental impact and support our 
customers to do the same.

Financial capital
We manage financial resources, 
making investments in innovation and 
operational efficiency to achieve sustainable 
profitable growth.

Our strategic pillars

Customer satisfaction
We provide world-class engineering expertise 
and excellent customer service. We have 
deep applications knowledge and know-how. 
We have market-leading brands.

Our business model

Our enablers

Leaders in flow and motion control

1

 – Identify and validate 
our customers’ key 
engineering problems

5

Deliver strong 
aftermarket support 
and products to 
ensure our customers 
(across 50+ countries) 
can maximise 
their efficiency

Our purpose
Breakthrough 
engineering for 
a better world

2

Apply our world-class 
applications engineering 
expertise to solve our 
customers’ problems

  Sustainability
We focus on supporting the sustainability 
goals of our customers, as well as ensuring 
that we improve our sustainability through 
our ESG initiatives.

Sector
Process 
Automation

Industrial 
Automation

Climate 
Control

Life Science 
& Fluid Control

Routes to market
 – Direct
 – Aftermarket 

 – Direct
 – Aftermarket
 – Distribution

 – End user specification
 – Project sales
 – Retrofit
 – Wholesalers
 – Direct
 – Aftermarket 

Transport

 – Direct 

Addressable market

£8.8bn

£5.8bn

£4.0bn

£2.8bn

£1.6bn

4

Harness optimised supply 
chains and operations at 
our manufacturing sites to 
keep close to customers 
and deliver excellent 
customer service

3

Investing >3% of sales in 
developing new products 
that align with our purpose 
of creating a better world

  Talent and engagement
Developing and retaining our key people and 
attracting high-quality diverse talent, as well as 
having a highly engaged workforce enables us 
to deliver excellent service to our customers.

Value creation for our stakeholders
>35,000

6,000

Customers
Supporting over 35,000 customers  
with their most acute problems.

Suppliers
Around 6,000 suppliers with partnerships that 
demonstrate long-term trust built over time.

Market-led innovation
We solve acute customer problems by 
developing innovative new products and 
solutions. We work in teams to rapidly validate 
the problem, create the solution and test 
customer willingness to pay. We build scalable 
operation processes to deliver quality products 
on time to customers.

Complexity reduction
We continue to simplify and improve 
our global manufacturing footprint and 
demonstrate a resilient supply chain to 
support our customers.

  Digital
We actively develop connected products 
and digital tools to improve our value and 
the service we offer to customers.

77%

Employees
Employee engagement remains 
high at 77% (2022: 80%).

12% CAGR

Shareholders
We delivered 12% compound annual  
growth in adjusted basic earnings per share  
over a 4-year period (2022: 13% over 3-years).

29%

Community and environment
29% reduction in carbon intensity since 2019, 
and we supported our customers in reducing 
their environmental impact.

Government and regulators
We comply with the laws and regulations 
applicable to our business.

14

15

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
Operational and sector reviews

Automation

What does Automation mean 
to you?
Automation is our next evolution at IMI 
as we move to a more customer-focused 
future. We are a trusted automation 
partner and recognised as a reliable 
solutions provider for a broad range 
of automation challenges.

Our new platform enables us to adapt 
better to evolving markets, so we can 
invest where we see long-term growth 
opportunities. It’s also helping us to 
increase efficiencies and improve our 
competitive advantage. Ultimately, 
I believe that automation is about building 
a legacy for the next generation through 
helping our customers operate more 
efficiently, sustainably and safely.

What does the restructure mean 
for your business?
It’s a new opportunity to work as a team, 
collaborating and empowering each other 
as we can deliver solutions across a 
unified platform. There are many common 
enablers between Process Automation 
and Industrial Automation: engineering 
capability; customer partnership; data-
driven and digital tools; and leveraging 
talent, best practice and common market 
sector knowledge.

With these synergies, we can work in 
partnership with and better support our 
customers – analysing a customer’s entire 
facility and identifying opportunities to 
innovate and solve problems, helping 
them adapt to evolving industrial 
landscapes. The diverse nature of our 
combined sector teams brings more 
creativity and innovation, and we’ve 
already initiated exciting, cutting-edge 
Growth Hub projects as a direct result 
of the change.

Over the next 12 months, 
where will you invest to 
develop Automation?
We’ll invest in our people, so we are 
future-ready with skill sets specialising in 
areas such as strategic sales including new 
market specialists, product management, 
project management, and digital 
(including data analytics, digital marketing, 
and customer experience). We want to 
build on our culture of Inclusion and 
Diversity, broaden our talent pool and 
attract more diverse minds. We also need 
to better leverage our customer data to 
support our commercial capabilities and 
improve the customer service experience. 
Finally, we want to harness new 
technologies and ways of working to 
ensure we have an agile and innovative 
approach, and that we continue to create 
value and ensure Automation has a 
prosperous, sustainable future.

Jackie Hu,
CEO, Automation

Number of employees

6,500

8%

30%

26%

Sales by 
geography

36%

  Europe  
(2022: 30%)

  Asia Pacific 
(2022: 26%)

  Americas 
(2022: 36%)

  Middle East 
and Africa 
(2022: 8%)

16

What are your focus areas for the 
Life Technology platform in 2024?
First, we will continue to grow through 
innovation to solve real-world problems. 
Second, we are closely following how 
our markets are evolving post-pandemic 
and the energy crisis, particularly in Life 
Science and Climate Control, so we 
can respond accordingly and support our 
customers, wherever they are in their cycle.

How are your sectors here 
for today and tomorrow?
We’re on a journey to being smarter 
and more sustainable. Our sectors are 
committed to creating a better world – 
our solutions improve energy efficiency 
in homes and buildings, reduce emissions 
from commercial vehicles and help 
our customers design diagnostic and 
analytical instruments to save lives.

With our market-leading brands and 
expertise in heating and cooling systems in 
Climate Control, we partner with architects, 
installers, distributors, and owners to support 
new buildings and renovation projects. 
Our Hydronic College educates thousands 
of installers and customers each year to 
demonstrate our energy-saving capabilities.

Our Transport and Life Science & Fluid 
Control businesses are built on long-term 
OEM relationships, resulting in multi-year 
specifications on our customers’ vehicle or 
device platforms. These trusted partnerships 
position us well to solve our customers’ 
next generation problems.

What excites you about 
the business?
I’m really excited by the incredible 
customer-led innovation across our 
sectors. In Climate Control, our connected 
products, including Heatmiser, have 
tremendous growth potential. We’re also 
enthusiastic about our growth prospects 
for Transport in China and around the 
world, helping Chinese truck OEMs 
improve diesel engine efficiency and 
partnering with OEMs on the zero-
emissions trucks of the future. In Life 
Science, our innovative Active Controls 
products are just one example of how we 
help our customers develop the next 
generation of more productive and 
precise life science instruments. Finally, 
in Fluid Control, we’re well positioned 
to grow with our high-pressure 
control offerings to hydrogen fuelling 
station OEMs.

From an investment perspective, we’ve 
acquired three great businesses over the 
past two years. These acquisitions have 
brought new technology and deepened 
our customer relationships, with a strong 
pipeline of new growth opportunities.

Overall, I’m excited about our opportunity 
to grow IMI by working hand in hand with 
our customers to improve everyday life, 
making the world better.

Beth Ferreira,  
CEO, Life Technology

Number of employees

4,400

0%

15%

21%

Sales by 
geography

64%

  Americas 
(2022: 22%)

  Middle East 
and Africa 
(2022: 0%)

  Europe  
(2022: 62%)

  Asia Pacific 
(2022: 16%)

Life Technology

17

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023Operational and sector reviews continued

Process Automation

Our engineering expertise 
protects people and assets in 
extreme temperatures and 
pressure environments. We help 
energy customers operate more 
cleanly and efficiently, enhancing 
plant performance and reducing 
Greenhouse Gas emissions, 
and we are exploring new 
decarbonisation technologies 
to support the energy transition.

Our sector
 – Around 400 expert engineers and 
200 field service technicians, with 
the industry knowledge and market 
insight to solve our customers’ 
toughest problems

 – Global customer base, including 
the world’s leading players in the 
energy and process sectors
 – Installed base of over 180,000 

severe service valves, supporting 
critical industrial plants and 
processes worldwide

 – Leading market positions in 

supplying flow control solutions in 
critical applications, including LNG 
production, upstream oil and gas 
facilities, petrochemical processes, 
biopharma processing, combined-
cycle and nuclear power, marine, 
and other process industries

Market trends and our response
The energy markets face a significant 
structural challenge as they transition. 
The energy ‘trilemma’ of security, 
affordability and sustainability has led 
to increasing investment in energy 
infrastructure, including LNG, nuclear 
power, natural gas and combined-cycle 
gas power segments. Renewable and 
alternative energy technologies, such 
as wind, solar, bioenergy and hydrogen, 
will scale rapidly.

Hydrogen and other low-emission 
alternative fuels are expected to make 
a significant contribution to energy 
supply by 2050.

At present, renewables and alternative fuels 
cannot yet be deployed fast enough to keep 
up with energy demands, so the reliance on 
oil and gas remains. We help our customers 
to optimise their processes, enhance their 
plant performance and enable them to 
extract oil and gas safely. We are also 
evolving our portfolio to support the energy 
transition, and are developing businesses in 
hydrogen, carbon capture, bioenergy and 
sustainable fuel markets.

We are investigating opportunities such 
as innovative green hydrogen systems that 
improve production yields (see case study 
on page 9).

Digitalisation will radically change how 
we create value for our customers and how 
we operate. By monitoring and analysing 
better quality data, and investing in 
diagnostic solutions and AI, we can 
leverage technology to get a deeper insight 
into our activities and accelerate our 
growth. For example, by improving 
the quality of the data on our assets in 
the field, we can assess how to better 
support our customers with coverage 
and potential upgrade solutions. We are 
digitalising our expertise and combining 
this with customers’ asset data to help 
them diagnose problems before they occur 
and offering preventative solutions. We are 
also investing in digital tools to speed up 
our customer response and lead times.

2023 highlights
 – Achieved order growth of 22% in the 
Aftermarket through our customer 
partnership and cutting-edge Growth 
Hub solutions, including Retrofit3D, 
EroSolve, and InSyt

 – Footprint optimisation and supply chain 
initiatives have improved operational 
performance across the platform

 – Partnering with two UK universities 
and a research institute in Germany, 
and winning our first industrial 
application orders for green hydrogen 
electrolysers in Europe and Asia Pacific, 
supporting sustainable energy initiatives

 – Record order book of £760m, up 21% 

on 2022, which underpins our 
confidence to deliver further growth.

Priorities for 2024 and beyond
We will focus on selling more of our 
products and solutions by leveraging 
our full product portfolio and applications 
knowledge. We are investing to further 
develop our capabilities and geographic 
coverage for hydrogen electrolyser 
projects. Beyond hydrogen, our growth 
will focus on instrumentation, biopharma 
and marine.

We will aim for continued above-market 
growth in the Aftermarket, driven by close 
customer relationships, improved data 
quality, better use of analytics and our 
innovative Growth Hub solutions.

We will focus on improving operating 
performance across all our facilities through 
best-cost country supply chain development, 
footprint optimisation and strengthened 
project management capabilities.

 The power of being close 
to our customers, combined 
with our innovation, solves 
complex problems for 
customers in a transitioning 
world. We offer customised 
solutions to improve safety, 
quality and efficiency. 
Mark Leonard, VP Business Development, 
Automation

18

Creating value with 
IMI Insyt’s end-to-end 
digital service
IMI Insyt, our advanced data-driven 
solution for predictive plant 
maintenance, gained momentum 
in 2023 – scaling up and going 
global. Paired with our Valve 
Doctors’ expertise, the preventative 
diagnostic software spots system 
problems, like cracks and leaks, 
before they occur. We enable safer, 
more reliable industrial processes, 
thereby helping customers avoid 
costly unplanned shutdowns or 
catastrophic accidents. In the 
USA, a market-leading electricity 
provider using IMI Insyt at a 
combined-cycle site extended it 
to two further facilities. We also 
expanded into Europe, including 
close partnership with a waste-to 
-energy recycling plant – our first 
UK customer – to solve severe 
water hammer issues. With more 
plant operators recognising the 
value of a sustainable, cost-
effective and proactive solution 
to protect their people and assets, 
we can support a safer tomorrow.

29

IMI Insyt helped 29 plants 
optimise processes, avoid 
unplanned downtime and 
mitigate failures in 2023

19

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023Operational and sector reviews continued

Industrial Automation

We are expanding into new industries, 
such as electric vehicles in China, 
to diversify our market presence and 
reach untapped opportunities in sectors with 
growing demand for automation solutions.

Different industries have unique challenges 
and requirements, and we are positioning 
IMI to address specific needs with 
innovative solutions.

Our customers increasingly want smart 
products to simplify factory management 
and operations, such as identifying the 
source of a leak on a pneumatic line or 
increasing pneumatic circuit efficiency 
to manage air flow. We expect technology 
in Industrial Automation applications will 
drive sustainability. For example, our 
customer-led innovations support more 
sustainable solutions for transporting 
packaged food and prolonging shelf life.

2023 highlights
 – Continued to simplify the business, 
improving operating costs through 
footprint optimisation and co-location 
of similar products being manufactured 
in a region.

 – Resolved latent supply chain challenges 

associated with a wide spread of 
suppliers through supply chain 
consolidation and localisation.

 – Building presence in electric actuator 

portfolio from integrating Bahr, leading 
to wins in contact lens manufacturing 
and packaging machinery.

 – Successful traction of new automation 
product, Transforming Tooling, for 
automotive market with customers.

We leverage digital technology 
and our engineering expertise to 
create smart, safe and sustainable 
factories, production lines and 
operations as our customers’ 
engineering solution partner. 
We embrace innovation in 
automation, and our high-
performance valves and actuators 
optimise processes for greater 
productivity, supporting a wide 
range of industries in becoming 
more efficient and sustainable.

Our sector
 – A leading position in actuators 

in the Americas

 – We offer a complete suite of 

pneumatic and electric actuation 
systems, including actuators, 
valves, air preparation and 
accessories

 – We have over 80 years of 

experience partnering with 
customers to solve their 
automation challenges

 – Around 400 engineers support 
customers with their most 
critical automation challenges

Market trends and our response
Geopolitical tensions, macro-economic 
turmoil and global supply chain disruption 
have prompted a return of manufacturing 
to the USA and Europe, with significant 
investment in factory builds and demand 
for automated production lines and 
warehouse operations. However, labour 
scarcity is affecting manufacturing 
operations for many industries, including 
food, pharmaceutical and automotives, 
and driving the need for automation.

20

Priorities for 2024 and beyond
Next year, we will focus on developing 
integrated solutions to provide more 
comprehensive answers to customer 
challenges. We will continue to improve our 
service through lead time reduction, to offer 
best-in-class for design to manufacturing 
cycle time for machine OEMs. Another focus 
is strengthening our customer insights 
through investing in a new Customer 
Relationship Management system and digital 
tools to identify patterns and opportunities 
for cross-selling. Streamlining our customers’ 
online purchasing process and enhancing the 
clarity of product information on our website 
will make it easier for customers to source 
what they need, ensuring a positive user 
experience with IMI.

To continue building deeper relationships 
with our customers we will engage 
with them to identify opportunities 
where multiple products can address 
specific customer needs. Through this 
understanding, we can customise and 
align our solutions to meet their individual 
needs and goals.

Starting with our manufacturing footprint 
in Europe, we will continue to simplify 
our supply chain and improve customer 
service by relocating our UK-based Fradley 
site and consolidating manufacturing 
in Brno, while ensuring customer service 
and delivery are unaffected.

 We’re supporting 

customers to leverage data 
and digitalisation, improving 
everything from speed of 
operations to predictive 
and preventive machine 
maintenance. 
Alex Tham, Global Leadership Team 
and Regional Managing Director, 
Industrial Automation

From gate to greatness
In the competitive world of 
international BMX racing, a top 
gate supplier faced a challenge 
to enhance safety and precision 
in their gate release mechanisms. 
This critical component determines 
the start of races and involves 
intricate features, like variable 
stopping positions and driving 
forces, crucial for safety and 
race dynamics.

After encountering issues with 
gate cylinder changes that were 
putting cyclists at risk and affecting 
speed and accuracy, the supplier 
sought our help. Our team 
proposed a customised solution 
– a high-speed cylinder capable 
of 12-inch strokes in a matter of 
seconds, paired with a quick 
exhaust valve for rapid air release.

Rider safety was the top priority 
when working with the customer 
to find a solution. Our collaboration 
with the BMX gate supplier ensured 
innovative, efficient gate operations 
without compromising rider safety.

In the high-speed, precision-
driven world of BMX racing, 
our expertise and experience 
made us the go-to partner. 

i

S
t
r
a
t
e
g
c
R
e
p
o
r
t

21

Corporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023 
Operational and sector reviews continued

Climate Control

Through our valves, actuators and 
connected products, we optimise 
heating and cooling systems for 
building users, working hand in 
hand with designers, architects 
and installers. We enable 
significant energy savings, helping 
our customers reduce their CO2 
emissions and creating more 
comfortable environments for 
life and work.

Our sector
 – We sell over 20 million products 

each year

 – Each year our products are installed 

in hundreds of thousands of 
properties

 – Connected products make up 

around 25% of sales

Market trends and our response
Increased customer focus on energy 
efficiency is driving demand for connected 
products because they give customers 
better control of their buildings through 
data-driven insight and solutions. Our 
intelligent and connected solutions, 
including our recent Heatmiser acquisition, 
now make up around 25% of revenue. 
These products enable customers to 
dynamically manage their heating and 
cooling systems more efficiently, helping 
to reduce CO2 emissions and energy bills.

In Europe, energy supply and energy 
security are an increasing focus. For 
example, in Germany, our biggest market 
in terms of revenues, the Government 
took significant measures in the winter 
of 2022-2023 to avoid energy shortages, 
including reactivating coal-fired power 
plants and introducing regulations to limit 
heating of public buildings to 19°C. Sales 
of our Halo-B valve, which can be set to a 
tamper-proof 19°C, increased significantly 
in this period, helping public authorities 
in Germany to lock in energy savings.

The global slowdown in new construction 
for commercial and residential property 
has presented a challenge for IMI, 
with reduced opportunities to install 
our products in new buildings. However, 
our business is resilient with a significant 
proportion of revenues coming from 
retrofit projects or connected products.

2023 highlights
 – Over 20,000 customers, installers and 
building designers attended training 
sessions hosted by IMI’s Hydronic 
College associates

 – Integration of Heatmiser, increasing 
connected products to more than 
25% of Climate Control’s revenue
 – Scaling of TA-Smart product, tripling 
revenue in 2023 including successful 
installations in iconic buildings 
across Europe

Priorities for 2024 and beyond
Growing demand for smart temperature 
controls to enable energy-efficient and 
greener buildings will continue to drive 
sales in 2024. We will prioritise investment 
in our connected products, including 
leveraging Heatmiser’s connected 
technology capabilities.

22

In mechanical products, where we have 
a market-leading position for thermostatic 
radiator valves in Germany, we will 
continue to train installers and building 
designers on the benefits of our products 
to build market share.

The move towards renewable energies 
and electrification, including using heat 
pumps, is expected to accelerate as 
part of global efforts to reduce carbon 
emissions. We expect this to lead to an 
increasing percentage of residential new 
build properties using underfloor heating, 
which presents an opportunity for IMI’s 
Heatmiser control products.

 We are successful 
because we build on 
our expertise of the entire 
HVAC system. We think 
about each customer’s 
problem and create value-
add through innovation, 
intelligent solutions, 
customer support 
and education. 
Stefano D’Agostino, President,  
Climate Control

State of the art climate 
control for famous theatre
Our TA-Smart valves are enabling 
a more energy-efficient future 
for a world-renowned theatre in 
Europe that needed a complete 
HVAC system refurbishment, to 
optimise energy consumption and 
improve user comfort. Faced with 
an outdated system with no data 
or monitoring capabilities, 
the consultant designing the 
refurbishment needed our 
support. Working in partnership 
with them, we recommended our 
TA-Smart product, supplying 24 
bespoke valves in 2023. These 
valves allow the heating system to 
automatically monitor itself, 
so it can analyse and optimise 
energy use. The result is a more 
sustainable building and a more 
comfortable experience for 
employees, actors and audiences.

i

S
t
r
a
t
e
g
c
R
e
p
o
r
t

23
23

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Corporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
We continue to invest in our manufacturing 
and engineering footprint to be close to 
our customers, and to focus on building 
a diverse talent pool with deep application 
expertise to solve customers’ problems. 
Our teams include specialists who are 
among a handful of experts worldwide.

 Our deep applications 
expertise allows us to help 
our customers design next- 
generation life science 
equipment which diagnoses 
disease faster and improves 
the quality of patient-
focused critical care. 
Martin Maas, President, Life Science 
& Fluid Control

Operational and sector reviews continued

Life Science  
& Fluid Control

We are at the cutting edge of life 
sciences technology, improving 
the accuracy of analytical and 
diagnostics tests, and creating 
critical components to keep 
patients alive during life-saving 
operations or in critical care units. 
In fluid control, our solutions 
ensure the safety, reliability 
and performance of everyday 
essentials – from eggs to car tyres.

Our sector
 – Our key applications include 
anaesthesia and ventilation, 
and mass spectrometry

 – We supply the majority of the top 
global ventilator OEMs, and most 
of the top 10 analytical and 
diagnostic OEMs

 – We serve our customers through 
our global engineering resources 
and manufacturing facilities in 
Europe, the USA and China

Market trends and our response
2023 was a challenging year for Life 
Science businesses overall, with a reduction 
in spend on COVID-19 testing and high 
levels of safety stocks built up during the 
pandemic needing to be unwound. This led 
to a temporary reduction in demand, 
although the long-term growth drivers of 
the industry remain unchanged. There is 
growing demand for healthcare services 
globally due to a rapid rise in people with 
access to healthcare, combined with 
longer life expectancies and lifestyle 
changes leading to increasingly complex 
healthcare needs. In addition, the 
regulatory environment for healthcare is 
becoming progressively demanding. 
These trends underpin the expected 
long-term market growth for our sector.

We are seeing a trend from our OEM 
customers to simplify their supply chains 
and look for multiple needs to be solved 
by a single partner. Our recent acquisitions 
of Adaptas Solutions and CorSolutions 
put us in a strong position to support this 
complexity reduction. We now offer our 
OEM customers an even broader portfolio 
of capabilities, allowing us to solve fluidic 
and detection challenges.

Customers also increasingly want a 
local, trusted expert in their supply chain 
to support manufacturing and design 
challenges. We are well positioned for 
this because of our global manufacturing 
and engineering footprint, and are able 
to support customers as they look to 
outsource activities to trusted suppliers.

2023 highlights
 – Launched the Active Controls range 
of products, including our Air Infinity 
pipettor, drastically reducing design 
complexity for OEM customers

 – Enabled even better commercial coffee 
machines with the launch of our media 
separated TruControl dispense valve

 – Grew our portfolio of customer 

projects, many of which are driven 
by synergies with Adaptas

Priorities for 2024 and beyond
As we work with our customers towards 
a stabilisation of demand on the core 
business, our priorities include delivering 
growth through innovation and winning 
share of wallet with existing and new 
OEM customers. We have developed a 
strong pipeline of customer opportunities, 
including through leveraging relationships 
from our acquisition of Adaptas.

24

Transformative 
technology for  
patient care
In 2023, our fluid control solutions 
continued to create value for 
patient care by accelerating 
molecular diagnostics. Through 
close customer partnership and 
ongoing innovation, we developed 
critical fluid technology for a 
device to diagnose respiratory 
illnesses in around 15 minutes, 
instead of hours. Our customer 
needed a faster, smaller, smarter 
instrument for doctors and 
clinicians in point-of-care settings 
to sample, test and diagnose 
patients with lab-quality analysis. 
Our integrated fluid control 
systems also increase the number 
of pathogens that can be tested. 
By creating a complete solution, 
we reduced supply chain 
complexity for our customer 
and improved reliability and cost. 
The new instrument improves 
access to healthcare for patients 
around the world and enables 
more accurate and timely 
treatment decisions.

C
o
r
p
o
r
a
t
e
G
o
v
e
r
n
a
n
c
e

i

F
n
a
n
c
a

i

l

S
t
a
t
e
m
e
n
t
s

c. 15  
minutes

Our technology has helped 
accelerate point-of-care 
diagnostics – with results 
in minutes instead of hours

25

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic Report 
 
Operational and sector reviews continued

Transport

We are well positioned for the future of 
zero-emission vehicles and our products 
drive emissions reductions in existing 
diesel technology. We are building our 
expertise in software, controls and 
zero-emissions technologies by recruiting 
new talent. We are also investing in our 
teams’ sustainability knowledge, which is 
key for future growth as many aspects of 
sustainability impact product design.

Our global team collaborates on product 
design, while maintaining excellent 
regional relationships with truck OEMs 
to ensure our customers have the best 
solutions to serve their needs all around 
the world.

2023 highlights
 – Benefitted from strong growth in China 
and India, winning business with new 
customers, and a strong pipeline 
expected to grow in 2024 and beyond
 – Relocated a manufacturing facility from 
the USA to Mexico to improve customer 
experience and reduce our cost base

 – Expanded into the Suzhou 

manufacturing facility, with additional 
lines built to accommodate new 
business in China, and manufacturing 
of product lines transferred from Europe 
to China to shorten supply chains and 
improve customer experience

Priorities for 2024 and beyond
We are flexible and responsive to changing 
market needs and sustainability pressures. 
Shifting to zero-emissions technology is a 
given, but different regions are moving at 
different speeds. The mix of technologies 
and fuel types includes zero-emission fuel 
cells and batteries, near-zero hydrogen 
engines, and cleaner diesel technology.

In the continued inflationary environment, 
we are actively managing our 
manufacturing footprint and supply chains 
to minimise and improve unnecessary cost 
increases for our customers and maintain 
and improve IMI’s margins.

 The future is bright 
and our primary focus is 
on partnering with our 
customers to develop 
the vehicles of the future, 
which are cleaner, safer, 
more efficient and more 
comfortable. 
Alison Snell, Business Development 
Director, Transport

We develop solutions that reduce 
emissions from commercial 
vehicles, helping our customers 
to meet increasingly stringent 
emissions regulations. Our 
products make engines more 
fuel-efficient, improve chassis 
aerodynamics and aid driver 
comfort. We are also developing 
solutions for zero-emissions 
vehicles, including fuel cell and 
battery thermal management.

Our sector
 – We supply all of the top ten 

global heavy-duty truck OEMs
 – We support truck OEMs in all 

regions with engineering centres 
in Germany, the Czech Republic, 
USA, India and China

 – We manufacture in the Czech 
Republic, Mexico and China 
enabling short supply chains 
to our customers

Market trends and our response
Global vehicle manufacturers are under 
increasing pressure from new regulatory 
requirements such as China 6, Euro 7 
and Phase 3 greenhouse gas emissions 
standards in the USA to continue to 
reduce emissions of their diesel and 
natural gas powered vehicles. At the same 
time, the global energy transition means 
Truck OEMs are investing heavily in new 
technologies to power zero-emissions 
vehicles, which are expected to scale 
in volumes from 2030 onwards.

Ingenuity in truck 
aerodynamics
Saving fuel and cutting energy 
consumption are key to making 
vehicles more sustainable. The 
aerodynamics in trucks make a 
huge difference to fuel efficiency, 
whether using conventional or 
zero-emission technologies. 
In 2023, our chassis products and 
know-how have helped a truck 
OEM customer in the USA improve 
the aerodynamics of new concept 
trucks. We combined our chassis 
solutions with our proprietary 
software to make the chassis 
positioning highly dynamic and 
able to respond in real time to 
changes in vehicle speed and 
airflow. The result minimises 
aerodynamic drag and improves 
fuel efficiency – an industry first by 
IMI, which can support sustainable 
growth in the Transport sector.

26

27

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023Key Performance Indicators

Strong performance  
across the business

Non-financial

Total Recordable 
Incident Frequency Rate
(per 200,000 hours)
Target: 0.00

Employee 
engagement
(%)
Target: >80%

CO2 intensity
(gross tCO2e per 
1,000 hours worked)
Target: <2.00

0.56

77

80

77

2.30

0.44

0.35

2.09

1.98

Financial

Organic revenue  
growth
(%)
Target: >5% growth

7

6

4

2021

2022

2023

2021

2022

2023

2021

2022

2023

2021

2022

2023

Why is this a KPI?
The health and safety of 
all who work at IMI is 
paramount. Ensuring a 
safe working environment 
is closely linked to our 
business success, including 
attracting and retaining 
the best talent.

Definition
We measure our progress 
in this area by tracking 
the number of recordable 
work-related injuries per 
200,000 hours worked 
(TRIFR rate).

Performance
In 2023 our TRIFR rate was 
0.44 with no fatalities. This 
was higher than 2022, but 
lower than prior periods. 
We will continue to focus 
on identifying and reducing 
workplace hazards.

Why is this a KPI?
The engagement of our 
employees is key to retaining 
the existing skills and 
promoting and attracting 
employees who bring new 
ideas and capabilities.

Definition
We carry out an annual 
anonymised survey of 
employees – One Big Voice 
– and use the response 
to the question, ‘I see my 
business (IMI) as a great 
place to work’, as a gauge 
of employee engagement.

Performance
With an engagement score of 
77% in 2023, we continue to 
maintain a high percentage 
of employees that see IMI as 
a great place to work. Whilst 
engagement was slightly 
below our target in 2023, 
we outperformed external 
benchmarks in the year.

Why is this a KPI?
Our purpose, Breakthrough 
engineering for a better 
world, drives our strategy 
and our ambition, including 
our commitment to halve 
our total CO2 intensity by 
2030 (based on 2019 Scope 
1 & 2 emissions).

Definition
We measure our progress 
in this area by tracking our 
total CO2 intensity. This is 
calculated by looking at the 
ratio of total Scope 1 & 2 
emissions (tonnes CO2e) 
per 1,000 hours worked.

  See page 58 for details 
of the calculation.

Performance
In 2023 our CO2 intensity 
reduced to 1.98, reflecting 
the Group’s continued focus 
on identifying and delivering 
on projects to reduce our 
carbon emissions.

Remuneration

  Read more on  
pages 138-145.

Why is this a KPI?
Delivering consistent 
growth is an important 
part of building sustainable 
value for shareholders.

Definition
Organic revenue is stated 
at constant exchange 
rates and excludes the 
incremental effect of 
acquisitions and disposals. 
For 2023 that means 
adjusting for the impact 
of the Bahr acquisition 
(June 2022), CorSolutions 
acquisition (October 2022), 
the Heatmiser acquisition 
(December 2022) and the 
Aero-Dynamiek disposal 
(October 2023).

Performance
Organic revenue growth 
was 6% in 2023 reflecting 
the continued delivery of our 
unifying purpose-led strategy, 
Breakthrough engineering 
for a better world.

The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set out below represent 
financial and non-financial measures which are integral to the 
delivery of our strategy and are used to track progress. In 2023, 
we have added targets to all of the KPIs to demonstrate our 
long-term expectations for each indicator, and changed adjusted 
operating profit to adjusted profit before tax to align to our annual 
bonus target.

Our KPIs have been designed to drive the Group towards meeting 
our strategic objectives outlined in our business model (see pages 
10 and 11 for details). The Alternative Performance Measures 
(APMs) used as KPIs (organic revenue growth, adjusted profit 
before tax, cash conversion, return on invested capital and 
adjusted basic earnings per share) are defined in Note 3.

Adjusted profit 
before tax (£m)
Target: >5% growth

346.1

307.0

Cash conversion
(%)
Target: >90%

Return on invested 
capital (%)
Target: >12%

Adjusted basic earnings 
per share (pence)
Target: >5% growth

387.4

86

80

89

13.2

12.7

13.1

116.8

105.5

92.0

2021

2022

2023

2021

2022

2023

2021

2022

2023

2021

2022

2023

Why is this a KPI?
Growing our profits will 
ultimately generate value 
for our shareholders and 
create more opportunity 
to invest further.

Definition
The Group’s adjusted 
profit before tax is 
described in Note 3, 
which ensures a consistent 
basis for comparison.

Performance
Adjusted profit before tax 
growth was 12% in 2023, 
above our 5% target. 
This strong performance 
reflects the commercial 
and operational focus 
during the year, and the 
Heatmiser acquisition.

Remuneration

  Read more on  
pages 138-145.

Why is this a KPI?
Cash generation supports 
investment in our business 
and enables the Group 
to provide returns to 
shareholders through 
dividends. Strong cash 
generation also ensures a 
strong balance sheet, giving 
customers and suppliers 
confidence in the future 
of the Group.

Definition
Cash conversion is the 
adjusted operating cash 
flow as a percentage of the 
adjusted operating profit.

Performance
Cash conversion increased 
to 89% in 2023, supported 
by profit growth and a 
continued focus on working 
capital management.

Why is this a KPI?
The measure provides an 
indication of IMI’s ability to 
deploy capital effectively.

Definition
Adjusted operating profit 
after tax divided by average 
capital invested. Capital 
invested is defined as net 
assets adjusted to remove 
net debt, derivative assets/
liabilities, defined benefit 
pension position (net of 
deferred tax) and to reverse 
historical impairments of 
goodwill and amortisation of 
acquired intangible assets.

  See the calculation 
on page 36.

Performance
The Group’s return on 
invested capital increased to 
13.1%, reflecting the increased 
profitability of the business 
compared to the prior year.

Remuneration

  Read more on  
pages 138-145.

Why is this a KPI?
Creating consistent 
long-term value 
for shareholders.

Definition
Adjusted profit after tax 
divided by the weighted 
average number of basic 
ordinary shares.

Performance
Adjusted earnings per 
share increased by 11% in 
the year to 116.8p, above 
our 5% growth target.

Remuneration

  Read more on  
pages 138-145.

Return on invested capital, 
adjusted earnings per 
share and CO2 intensity are 
performance targets for 
the 2022, 2023 & 2024 IIP. 
Adjusted profit before 
tax is a performance 
target for the annual 
incentive scheme.

  Read more on page 140.

28

29

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsFinancial review

Delivering growth

Adjusted net financing costs on net borrowings of £22.7m (2022: £19.2m) was higher as a result of acquisitions completed in 2022 and 
increases in base rates and includes the impact of £2.9m (2022: £2.8m) interest cost on leases. Statutory net finance costs were £16.2m 
compared to £12.8m in 2022, largely reflecting the higher interest rate environment.

Adjusted net financing costs on borrowings were covered 22 times (2022: 24 times) by adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, 
amortisation, impairment and adjusting items of £503m (2022: £457m). Net pension financing interest expense under IAS 19 was £0.5m 
(2022: £1.5m income).

Adjusted profit before taxation was £387m (2022: £346m), which was 12% higher than 2022. Statutory profit before taxation increased 
6% to £302m (2022: £285m) reflecting growth in the year and the Group’s continued execution of restructuring activities to improve 
customer satisfaction and long-term competitiveness. The total statutory profit for the period after taxation was £237m (2022: £226m).

Daniel Shook, Chief Financial Officer

Key highlights

Revenue
Operating profit
Operating margin
Profit before tax
Basic EPS
Operating cash flow2
Dividend per share
Return on invested capital3

Adjusted1

2023

2022

£2,196m
£411m
18.7%
£387m
116.8p
£366m
28.3p
13.1%

£2,049m
£364m
17.8%
£346m
105.5p
£290m
25.7p
12.7%

Change

+7%
+13%
+90bps
+12%
+11%
+26%
+10%
+40bps

Organic4

2023

2022

Statutory

+6%
+10%

£2,196m
£319m
14.5%
£302m
91.5p
£439m
28.3p

£2,049m
£298m
14.6%
£285m
87.6p
£336m
25.7p

Change

+7%
+7%
-10bps
+6%
+4%
+31%
+10%

1  Excluding the effect of adjusting items as reported in the income statement. See Note 3 for definitions of alternative performance measures.

2  Adjusted operating cash flow, as described in Note 3 to the financial statements. The statutory measure is cash generated from operations as shown on the cash flow statement.

3  Post-tax return on invested capital, as described in Note 3 to the financial statements.

4  After adjusting for acquisitions, disposals and exchange rates (see Note 4).

Certain alternative performance measures (APMs) have been included within this Annual Report. These APMs are used by the Executive 
Committee to monitor and manage the performance of the Group, in order to ensure that the decisions taken align with the Group’s 
long-term interests. Movements in revenue and adjusted operating profit are given on an organic basis (see definition in Note 3 to the 
financial statements) so that assessment of performance is not distorted by acquisitions, disposals and movements in exchange rates. 
Further rationale for the use of APMs, their definition, and a reconciliation of APMs to statutory measures is presented in Note 3 to the 
financial statements.

Delivering sustainable, profitable growth
The Group delivered a strong financial result in the year, as revenue, profit and adjusted operating margin improved. Revenue increased 
by 7% to £2,196m (2022: £2,049m). Organic revenue was 6% higher than the prior year, after adjusting for acquisitions, disposals and 
exchange rate movements. Exchange rate adjustments had an immaterial impact.

Adjusted operating profit of £411m (2022: £364m) was 13% higher than last year. On an organic basis, adjusted operating profit 
increased by 10%.

Group adjusted operating margin was 18.7% (2022: 17.8%). Both platforms grew adjusted margins in the year as we continue to progress 
towards our 20% margin target. Statutory operating profit was £319m (2022: £298m), which increased by 7%. The Group statutory 
operating margin was 10bps lower than last year, largely reflecting an increase in restructuring costs recognised in 2023.

Platform results
Automation

£m
Revenue
Process Automation
Industrial Automation
Total Revenue
Operating profit
Operating margin

Adjusted

Statutory

2023

2022

Change

Organic1

2023

2022

Change

807
543
1,350
257
19.1%

713
535
1,248
225
18.1%

+13%
+1%
+8%
+14%
+100bps

+14%
+0%
+8%
+14%

2023
760

561
390
951

807
543
1,350
202
15.0%

2022
627

458
354
812

713
535
1,248
188
15.1%

Change
+21%

+22%
+10%
+17%

+13%
+1%
+8%
+7%
-10bps

Organic1

+23%
+10%
+18%

1  After adjusting for acquisitions, disposals and exchange rates (see Note 4).

Process Automation (£m)
Closing order book
Order intake
Aftermarket
New Construction
Total order intake

1  After adjusting for acquisitions, disposals and exchange rates (see Note 4).

Automation delivered strong organic revenue growth of 8%, with revenue also up 8% on a reported basis.

Process Automation had an excellent year, with strong order intake and continued organic growth. Orders were up 18% organically, with 
a 23% increase in Aftermarket. Organic revenue was 14% higher than 2022 and 13% higher on an adjusted basis. We have benefitted 
from our self-help initiatives in the Aftermarket and continued investments in energy security and have seen particular strength in LNG, 
Nuclear and downstream Oil & Gas.

Industrial Automation delivered a good performance, despite uncertain markets. Organic revenue was in line with the prior year, and 
was up 1% on an adjusted basis. We see continued demand for solutions that automate processes in a competitive labour market.

Adjusted operating profit increased by 14% on an organic basis and the adjusted operating margin improved by 100bps to 19.1%. This 
was a strong performance, reflecting a further shift towards higher-margin Aftermarket opportunities and the continued execution of 
footprint optimisation initiatives, which delivered £15m of incremental benefits in 2023.

Statutory operating profit increased by 7% to £202m in the year.

We expect to deliver good growth in 2024, following on from the strong order book in Process Automation and continued resiliency in 
our Industrial Automation sector as the competitive labour market drives investment. We expect margins to increase, supported by the 
continued delivery of our complexity reduction programme.

30

31

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsFinancial review continued

Life Technology

£m
Revenue
Climate Control
Life Science & Fluid Control
Transport
Total Revenue
Operating profit
Operating margin

Adjusted

Statutory

2023

2022

Change

Organic1

2023

2022

Change

386
276
184
846
153
18.1%

350
289
162
801
139
17.3%

+10%
-4%
+14%
+6%
+11%
+80bps

+3%
-5%
+14%
+2%
+3%

386
276
184
846
116
13.7%

350
289
162
801
110
13.7%

+10%
-4%
+14%
+6%
+6%

1  After adjusting for acquisitions, disposals and exchange rates (see Note 4).

Life Technology delivered a resilient performance, despite some significant market uncertainty. Revenue was up 6% and 2% on an 
organic basis.

Climate Control saw good demand for its energy-saving products, with revenue up 10% when compared to 2022 and 3% higher on an 
organic basis. Whilst trends in the European construction market did impact sales in the second half, the sector continues to perform 
resiliently due to the strong retrofit demand for products that improve energy efficiency in buildings. The integration of Heatmiser, 
acquired in December 2022, has progressed well as we look to accelerate our growth in smart buildings.

Life Science & Fluid Control revenue was 4% lower than in 2022 and 5% lower on an organic basis. We saw customer destocking and 
reduced demand in the second half and expect this to continue into 2024. The long-term fundamentals of this sector are strong, and 
we remain excited about the opportunities for growth.

Transport revenue was up 14% when compared to 2022, and 14% higher organically. We saw growth across all regions in the year as 
supply chains recovered. We have benefitted from particularly strong demand in China and India.

Adjusted operating margin for the year was 18.1%, 80bps higher than the prior year. The platform continues to advance complexity 
reduction initiatives, delivering £5m of incremental benefits in the year.

Statutory operating profit increased by 6% to £116m in the year.

We expect Life Technology to be broadly flat in 2024, reflecting continued demand for our energy-efficient products in Climate Control, 
offset by softer performance in Life Science and Transport. We expect margins to increase, supported by the continued delivery of our 
complexity reduction programme.

Adjusting items

Adjusting items
Reversal of net economic hedge contract (losses)/gains
Restructuring costs
Acquired intangible amortisation and other acquisition items
Exit from Russia
Gains on instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss
Tax in connection with the above adjusting items
Total adjusting items

2023
£m
(8)
(48)
(34)
(2)
7
19
(66)

2022
£m
3
(26)
(34)
(9)
5
15
(46)

Adjusting items that are excluded from adjusted profit before tax are listed below:

 – Reversal of net economic hedge contract losses/gains: for segmental reporting purposes, changes in the fair value of economic 
hedges which are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes, together with the gains and losses on their settlement, are 
included in the revenues and adjusted operating profit of the relevant business segment. The adjusting item reverses this treatment at 
an operating profit level, leading to a loss of £8m (2022: £3m gain).

 – Restructuring costs: Restructuring costs of £48m were incurred in 2023, with a breakdown of these costs by platform, alongside 

expected benefits provided below. Further details on 2023 projects are included in Note 3.

 – Acquired intangible amortisation and other acquisition items: Acquired intangible amortisation is excluded from adjusted profits, to 
allow for comparability of the performance across platforms. Acquired intangible amortisation increased to £32m (2022: £30m). 
Other acquisition costs of £2m (2022: £4m) were incurred relating to a Heatmiser IFRS 3 fair value inventory adjustment.

 – Exit from Russia: During 2023, changes were made to the legal structure of a customer which resulted in a £2m write-off. In 2022, 

the Group’s decision to end all new business in Russia resulted in a charge of £9m.

 – Gains on instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss: A gain arose on the revaluation of financial instruments and 

derivatives under IFRS 9 of £7m (2022: £5m gain).

 – Taxation: The tax effect of the above items has been recognised as an adjusting item and amounts to a £19m gain (2022: £15m gain).

Complexity reduction continues to deliver benefits
Along with investments into our future growth, IMI continues to identify and execute on opportunities to drive more efficient operations. 
The following tables provide a summary of progress on our restructuring programme:

£m
Restructuring charge
Automation
Life Technology
Total charge
Cash impact

£m
Incremental annual benefits
Automation
Life Technology
Total benefits

*  Future looking forecast information.

2023

2024*

2025*

(31)
(17)
(48)
(40)

(27)
(12)
(39)
(27)

–
–
–
(5)

2023

2024*

2025*

15
5
20

6
9
15

6
1
7

Both platforms advanced their significant multi-year restructuring projects in 2023, recognising a total charge of £48m.

The restructuring programme contributed £20m of benefits in the year. Including 2023, the programme has cost £192m to date and has 
delivered annual benefits of £104m.

We continue to expect that the programme will complete in 2024, although the Group will always seek and execute on opportunities 
that improve its competitive position.

Taxation
The adjusted effective tax rate for the Group increased to 21.8% (2022: 21.3%), reflecting the increase in the UK statutory rate of corporation 
tax from 19% to 25% with effect from 1 April 2023. The tax rate in 2023 also benefitted from favourable resolutions of certain historic tax 
cases. The total adjusted tax charge for the year was £85m (2022: £74m) and the statutory effective tax rate was 21.5% (2022: 20.7%). The 
Group seeks to manage its tax affairs within its core tax principles of compliance, fairness, value and transparency, in accordance with the 
Group’s Corporate Tax Strategy which is available on the Group’s corporate website. We are expecting the adjusted effective tax rate to 
increase to around 24% in 2024, due in part to higher UK corporation tax rates and new minimum tax legislation.

Adjusted basic earnings per share increased by 11%
The average number of shares in issue during the period was 259m (2022: 258m), resulting in adjusted basic earnings per share of 
116.8p (2022: 105.5p), an increase of 11%. Statutory basic earnings per share increased by 4% at 91.5p (2022: 87.6p) and statutory diluted 
earnings per share increased by 5% at 91.2p (2022: 87.2p).

32

33

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsFinancial review continued

Maintaining continued cash discipline

Movement in net debt
Adjusted EBITDA*
Working capital movements
Capital and development expenditure
Provisions and employee benefit movements**
Principal elements of lease payments
Other
Adjusted operating cash flow ***
Adjusting items
Interest
Derivatives
Tax paid
Additional pension scheme funding
Free cash flow before corporate activity
Dividends paid to equity shareholders
Acquisition/disposal of subsidiaries
Net issuance/(purchase) of own shares
Net cash flow (excluding debt movements)

Reconciliation of net cash to movement in net debt
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents excluding foreign exchange
Less: cash acquired/disposed
Net repayment/(drawdown) of borrowings excluding foreign exchange and net debt disposed/acquired
Decrease/(increase) in net debt before acquisitions, disposals and foreign exchange
Net (debt)/cash acquired/disposed
Currency translation differences
Movement in lease liabilities
Movement in net debt in the year
Net debt at the start of the year
Net debt at the end of the year

2023
£m
503.2
(31.3)
(79.9)
(2.7)
(29.0)
6.0
366.3
(43.1)
(22.7)
9.8
(76.1)
–
234.2
(68.8)
0.5
0.6
166.5

17.7
0.4
148.4
166.5
(0.4)
1.8
5.5
173.4
(812.0)
(638.6)

2022
£m
457.0
(85.1)
(71.3)
1.5
(32.3)
20.2
290.0
(52.6)
(19.2)
(8.6)
(48.6)
(3.5)
157.5
(62.2)
(213.3)
(18.8)
(136.8)

11.0
(10.0)
(137.8)
(136.8)
10.0
(50.6)
(11.8)
(189.2)
(622.8)
(812.0)

Research and development spend, including capitalised intangible development costs of £6m (2022: £6m), totalled £72m (2022: £68m), 
representing 3.3% (2022: 3.3%) of sales. The Group continues to support investment in growth, with this spend focused on delivering 
better world solutions. As this measure focuses primarily on the efforts of the engineering function, it does not fully capture the 
cross-functional support in Growth Hub initiatives – a significant further investment alongside our research and development spend.

In 2023, the Group paid cash tax of £76m (2022: £49m), which was 117% (2022: 82%) of the statutory tax charge for the year.

Free cash flow before corporate activity increased significantly to £234m (2022: £158m).

Dividends paid to shareholders totalled £69m (2022: £62m), and there was a cash inflow of £1m associated with the issue of share 
capital for employee share schemes (2022: £19m outflow).

Overall net debt reduced by £173m in 2023 (2022: £189m increase).

Strong balance sheet offers strategic flexibility
Net debt at the year-end was £639m, compared to £812m at the end of the previous year. The reduction reflects the strong cash 
generation in the year. The net debt is composed of a cash balance of £107m (2022: £133m), a bank overdraft of £66m (2022: £94m), 
interest-bearing loans and borrowings of £580m (2022: £746m) and lease liabilities of £100m (2022: £105m).

The year-end net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.3 times (2022: 1.8 times). At the end of 2023, loan notes totalled £532m 
(2022: £546m), with a weighted average maturity of 3.6 years (2022: 4.6 years), and other loans including bank overdrafts totalled £114m 
(2022: £294m). Total committed bank loan facilities available to the Group at the year-end were £300m (2022: £300m), of which £nil 
(2022: £100m) was drawn.

At 31 December 2023, the value of the Group’s intangible assets, including goodwill, was £958m (2022: £1,014m restated).

The net book value of the Group’s property, plant and equipment at 31 December 2023 was £300m (2022: £299m). Capital expenditure 
on property, plant and equipment amounted to £60m (2022: £57m), with the main capital expenditure focused on production facility 
investment to support operational efficiency and growth. Including capitalised intangible assets, total capital expenditure was £80m 
(2022: £71m) and was 1.3 times (2022: 1.2 times) the depreciation and amortisation charge (excluding acquired intangible amortisation 
and lease asset depreciation) for the year of £63m (2022: £60m).

The net deficit for defined benefit obligations at 31 December 2023 was £49m (2022: £19m deficit). The UK deficit was £4m 
(2022: £28m surplus), with the liabilities fully bought-in in 2022. The deficit in the overseas funds as at 31 December 2023 was £45m 
(2022: £47m deficit).

*  Adjusted profit after tax (£302.9m) before interest (£23.2m), tax (£84.5m), depreciation (£74.8m), amortisation (£17.6m) and impairment (£0.2m).

**  Movement in provisions and employee benefits as per the statement of cash flows (£0.9m) adjusted for the movement in restructuring provisions (£3.6m).

*** Adjusted operating cash flow is the cash generated from the operations shown in the statement of cash flows, less cash spent acquiring property, plant and equipment, non-acquired 
intangible assets and investments; plus cash received from the sale of property, plant and equipment and the sale of investments, excluding the cash impact of adjusting items; a 
reconciliation is included in Note 19.

Adjusted operating cash flow was £366m (2022: £290m). This represents a conversion rate of total Group adjusted operating profit to 
adjusted operating cash flow of 89% (2022: 80%), largely reflecting good working capital management during 2023. There was a £43m 
cash outflow from adjusting items (2022: £53m outflow) primarily related to restructuring costs.

Net working capital balances increased by £31m, with a £58m increase in payables in line with growth offset by a £57m increase in 
receivables and a £32m increase in inventory, with investments in stock to support the Process Automation order book offsetting the 
strategic reduction of inventory in other sectors. The £85m increase in 2022 was due to a £39m increase in receivables and a £47m 
increase in inventory, partly offset by an increase in payables of £1m.

Cash spent on property, plant and equipment and other non-acquired intangibles in the year was £80m (2022: £71m), which was 
equivalent to 1.3 times (2022: 1.2 times) depreciation and amortisation thereon. The Group continues to deploy capital to support 
growth and improve the efficiency of its operations, including projects that support our net zero carbon target.

34

35

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsDisciplined approach to capital allocation
The Board has a clear and disciplined framework for capital allocation.

The Group will look to prioritise opportunities to deliver incremental organic growth as it continues to invest in its people and 
operations. Capital expenditure was 1.3x depreciation during the year (2022: 1.2x) with R&D expenditure at 3.3% of sales (2022: 3.3%), in 
line with a target to maintain spend above 3.0% of sales.

IMI will continue to pursue strategic acquisitions to further enhance the portfolio. These acquisitions must be in attractive, better world 
markets, and must deliver returns in line with our strict financial criteria, delivering returns above the Group weighted average cost of 
capital by year three and must not be materially dilutive to the Group return on invested capital by year five.

The Group is committed to a progressive dividend policy and would consider the appropriate mechanism to return additional surplus 
capital should the Group’s net debt to adjusted EBITDA fall sustainably below our 1.0x – 2.0x target range.

There is significant headroom to current funding covenants of 3.0x net debt to adjusted EBITDA.

The Group remained highly cash generative in 2023, with free cash flow before corporate activity increasing 48% to £234m in the year 
(2022: £158m). Net debt reduced to 1.3x adjusted EBITDA (2022: 1.8x), comfortably within our target range.

At 31 December 2023, IMI plc (the parent company) had distributable reserves of £304m (2022: £282m).

Daniel Shook
Chief Financial Officer

Financial review continued

Return on invested capital (ROIC)
The Group uses ROIC as an indication of IMI’s ability to deploy capital effectively. The Group’s definition of ROIC is adjusted operating 
profit after tax divided by average capital invested. Capital invested is defined as net assets adjusted to remove net debt, derivative 
assets/liabilities, defined pension position (net of deferred tax) and to reverse historical impairments of goodwill and amortisation 
of acquired intangibles.

ROIC was 13.1% in 2023 (2022: 12.7%) which increased by 40bps reflecting the strong trading performance and the full year profit impact 
of acquisitions completed in 2022.

Return on invested capital
Adjusted operating profit
Notional tax charge
Net adjusted operating profit after tax

Net assets
Adjusted for:
  Net debt
  Restructuring provision
  Net derivative assets/liabilities
  Net defined pension benefit
  Deferred tax on employee benefits
  Previously written-off/impaired goodwill
  Acquired intangibles amortisation
Closing capital invested
Opening capital invested
Average capital invested
Return on invested capital

2023
£m
410.6
(89.5)
321.1

2022
£m
363.8
(77.5)
286.3

1,030.2

905.6

638.6
20.9
(1.2)
48.9
(13.5)
346.9
387.6
2,458.4
2,460.8
2,459.6
13.1%

812.0
17.8
(1.9)
18.9
(5.0)
346.9
366.5
2,460.8
2,039.6
2,250.2
12.7%

Disposals
On 2 October 2023 the Group disposed of IMI Aero-Dynamiek for proceeds of £0.8m resulting in a gain on disposal of £0.7m. 
The business contributed revenue of £4m and operating profit of £nil prior to disposal.

Foreign exchange
The income statements of overseas operations are translated into Sterling at average rates of exchange for the year, balance sheets 
are translated at year-end rates. The most significant currencies are the Euro and the US Dollar – the relevant rates of exchange were:

Euro
US Dollar

Average rates

Balance sheet rates

2023
1.15
1.24

2022
1.17
1.24

2023
1.15
1.27

2022
1.13
1.21

The movement in average exchange rates between 2022 and 2023 had no material impact on both revenue and adjusted operating 
profit in the full year when compared to 2022.

If exchange rates as at 16 February 2024 of US$1.27 and €1.17 were projected for the full year and applied to our 2023 results, 
it is estimated that both revenue and adjusted operating profit would be 2% lower.

Treasury
IMI has a centralised Treasury function that provides treasury services to Group companies including funding liquidity, credit, foreign 
exchange, interest rate and base metal commodity management. The Group Treasury function manages financial risks in compliance 
with Board-approved policies.

36

37

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsStakeholder engagement

Our 
stakeholders

3
2
0
2
t
r
o
p
e
R

l

a
u
n
n
A
c
p

l

I

M

I

Our strategic decisions have 
significant implications for all of 
our stakeholders. Building strong 
and positive relationships with 
our key stakeholders is critical 
to fulfilling IMI’s purpose, 
delivering our strategy and 
achieving long-term sustainable 
success. We engage with our 
key stakeholder groups to 
develop and maintain positive 
and productive relationships.

Where we are making strategic 
decisions, we assess the impact 
on affected stakeholders, 
balance competing interests 
and, where appropriate, engage 
directly with them on the topic. 
Formal and informal engagement 
occurs throughout the Board’s 
annual cycle.

38

Employees

What is important to them?
 – Health, wellbeing and safety at work
 – A positive and inclusive culture, which values 
their unique contribution and supports their 
diverse working needs

 – An environment that engages all employees 
and involves them in creating our future

 – Opportunities to grow and develop
 – Reward and recognition
 – Clear workforce policies

Why are they important to us?
 – Our people are essential to delivering performance and growth; 

they bring diverse skills, knowledge, and experience

 – We want our people to be our greatest ambassadors, upholding our 
reputation and collaborating to solve industry and societal problems
 – We expect our leaders to create an environment where our purpose 
and values are front and centre and that our employees will uphold 
our values across all their interactions

How do we engage?
 – Board visits, including:

 – In October 2023, the full Board visited our Adaptas site in Palmer, USA
 – In May 2023, our Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Automation CEO 
Jackie Hu visited our Process Automation sites in South Korea and 
Japan. Town hall meetings were held for all employees, as well as 
a Q&A session

 – Quarterly CEO-led leadership calls with local business cascade

 – Our non-executive director with designated responsibility for employee 
engagement; Thomas Thune Andersen has an annual programme of 
employee events, with feedback shared with the whole Board
 – Board employee engagement sessions, held in the UK and USA
 – IMI Way Day, attended by a number of our non-executive directors
 – During our head office IMI Way Day, Thomas Thune Andersen shared 

Board and Executive actions taken to address feedback from employee 
engagement sessions

 – Our anonymous employee survey, ’One Big Voice’
 – Health, safety and wellbeing programmes
 – Communications calendar – engaging campaigns to support 

key global events aligned to our purpose and core values

 – Workplace live broadcasting events with FAQs
 – Independent confidential hotline for raising concerns
 – Annual European Communications Forum
 – Global Graduate Conference

How do we measure engagement?
We carry out an annual anonymised survey of employees – One Big 
Voice – to assess employee engagement, as well focus pulse surveys. 
Please see page 28 for more details.

Outcomes of engagement:
We again saw high engagement scores across the Group. Wellbeing was 
highlighted as an area which we need to keep building our capability 
and offering. We are developing the wellbeing elements within the 
Employee Value Proposition and have introduced family-friendly policies 
and a global menopause policy.

Customers

What is important to them?
 – Collaboration to better understand  

their needs

 – Innovative solutions to solve their problems
 – Value-enhancing products and services
 – New products to help meet ESG requirements
 – Access to engineering expertise
 – World-class customer service
 – Long-term partnerships

Why are they important to us?
 – We want to solve key customer and industry problems 

with innovative solutions

 – Our customers ultimately fund everything 

we do to advance our purpose

 – We want IMI to deliver sustainable, profitable growth

How do we engage?
 – Application engineering and technical and product support, 

with access to our industry-renowned experts

 – Early-stage engagement through marketing, 

bids and prospecting

 – Commercial negotiations and customer service, maintained 
through ongoing relationships and key account management

 – Lunch and learn with customers
 – Customer attendance at our 2023 IMI Way Day
 – Board engagement with customers
 – The Board receives regular updates on net promoter scores
 – Voice of Customer surveys and meetings
 – Investment in digital platforms to drive knowledge-sharing, 

customer networking and relationship building

 – Engagement between supply chain teams and customers
 – Attendance at trade fairs and exhibitions

How do we measure engagement?
Performance monitoring and improvement through 
customer-driven metrics such as on-time delivery and 
net promoter scores

Outcomes of engagement:
 – We continue to see strong NPS scores across the Group. 

These surveys also identify focus areas to improve 
customer engagement on a site-by-site basis

 – Continued organic growth

Investors and  
funding providers

What is important to them?
 – Consistent financial performance
 – Profitable growth and financial returns
 – Balance of long and short term value
 – Clear, easy to understand strategy
 – Strategy execution, including M&A
 – Risk management and resilience
 – Stewardship, including ESG
 – Effective capital allocation
 – Succession planning
 – Company culture
 – Strong ability to repay borrowings and interest on time

Why are they important to us?
 – Investor and funding providers, support is vital for IMI 

to achieve its purpose

 – We want to create value for our investors

How do we engage?
 – AGM with Q&A – all Directors attend our AGM in person
 – Meetings held with over 190 unique investors (2022: over 70)
 – Investor Roadshows with investor Q&A
 – Press release webcast with investor Q&A
 – In November 2023 our Investor Relations team and CFO 
hosted a group of 9 existing and prospective investors at 
our Birmingham offices, where they had the chance to 
meet a number of different product specialists from our 
platforms. Our Platform CEOs also joined for a Q&A session

 – Board updates from IMI’s brokers and PR advisers 

on shareholder register and movements

 – Regular updates with our debt holders and core banks
 – Chair and Committee Chairs are available upon request
 – Direct engagement between directors and investors
 – As part of the triennial review of our remuneration policy, 

our top 10 shareholders and proxy voting agencies received 
a consultation letter from our Remuneration Committee 
Chair in November which outlined the proposed changes 
and an opportunity to discuss the changes further

 – Supportive responses from shareholders on remuneration 

consultation letter

How do we measure engagement?
Engagement is measured by the number of votes cast at our 
AGM and votes cast in favour of our resolutions

Outcomes of engagement:
 – The results of our 2023 AGM are available on our website. 

All resolutions were passed with over 88% of votes in favour

 – Successful refinancing of three of our revolving credit 
facilities (including sustainability linked terms) in 2023 
on competitive terms

 – Shareholder base remains highly supportive of our 

purpose-led strategy

 – We re-entered into the FTSE 100 index

39

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
Stakeholder engagement continued

Suppliers

What is important to them?
 – Long-term partnerships
 – Fair and timely payment
 – Fair commercial terms
 – Collaborative approach

Why are they important to us?
 – Suppliers provide the products and services we need 

to operate and create value

How do we engage?
 – IMI Supply Chain Code of Conduct sets our expectations 

(available on our website)

 – Most direct suppliers are engaged locally and key indirect 

suppliers are managed globally

 – The supplier partnership programme develops key 

suppliers in all aspects of the business relationship from 
quality and cost to innovation and climate impact
 – Board reviews and approves our Modern Slavery 
statement, which can be found on our website

 – Processes for tendering, supplier onboarding, contract 

negotiations, reviews and compliance checking (product 
compliance, conflict material sourcing, ESG and innovation)

 – Supplier audits & improvement action tracking
 – Quarterly business reviews with preferred suppliers
 – Online questionnaires to understand our suppliers’ 

carbon emissions

 – We deploy a process to check supplier’s technical and 

security measures where they handle IMI data

 – Selected suppliers are currently being consulted as part 

of a technical collaboration to reduce emissions through 
design changes, material substitutions, recycling, and 
manufacturing process analysis

How do we measure engagement?
We monitor key metrics across our supply chains including 
quality, on time delivery and prompt payment

Outcomes of our engagement:
 – Implementation and roll-out of ‘IMI buy’ allowing for a 
more structured engagement with and management of 
IMI’s Indirect Procurement supply base

 – Reduction on prior year of the number of invoices due 

but not paid within agreed terms

Communities and  
Environment

What is important to them?
 – Making a positive social and 

economic impact

 – Creating employment opportunities
 – Minimising environmental impact on the neighbourhoods 

where we operate and on the global community

 – Responsible and sustainable business

Why are they important to us?
 – Represents our social license to operate
 – Nurturing and protecting our reputation
 – Enables IMI to attract and retain the best talent

How do we engage?
 – Volunteering in the community as part of IMI Way Day
 – Members of our employee-led Global Pride Network took 

part in Birmingham’s Pride Parade for the first time, 
marching alongside an IMI branded vehicle to show support 
for the LGBTQIA+ community

 – University partnerships and Graduate Programme
 – Engagement of Ricardo to support ESG strategy planning, 

target setting and progress

Government  
and regulators

What is important to them?
 – Responsible, ethical and 

compliant business

 – As a listed company, compliance with UK Corporate 

Governance Code and Listing Rules

 – Fair employment practices
 – Tax income to support society
 – Sustainable approach to business

Why are they important to us?
 – Good compliance and strong relationships support our 

business, help us grow and protect our reputation

 – Evolving regulation can create new business opportunities
 – They can help IMI attract the best talent

How do we engage?
 – Our Code of Conduct establishes the standards we have 
set for IMI and our employees to comply with applicable 
laws and regulations

 – Board reviews and approves our Modern Slavery statement
 – Audit Committee reviews and approves our corporate 

tax strategy

 – Active tracking, management and reduction plans across 

 – Legal and regulatory updates are provided regularly 

IMI sites for emissions

 – Engagement with key suppliers on environmental credentials
 – Head of Sustainability attends Board meetings to update 

on the Company’s ESG and better world progress

 – ESG deep dive held with the Board in September 2023 

covering climate opportunities and risks aiding our Task 
Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

 – Product life cycle assessments

How do we measure engagement?
 – We measure community volunteering by our employees, 

particularly during the annual IMI Way Days

 – We also monitor key external governance metrics

Outcomes of our engagement:
 – Over 3,000 employees volunteered a combined total of 
more than 7,000 hours (2022: over 4,000 employees 
volunteered a combined total of over 10,000 hours)

 – MSCI ESG Rating – maintained AA status
 – CDP Climate Change – maintained B status
 – Maintained FTSE4Good inclusion and LSE Green Mark
 – Reporting in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative
 – Submission of our targets to the Science Based Targets 

initiative (SBTi) for validation

 – We were named one of Europe’s Climate Leaders 2023 

(Financial Times)

 – In 2023 we signed our first ESG linked funding facility

to the Board

 – The IMI Supply Chain Code of Conduct establishes the 
standards we have set for our suppliers to ensure we 
have a responsible, ethical, sustainable and compliant 
supply chain

 – Engagement with relevant tax authorities in the year, 

including HMRC

 – Engagement with data privacy regulators regarding 

cyber incidents, when needed

 – Engagement with regulatory bodies in transport and 
nuclear markets to support ongoing business and 
compliance requirements

How do we measure engagement?
 – We measure our progress through feedback from 
governments and regulators on our activities and 
through third party audits

Outcomes of our engagement
 – We published our updated corporate tax strategy
 – We published our Modern Slavery Statement
 – On time tax filings
 – Good working relationships with key regulators
 – Positive relationship with HMRC

40

41

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statementss.172 statement

Promoting the success 
of the Company

This statement is made to explain how our Board of Directors, both individually and together, have acted in the 
way they consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit 
of its members as a whole and having regard (amongst other matters) to factors set out in Section 172(1) (a) to (f) 
of the Companies Act 2006 in the decisions taken during the year ended 31 December 2023.

The IMI Governance Framework describes 
Board level governance and how the 
Board delegates its authority. All Board 
decisions are made with the Group’s 
long-term success in mind and, as can be 
seen from this Annual Report, the Board 
has regard to a broad range of matters 
including the voice of stakeholders. 
Where appropriate, Board papers include 
a s.172 assessment to support the Board 
in its duties. The oversight and monitoring 
activities of the Board include maintaining 
an understanding of key stakeholders 
and being receptive to the voice 
of stakeholders. When making decisions, 
each director ensures that they act in a 
way they consider, in good faith, would 
most likely promote the Company’s 
success for the benefit of its members 
as a whole, and, in doing so, have regard 
(among other matters) to:

a) the likely consequences of 
any decision in the long term
The Board has adopted an established 
business planning process and sets strategy 
with a view to long-term success, to deliver 
our purpose – Breakthrough engineering 
for a better world. Our better world 
strategy, including our ESG ambitions and 
targets is described on pages 44 to 85.

b) the interests of the 
Company’s employees
Our people are essential to delivering 
performance and growth. The Group 
depends on its employees for its success 
and invests considerable time and 
resources in employee engagement, 
training and development, as summarised 
on pages 48 to 51. Thomas Thune 
Andersen is the non-executive director 

with designated responsibility for employee 
engagement, which includes gathering 
the views of the workforce on behalf of the 
Board. Please see pages 114 and 119 for 
more information about his role and 
activities. The Board also meets a range of 
employees. When making key decisions, 
the Board considers employees’ views 
gathered through engagement 
mechanisms and potential impacts on 
the workforce, with Thomas and other 
directors (where relevant) contributing 
any relevant employee insights during 
board discussions.

c) the need to foster business 
relationships with suppliers, 
customers and others
Customer service and value are at the 
core of our business model and strategy 
and are key to building a long-term 
sustainable business. The Board monitors 
indicators of the customer experience and 
welcomes the increased emphasis on the 
customer that management is building.

Our businesses work collaboratively with 
partners, including suppliers, distributors 
and agents, who are closely managed 
from a commercial and compliance 
perspective. Further information can 
be found on page 54.

d) the impact of operations on the 
community and the environment
Our sites are positive contributors to 
their local communities as employers 
and also through apprenticeships, 
employee training and community 
activities (including the annual IMI Way 
Day, humanitarian activity and donations), 
see page 49 for further details. The Board 

approves and monitors the Group’s plans 
to minimise the impact on the 
environment. Our continued progress 
depends upon the Board driving ESG 
initiatives and channelling investment 
to projects with due regard for the 
environment. Further information on 
ESG matters appears on pages 44 to 85.

e) the desirability of maintaining 
a reputation for high standards 
of business conduct
Our ESG initiatives are consistent with 
building our standing as a good corporate 
citizen looking to have a positive impact 
on the world. The Board demands high 
standards of conduct from all directors 
and employees and expects management 
to be mindful of how and with whom 
business is conducted. The Group will 
decline to have dealings with third parties 
that display poor business conduct or that 
do not pass applicable onboarding checks. 
Further information about how we ensure 
that we operate ethically at all times and 
our purpose, values and culture can be 
found on pages 82 to 85.

f) the need to act fairly between 
shareholders of the Company
It is not always possible to provide positive 
outcomes for all stakeholders and the 
Board sometimes has to make decisions 
based on balancing the competing 
priorities of stakeholders.

42

Key Board Decisions in the Year

1

2

3

New business structure
In July 2023, we announced our new 
business structure, which further aligns 
to our key sectors and positions IMI to 
accelerate growth now and over the 
long term. Reporting is now aligned 
across two platforms and five sectors. 
Moving away from the previous divisional 
structure aligns with our strategy of 
operating IMI as ‘One Big Team’ and 
enables us to optimise performance by 
putting our best people and resources 
toward our biggest opportunities.

The Board took into account feedback 
from our employees that development 
opportunities were predominantly 
within their own divisions. The new 
structure provides the opportunity to 
reset our culture by formally dissolving 
the divisions and bringing the focus 
back to IMI as a Group. The Board 
was mindful of the importance of 
communicating the changes to 
employees. Communication plans 
were agreed to ensure that employees 
were informed at the right time and 
would continue to receive regular 
updates on the restructure. On the day 
of the announcement, we held a live 
event on our internal communication 
platform for all employees that included 
a Q&A with our Executive Committee. 
Feedback on the new structure will 
be a key topic for Board employee 
engagement sessions in 2024.

The way we help solve customer 
problems has strengthened. We aim 
to accelerate better world growth by 
getting even closer to our customers 
through sector focused teams as well 
as accelerating our innovation. There 
will be more opportunities to grow by 
helping our customers to improve 
their products and operations.

Regulatory requirements were considered, 
including reporting implications for our 
financial results. We consulted with our 
brokers to understand the likely reaction 
of our investors. To support the investor 
and analyst community, in November 
2023, we published historical pro-forma 
financial information.

Our updated branding 
and values
To support our evolving IMI operating 
model, we launched a culture and brand 
review in December 2022. The Board 
was mindful of building a strong brand 
identity to foster long-term value.

A significant piece of research was 
undertaken, led by the Executive 
Committee. A workshop was held and 
an employee survey was open to all 
employees, with over 500 responses 
received. Employees played a critical 
role in shaping our refreshed values by 
providing their views. Approximately 
40 in-depth interviews were then held 
from across the organisation and with 
our customers.

During employee engagement focus 
group sessions, the Board received 
feedback that there was an opportunity 
to have more consistent branding to 
help reduce some of the complexity 
that customers experience. The Board 
considered the opportunity for the 
new branding to articulate more clearly 
who we are and what we stand for – 
this will help us to attract the best 
people and simplify our story to 
customers. We expect this to help 
suppliers too. We are mindful of the risk 
of waste associated with a rebranding 
exercise and will ensure that we 
minimise the environmental impact by 
using up material in the old branding 
where possible. Our new branding and 
values were reviewed and approved by 
the Board in October 2023 and we 
have started the transition.

Always care

Be curious

Create impact

Science Based Targets 
initiative submission (SBTi)
As part of our growing commitment to 
our purpose, Breakthrough engineering 
for a better world, we have submitted 
our near-term and net zero targets 
(Scope 1, 2 and 3) to the SBTi for 
validation. The submission was 
approved by the Board in October 
2023. The Board determined that 
SBTi-approved targets support our ESG 
strategy and underpin the long-term 
viability, credibility and sustainability of 
the Group. The Board agreed that the 
enhanced focus on our emissions 
reduction is likely to have a positive 
impact on the environment and the 
communities in which we operate.

The Board took into consideration 
the desire of customers to buy from 
responsible and sustainable suppliers. 
Our near-term and net zero targets 
align with customer expectations for 
a better world and achieving SBTi 
approval will help our customers 
achieve their own sustainability targets. 
Suppliers play an integral part of our 
Scope 3 reduction plans and their 
engagement will be key.

The Board determined that 
demonstrating our commitment to the 
environment and our Climate Action 
pillar will help IMI in being an employer 
of choice.

Investors want to grow and maintain 
shareholdings in companies which 
are focused on sustainability. The 
Board concluded that SBTi approval 
will aid future investment if and 
when required, given the rise of 
sustainability-linked funding.

When granted, SBTi validation will 
demonstrate our commitment to 
achieving our targets and enhance 
our compliance with the evolving 
regulatory framework.

43

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world

Creating a better world is  
at the heart of our purpose

Key priorities for  
the year ahead
1 Conduct Materiality Assessment 

in preparation for Corporate 
Sustainability Reporting Directive 
(CSRD) compliance

2 Comprehensive net zero plan 

and transition strategy

3 Further refining our internal 

data quality

Highlights from 2023
 –  We made our commitment to set 
science-based targets to the SBTi 
and submitted both near-term and 
net zero targets to the SBTi for 
validation in 2023

 – Introduction of our Product 

Sustainability Assessment (PSA) 
within our sectors

 – Creation of our Sustainable Supply 

Chain Committee

 – TCFD strategy focus update 

During 2023 we have further developed 
our assessment of climate-related 
opportunities and risks and their alignment 
with our material topics see page 72 for 
further information). We aim to progress 
this further in 2024 by conducting a 
double materiality assessment to prepare 
for CSRD compliance and will provide 
an update on this in due course.

Integration of sustainability
Sustainability features in our business 
processes and decision making, whether 
this is at Board level making decisions 
regarding our future strategy or within 
the engineering teams reviewing materials 
selection for a lower carbon footprint for 
customers. Sustainability runs as a thread 
throughout the organisation and is a key 
focus for our activities of our IMI Way Day. 
Sustainable initiatives are shared and 
celebrated via our internal communication 
platform and we continue to collaborate 
with customers to improve our products 
and services as well as engaging with 
suppliers to ensure our supply chain acts 
ethically and to our high standards.

 Sustainability is at the 
heart of IMI and creating a 
better world is fundamental 
to us. I am delighted with 
the ongoing focus this 
has from our employees 
and it’s exciting to see the 
positive impact our people 
are making. 
Thomas Thune Andersen, non-executive 
director responsible for ESG

IMI’s role in a more  
sustainable world
Creating a better world is at the heart 
of our purpose and approach to working. 
It applies to everything we do, whether 
innovating new products for our 
customers, enhancing employee benefits 
(such as our new Global Menopause 
Policy) or helping our communities. 
Our products, services and solutions 
enable our customers to improve their 
own sustainability and support their 
ambitions for a better world. We take 
our climate-related targets seriously 
and reducing our footprint and minimising 
our impact remains a key area of focus.

The performance of our products and 
our operations are key to ensuring we 
deliver on our purpose of Breakthrough 
engineering for a better world, and to 
help us align our sustainable strategy to 
the UN Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs). This is especially important as 
we all transition to a circular economy, 
minimising waste and pollution. We will 
continue to make progress as we engage 
and collaborate with our stakeholders 
and remain true to our values.

Our approach to materiality
During 2022, we conducted a Group-level 
materiality assessment to identify our 
priority ESG topics; those most significant 
to our key stakeholders and, therefore, 
most strategic to our business. This 
exercise formed the basis of our long-
term sustainability commitments, enabling 
our focus and resources to be deployed 
in these priority areas. These areas 
were further developed to form our 
ESG framework structure of our core 
ESG pillars:

 – Empowering People;
 – Sustainable Solutions;
 – Climate Action; and
 – ESG foundation of 

Responsible Business.

Creating a better world – 
Our ESG Governance Framework
Our ESG governance framework aligns 
to our purpose and underpins our strategy. 
It enables us to set and achieve our ESG 
strategies and initiatives, ensures risk is 
monitored and appropriately managed, 
allows performance to be scrutinised 
by the Board and promotes clear 
communication across the Group. In turn, 
it supports effective decision-making, 
helps us to build a sustainable business 
and enables us to create long-term value 
for all our stakeholders.

 – The Board sets our strategy and ESG 
priorities, receiving progress updates 
throughout the year. For details of 
activities carried out by the Board in 2023, 
see pages 112 to 120.

 – Our senior independent director, 

Thomas Thune Andersen, is responsible 
for ESG matters and supports our 
Board’s responsibility to consider a 
wide range of stakeholder perspectives 
and drive IMI’s ESG agenda in decision-
making. His role and relevant experience 
is described on page 107.

 – Roy Twite, our Chief Executive Officer, 
is accountable for our ESG strategy 
execution and performance, supported 
by the Executive Committee who 
oversee and review our progress in 
ESG-related matters. More detail can 
be found on pages 61 to 71 in our 
TCFD statement.

 – Platform leadership is responsible for 
implementing our strategy within the 
platform, capturing data and cascading 
initiatives and projects to the sectors. 
Our platforms report individually on 
their decarbonisation initiatives and 
performance related to sustainability 
metrics and targets.

 – In 2023, we established a Sustainable 

Supply Chain Committee to replace the 
Scope 3 Committee. The Sustainable 
Supply Chain Committee comprises a 
focused team involved in establishing 
our Scope 3 emissions, developing a 
strategy to reduce Scope 3 emissions, 
and enhancing our focus on supply 
chain compliance.

 – Additionally, we have focused teams 

dedicated to data and regulatory issues, 
internal and external reporting, 
humanitarian/philanthropic giving, 
among other areas.

Q&A

Daniel Shook
Chief Financial 
Officer 

How do our sustainability efforts 
align with our financial strategy and 
objectives, and what measurable 
financial goals are associated with 
these efforts?
By focusing on improving sustainability 
of both our own operations as well 
as our customers, we are creating 
real value and revenue growth. 
Our assessment of climate-related 
opportunities and risks see pages 72 to 
81 helps to focus efforts on where we 
invest our resources, both human and 
capital. Our financial framework targets 
of 5% organic growth, 20% operating 
margins, and 12% ROIC are all directly 
supported by our sustainability efforts.

Can you provide examples of successful 
projects that have contributed to cost 
savings or revenue generation?
Our IMI VIVO product (page 9) and our 
work with an agricultural solutions 
company see page 55 are two great 
examples of revenue generation directly 
arising from focusing our engineering 
expertise on sustainable solutions. We 
aim to accelerate these opportunities 
further throughout 2024 and beyond.

Can you outline the long-term financial 
resilience and competitiveness of the 
Company, considering ESG factors, 
and how are we addressing any 
emerging ESG-related financial risks 
and opportunities?
We have made this a focus for 2023 
as we have assessed climate-related 
opportunities and risks, as well as our 
resilience responses and actions. 
More details can be found on pages 72 
to 81. The assessment results were 
presented to the Executive Committee 
and the Board for their input in Q3 2023.

Given our strong engineering heritage, 
deep applications knowledge and robust 
financial foundations, we are confident 
that we can successfully navigate any 
ESG-related risks, and capture those 
opportunities to support our future 
growth and resilience.

44

45

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023Creating a better world continued

Sustainability  
at a glance

Empowering people

Sustainable solutions

Climate action

Responsible business

Link to SDGs

Link to SDGs

Link to SDGs

Link to SDGs

Read more on pages 48-51

Read more on pages 52-55

Read more on pages 56-81

Read more on pages 82-85

Target
Employee Engagement: >80% of employees perceive IMI 
as a great place to work
Diversity: 25% of women in management across the Group
Health & Safety: Maintain top quartile safety performance 
within the industry sector

Performance
 – Employee engagement, employees see IMI as a great 
place to work, was 77% in 2023, as measured through 
the One Big Voice survey

 – Percentage of women in management positions is 22%
 – Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (TRIFR) was 

0.44, up from 0.35 in 2022

Target
Ensuring that our R&D spend remains at a minimum of 3% 
of revenue

Performance
 – R&D as a % of revenue remained at 3.3% in 2023 

(2022: 3.3%)

Our goals
 – Product performance: optimise product quality and 
performance for our customers to help them reduce 
their own emissions

 – Operational excellence: improve efficiency and 

reduce waste

 – Innovation: develop products with enhanced focus 

on quality, environmental impact and reliability to solve 
customers’ problems

 – Supply chain: engage our suppliers to ensure we 

maintain a sustainable, ethical and resilient supply chain

Our areas of focus
 – Long-term sustainable success: ensure the viability 

of the business by generating and preserving value over 
the long-term

 – Governance: framework of policies and procedures 

which control and direct our company

 – Ethics: acting with integrity to demonstrate the highest 

standards of responsible and ethical behaviour
 – Compliance: respecting and adhering to laws and 

regulations and our policies and procedures 

Target
Our emissions
Scope 1 & 2
 –   Decrease emission intensity to 1.39tCO2e*  

(50% of 2019 baseline) by 2030 on a location basis
 –  Achieve net zero for Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2040
Scope 3
 –  Decrease total Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030
 –  Achieve net zero for Scope 3 emissions by 2050
Our water usage
Decrease water intensity to 9.7m3* (10% reduction 
compared to 2020 baseline) by 2030
Total non-recycled hazardous waste
Decrease by 50% from a 2022 base by 2030

Performance
Our emissions
Scope 1 & 2
 –   Total CO2 intensity reduction of 29% from 2.78tCO2e* 
in 2019 to 1.98tCO2e* on a location basis (2022: 2.09)
 –   Absolute CO2e emissions reduction of 33% from 57,500t 

(in 2019) to 38,604t (2022: 40,480t)

Scope 3
 –   Total absolute Scope 3 emissions have reduced from 

574,108tCO2e in 2021 to 529,376tCO2e in 2023 
(an 8% reduction)

Our water usage
Total water usage reduction of 8% from 203,444m3 in 2020 
to 186,171m3 in 2023. Total water intensity reduction of 11% 
from 10.8m3* in 2020 to 9.6m3* in 2023
Total non-recycled hazardous waste
Total of 321t in 2023 (2022: 392t)

* per 1,000 hours worked

46

47

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued

Empowering  
people

Overview
Our colleagues play a central role in our 
purpose-led strategy, fostering a culture 
of engagement and empowerment. We 
prioritise the growth and support of our 
workforce, providing opportunities for 
advancement and encouraging creativity 
and innovation. At the core of our people 
strategy is a commitment to unlocking the 
full potential of our invaluable asset – our 
people. This focus was particularly crucial 
in 2023 as we underwent a transformative 
journey to unite the entire business as 
‘one IMI’ and strategically realign ourselves 
with a more sector-focused approach. 
We are committed to upholding strong 
relationships, and engaging regularly, with 
union bodies – these are represented 
across some of our sites.

Key 2023 highlights
 – IMI Way Day 2023: this year at many 

of our sites during our annual employee 
engagement day, we welcomed 
customers to discuss their priorities 
and hear their perspectives

 – Positioned for growth: we adopted a 

new sector-focused structure, allowing 
more collaboration, creativity and 
innovation among our people and 
greater opportunity to move between 
sectors (one big team)

 – Global living wage: we brought all 

our people onto the local living wage 
and intend to maintain this with 
regular reviews in every market
 – We hosted our annual European 

Communications Forum (ECF). This 
took place virtually this year and was 
attended by employee representatives 
from all of our key European 
geographies. Securing representation 
and appointing a representative differs 
based on employment laws set in 
each country

Key priorities

1  Supporting our growth strategy 

by maximising the potential of our 
greatest asset, our people and 
matching our best people with 
the biggest opportunities

2 Employee engagement is the most 

important KPI of our people strategy 
and remains high, albeit with a slight 
decrease in 2023 see page 28

3 Building a better working world and 

prioritising our people by reinforcing 
our ‘one big team’ culture, nurturing 
personal development and offering 
benefits that support physical, mental 
and financial wellbeing 

48

We are committed to attracting 
high-quality, diverse people, through 
an impactful and excellent candidate 
experience. The global roll-out of a 
common Applicant Tracking System (ATS) 
has digitalised our recruitment process and 
supported by our talent acquisition teams, 
is improving the candidate experience. This 
system allows job vacancies to be visible to 
all employees globally across the 
organisation, enabling a pipeline of 
high-calibre applicants from both internal 
and external sources. We continue to invest 
in our social media presence, bringing the 
IMI culture to life by sharing more 
people-focused content and stories.

Visibility
We aim to match our best people 
with the biggest opportunities. In 2023, 
this has included aligning talent data with 
dynamic dashboards incorporating key 
business metrics. Top and emerging talent, 
identified through talent ratings, are 
matched with opportunities based 
on revenue and other rankings. Our 
dashboards guide how we align people 
to roles for optimal business impact 
and to support IMI’s succession pipeline. 
The annual Executive People Review 
involves comprehensive analysis, including 
gender diversity and succession coverage. 
We extended talent data capture 
throughout the organisation in 2023, 
enhancing visibility at all levels and 
functions. In our new structure, a 
streamlined version of this process is 
now a regular feature in monthly sector 
executive meetings ensuring a continuous 
discussion on putting the best people 
in front of the best opportunities. This 
process emphasises the placement of 
on-programme graduates and promoting 
talent-sharing across the organisation.

The process provides the Executive 
Committee with visibility of all graduates 
on placement, to ensure that they are 
learning and gaining on the job insights 
from our most experienced and 
knowledgeable managers.

Development
Our commitment to learning and 
development is unwavering, and it is 
appreciated by our people. In our 2023 
people survey, One Big Voice, 75% of 
employees highlighted the importance 
of equal opportunities for progression 
and development, surpassing the industry 
average by 10%. Our key talent development 
initiatives include our successful better world 
Growth leadership programme, with a 4.7/5 
participant feedback score, and our robust 
Catalyst programme for high-potential talent, 
now into its third cohort. Our IMI Graduate 
Programme also welcomed 21 new joiners in 
2023. The Early Careers Conference in 2023 
brought together nearly 70 graduates for the 
first time in three years, receiving 
overwhelmingly positive feedback.

We continuously invest in digital learning 
technologies to ensure equal access to 
multilingual e-learning content globally, 
with 2024 launches focusing on personal 
development, people skills, inclusion 
and wellbeing.

Culture and employee engagement
In 2023, we conducted extensive research 
to shape our approach to culture, purpose, 
values, and brand alignment. We will be 
launching our new values, Always Care, 
Be Curious and Create Impact, which 
reflect our business in early 2024. IMI Way 
Day remains a core driver of engagement, 
where the whole organisation reflects on 
our purpose and strategy, networks with 
colleagues, and volunteers in the local 
community. We enhanced internal and 
external communication and focused 
on content campaigns, leadership 
communications, and thought leadership 
content. Health and safety, sustainability, 
and employee wellbeing are integral to 
our culture and engagement efforts.

Read more on our approach 
and governance of culture on 
page 118 

Valve Doctors®
IMI’s Valve Doctor® programme 
comprises a body of technical experts 
highly skilled in valve design and 
industrial system integration across 
various industries, including Power, 
Oil & Gas and Marine. Highly trained, 
our engineering experts specialise 
in operational maintenance, 
troubleshooting, and problem-solving, 
helping to optimise our customer’s 
plant operations. Candidates for 
the programme undergo rigorous, 
seven-year training that includes 
classroom sessions, hands-on 
experience, and close mentoring.

With extensive experience in severe 
service applications, IMI Valve Doctors® 
work alongside our customers to 
develop problem-solving solutions 
in cases where a solution did not 
previously exist. Their global 

function means that they contribute 
breakthrough engineering to support 
a more sustainable, better world.

 Some are 

knowledgeable in specific 
applications; some are 
specialised in running 
finite element analysis or 
CFD (computational fluid 
dynamics) software. One 
trait our Valve Doctors® 
all have in common is 
the ability to think outside 
the box and to solve 
problems successfully. 
Mary Loftus, Senior Engineer, Research 
and Development

Key risks
 – Attracting and retaining employees is our 
biggest people-related risk because they 
are critical to the success of our business 
model. See page 93 for more information

Key opportunities
 – Investing in employee development 

is a top priority

 – Cultivating a culture of continuous 
learning and upskilling is crucial to 
adapt to industry changes

 – Identifying and nurturing high-potential 

individuals for leadership roles is a 
key focus

 – Building a robust and diverse succession 

pipeline is essential for future 
organisational success

 – Embracing digital transformation, 

including generative AI, is a 
strategic initiative, which will 
provide innovative tools to 
empower employees

 – The goal is to enable employees 

to contribute meaningfully to IMI’s 
success in a rapidly changing 
technological landscape

 – The introduction of an IMI-wide 

chat tool through Bing Chat Enterprise 
has been implemented

 – Leveraging AI through this tool allows 
exploration of various use cases in 
a secure environment

SDGs

Sub-targets: 3.9, 5.5, 8.7, 8.8

49

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
Empowering people continued

Wellbeing and mental health
We prioritise employee wellbeing through 
four key priorities: mind, body, financial 
and social. Our Employee Assistance 
Programme (EAP) complements broader 
wellbeing support. This includes mental 
health first aiders; Change Champions 
who promote wellbeing and activities 
such as finance clinics; company 
challenges; and celebrating events such as 
World Mental Health Day. As we evolve, 
we recognise the need for global 
consistency with local flexibility – for 
example, during 2023 we introduced a 
Global Menopause Policy. In 2024, we 
plan to develop wellbeing within the 
Employee Value Proposition (EVP), aiming 
for global minimum standards, which will 
involve phased introduction of new 
benefits, reinforcing our commitment to 
employee wellbeing and our distinct culture.

We are committed to encouraging a culture 
of openness about mental health. 
Our Chief People Officer has senior 
management oversight for mental health of 
employees and is the Executive sponsor for 
wellbeing. Our overall engagement with 
the EAP is 25+%.

We also recognise the integral connection 
between career progression, job adjustment 
and incorporating good work principles 
which support workplace mental health. 
More broadly, we know mental health is 
a critical part of every employee’s career 
life cycle. We also acknowledge the 
clear link between our anti-bullying and 
non-harassment policies and their role 
in promoting and supporting workplace 
mental health.

Inclusion and diversity
Over the past year, we have focused on 
embracing diversity by embedding Inclusion 
& Diversity (I&D) into our business processes. 
Making I&D integral to our operations and 
incorporating it into our day-to-day activities 
will enable us to create a truly inclusive 
environment. We leverage Workplace as 
a vital communication tool, aligning our 
content with key awareness days tied to 
our strategic priorities, such as women, 
wellbeing, health and safety, sustainability, 
and LGBTQIA+ awareness. The Executive 
Committee’s personal engagement, including 

Gender mix across the Group*
As at 31 December 2023

Gender

Board

Executive 

Direct reports to Executive

Managers

Leadership group

All employees

* 

Including agency workers and contractors

Male

Male %

Female

Female %

5

4

39

1,337

123

7,521

56

57

72

78

82

70

4

3

15

387

27

3,250

44

43

28

22

18

30

active involvement with awareness days and 
personally promoting these conversations 
on Workplace, has resonated well with 
employees and reinforces our inclusive 
culture. Our online presence has been 
bolstered with dedicated I&D and wellbeing 
pages on the IMI website, keeping future 
employees informed about our initiatives. 
Notably, our Global Pride Network, sponsored 
by the Chief People Officer, has thrived 
– expanding to include a USA chapter in 
2023 and encouraging a more inclusive 
and supportive workplace.

This year, our IMI Way Day included an 
in-depth session on unconscious bias. 
The practical training was well-received by 
employees, with follow-up materials training 
shared via Workplace. Our One Big Voice 
employee survey also revealed positive 
sentiments on belonging and respect, 
but highlighted areas for improvement. 
Analysis suggests a need to emphasise our 
core values and ensure a safe environment 
for speaking up, as well as a desire for 
consistent reward and recognition.

Women in leadership
We are committed to improving gender 
diversity at all levels, including our Board 
and Executive Committee. Last year, we 
introduced a target of 25% of women in 
management across the Group and in 
2023 were at 22%. We will continue to 
focus on female representation at every 
career level; from graduate through to 
leadership roles, to improve our overall 
gender diversity across the pipeline. 
Gender diversity remains a focal point in 
our people review process, particularly at 

the management level and in succession 
pipelines for leadership roles.

Gender pay gap
We are committed to creating an inclusive 
and diverse working environment and fair 
treatment for all, including equal pay. In the 
UK, we have around 1,000 employees and 
there is a 71% male: 29% female gender 
distribution. Overall, our gender pay results 
are similar to the wider engineering sector 
in which we operate. Our mean and 
median gender pay gaps have reduced 
slightly compared with 2022, and 2023 
results indicate longer-term sustainable 
improvement in reducing our gender pay 
gap since we began reporting in 2017.

8.7%

2023 mean gap

19.4%

2023 median gap

Ethnicity pay gap
We continue to collect data to analyse 
our ethnicity pay gap for UK employees. 
Data has been voluntarily provided by 
around 30% of all UK employees. We have 
determined that IMI has a median ethnicity 
pay gap in 2023 of 3.6% compared with 
6.4% in 2022. The results show some 
improvement on 2022, but when we 
analyse different ethnic groups, we 
continue to show a pattern typical of 
the UK labour market, where employees 
from some ethnic groups are under-
represented in roles that command 
higher salaries.

50

Global Pride Network
Inclusion and diversity are fundamental 
to our people strategy and we aim to 
empower every employee to feel safe 
to be themselves. We made excellent 
progress with our employee-driven 
Global Pride Network in 2023, 
providing a safe space for LGBTQIA+ 
colleagues and allies globally through 
subgroups focused on events and 
education. We participated in the 
Birmingham Pride Parade this year, 

showing our solidarity beyond the 
workplace, emphasising inclusivity and 
support. We furthered our commitment to 
raising awareness by organising inclusive 
language sessions and hosting a baking 
competition, featuring a speaker from a 
local LGBTQIA+ charity.

The development and expansion of our 
network has helped encourage a higher 
response to our employee survey’s 
demographic questions. We were pleased 
to see a significant number of responses to 

these questions and the results enrich 
our understanding of under-represented 
groups’ diverse experiences and allows 
us to create action plans for 
improvement, where it is required.

The growth of our network has also 
helped us to cultivate allyship skills 
among our employees and has been a 
positive influence on the development 
of other Employee Resource Groups 
(ERGs), including the Network of Women 
and a Menopause Support group.

Health and safety
The safety and wellbeing of our people 
and everyone visiting our sites (including 
contractors and other external 
stakeholders) is paramount and we 
continually strive for improvement. We 
embed this commitment in our Code of 
Conduct and invest globally in Health, 
Safety and Environment processes and 
professionals. Through a shared leadership 
commitment, we also continually improve 
through our HSE excellence framework 
programme, which includes an annual 
on-site assessment for each of our 
manufacturing sites.

Our Group HSE Director reports directly to 
the Chief Executive Officer who has ultimate 
responsibility for Health and Safety. The 
Executive Committee reviews Health and 
Safety performance every month and 
regular reports are presented to the Board.

During the year, we undertook research 
on the health and safety culture with a view 
to building a ‘hearts and minds’ campaign 
that would engage people and guide 
behavioural change. The research revealed 
that one of the key potential risks is around 
complacency and normalisation of risk – 
people stop seeing things when good 
intentions and bad habits bring a blindness 

to risk. We consequently launched a new 
campaign ‘Think Twice’. Think Twice is 
about disrupting our autopilot, which stops 
us from seeing hidden risks and dangers. 
This is the mindset we want to challenge. It 
is all about interrupting our usual thought 
process taking a second look – to keep 
ourselves and our colleagues safe, we must 
remember that risk is everywhere.

The other priority areas for the campaign 
were: hand injuries; slips, trips and falls; 
contractor management; safety on stairs; 
reporting hazards; and our environment. 
We have had strong engagement on 
‘Think Twice’ across the business.

22 of our manufacturing locations now 
operate at the HSE Excellence Framework 
level 2 or above and we celebrated our 
first certified HSE excellence site in 
Climate Control, Poland. 18 (35%) of our 
51 manufacturing locations are certified 
to ISO45001 Occupational Health & 
Safety Management. During the year our 
people completed a total of 94,729 hours 
of health and safety training.

The Total Recordable Incident Frequency 
Rate (TRIFR) has increased due to 
accidents at our most recently acquired 
businesses. We are working closely with 

them to reach the highest standards 
that we apply across the Group. We also 
reclassified several first aid injuries due to 
further medical treatment required, which 
subsequently classifies those incidents 
as recordable within our process.

These factors combined represent 21% 
of the total TRIFR. IMI remains in the top 
quartile of our industry sector for safety 
performance, despite this slight increase.

Disability
One Big Voice survey has told us that our 
people are keen to expand our efforts with 
regards to disability inclusion. To make 
progress in this area, in 2023 we launched 
an e-learning module on Disability 
Awareness and Inclusion that helps our 
people to understand how visible and 
invisible disabilities can impact someone’s 
life, to recognise different types of 
discrimination and how to remove them 
and practical tools to help improve 
accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. 
We also set up a working group to look 
deeper into reasonable adjustments with the 
aim of producing some guidelines. Focus 
groups are planned for 2024 to enable the 
identification of the key issues experienced 
by minority groups so that the most effective 
actions can be identified and put in place.

51

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued

Sustainable 
solutions

Overview
Providing sustainable solutions to 
our customers is a key part of our 
better world strategy. Our focus on 
innovation for new products and 
continuous improvement of our 
existing portfolio enables us to deliver 
high-quality solutions, to solve our 
customers’ problems.

Key 2023 highlights
 – Increased focus on recycled 
content of our raw materials
 – Introduction of our Product 
Sustainability Assessment 
(PSA) framework

 – Further development of product 
innovation and collaboration 
with customers

Key priorities

Key risks
 – Product and quality compliance 
issues leading to product recall, 
warranty issues, injury, damage, the 
potential misleading of customers or 
disruption to their business. See page 
98 for more information.

Key opportunities
 – Further development of our products 
to support the transition to cleaner 
and alternative fuels such as hydrogen.

SDGs

Sub-targets: 9.5, 11.6, 13.2

piloting our PSA framework

1 Product innovation including 
2 Measuring the lifecycle 
3 Delivering quality products 

with optimal performance 
to our customers

emissions of our products

Measuring performance
We work closely with customers early in 
their design phase to better understand 
the overall environmental impact of our 
new products when they become part of 
customers’ processes and equipment. We 
are assessing the baseline carbon footprint 
of our products and developing strategies 
to cut down on emissions before they 
even reach production.

Throughout 2023, these strategies 
included increasing the use of recycled 
content in our products. We also 
collaborated with customers to ensure 
performance remained optimal, while 
carbon footprints were reduced. These 
actions help the environment by reducing 
waste and also significantly lowering the 
greenhouse gas emissions linked to 
producing new materials. We also evaluate 
new product designs to improve the 
end of use recycling methods which 
contribute to the circular economy.

We also developed a PSA framework in 
2023 to help us understand and assess the 
sustainability performance of our existing 
portfolio and new products. In developing 
this framework, we used the World 
Business Council for Sustainable 
Development (WBCSD) PSA framework as 
a guide, to help us achieve a best practice 
approach to our assessment criteria. 
Our new framework provides the starting 
point for an evidence-based process, 
to screen emerging product regulations, 
embed circular and life cycle thinking, 
and capture stakeholder expectations that 
can turn into business opportunities to 
drive our portfolio transformation and 
strengthen our product stewardship.

In our Process Automation sector, we work 
closely with EPC companies (Engineering, 
Procurement and Construction), licensors 
and end-user customers to ensure IMI 
products and system designs meet their 
exacting process conditions, requirements 
and standards.

Operational excellence
In all our operations, our core objective 
is to consistently deliver products on time, 
with industry-leading quality. We have also 
extended this commitment to our supply 
chain, emphasising the importance of 
minimising environmental impact. In our 
sourcing decisions for new products, 
we now factor in the carbon emissions 
associated with component logistics.

Underpinning our commitment to product 
quality, 48 (94%) of our 51 manufacturing 
locations are certified to ISO9001 Quality 
Management and we are looking to 
increase this further.

Within our factories, we regularly review 
the industry acknowledged ‘7 wastes’ in 
lean manufacturing processes, to enhance 
operational efficiency. The 7 wastes 
approach enables us to maintain high 
standards for timely and quality product 
delivery and also prioritise efficiency and 
sustainability throughout our supply chain.

Our focus on operational excellence 
also ensures that our products are 
manufactured to very high standards 
and tolerances.

We continue to engage our people to 
drive continuous improvement through 
the identification and realisation of 
opportunities in several areas of our 
internal operations such as quality 
improvement, lead time reduction, raw 
materials, production overheads, inventory 
reduction, and equipment use. Lean is 
the methodology we use for this purpose, 
alongside a continuous improvement 
financial tracker tool to assess and 
monitor the financial impact of 
operational improvements.

Reducing machine downtime increases 
utilisation and lessens the need for 
replacement equipment. Internal 
excellence remains a key focus area, 
enabling us to reduce the resources we use 
and improve the overall efficiency of our 
plants. We aim for exceptional performance 
of our equipment and we can achieve this 
through regular checks, preventative and 
predictive measurements and recording 
follow up actions to help reduce 
equipment breakdowns and downtime.

Product stewardship
In our Transport sector, we follow 
established automotive procedures, such 
as Advanced Product Quality Planning 
(APQP), so we can launch robust products 
on time and meet customer expectations. 
We are now enhancing these procedures 
by incorporating sustainability tools, 
checklists and stage gates into the 
process. This integration is driving our 
teams to consider the environmental 
impact of our products and processes 
daily. Embedding sustainability into our 
routines helps us to meet industry 
standards for product quality and 
launch timelines.

We primarily have to design our products 
to exacting standards required by design 
codes and customer specifications. 
To achieve this our engineers review 
and ensure the best selection of material. 
Whilst this often requires very specialist 
material (Process Automation) it is done 
with the purpose to enable the design 
life of products – often 50 years plus. 
This selection of materials ensures 
products are not removed and replaced 
unnecessarily (e.g. valve bodies) and 
discarded, rather can be used for the life 
of the asset. By designing to high 
specifications, we ensure the lifecycle 
of the product has the lowest impact on 
the environment.

Supply chain
At IMI, supply chain sustainability involves 
the entire footprint of operations – end-to-
end. In the new product design phase, our 
engineering process now includes ESG 
and product compliance criteria, resulting 
in products made with sustainability in 
mind. Our new supplier selection process 
also continues to ensure suppliers are 
selected with the same ethical values that 
are key to IMI. Selection criteria has been 
strengthened this year as we demand more 
supply chain visibility from our suppliers. 

Environmental  
Product Declaration
In 2023, our STAD valves range, 
Compact-P and TA Modulator were 
all assessed for and achieved an 
Environmental Product Declaration 
(EPD). This document, which is 
standardised, third-party verified 
and based on Life Cycle Assessment 
methodology provides a comparable 
measure of the embedded emissions 
in our products, underscores our 
dedication to sustainability and 
transparency. The insights gleaned 
from the EPD assessment process 
are invaluable, guiding our future 
efforts and pinpointing areas to help 
us enhance our environmental 
performance. We are committed 
to assessing a broad range of our 
products across all five sectors.

52

53

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
Sustainable solutions continued

 Product innovation will always be our strength and 

exploring new ways in which we can reduce emissions within 
our own processes and hence produce more sustainable 
solutions for our customers remains our utmost priority. 
Chris Prince, Vice President of Product & Engineering, Automation platform

Examples of market-led innovation

Sectors
Climate Control

Life Science & Fluid 
Control

Transport

Innovation
Our TA-Smart product is an innovative valve, compliant 
with the European Commission’s Energy Performance 
of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The valve optimises heating 
and cooling in buildings, helping our customers to 
improve energy efficiency. By combining ultrasonic flow 
measurement technology with unique actuation algorithms 
and excellent connectivity, this solution provides best-in-
class control performance, contributing to decarbonisation. 
The valve can be integrated into smart control systems for 
controlling temperatures in buildings.
Active Control, our breakthrough solution for Mass Flow 
Controllers (MFCs) and Electronic Pressure Controllers (EPCs), 
addresses crucial challenges in the Life Science sector. 
Active Control focuses on dynamic range, footprint and cost 
efficiency. A versatile product range, it is used in key areas of 
healthcare and life sciences. These areas include: analytical 
instrumentation, such as mass spectrometry; medical devices, 
such as gas blenders; diagnostic instrumentation, such as 
point-of-care testing for patients; and biotechnology, such 
as bioreactors and microfluidics. Developed by leveraging 
our powerful Growth Hub methodology, we listened to our 
OEM customers and their concerns around overcoming 
wider specification requirements and size constraints to 
deliver an ultra-compact device for multi-gas control. 
Our Active Control range is part of a growing portfolio of 
integrated IMI solutions and contributes to innovation in 
a wide range of life-saving technologies. These products 
demonstrate our commitment to progress in life science 
and dedication to meeting evolving industry demands.
Over 60% of our new product development is aimed at 
reducing carbon emissions from commercial vehicles. 
In 2023, we continued to develop products for use in zero 
emissions technologies, such as fuel cells. We have also 
worked on solutions to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles. 
IMI is currently developing a new cartridge valve, which will 
be used by major European truck OEMs. These manufacturers 
are working with us to develop an application as part of their 
engine recipe to meet new Euro 7 emissions standards. 

We continue to work with our suppliers 
to ensure that all conflict mineral smelters 
are responsibly sourced, in line with our 
Responsible Sourcing policy. Exit plans 
are drawn up for any suppliers who 
cannot meet our growing ESG demands.

In 2023, our procurement teams 
supported IMI’s continued access to 
global markets, by enhancing our ongoing 
engagement with suppliers to ensure they 
provide the necessary product compliance 
documentation via our compliance 
partner, Assent Inc.

Other steps to improve the sustainability 
of our supply chain include enhancing 
our greenhouse gas monitoring capability 
(Scopes 1, 2 & 3). CO2 emission calculation 
and life cycle assessment are gradually 
being introduced in design early stages. 
We are also working collaboratively with 
our suppliers to reduce the carbon 
footprint related to our products, by using 
cleaner energy sources and optimising 
manufacturing processes. As a business, 
IMI engages with key customers to 
support their own ESG commitments.

EU taxonomy
In collaboration with our environmental 
consultants (Ricardo), we have screened 
our portfolio against EU taxonomy criteria 
for substantial contribution to climate 
mitigation and climate adaptation to 
identify products/activities that are 
potentially eligible. This was completed 
for our direct and indirect (enabling) 
economic activities. For the identified 
activities, these were then assessed in 
terms of alignment against the substantial 
contribution criteria and the Do No 
Significant Harm criteria and disclosure 
obligations were reviewed. Based on this, 
a strategy detailing steps for alignment 
was developed which we will continue 
to assess into 2024, as part of our wider 
Portfolio Sustainability Assessment 
framework implementation.

Helping to maximise 
crop yields
We have worked with an agricultural 
solutions company for the past 
decade. Our customer’s systems offer 
a variety of technologies that enable 
farmers to maximise yields and a 
return on investment by, for example, 
reducing expensive fertiliser or 
pesticide overspray to cut costs and 
better protect the environment.

A recently launched spraying system, 
is using our valve technology to 
provide accurate, reliable, and robust 
control for the nozzle bodies that 
dispense the media onto fields.

Our valve delivers control to the pulse 
width modulation solution which acts 
to ensure a fast pulsing and even flow 
of different fertilisers, and pesticides.

The medias used in agricultural 
spraying systems are expensive so 
any reduction of waste provides an 
economic benefit to farmers and 
lowers the level of unneeded chemicals 
entering the ground or running off 
into water sources.

The proven reliability of our valve 
provides tangible operational benefits 
to farmers who need to trust the 
spraying system and will avoid 
unwanted, inconvenient, and expensive 
spraying stoppages.

Connected to our customer’s 
proprietary printed circuit board and 
electronics technology, the valves also 
have the capability to communicate 
with other parts of the spraying system. 
It turns the nozzle sprayers on or can 
shut off the flow as per operational 
need, so the farmer has the reassurance 
the use of expensive fertilisers and 
pesticides is continually optimised. 

54

55

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued

Climate  
action

Overview
IMI has manufacturing facilities in 18 
countries, and we are committed to 
operating these facilities in a sustainable 
way to minimise their impact on the 
environment, by reducing energy, water 
and resource use, pollution, waste and 
single use plastics. We monitor and 
report our environmental performance 
at monthly Executive meetings to focus 
on delivering continuous improvement. 
Our goal is to halve our CO2 intensity 
by 2030, based on 2019 Scope 1 & 2 
GHG emissions.

Key risks
 – Physical climate risks and failure to 
adapt to climate change. More 
information can be found on pages 
80-81 and 95.

Key opportunities
 – Integration of our carbon footprint 
assessment with our analysis of 
climate-related opportunities and 
risks presents an opportunity for 
the organisation to identify strategic 
pathways to reduce emissions, while 
capitalising on potential areas for 
innovation and competitive advantage.

Key 2023 highlights
 – Scope 1 & 2 absolute emissions 

reduced by 33% since 2019

 – Scope 3 absolute emissions reduced 

SDGs

by 8% since 2021

Key priorities

Sub-targets: 13.2

and operations

1 Decarbonisation of our sites 
2 Reducing our water withdrawal 
3 Supply chain engagement

and non-recycled hazardous waste

56

Climate action
We are committed to reducing our carbon 
footprint and have initiatives across the 
world to make our sites more efficient, 
to ensure we share best practice, and 
to commit to year-on-year reductions.

In 2023, we had environmental initiatives 
either in planning, in progress or completed 
that are helping reduce our environmental 
impact in areas that include; energy, water, 
waste, single use plastic elimination, 
reduction in the use of hazardous materials, 
installing renewable energy generation, 
and heat recovery.

Our approach
Our platforms have dedicated ESG leads, 
and all of our manufacturing sites have 
a nominated Environmental Champion. 
Our consistent approach ensures we 
continue to develop and share best 
practice in sustainability across IMI, collate 
site and sector project plans, and monitor 
performance and progress. We share our 
initiatives and best practices via our internal 
communications platform, Workplace.

Renewable energy
We have solar panels installed and 
operational at 12 locations and in 2023 
they generated 2,706 MWh of renewable 
energy (2022: 1,543 MWh).

To underpin our commitment to reduce 
our environmental impact, 25 of our 
51 manufacturing facilities (or 49%) are 
certified to ISO 14001 Environmental 
Management and four are certified to 
ISO 50001 Energy Management standards.

To comply with the Energy Savings 
Opportunities Scheme, we engaged 
with an external consultant in 2023 to 
undertake 16 on-site energy assessments. 
The output of the assessments will be fed 
into our 2024 improvement activities.

In 2023, we purchased renewable energy 
certificates to guarantee renewable energy 
supply covering 75% (2022: 74%) of our 
electricity consumption. We will continue 
investing in renewable energy in 2024 
demonstrating our commitment to 
a better world.

Water
We understand the value and importance 
of water as a global, shared resource. 
A number of our sites are located in water 
stressed regions and we are committed 
to reducing our water impact. All our 
locations collect and report their water 
data in alignment with our global 
reporting environmental Standard 
Operating Procedure (SOP).

Where appropriate, our sites have water 
management plans in place. The majority 
of our sites use water for domestic 
purposes only. Where we use it in 
manufacturing processes, we strive to use 
water efficiently through various initiatives.

Our Sri City facility in India features a 
rainwater harvesting system to reduce 
the volume of mains water needed by 
the facility.

Since 2020, we have reduced our absolute 
water usage by 8% (17,273m3). In 2020, our 
water intensity was 10.8 (m3 per 1,000 
hours worked) and we have set a Group 
target to reduce water intensity by 10% 
by 2030 (intensity of 9.7m3 per 1,000 
hours worked). Water intensity at the 
end of 2023 was 9.6m3 per 1,000 hours 
worked. We will review our usage 
throughout 2024 and update our water 
target if appropriate.

We support the CDP Water Security 
disclosure, which we complete annually, 
using this data to improve and reduce 
water usage across the Group. In 2023, 
our score for this remained at C.

Air emissions
We operate across the world within 
many different environmental regulatory 
frameworks. Environmental performance 
for the Group is managed through the 
IMI HSE framework, which requires 
identification of applicable (national) 
legislation for each site. We also quantify 
site-specific emission characteristics to 
determine applicability of legislation or, for 
compliance with regulatory requirements.

At an operational level, compliance 
with local legal requirements (including 
environmental permits) is the responsibility 
of site leaders at each IMI site. This includes 
compliance with license or permit 
conditions; for example, on monitoring 
and reporting emissions to air, emissions 
to water and, waste production.

We plan to create an air emission 
inventory for all our sites. Additionally, 
we will review information held by our 
sites, including emission reduction targets, 
emissions to water, and production of 
hazardous and non-hazardous waste. 
We will develop an appropriate process 
to gather this information (in line with 
our process to collect all Scope 1 & 2 
GHG emissions from our sites) as part of a 
global reporting mechanism to continually 
enhance our reporting activity.

Waste
We are committed to reducing our impact 
on the environment and especially in the area 
of non-recycled hazardous waste. We 
decreased our non-recycled hazardous 
waste from 392 tonnes in 2022 to 321 tonnes 
in 2023 (a 18% reduction) and are targeting a 
50% reduction by 2030. We will continue to 
report non-recycled hazardous waste and 
will also include other waste categories in our 
future reporting cycle, with an aim to reduce 
the amounts which are sent to landfill and 
increase the proportion which is recycled.

Environmental reporting
Our CO2 emissions are reducing in line with 
our continuous improvement culture and 
investment in our operations. We support 
and disclose to CDP Climate which outlines 
our risk management approach to climate 
change and our emissions performance.

CDP Climate Change disclosure received 
a grade of B, placing it within the 
Management band. This grade is 
consistent with the Europe regional 
average of B. We will review the findings 
of the CDP score reports for both water 
security and climate change with the 
IMI sustainability strategy, so that we can 
improve our environmental performance.

Our commitment reflects our progress 
in our sustainability journey, including 
evaluating our Scope 3 emissions and 
calculating the avoided emissions for 
select products.

Generating 
renewable energy
In 2023, we delivered on our promise 
at the Climate Control site in Erwitte, 
Germany. We completed the second 
phase of our photovoltaic (PV) project, 
installing additional panels that 
significantly increased our generation 
capacity to 2,250,000 kWh, 
approximately 20% of the electricity 
required at the site. This makes 
a substantial step towards our 2040 
net zero target. Our commitment to 
sustainability remains strong as we 
continue to innovate and electrify 
our production. 

57

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
Climate action continued

Carbon disclosure
The below table and supporting narrative summarise the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) disclosure in line with the 
requirements for a quoted company, as per The Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon 
Report) Regulations 2018.

Location
Scope 1 & 2
Emissions – tCO2e

Scope 1 – Natural Gas Usage 

Scope 1 – Diesel Usage On-site 

Scope 1 – Diesel Usage Company Vehicles 

Scope 1 – Fuel Oil Usage 

Scope 1 – Petrol Usage Company Vehicles 

Scope 1 – Liquefied Petroleum Gas Usage 

Scope 1 – Combined Heat and Power Usage 

Scope 1 – Refrigerants

Scope 1 – Total 

Scope 2 – Location-based 

Total (Scopes 1 & 2) 
Consumption – kWh
Scope 1 – Total

Scope 2 – Total 

Total (Scopes 1 & 2) 

Hours Worked 

Current reporting year
1 January 2023 –  
31 December 2023 

Prior reporting year
1 January 2022 –
31 December 2022 

UK

Global 

UK

Global 

413

–

85

–

–

6

–

0

504

1,558

2,062

5,990

94

2,461

654

684

557

–

167

10,607

27,997

38,604

576

–

79

–

–

8

–

64

727

1,383

2,110

7,359

83

2,353

524

560

299

–

648

11,826

28,654

40,480

2,622,121

50,755,902

3,499,360

55,741,957

7,523,812

94,798,807

7,175,645

102,481,674

10,145,933

145,554,709

10,675,005

158,223,631

1,887,694

19,456,641

1,876,083

19,333,911

Intensity ratio: tCO2e (gross Scope 1 & 2) per 1,000 hours worked 

1.09

1.98

1.12

2.09

Scopes 1, 2 and 3
Emissions – tCO2e

Scope 3 – Car Travel

Total (Scopes 1, 2 and 3)
Consumption – kWh
Scope 3 – Total 

Total (Scopes 1, 2 and 3)

Intensity ratio: tCO2e (gross Scope 1, 2 & 3) per 1,000 hours worked

Scope 2 – Market-based

157

2,220

783

39,387

136

2,246

528

41,008

648,755

3,228,597

550,805

2,141,649

10,794,688

148,783,306

11,225,810

160,365,280

1.18

96

2.02

3,391

1.20

109

2.12

4,954

Methodology
We calculate our GHG emissions 
estimates to cover all material sources of 
emissions from the operations for which 
we are responsible. The methodology 
used is the GHG Protocol: A Corporate 
Accounting and Reporting Standard 
(revised edition, 2015). Responsibility for 
emissions sources is determined using 
the operational control approach. All 
emissions sources required under The 
Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited 
Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon 
Report) Regulations 2018 are included.

The scope of emissions covers the 
following sources: natural gas, fuel oil, 
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel, 
petrol, combined heat and power 
(CHP), electricity and business travel 
in employee-owned or hire vehicles.

The UL 360 Sustainability Software GHG 
(Greenhouse Gas) emission tool was used 
to calculate and consolidate the Scope 1 
& 2 emissions adopting a location-based 
and market-based approach. The tool 
used the following conversion factors: 
Scope 1 – UK Government’s GHG 
Conversion Factors used for all sites. 

Scope 2 – UK Government’s GHG 
Conversion Factors are used for UK sites 
and the International Energy Agency’s 
(IEA) conversion factors are used for 
non-UK sites.

In addition, for our market-based 
calculations, the Reliable Disclosure 
(RE-DISS), AIB European Residual Mixes 
and Green-e are used.

Our reported Scope 3 emissions 
were calculated by converting mileage 
into emissions using UK Government’s 
GHG Conversion Factors for 
Company Reporting.

Our carbon reporting statistics 
demonstrate that our recent performance 
of tCO2e has continued to improve. On a 
like for like basis, we achieved our target 
to keep emissions below 2019 levels for 
2023. The Scope 1 & 2 data in our SECR 
table has been externally verified by 
Ricardo Energy & Environment, who 
performed a limited-level verification 
review in accordance with the 
requirements of ISO 14064-3 and the 
GHG Protocol Corporate Standard. 
Of the 2023 total: our direct Scope 1 

emissions of tCO2e (in essence gas, diesel 
and fuel oil consumed) amounted to 
10,607 tonnes; and our indirect Scope 2 
emissions of tCO2e (in essence the 
emissions generated on our behalf 
to provide our electricity) amounted 
to 27,997 tonnes.

The emissions total represents a 33% 
reduction compared to 2019 for Scope 1 & 2.

We report the intensity metric of gross 
tCO2e per 1,000 hours worked as a unit 
of comparison to reflect our operational 
performance compared to carbon output 
as we feel this provides a more reflective 
measure of factory volumes and as a 
result carbon intensity. Our 2023 intensity 
ratio based on Scope 1 & 2 emissions 
is 1.98 tCO2e per 1,000 hours worked. 
This compares to our 2019 baseline 
of 2.78 tCO2e per 1,000 hours worked. 
We are on track to achieve our target 
of 1.39 tCO2e per 1,000 hours worked 
(50% of the 2019 baseline intensity) 
by 2030.

Process 
decarbonisation
In 2023, we took a significant 
step towards a greener future in 
our Swedish plant by replacing 
propane-fuelled preheating 
transport ladle with an electric one. 
This crucial transition has enabled us 
to significantly cut our CO2 emissions. 
Together, we’re driving positive 
change and setting new standards 
for sustainable manufacturing. 

58

59

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
Climate action continued

Task Force on Climate-related Financial 
Disclosures (TCFD) assessment

Scope 3 emissions
This year, we publish our second Scope 3 
assessment. This assessment has been 
conducted on a combination of volume 
data (where it has been available), spend 
data and other standard estimation 
techniques. We recognise the importance 
of data accuracy in this area and have 
been working to improve data quality and 
collection. Our assessment was developed 
using methodologies specified by the 
Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the UK’s 
Environmental Reporting Guidelines. 
Enhancing our data and disclosure will 
involve collaboration with our suppliers 
and a focused approach from our supply 
chain teams as mentioned above.

Our Scope 3 inventory was calculated 
using methodologies specified by the 
Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value 
Chain (Scope 3) Standard, as listed below. 
Categories 8, 10, 13-15 are not applicable 
to us so have not been quantified.

This inventory has not been externally 
verified but we will be looking to address 
this later in 2024.

Our largest Scope 3 category is purchased 
goods and services which accounts for 
73% of total Scope 3 emissions (reduced 
from 80% in 2021) as a result of increased 
use of recycled content from materials 
purchased. As very few of our products 
are powered (and hence do not directly 
generate emissions during their service 

lifetime), our ‘use of sold goods’ category is 
low and accounts for only 2% of the total. 
In addition to our Scope 1 & 2 targets, we 
have also committed to a 25% reduction in 
Scope 3 emissions by 2030 which we have 
submitted (as part of a package of targets) 
to the SBTi for validation).

We recognise the importance of reducing 
our Scope 3 emissions and during 2023 
established a Sustainable Supply Chain 
committee focusing on developing our 
understanding of the emissions of our 
products and product content, Scope 3 
emissions, materials traceability and 
supplier engagement. Focus on product 
innovation and improving our own 
efficiency remains a key area for us.

Category Category name
1

Purchased goods 
and services
Capital goods
Fuel- and energy-
related activities
Upstream transportation 
and distribution total
Waste generated 
in operations 
Business travel 
Employee commuting 

Methodology followed
Average data based for key input materials.  
Spend-based for all other purchases
Spend-based
Based on actual consumption of fuels and electricity

Estimated from transport distances and shipment weights

Based on waste disposal quantities with assumptions 
on waste type and disposal route
Emissions based on actual journeys and distance
Estimated from employee numbers, with assumptions 
of travel distances and modes
Not applicable
Approximated from sales volumes

Estimated from sales quantities and annual energy usage 
per electricity-using product, accounting for territory of 
sales (Climate Control only)
Estimated from sold material quantities for key 
materials only, assumed disposal routes (recycled).  
Excludes some known areas such as packaging

Upstream leased assets
Downstream transportation 
and distribution 
Processing of sold products  Not applicable
Use of sold products 

End-of-life treatment 
of sold products 

Downstream leased assets  Not applicable
Not applicable
Franchises 
Not applicable
Investments 

2
3

4

5

6
7

8
9

10
11

12

13
14
15
Total

*  2021 is restated to reflect changes in methodology and data.

60

Total GHG emissions tCO2e

2023 

2022

2021* 

388,760
20,346

393,716 
20,946 

461,842 
24,352 

9,891

11,079 

13,419 

43,936

42,050 

20,618 

1,985
15,268

13,056
–

21,968
–

1,163 
9,759 

1,439 
4,553 

15,960 
– 

18,730 
– 

21,025 
– 

10,309 
– 

11,995

13,046 

17,387 

2,171
–
–
–
529,376

1,217 
– 
– 
– 
529,961 

1,459 
– 
–
– 
574,108

TCFD reporting
We recognise the scale of the climate 
change emergency in creating both risks 
and opportunities for our growth strategy 
and transition in line with our SBTi 
commitment. Our growth is driven by our 
ability to innovate which helps enable our 
customers and their end markets to 
reduce their own carbon footprint. We 
have set ambitious targets and this year 
submitted our SBTi targets for approval.

We are actively working to improve 
our climate-related disclosures. This 
includes providing additional information 
on our website, www.imiplc.com. For 
instance, we have mapped our material 
disclosures against the required Global 
Reporting Initiative (GRI) requirements 
and shared the results of our materiality 
impact assessment.

In accordance with the requirements of 
LR 9.8.6(8)R (UK Listing Rules) and the 
Companies Act 2006 as amended by the 
Companies (Strategic Report) (Climate-
related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 
2022, IMI’s climate-related disclosures are 
consistent with the eleven recommendations 
of the Task Force on Climate-related 
Financial Disclosures. We look forward to 
updating you on our progress in our 2024 
Annual Report in respect of:

 – a revision of our decarbonisation strategy 

to integrate our new acquisitions in 
2022 and revise our implementation 
plan; accordingly, and consolidate our 
Climate Action programme into one IMI 
Climate transition plan in line with the 
TPT (Transition Pathways Taskforce) 
framework and guidance.

Taskforce on Nature-related 
Financial Disclosure (TNFD)
TNFD was officially launched in September 
2023 as a market-led, science-based 
mechanism to provide organisations with 
the tools they need to act on evolving 
nature-related issues. It builds on the 
structure developed by the TCFD, with 14 
recommended disclosures based around 
nature-related dependencies, impacts, 
risks and opportunities. This year, we aim 
to conduct a comprehensive materiality 
assessment, considering ESG impacts and 
financial risks and opportunities. We will 
build upon our existing ESG materiality 
processes, aligning with GRI, TCFD, and 
EFRAG’s European Sustainability Reporting 
Standards (ESRS), to evaluate issues related 
to nature. We recognise and acknowledge 
we have a role to play in protecting 
nature and biodiversity. We welcome the 
objectives of the TNFD and will continue 
to build on our ESG reporting strategy 
to integrate and consolidate globally 
recognised reporting standards and 
frameworks and include any relevant 
updates to our approach on our website 
and our next Annual Report. 

61

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Governance

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

a) Describe the Board’s oversight of climate-related opportunities and risks

Members of the Board and 
Executive carried out an ESG 
strategy deep dive in September, 
facilitated by our third-party 
consultant, Ricardo, as a mid-way 
point to detail and validate the 
process taken to identify and assess 
IMI’s climate-related opportunities, 
and risks and their financial 
materiality. Thomas Thune 
Andersen played a key role in 
supporting this process, drawing 
on his considerable ESG expertise.

Each director has specific 
measurable ESG targets built 
into their strategic and 
personal objectives.

Review of targets and progress 
by the Board.

We will further improve the 
integration of climate-related 
opportunities and risks 
into our Group risk 
management framework 
and business processes.

Continue to deliver climate 
education for the Board 
through the ESG Engagement 
Sessions. For example, on the 
Transition Plan Taskforce and 
their new framework 
and emerging policy and 
expectations for companies 
to report robust and credible 
Climate Transition Plans.

The Board has overall responsibility for IMI’s 
environmental, social and governance agenda 
which include:

 – Setting our Creating a better world strategy; 

Reviewing and approving the ESG framework, 
strategy, priorities;

 – Determining and keeping under review the 

Company’s ESG climate-related opportunities and 
risks and its risk appetite;

 – Horizon scanning for emerging climate-

related risks;

 – Keeping under review the materiality of 

climate-related risk and its impact on the 
financial statements;

 – Receiving regular updates on our sustainability 

milestones from the better world team 
(for example progress on reductions in water, 
waste and GHG emissions) and feedback from 
the Investor Relations team on ESG expectations 
from shareholders and rating agencies;
 – The Remuneration Committee continue to 
include CO2 intensity reduction as core part 
of IMI’s incentive plans. In addition, the Audit 
Committee review guidance from regulators 
to ensure our continued compliance with the 
reporting of our ESG strategy.

The Board is supported by our senior independent 
director, Thomas Thune Andersen, who has 
considerable ESG experience and has designated 
responsibility to support the directors’ collective 
responsibility to consider a wide range of 
stakeholder perspectives and drive IMI’s ESG 
agenda when arriving at Board decisions.

ESG competence and experience is evaluated as a 
criterion for non-executive director appointments.

The Board receives updates on climate-related 
matters quarterly, for discussion.

For more 
information 

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
40, 42, 43, 
45, 88, 
102, 105, 
112, 114, 
116-117

Governance

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

For more 
information 

b) Describe management’s role in assessing and managing risks and opportunities

The Board and the Executive 
Committee review climate change 
at least twice a year as part of a 
wide review of ESG matters.

Key members of senior 
management including the 
Platform Risk Champions, were 
interviewed as part of the TCFD 
process to refresh and update 
the risk and opportunity analysis 
in 2023 and provide inputs 
related to materiality.

Executive Committee 
to continue to improve 
knowledge and 
understanding of climate-
related opportunities and 
risks and their related 
financial impact through 
regular governance processes.

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
45, 48, 52, 
56, 72-75, 
82, 89, 95 

We continue to evolve our 
governance framework for 
the management and 
oversight of ESG matters 
as we build on our 
progress to date.

Key strategic response actions 
in the near term and long-
term have been identified to 
successfully manage the risks 
and opportunities identified. 
The resiliency measures 
identified in our assessment 
will be tracked by relevant 
teams for each risk and 
opportunity focus area. 

ESG Strategy execution is delegated to the Chief 
Executive Officer, supported by the Executive 
Committee. The IMI Executive Committee, are 
regularly informed about climate-related issues by 
the Head of Sustainability (via their work with the 
better world team, their sub-committees and 
advisory support from third party consultancy, 
Ricardo). In addition to these updates, the IMI 
Executive Committee monitors and reviews ESG 
progress, climate-related risk management 
processes and review bi-annually a detailed analysis 
of the Group’s risk profile including supporting 
platform data and the actions undertaken. The 
Executive Committee continue to review 
and support:

 – All ESG achievements and targets for inclusion 

in the Annual Report.

 – The ESG strategy and proposal to the Board;
 – Updates on latest climate-related reporting 

requirements and monitoring of our external 
ESG rankings;

 – Scope 3 work relating to the assessment of 
Scope 3 emissions and review of reduction 
plans and target setting;

 – The approach on health and safety, employee 

development, an inclusive approach to inclusion 
and diversity, effective talent management and 
cross-functional collaboration for promoting 
innovation, specialised skills and knowledge, 
essential for the net zero transition and long-term 
organisational resilience.

Louise Waldek, Chief Legal & Risk Officer, and 
Company Secretary, has specific responsibility for 
Executive sponsorship of the better world team.

62

63

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Strategy

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

For more 
information 

Strategy

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

For more 
information 

a) Describe the climate-related opportunities and risks the organisation has identified over the short, medium and long-term

b) Describe the impact of climate-related opportunities and risks on the organisation’s business strategy and financial planning

In line with TCFD best 
practice we will review our 
risks and opportunities at 
least annually to ensure the 
most relevant risks and 
opportunities are considered, 
and where possible directly 
integrated into our Group 
Risk Management Framework.

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
72-81, 95

We updated our process for 
identifying climate-related 
opportunities and risks this year by 
interviewing our Executive 
Committee, Thomas Thune 
Andersen and members of senior 
management. We also expanded 
our desktop research to include a 
wider selection of stakeholder input 
and research. Engaging with key 
internal stakeholders, including the 
Board, was of critical importance to 
refresh our risks and opportunities 
with those who know and 
understand IMI’s long-term strategy.

We identified that climate-related opportunities and 
risks will affect our business strategy and financial 
planning. Where possible we have provided financial 
and business assessment of the material risk and 
opportunities. Three risks and opportunities were 
subject to a detailed quantitative financial 
assessment including; 

 see page 75

Opportunities: increased product demand, long-
term project investments (operations) and growth 
in hydrogen solutions.

Risks: Oil & Gas market exposure.

Key outputs are presented as changes compared 
to a reference scenario over a 2030 and 2050 
time frame.

The materiality assessment identified 45 risks and 
opportunities and were scored individually based 
on IMI’s business sensitivity and adaptive capacity. 
The scoring analysis classified 19 out of 45 
opportunities & risks to be climate-material to IMI. 
The 19 climate-material risks and opportunities were 
grouped into priority focus areas, consistent with 
the TCFD categories and IMI’s sustainability strategy 
including: 

 see page 72.

Opportunities:
1. market expansion and innovation
2. alternative fuels
3. climate-related policy and legislation
4. product portfolio
5. supply chain and operational excellence

Risks:
1. climate-related policy and legislation
2. product portfolio
3. supply chain operational excellence
4. physical risks (acute and chronic)

Transition risks and opportunities were considered 
over the following time frames (short: 2023-2030, 
medium: 2030-2040, long: 2040+).

Physical risks were considered over slightly longer 
time frames (short: 2021-2040, medium-long: 
2041-2060, very long: 2061-2100)

 These time frames have been considered with 

reference to the information available in the 
scenarios selected on page 73.

To capture all of IMI’s global operations, the process 
for identifying and managing risks and opportunities 
includes the involvement of management and their 
teams at the operating sites and across the platforms 
within the different geographies.

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
13, 22, 26, 
43, 56, 57, 
72-81

We will continue to update 
the quantitative company 
level business and financial 
analysis based on 
company developments 
and market changes.

We will build on our 
existing plans to ensure 
a standardised approach 
is implemented at each 
site/location to address 
decarbonisation and improve 
resiliency in line with our 
SBTi and Climate Action 
targets. This will be evaluated 
in 2024, through a re-fresh 
of the IMI decarbonisation 
strategy to phase in a more 
robust implementation plan.

Evaluate the indirect costs 
of carbon by business, 
to inform procurement 
strategy resilience.

We undertook quantitative 
financial analysis of three risks 
and opportunities 
 see page 75. 
This has helped us to quantify the 
financial impacts of the material 
climate risks and opportunities 
for further integration of the 
analysis into our risk management 
and strategic planning. The 
methodology used considers the 
full value chain impacts and latest 
company-level developments 
to ensure a forward-looking view 
was used to conduct the forecasts.

A carbon tax/price does not directly 
impact IMI today but will likely 
indirectly impact through our 
supplier spend for raw materials, 
such as steel, impacted by the 
EU Carbon Border Adjustment 
Measure (CBAM). In 2023, we 
reviewed our impact with the 
CBAM and will be reporting in line 
with the requirements laid out in 
this legislation.

In 2023, we engaged with 74 
strategic suppliers to identify 
emissions reduction programmes to 
support our Scope 3 goals, together 
with ensuring human rights are 
protected in the supply chain.

To mitigate the risk of supply chain 
disruption caused by water 
shortages, our supply chain teams 
have been working to ensure we 
have dual sourcing of key 
components and are treated as a 
priority customer via framework 
agreements with Tier 1 suppliers.

64

65

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsFor more 
information 

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
18-27, 
76-81

Creating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Strategy

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

c) Describe the resilience of the organisation’s strategy, taking into consideration different climate-related scenarios, 
including a 2°C or lower scenario

We updated our scenario analysis 
to improve alignment with 
the newly identified risks and 
opportunities within the focus 
areas. This work was reviewed 
by the Executive Committee in 
December 2023 and was approved 
by the Board in February 2024.

We conducted a business impact 
scoring to allocate a business 
impact exposure category of high, 
medium, and low to each climate 
and financial material risk and 
opportunity under the short, 
medium, and long-term time 
frames for each scenario.

To align with TCFD best 
practice, we will renew 
our scenario analysis every 
three years to ensure we 
are providing the most 
up-to-date and relevant 
information, unless there 
has been a significant change 
to the business or external 
environment that warrants 
a quicker refresh.

Continue to drive our 
process for resiliency action 
ownership in line with our 
Climate Action targets and 
goals across the organisation.

We held a strategic response and 
resiliency workshop, to identify 
and allocate our responses to 
mitigate the climate-related risks 
and maximise the climate-related 
strategic opportunities over the 
short, medium, and long-term time 
frames whilst considering 
each climate-scenario.

With support from Ricardo, our third-party 
consultants, a climate scenario analysis study was 
undertaken across four wide-ranging scenarios 
to examine impacts over long-term time horizons 

 see page 73.

Due to the split of transitional and physical risks and 
opportunities, two publicly available, scientifically 
recognised organisations were selected to assess 
our business impact and resiliency to each climate- 
and financial- risk and opportunity under different 
hypothetical futures: the IEA and IPCC. In total, 
four scenarios were selected with two across each 
IEA and IPCC scenario 
details in the selection process.

 see page 74 for more 

We acknowledge the significance of fostering 
resilience when confronted with climate-related 
opportunities and risks. The transition to a low-
carbon economy under both IEA scenarios is 
creating new revenue opportunities for us, as well 
as challenges in the form of rapid technological, 
regulatory and behavioural changes. Our market-
led innovation, sustainable investment and clear-
sighted strategy alongside excellent stakeholder 
management continues to strengthen our 
resiliency response to mitigate climate-related 
risks, whilst taking advantage of opportunities.  
We recognise the importance of assessing and 
managing physical risks associated with climate 
change. We conduct comprehensive risk 
assessments to identify vulnerable assets through 
our 3rd party insurance provider and prioritise 
adaptation strategies. This involves regularly 
monitoring and evaluating the performance of our 
assets in the context of changing climate conditions. 
By leveraging advanced technologies and data-
driven insights we aim to optimise asset 
performance, reduce vulnerabilities, and ensure 
long-term sustainability.

For more 
information 

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
72-75, 
88-95

Risk management

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

a) Describe the organisation’s processes for identifying and assessing climate-related risks

We will continue to monitor 
and assess the risks and 
opportunities that were not 
deemed as financially material 
in this year’s assessment to 
understand if they may become 
financially material in the future 
given new developments in 
our business and the market.

Maintain our global regulatory 
review and gap analysis of 
current and emerging climate-
related risks to identify emerging 
risks relevant to IMI’s assets, 
supply chain, value chain 
stakeholders and products and 
services. Plans are in place to 
conduct a double materiality 
assessment in early 2024, with 
our ESG consultants, Ricardo. 
The TCFD work will inform 
and contribute to the output.

Climate-related risks form an integral part of the 
overall risk management process and IMI better 
world agenda. Climate-related risks determined and 
reviewed via the work of Platform Risk Champions 
form part of several principal risks and are included 
as part of risk management presentations to 
Executive and Board level members which occur 
annually. This year, we rescoped our risk of business 
disruption and natural disasters to cover extreme 
weather events and the physical risks associated 
with climate change as well as the risk of failure to 
adapt to climate change. In addition to this specific 
principal risk regarding climate change, the Board 
believes climate change maps to the following 
principal risks:

 – Ethics, Compliance & Governance
 – Talent & Engagement
 – Lack of Organic Growth
 – Failure to manage the supply chain

Risks and opportunities that scored as climate-
material were grouped under Priority Focus Areas 
(see Figure 1, page 72) before conducting the 
climate scenario analysis. A further financial overlay 
deemed a sub-set of the climate-material risks 
and opportunities financially material. The financial 
overlay process assigned a lower and upper business 
revenue exposure range (over the near-term 5 year 
time frame).

We developed the processes 
for assessing the potential size and 
scope of identified climate-related 
opportunities and risks through a 
 see page 72, 
materiality matrix 
which detail the financial overlay 
for TCFD materiality.

We incorporated Zurich’s 
2022 analysis of physical 
climate-related risks into wider 
identification of climate-related 
opportunities and risks.

The strategic response and 
resiliency workshop as described 
above in strategy b) helped to 
identify the key actions necessary 
to take to mitigate and adapt to 
the identified risks.

In various forums, including the 
ESG deep dive, we considered 
the implications of the 
International Sustainability 
Standards Board (ISSB), Transition 
Plan Taskforce (TPT) guidance 
and Corporate Sustainability 
Reporting Directive (CSRD) on 
our reporting requirements as a 
potential risk and opportunity. 
We have already started work in 
preparations for these, including 
EU Taxonomy reporting under 
the CSRD. We are working with 
Ricardo to evaluate our 
exposure, our eligibility, and 
alignment for core product/
activity lines.

66

67

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Risk management

Risk management

For more 
information 

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
52-57, 
72-76, 
88-91 
and 95

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

b) Describe the organisation’s processes for managing climate-related risks

To review the resilience of the Board’s strategy 
through the lens of climate change, a better world 
Risk Group was set up inviting key individuals from 
across the Group (facilities, operations, legal and 
business development), who carried out an analysis 
of climate risks and opportunities for IMI using the 
 see page 72.
TCFD framework 

Engineering and procurement teams continue 
to review the components within our products 
and where relevant, gain certifications on more 
sustainable components, reviewing sourcing policies 
to ensure good availability and pricing on materials.

Our production and supply chain teams have 
been working to understand and review our 
product compliance against the increasing volume 
of new regulations and to understand what 
alternatives there are for various components 
(for example lead content in brass). All sectors 
have specially selected suppliers to investigate ESG 
topics (climate impact, human trafficking & slavery, 
organisational commitment and labour rights) 
through our compliance partner, Assent Inc.

Across the risk and opportunity 
focus areas identified we have 
assigned platform risk champions 
to take responsibility for each 
focus area to ensure the correct 
response actions are taken to 
mitigate risks and take advantage 
of the opportunities identified 
over the near-term and 
long-term.

To increase resilience and 
mitigate climate-related 
risks we continue to execute 
our strategy which focuses 
investment into more resilient 
low-carbon markets that 
provide solutions to support 
the transition and mitigate 
long-term effects of climate 
change through innovation 
and technology transfer. 
This will include both 
organic and inorganic 
growth investments to 
mitigate climate-related 
risks from our Sustainable 
Portfolio Assessments.

We will continue to work with 
Platform Risk Champions to 
drive focus and accountability.

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

For more 
information 

c) Describe how processes for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related risks are integrated into the organisation’s 
overall risk management

Climate-related risks determined and reviewed 
via the work of platform risk champions, form part 
of several principal risks, and are included as part 
of risk management presentations to the Executive 
Committee and the Board.

We conducted a mapping exercise to integrate, 
match and overlay the resulting climate-related 
material risks in the principal risk register.

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
88-91

We are working to improve 
our systems and process for 
identification, monitoring and 
assessing climate-related 
emerging issues that impact 
our business, to inform our 
Sustainability Committee and 
Board more regularly on updates 
or changes over time. We plan 
to create a climate opportunity 
and risk register for current and 
emerging issues and anticipate this 
being reviewed every 6 months 
for changes, and annually for 
integration into the Enterprise 
Risk Management process.

We have voluntarily begun 
evaluating our portfolio 
in alignment with the EU 
Taxonomy classification 
for climate mitigation and 
adaptation and we plan 
to update this further in 
due course.

We will continue to further 
develop how managing 
climate-related risks are 
integrated into the overall risk 
management framework and 
assigning ownership for 
individual risks.

Metrics and targets

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

For more 
information 

a) Disclose the metrics used by the organisation to assess climate-related opportunities and risks in line with its strategy 
and risk management process

We plan to use an internal 
carbon price within the next 
two years and will consider 
how to integrate into our 
PSA framework for 2024.

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
46-47, 
58-60

Our purpose is Breakthrough 
engineering for a better world, 
where we are committed in 
providing customers with the 
most sustainable products 
possible. Our climate targets 
include reducing emissions and 
minimising our environmental 
impact. To help achieve this 
we have set up several climate-
related metrics aimed at reducing 
our greenhouse gas emissions, 
water usage and waste. 
Our Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas 
emissions have been verified 
according to ISO Standard ISO 
14064-3 by a third party 
consultancy 

 see page 58.

We have considered other metrics associated with 
climate-related risks however we feel that our 
metrics and targets presented on pages 46-47 
illustrate our commitment to mitigating climate-
related risks. In addition, we have also included three 
metrics in our sustainability linked revolving credit 
facility see page 13 which are CO2 intensity, water 
intensity and women in management.

We recognise the importance of developing an 
internal carbon price as a critical forward-looking 
metric that can help us to manage climate-related 
transition risks and opportunities. We have planned 
to incorporate this assessment into our net zero 
and transition plan workstream in 2024.

68

69

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Metrics and targets

Metrics and targets

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

b) Disclose Scope 1, Scope 2, and if appropriate Scope 3 emissions, and the related risks

We have worked with third-party consultants 
to calculate our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

We continue to strive to 
improve the quality of our 
Scope 3 analysis and data.

Details of our achievements 
against our climate-related 
targets including CO2 intensity 
can be found in the Creating 
a better world section of 
this Annual Report 
 see pages 46-47.

We complete our Scope 1 & 2 
calculations on an annual basis 
and receive verification on these 
calculations according to ISO 
standard ISO14064-3. In 
addition, we also complete 
Scope 3 calculations and will 
look to have these verified in 
2024.

We use Defra Environmental 
Reporting Guidelines: Including 
streamlined energy and carbon 
reporting guidance, 2019 
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: 
A Corporate Accounting 
and Reporting Standard 
(Revised Edition).

We include historical periods 
to allow for trend analysis.

For more 
information 

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
46-47, 
58-60

For more 
information 

  Page 
numbers 
within this 
Report: 
43, 46-47, 
150, 
153-155, 
158, 166

How we comply

Progress made in 2023

Further improvement

c) Describe the targets used by the organisation to manage climate-related opportunities and risks and performance 
against targets

Our purpose drives our strategy 
and our ambition, including our 
commitment to SBTi:

 – Halve our total Scope 1 & 2 

CO2 intensity by 2030 (based 
on a 2019 baseline) and be 
net zero for these emissions 
by 2040.

 – For Scope 3, we are targeting 
reducing our emissions by 
25% by 2030 and be net zero 
by 2050.

 – Reduce our water intensity 

(m3 per 1,000 hours worked) 
by 10% by 2030 (compared 
to 2020).

 – Reduce our non-recycled 

hazardous waste by 50% by 
2030 (compared to 2022).

We have extended our GHG emissions target 
to include Scope 3.

Continue to expand Scope 3 
verification.

We have submitted an SBTi application, please see 
page 43 for more information.

We worked on integrating our Climate Action 
strategy output (including our updated assessment 
of climate-related opportunities and risks) into a 
draft comprehensive climate transition plan and 
will be developing this further in 2024.

Develop a Climate Transition 
plan in line with the TPT 
framework in 2024 and 
report appropriately.

Continue to expand and 
develop carbon emission 
reporting by product.

To achieve our carbon emission reduction target, 
the Process Automation sector has been looking 
into first drawing a baseline of carbon emissions 
by product, performing a more realistic product-
specific analysis, and utilising bottom-up detailed 
carbon emission calculation, from raw materials to 
assembly & test. To draw this baseline, the Process 
Automation team decided to involve a few suppliers 
as part of the programme. Those suppliers have 
been selected considering their supply volume, 
strategic long-term partnership and ESG impact. 
They are suppliers we are willing to grow and 
support within their climate transition journey. 
We have developed with those selected suppliers 
a collaborative approach in the aim to develop 
innovative solutions to reduce our products’ carbon 
footprint: IMI consulted with them individually, and 
suggested our perspectives as part of this project to 
not only reduce the cost of supply and production 
but to focus on the carbon emissions that would be 
reduced throughout the supply chain, manufacturing 
process and product life cycle. Our Value Analysis/
Value Engineering process aims to reduce emissions 
through product design changes, material 
substitutions, recycling, and manufacturing process 
analysis. In 2023, certain suppliers offered innovative 
suggestions to further reduce our impact. These 
suggestions were solidified through our engagement 
during one-to-one meetings and supplier visits.

70

71

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Strategy Section Deep 
Dive – Climate-related 
Opportunities & Risks 
and Scenario Analysis
Background
Over the last 3 years, we have continued 
to improve our climate-related financial 
disclosures and processes for periodic 
review, working closely with third party 
consultants, Ricardo, to update and 
enhance the identification of climate-
related opportunities and risks, materiality, 
and scenario analysis. We committed in 

our 2022 Annual Report to carry out 
further detailed work on the quantitative 
financial impact and strategic resiliency 
responses to material risks and 
opportunities.

This year’s report provides financial 
quantification of impacts over the different 
scenario time horizons (where possible) 
and deeper analysis on how this translates 
to our resiliency actions.

We are already on our journey of executing 
our ESG and Climate Action strategy and 
resiliency actions; serving our customers 
and markets with new technology and 

product solutions such as the IMI VIVO 
electrolyser, targeted acquisitions (Adaptas, 
CorSolutions, Heatmiser and Bahr), and 
further reducing risk of potential supply 
chain disruption through implementing 
measures for localisation of manufacturing 
and supply chains (Europe and China).

Identification of Climate-related 
opportunities and risks
Following a rigorous process (Figure 1) 
of desktop analysis and stakeholder 
engagement, including 11 interviews across 
the Executive Committee and senior 
individuals, a list of 45 climate-related 
opportunities and risks were identified. 

Figure 1: TCFD Strategy Process Flow

Stakeholder 
analysis 
(risk and 
opportunity 
identification)

Climate 
materiality 
scoring

Consolidation 
and 
visualisation

Financial 
materiality 
overlay

Selection  
of publicly 
available climate 
scenarios and 
qualitative 
analysis 

Financial 
modelling 
across selected 
climate 
scenarios

Determine the 
business impact 
across selected 
scenarios

Strategic 
responses to 
mitigate risks 
and maximise 
opportunities

Figure 2: IMI Materiality Matrix – by Focus Area

y
t
i
l
i

b
a
p
a
c
e
v
i
t
p
a
d
a
h
g
H

i

y
t
i
l
i

b
a
p
a
c
e
v
i
t
p
a
d
a
w
o
L

y
t
i
l
i

b
a
p
a
c
e
v
i
t
p
a
d
A

4

8

3

7,5,2

6

Red zone: High 
sensitivity to risk and 
low adaptive capability

Blue zone: High sensitivity 
to opportunity and high 
adaptive capability 

Focus areas
1.   Market expansion  
and innovation

8,3

1

4

2.  Value chain communication 

6

2,7

& engagement*

3. Localisation*
4. Alternative fuels
5.  Supply chain operational 

excellence*

6. Product portfolio
7.   Increasing climate-related  

policy & regulation
8.  Physical climate risks

* = Combined priority areas

Graph Interpretation
The figure shows the spread of the 
average climate materiality score 
for each Focus Area, enabling high 
level Focus Area prioritisation 
based on the Business Sensitivity 
and Adaptive Capability.

Graph Methodology
The average climate-related 
materiality score of all risks/
opportunities within each 
Focus Area is plotted.

Adaptive Capability refers 
to the ability that IMI has 
to adjust to potential 
damage, to take 
advantage of 
opportunities, or to 
respond to consequences: 
organisational capability; 
technical capacity; 
financial capacity; 
ecosystem capacity (i.e. 
existing adaptive capacity 
to minimise risks or take 
advantage of 
opportunities).

Business Sensitivity refers 
to the degree to which 
IMI (e.g. people, assets, 
products and services) is 
affected, either adversely 
or beneficially, by climate 
variability or change 
(i.e. sensitive/exposed to 
the risk or opportunity).

High business  

risk sensitivity

Neutral
Business sensitivity

High business  

opportunity sensitivity

The International Energy Agency (IEA) 
and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change (IPCC) were selected as publicly 
available, scientifically recognised 
organisations to assess the scenario 
analysis for the transition and physical risks 
and opportunities and associated business 
impact and our strategic responses. 
In total, four scenarios were selected 
with two each across the IEA and IPCC 
scenarios. The IEA selected scenarios, 
NZE and STEPS, provided deeper 
context and evidence on the risks and 
opportunities that arise as the economy 
moves from a carbon-intensive to net 
zero (transition risks and opportunities). 
Whereas the two IPCC scenarios provided 
the risks associated with the higher global 
temperature ‘worst’ and ‘best case’ that 
will likely result from taking no or some 
policy action. All four scenarios explore 
both transition and physical risks and 
opportunities, to a different degree. 
Details of the selected scenarios are 
highlighted in Table 2.

These were scored based on our business 
sensitivity to the risk/opportunity and our 
adaptive capability (Figure 2) to maximise the 
opportunity and minimise the risk, to identify 
those deemed as most vulnerable and 
therefore climate-material to the business.

Priority Focus Areas
Risks and opportunities that scored as 
climate-material were grouped under 
Priority Focus Areas (see Figure 1) before 
conducting the climate scenario analysis. 
A further financial overlay deemed a 
sub-set of the climate-material risks and 
opportunities financially material. The 
financial overlay process assigned a lower 
and upper business revenue exposure range 
(over the near-term five-year time frame).

Understanding Business Impact: 
Scenario Analysis
Scenario analysis helps us to understand 
the potential impact of climate change on 
our business over our selected time 
periods to best inform our strategy and 
financial planning (Table 1). The near-term 
time frame (up to five years) aligns with 
our five-year business strategic and 
financial planning cycle and was assessed 
as a time frame during the materiality 
financial overlay.

Table 1 Selected timescales for scenario analysis
Time frame
Near-term (based on viability statement 
on page 100)

IEA Scenarios

IPCC Scenarios

S (Short)
M (Medium)
L (Long)

S (Short)
M-L (Medium-Long)
VL (Very Long)

Timescale
2024–2028

2023–2030
2030–2040
2040+

2023–2040
2041–2060
2061–2100

Physical Risks & Opportunities
In 2022, we commissioned Zurich, our 
primary insurer, to conduct a site-level 
review of the physical risks faced due to 
climate change. This year, we have 
updated our analysis on the identified 
high-risk sites. This analysis allowed us to 
re-assess the site risk profiles across the 
same IPCC scenarios and time frames, as 
in previous years. The analysis was carried 
out on 12 identified business critical sites 
and used two climate scenarios from the 
IPCC (Table 2) SSP1-RCP2.6 and SSP5-
RCP8.5, a best and worst case respectively 
to analyse the business impact and hazard 
level each site may face in the future, as 
well as supply chain accessibility and IMI 
workforce exposure at these locations to 
climatic extremes and stress over time. 
Regardless of the climate scenario, by the 
medium-long term (2050), IMI site risk 
level ranks medium and above.

Transitional Risks & Opportunities
In follow up to the 2021–2022 review 
of our climate-related transition risks 
and opportunities, this year we conducted 
a complete scenario refresh using the 
publicly available IEA scenarios. Several 
transition risks and opportunities re-
emerged as financially material including 
raw materiality accessibility and Oil & Gas 
market exposure risks and emerging 
environmental policies, growth in 
hydrogen solutions and increased 
product demand opportunities.

72

73

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
 
Creating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Table 2: Scenario Selection
Scenario
IEA
Net Zero by 
2050 (NZE)

Description
A rising number of countries and companies are 
targeting net zero emissions, typically by mid-century. 
All of these are achieved, putting global emissions 
on track for net zero by 2050. Drastic transformation 
of the global energy system.

Key Metrics Used
 – Paris Agreement alignment (1.5°C)
 – Global hydrogen-based fuels
 – Fuel shares in total energy use by application
 – Global carbon price by economy 
(e.g. max. $250 USD/tonne CO2)

 – Global energy consumption by fuel and CO2 

IEA
Stated Policies 
(STEPS)

A more conservative benchmark for the future which 
does not assume that governments will reach all 
announced goals. Differing policies and legislation 
across different countries, regions, and markets.

IPCC
SSP1-RCP2.6

IPCC
SSP5-RCP8.5

Sustainable development scenario – zero-emissions 
after 2050 and temperature increase stabilising 
~1.8°C by 2100, potential for lower adaptation 
costs to other scenarios.

High emissions-scenario – business as usual, 
where fossil fuel use, food demand, energy use and 
greenhouse gas emissions increase. Physical risks 
increase, with associated higher adaptation costs.

intensity by sector

 – New workers in clean energy
 – CO2 intensity of electricity generation
 – Global CO2 emissions
 – 2.6°C Temperature Rise
 – Energy costs by region
 – Global CO2 emissions
 – Renewables generation by region
 – Hydrogen demand by region
 – Carbon price by country  

(e.g. max. $113 USD/tonne CO2)

 – Coal and natural gas demand
 – Paris Agreement alignment (1.8°C)
 – Flooding
 – Storms
 – Drought
 – Temperature increase
 – >4°C Temperature rise
 – Flooding
 – Storms
 – Drought
 – Temperature increase

Understanding Financial Impact: Quantitative Financial Analysis
Following the financial materiality overlay, where 13 risks and opportunities were deemed financially-material and assigned an upper and 
lower business revenue exposure range, three of these underwent a detailed and robust quantitative financial assessment deep dive across 
the transition IEA scenarios STEPS and NZE (Table 3). These three risks and opportunities were chosen for further analysis due to the 
available inputs for modelling (sourced from the IEA scenarios, CDP 2022 report, and Annual/Integrated reports) and robustness of data.

Three risks and opportunities underwent a detailed and robust quantitative financial assessment, and included:

 – Increase product demand, which is the increase in current product market applications (bespoke electrification solutions), heating 

and cooling systems and fuel cell technology will grow in new geographical and industrial markets.

 – Growth in hydrogen solutions, which is the scaling up hydrogen-specific technologies such as green electrolysis for hydrogen 

manufacture (IMI VIVO) and sustainable fuel usage, coupled with supporting the green transition for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs).

 – Oil & Gas market exposure, which phases out technologies that rely on fossil fuels, resulting in reduced IMI product demand, 

alongside divestment from coal projects.

Financial analysis shows that the evolution of markets foreseen under the NZE scenario has a more radical impact on IMI’s adjusted 
operating profit, compared to the STEPS scenario. Risks and opportunities are greater in the NZE. The STEPS scenario, more stable, 
poses a less significant threat to our market position.

Table 3 Financial quantification of assessed opportunities and risks under the two selected transition scenarios IEA Net Zero by 2050 
(NZE) and IEA Stated Policies (STEPS)

Risk/
Opportunity Key Assumptions

Market Expansion & Innovation 

Increased 
Product 
Demand

NZE: Indexed the balancing and control business of the Climate Control sector to the evolution 
of low carbon technology demand in the building sector. The balancing and control business 
unit represents 43% of Climate Control’s total revenues in 2022. This figure is used as a proxy 
of the percentage of revenues that would be impacted by the increase in product demand.
STEPS: Same methodology as the NZE scenario but assuming a delay of 10 years to reach 
the same target value.

Alternative Fuels

Growth in 
hydrogen 
solutions

NZE: Computing the change in hydrogen demand for end-users according to the NZE scenario 
between 2021 and 2050. 2021 hydrogen revenues were indexed to the evolution of hydrogen 
demand for end-users between 2022 and 2050, taking into account the sales of hydrogen in 2022.
STEPS: Computing the change in hydrogen demand for end-users according to the STEPS scenario 
between 2021 and 2050. 2021 hydrogen revenues were indexed to the evolution of hydrogen 
demand for end-users between 2022 and 2050, taking into account the sales of hydrogen in 2022.

Product Portfolio

Oil & Gas 
market 
exposure

NZE: Projected the future Oil & Gas market by using the forecasted final consumption of oil and 
natural gas along with the price of natural gas provided in the NZE scenario. Indexed forecasted 
revenues of business activities impacted by Oil & Gas (Refining and Petrochemical, Oil & Gas 
and Fossil Power) to align with the computed changes in the Oil & Gas market. 
STEPS: Projected the future Oil & Gas market by using the forecasted final consumption of 
oil and natural gas along with the price of natural gas provided in the STEPS scenario. Indexed 
forecasted revenues of business activities impacted by Oil & Gas (Refining and Petrochemical, 
Oil & Gas and Fossil Power) to align with the computed changes in the Oil & Gas market. (Note: 
this assumes market share will remain constant.)

Potential Impact on Group’s 
Adjusted Operating Profit 
Low = 0%–3% 
Med = 3%–6%  High = >6%

2030

2050

High

High

Med

High

High

High

Low

Low

High

High

Med

High

74

75

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Key

Risk

Opportunity

 High Risk 

 Medium Risk

 Low Risk

 High Opportunity

 Medium Opportunity

 Low Opportunity

Priority Focus Areas: Understanding our potential business impact and resiliency responses 
under different plausible futures
This table presents the transition risks and opportunities under two transition scenarios ‘Net Zero by 2050 (NZE)’ 
and ‘Stated Policies (STEPS)’, the potential impact to our business, and our corresponding current and future 
resiliency responses. The business impact has been scored High, Medium, and Low for each risk and opportunity 
(refer to the Table key).

Table 4 Impact of transition risks and opportunities under each IMI climate scenario, and resiliency responses

Risk or opportunity description

TCFD 
Category

Geographic 
focus

IMI business 
sector impact

Potential impact on the business

Resilience responses/actions

IEA NZ

IEA STEPS

Short-term
(2023-2030)

Medium-term
(2030-2040)

Long-term
(2040+)

Short-term
(2023-2030)

Medium-term
(2030-2040)

Long-term
(2040+)

Market Expansion & Innovation
Organic and inorganic growth in new geographical and industrial markets which can be supported by M&A, climate-related 
partnerships, R&D investments, and climate-related product standards.

Related metrics and targets where available
Ensuring our R&D spend as a % of revenue remains at an appropriate level and is converted to sustainable solutions,  
supporting ‘green’ taxonomy investments

Increased Product Demand
e.g. electrification solutions 
and heating and cooling systems.

Products & 
Services

EU

Climate 
Control

Emerging Innovative Markets

Markets

North 
America

Asia

Life Science

Fluid Control 
& Industrial 
Automation

Revenue from improved control of building 
HVAC systems and increase energy efficiency 
within factories.

Revenue from new markets within Fluid Control 
sector enabling more sustainable agriculture practices 
and increased efficiencies. 

Investing in digital capabilities for Climate 
Control’s TA-SMART and Heatmiser connected 
product range. Scaling electric actuation 
products and additional development of 
solenoid valves for agricultural practices.

Alternative Fuels
Growth in new alternative fuel technologies where our product and expertise can be deployed. 

Alternative fuelled powertrains 
for trucks

Products & 
Services

Asia Pacific

Europe

Growth in hydrogen solutions
Including the scaling up of 
green electrolysis. 

Markets

USA

Process 
Automation

In the short-medium term, opportunities include:
 – Revenue from valve and pressure control solutions 

for balance of plant in fuel cells used in heavy-
duty trucks.

Revenue from hydrogen electrolyser solutions. 

Transport, 
Life Science 
& Fluid 
Control

Currently operating in PEM electrolysers, supply 
of components and subsystems to refuelling 
stations and heavy-duty trucks. 

76

77

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Key

Risk

Opportunity

 High Risk 

 Medium Risk

 Low Risk

 High Opportunity

 Medium Opportunity

 Low Opportunity

Risk or opportunity description

TCFD 
Category

Geographic 
focus

IMI business 
sector impact

Potential impact on the business

Resilience responses/actions

IEA NZ

IEA STEPS

Short-term
(2023-2030)

Medium-term
(2030-2040)

Long-term
(2040+)

Short-term
(2023-2030)

Medium-term
(2030-2040)

Long-term
(2040+)

Climate-related policy and legislation
Increasing pressure to act on upcoming climate change legislation to avoid litigation, and opportunity to expand 
into markets due to our product sustainability credentials.

Related metrics and targets where available
To be in the top quartile of safety performance within the industry sector. Product performance: Maintain our membership 
of the Green Economy Mark. Continue to apply a better world lens to our Growth Hub process

Environmental claims and 
stakeholder expectations

Reputation

USA

Increased costs associated with emissions reduction 
and greater complexity required to meet demands, 
as well as ongoing monitoring and reporting.

Climate 
Control

Process 
Automation 
& Industrial 
Automation

Emerging environmental policies
Enables sales of our 
sustainable products.

Resource 
efficiency

Decarbonisation and energy efficiency policies will 
rapidly drive global opportunities to support clean 
energy technology and meeting stricter building 
energy efficiency standards. 

Product portfolio
Increased downstream market pull from our customers and investors, to steer our portfolio in a more sustainable direction, 
and phase out of Oil & Gas when moving towards global decarbonisation.

Oil & Gas market exposure
The phase out of technologies 
which rely on fossil fuels.

Product 
Portfolio

Global

Product re-design and 
circular economy principle
Assessing products through 
a new competitive lens.

Product 
Portfolio

Process 
Automation 
& Industrial 
Automation

Carbon taxation and closure of coal-fired plants 
particularly in Western geographies may place some 
of Process Automation’s existing partnerships at risk.  

The majority of our products are plastic and metal 
in composition. Customer demands to improve 
sustainability of our products will continue to grow. 

 – Tracking regulatory developments and 
changes in stakeholder expectations to 
respond appropriately.

 – Monitoring internal environmental metrics 

and targets through our PSA and continuing 
to develop the PSA process further.

 – Conducting LCAs and product carbon foot 

printing and engaging with external advisers 
to undertake risk assessments.

 – Heatmiser extends our energy saving portfolio 

of smart thermostatic control products.

Related metrics and targets where available
see pages 46-47 for metrics and targets related to our water, waste and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions targets

 – Already ensuring R&D investments are focused 

on better world.

 – Development next generation product 

and service solutions that
 – improve efficiency in the extraction, 

processing, and distribution of 
hydrocarbons;

 – significantly reduce or eliminate fugitive 

emissions; and,

 – ensure operational safety.

 – Develop solutions that support the energy 
transition including for various applications 
within the hydrogen value chain, for carbon 
capture, and other low or zero carbon 
technologies.

Supply chain operational excellence
Securing clean energy sources across our supply chain; supply chain simplification and resilience.

Related metrics and targets where available
To reduce total Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030. To be net zero for Scope 3 emissions by 2050 see pages 46-47

Political instability and 
raw material accessibility

Resilience

Global

All sectors

Supply chain simplification
Localisation and reshoring 

Resilience

In the short-medium term, political instability and 
potential export and import restrictions increase risk 
of critical mineral shortages.

In the long-term, there is a high risk of raw material 
inaccessibility for meeting clean energy technology 
demand due to long critical mineral project lead times.
Localisation will have a knock-on effect with 
transport requirements, and how people and 
products move, with more focus on greening 
short-haul commercial freight. Large opportunities 
to reduce Scope 2 & 3 emissions supported by 
accelerated clean energy investments. 

We are committed to help our industry 
decarbonise and we have applied for our Science 
Based Targets (SBTi) validation, see page 43. We 
are focused on reducing our Scope 3 emissions.
 – We conduct site/facility level risk assessments 

twice a year as part of our supplier risk 
management process in relation to key suppliers.

 – Reducing high-level dependency on single 

suppliers and increasing dual sourcing.

We track global events and trends which have 
the potential to disrupt our supply chains in 
order to adjust our planning, operations and 
logistics accordingly.

78

79

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued 
TCFD continued

Key

Risk

Opportunity

 High Risk 

 Medium Risk

 Low Risk

 High Opportunity

 Medium Opportunity

 Low Opportunity

This table presents the physical risks under two climate scenarios IPCC SSP1-RCP2.6 and IPCC SSP5-RCP8.5, the potential impact to 
our business, and our corresponding current and future resiliency responses. The business impact has been scored High, Medium, and 
Low for each risk and opportunity (refer to Table key). Wind was also identified as a high hazard physical risk to IMI sites, but primarily 
US-based which was deemed to not be financially material and therefore not included in the table below.

Table 5 Impact of physical risks and opportunities under each IMI climate scenario, and resiliency responses

Risk Title

TCFD 
Category

Geographic 
focus

IMI business 
sector impact

Potential impact on the business

Resilience responses/actions

IPCC SSP1-RCP2.6

IPCC SSP5-RCP8.5

Short-term
(2021-2040)

Medium-term
(2041-2061)

Long-term
(2061-2100)

Short-term
(2021-2040)

Medium-term
(2041-2061)

Long-term
(2061-2100)

Physical risks (acute and chronic)
Physical environmental climatic changes affecting facilities, locations, supply chain and human capital. 
Environmental climatic changes can be acute (severe and sudden) and/or chronic (long-developing). Under a worst-case 
scenario (IPCC SSP5-RCP8.5) all sites will experience increased physical climate events (frequency and severity).

Related metrics and targets where available
All site environmental mitigation plans reviewed/assessed annually (metric not reported externally)

Precipitation, hail, 
and thunderstorms

Physical 
(acute)

UK
Europe
USA

All sectors

Extreme heat and drought

Physical 
(Chronic)

USA
Europe

Air quality

Physical 
(Chronic)

China

Over the longer term, in a worst case scenario, there 
is an increase in precipitation and temperatures which 
exacerbates risk of catastrophic impact, specifically 
across Europe and the US – with precipitation 
increasing to 100% by 2100.

People: This will impact our employees’ ability to 
travel to work during extreme precipitation or hail 
events, which may lead to flooding.

Market: Potential disruption to the supply chain due 
to precipitation and hail events, which will likely lead 
to increased flooding.
Over the short term, high and very high heat hazards 
affect 17% of portfolio by 2030 (largely in the USA), 
incurring supplier shutdown, delays, disruption, 
increasing risk to employee health.

Over the long-term, high and very high heat hazards 
affect 57% of our portfolio by 2100.

People: Risk to employee health and employee 
productivity.

Market: Potential for supplier shutdown due to 
extreme heat events and delays to the supply chain.
Over the long-term, unabated emissions and 
worsening air quality significantly increase employee 
health risks in China.

People: Employee health and productivity risk – 
poor air quality conditions can exacerbate respiratory 
allergies and diseases. 
Overall, this has the potential to increase costs, 
reduce revenue and profit, increase costs associated 
with maintenance, repair and insurance.

 – Changes to employee shift time, increased 
breaks, and specialised ventilation clothing.
 – Climate risks captured and integrated into risk 
management (risk assessments at site level).

 – Management teams continue to review 

emergency response and business continuity 
plans to bolster operational resilience in order 
to minimise the impact of large-scale disruption.
 – Around the clock access to health and security 

services should a major incident occur.

Potential near-term actions (2023-2030):
 – Identify key strategic suppliers 

(80% of footprint) and evaluate exposure 
to physical risks.

 – 100% of sites have a decarbonisation 

and resiliency plan in place.

80

81

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued

Responsible 
business

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
We fully appreciate the importance of data 
required to provide robust and transparent 
reporting, and this Annual Report is our 
second full report ‘in accordance’ with GRI 
standards. We continue to use the Carbon 
Disclosure Project (CDP) to report our 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well 
as water security (which we disclosed 
for the first time in 2022). As detailed on 
page 72, we have refreshed our climate 
scenario analysis to support our 
TCFD disclosure.

We have disclosed the material issues 
(including our materiality impact 
assessment matrix) that are most 
important to our stakeholders as identified 
by our materiality assessment conducted 
in 2022. We continue to invest in systems 
and processes to help us with our 
reporting requirements in this key area. 
Our website includes a comprehensive 
index which maps our material items 
against the required GRI disclosures.

Our Code of Conduct
Doing the right thing, always, is inherent 
in our purpose to deliver Breakthrough 
engineering for a better world. Integrity 
underpins everything we do. Our Board 
approved Code of Conduct aims to ensure 
that we operate to high ethical standards 
and maintain our good reputation. It is 
issued to all our people and published on 
our website. Our Code sets out the 
standards our stakeholders can expect 
from us and what we expect from our 
people and our business partners.

  Read more about 
Our Code  
of Conduct 

Sustainability Accounting Board (SASB)
We have completed an assessment of our business using the SASB framework. This aids further transparency and provides stakeholders 
with additional detail in which to assess our performance.

Topic

Activity metric

Energy 
management

Employee Health 
and Safety

Fuel economy 
and emissions in 
use-phase

Materials sourcing

Remanufacturing 
design and services

Accounting metric
Number of units produced 
by product category
Number of employees
Total energy consumed
Percentage grid electricity
Percentage renewable
Total recordable incident 
rate (TRIR)
Fatality rate
Near miss frequency 
rate (NMFR)
Sales-weighted fleet fuel 
efficiency for medium- 
and heavy-duty vehicles
Sales-weighted 
fuel efficiency for 
non-road equipment
Sales-weighted 
fuel efficiency for 
stationary generators
Sales-weighted emissions 
of nitrogen oxides (NOx) for: 
(a) marine diesel engines, 
(b) locomotive diesel 
engines, (c) on-road 
medium- and heavy-duty 
engines, and (d) other 
non-road diesel engines
Sales-weighted emissions of 
particulate matter (PM) for: 
(a) marine diesel engines, 
(b) locomotive diesel 
engines, (c) on-road 
medium- and heavy-duty 
engines, and (d) other 
non-road diesel engines
Description of the 
management of risks 
associated with the use 
of critical materials
Revenue from 
remanufactured products 
and remanufacturing services

Category

Unit of measure

Code

Quantitative Number

RT-IG-000.A

RT-IG-000.B

Quantitative

Gigajoules (GJ), 
Percentage (%)

RT-IG-130a.1

Response (reference year FY2023)
Commercially sensitive, 
not disclosed
10,771
Total 
25.05%
74.95%

533,134GJ

0.44

Quantitative

Rate

RT-IG-320a.1

0

Not recorded 

Quantitative

Gallons per 
1,000 ton-miles

RT-IG-410a.1

not material/applicable – 
no vehicles sold

Quantitative

Gallons per 
hour

RT-IG-410a.2

not material/applicable – 
no vehicles sold

Quantitative

Watts per 
gallon

RT-IG-410a.3

not material/applicable – 
no vehicles sold

Quantitative

Grams per 
kilowatt-hour

RT-IG-410a.4

not material/applicable – 
no vehicles sold

not material/applicable – 
no vehicles sold

Discussion 
and Analysis

n/a

RT-IG-440a.1

see pages 78, 79 and 95 of 
this Report

Quantitative

Reporting 
currency

RT-IG-440b.1

not material/applicable – 
no remanufacturing activity

83

How this supports our business 
model and strategy
Creating a better world is our ESG 
agenda. We are committed to acting 
responsibly, ethically and sustainably. 
We seek to minimise or eliminate any 
negative impact our businesses may 
have on our communities, our wider 
stakeholders and on the environment. 
We play our part in addressing climate 
change and protecting the planet by 
minimising the environmental impact 
of everything we do. We engineer 
solutions that help our customers 
become safer, more sustainable and 
more productive. We develop and 
empower people to make an impact 
and create a better workplace. 
We deliver Breakthrough engineering 
for a better world.

Key highlights
 – Reduced absolute Scope 1 & 2 carbon 
emissions by 33% (from 2019 baseline)

 – Made our commitment to set 

science-based targets in H1 and 
submitted our near-term and net zero 
targets to SBTi in H2

82

 – Listed in the 2023 Financial Times 
Europe’s Climate Leaders report

 – Enhanced TCFD reporting underpinned 
by refreshed assessment of climate-
related risks and opportunities
 – Compulsory Code of Conduct 

(Code) training

Key priorities

Due Diligence Act in Germany

1  Compliance with the Supply Chain 
2  Preparation for future CSRD and 
3  Further development of our 

sustainability practices and policies

other disclosures

SDGs

Sub-targets: 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 13.2

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
Creating a better world continued 
Responsible business continued

Effective risk management, 
controls and compliance
We manage risks and receive assurance via 
internal mitigating controls and processes. 
Our effective risk management process 
employs a ‘top-down, bottom-up’ risk 
management approach. We refreshed 
elements of our risk management process 
during 2023, including revising our risk 
appetite framework to take effect for the 
financial year 2024. More details are on 
pages 88 to 99. Our risk approach enables 
open discussions on risk at all levels, 
from sites to the Board, to ensure that 
risk is appropriately managed and key 
information is shared across the Group 
to deliver our business objectives.

We have detailed standard operating 
procedures (SOPs) supporting our Code 
principles and explaining our controls 
and compliance processes. A list of 
key policies and procedures are in the 
Non-financial Information Statement 
on pages 86-87. Each Platform is 
responsible for implementing controls 
and ensuring compliance with Group 
SOPs and related guidance. Monitoring 
and review procedures include Internal 
Control Declarations, spot checks and 
regular on-site legal and compliance 
reviews, which are designed to instil the 
highest standards of compliance. More 
details are on page 97 and in the Audit 
Committee Report on page 130.

Speaking up
We nurture a ‘speaking up’ culture to 
ensure that those who do speak up 
feel comfortable to report concerns in 
good faith, with the assurance that their 
concern will be dealt with appropriately 
and without any form of retaliation. 
Our Code training, our ‘Speaking Up’ 
and ‘Hey! That’s not OK!’ campaigns 
encourage all employees and stakeholders 
to report any incident that is not in 
keeping with our values and behaviours, 
including concerns around corruption 
or bribery. Reporting is through line 

managers, senior leaders or via a 
confidential, independent hotline, which 
allows anonymous reporting in our core 
spoken languages (www.imihotline.com).

Our hotline processes are regularly 
reviewed to ensure they remain effective. 
In 2023, we revised our Speak Up SOP 
and introduced new arrangements for our 
Italian sites to reflect the implementation 
of the EU Whistleblower Directive.

Reports of concerns are investigated 
thoroughly and, where required, we take 
action to resolve issues. At the end of any 
investigation, additional guidance, training, 
or disciplinary action may be taken 
as appropriate, and the impact of any 
actions is closely monitored by senior 
management. Our Ethics and Compliance 
Committee reviews concerns raised 
and the progress of investigations on a 
monthly basis. The Executive Committee 
monitors the operation of the hotline, 
reviews any trends in reporting and checks 
that commensurate investigation and 
follow-up is carried out. The Board 
receives regular updates and evaluates 
the effectiveness of the arrangements.

52 concerns were raised in 2023 of which 
11 were duplicates. This compares to 
32 in 2022 of which 2 were duplicates. 
Following careful investigation, 5 concerns 
raised (2 of which were duplicates) were 
substantiated and 12 concerns were 
found in part (6 of which were duplicates). 
Disciplinary action was taken based on 
the severity of the misconduct identified 
including verbal feedback; verbal and written 
warnings; training and recommendations.

Anti-bribery and corruption
We have a zero-tolerance policy for bribery 
and corruption. This position is explained 
in our Code and is covered in more detail 
in our Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC) 
SOP, which covers all business dealings; 
zero-tolerance of tax fraud and the 
facilitation of tax fraud and transactions 

in which the Group is involved. We have 
various policy statements to cover: a 
prohibition on making political donations; 
offering or receiving inappropriate gifts; 
interactions with government officials; 
making undue payments to influence the 
outcome of business dealings; setting out 
our approach to facilitation payments; 
conflicts of interest; and controls around 
the appointment of distributors and agents 
and other third parties.

Our policy and guidance in ABC is well 
understood, routinely reviewed and 
compliance is checked as part of the 
year-end control process, supplemented 
by Platform compliance monitoring.

Third parties
We are committed to holding ourselves 
to the highest standards of responsible 
conduct throughout our operations and 
in particular in relation to third parties we 
engage to act on our behalf. Each third 
party is subject to a risk-based due 
diligence process, as well as screening 
procedures for compliance with export 
controls and sanctions. We have detailed 
contractual provisions setting the 
standards required of third parties with 
whom we engage. The number and 
risk profile of our third parties has not 
changed materially during the year.

Export controls and 
sanctions compliance
We operate screening processes to 
ensure compliance with export controls 
and sanctions. The effectiveness of these 
due diligence and screening processes is 
overseen by the Board and the Executive 
Committee. During 2023, the Group’s 
export control and sanctions compliance 
processes were tightened reflecting 
evolving restrictions.

Competition law
We compete hard but fairly and ensure 
compliance with applicable competition 
and antitrust laws. The effectiveness of our 
processes is overseen by the Board and 
the Executive Committee. During 2023, 
we carried out compliance reviews of key 
business areas and began enhancing our 
Competition Law Manual, which will be 
completed and launched in early 2024.

Privacy and data protection
We refreshed our Group-wide Global Data 
Protection and Personal Data Handling 
SOP and supporting guidance in 2023. 
We have also developed toolkits to 
support compliance across the Group 
and “train the trainer” sessions have been 
held for key teams involved in policy 
and guidance implementation.

We regularly review and test security 
measures. Appropriate and robust clauses 
are included in contracts with third parties 
where personal data will be disclosed 
or transferred. The effectiveness of our 
processes is overseen by the Board and 
the Executive Committee.

Tax transparency
Our Group Tax Policy is approved by the 
Board, which reviews the effectiveness of 
related processes with the support of the 
Audit Committee. Full details can be found 
in Note 9 of this Report on page 210.

Our Modern Slavery Act Statement details 
the steps taken to tackle modern slavery 
and human trafficking and is approved by 
the Board. Both our Supply Chain Code 
and our Modern Slavery Act Statement 
are on our website.

Supplier management 
and human rights
We are committed to conducting business 
ethically and in line with all relevant 
legislation and promoting human rights. 
We maintain a number of HR and supplier 
management policies, We are committed 
to conducting business ethically and in line 
with all relevant legislation and promoting 
human rights. We maintain a number of HR 
and supplier management policies, and are 
working to update these so that they are 
consistent with the Core Conventions of 
the International Labour Organisation.

Our Supply Chain Code of Conduct (Supply 
Chain Code) sets out our expectation that 
our business partners, suppliers, contractors 
and those in our supply chains align with our 
commitment to human rights regarding 
human rights violations, including forced/
involuntary labour or modern slavery.

Training on modern slavery and human 
trafficking is available to all employees 
and is mandatory for employees who have 
direct interaction with our supply chain. 
Modern slavery and human trafficking 
issues were covered in both the Code 
online training module completed by 
desk-based employees and the site-based 
version for non-desk-based employees 
across IMI in 2023.

Our Responsible Minerals Sourcing SOP 
confirms our commitment to the sourcing 
of minerals in an ethical and sustainable 
manner to ensure that tin, tungsten, 
tantalum, gold and cobalt are sourced 
with respect for human rights.

Supplier engagement is key to ensuring 
a sustainable supply chain in the future. 
We have partnered with AssentTM to 
investigate suppliers for risk exposure 
and Product Compliance. For more 
information see page 68.

Code of Conduct 
training
Following the relaunch of our revised 
Code in December 2022, our people 
completed compulsory Code training 
to ensure they understand our 
expectations and are clear about 
how to raise any ethical concerns or 
dilemmas. It covers a range of issued 
including anti-bribery and anti-
corruption and is available in thirteen 
languages. We developed two versions 
of our training: online training for 
desk-based colleagues and site-based 
training for desk-free colleagues 
working in our manufacturing sites.

84

85

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCreating a better world continued

Non-financial and sustainability 
information statement

This statement is made in compliance with sections 414CB of the Companies Act 2006 (Companies Act) and is 
intended to provide an understanding of our position on key non-financial matters. Other information to support 
this statement can be found in the:

 Description of our business model on pages 14 and 15
 Non-financial KPIs on pages 28
 Stakeholder engagement information on pages 38 to 41
 Our sustainability reporting on pages 44 to 60 and 82 to 85
 Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures on pages 61 to 81
 Principal risks and uncertainties on pages 91 to 99
 Going concern and viability statements on page 100 and 101

As a premium listed business with over 500 staff and £500m revenue, we are required to provide TCFD aligned 
disclosures and to provide Climate-related Financial Disclosures (CFD) in accordance with the Companies Act. 
On pages 61 to 81, we have continued to provide disclosures aligned to the TCFD recommendations and 
recommended disclosures. These disclosures also meet the mandatory CFD requirements and form part 
of this non-financial and sustainability information statement.

Principal risks relating 
to these matters
(pages 91 to 99)
Natural phenomena 
& climate change

Ethics, compliance 
& governance

Talent & culture

Ethics, compliance 
& governance

Further information 
on the outcome 
of these policies
  Task Force on 
Climate-related 
Financial Disclosures 
on pages 61 to 81

  Empowering people 
section on pages 48 
to 51 and responsible 
business section on 
pages 82 to 85

Product failure & 
non-compliance

Ethics, compliance 
& governance

Failure to manage 
the supply chain

Talent & culture

Ethics, compliance 
& governance

Failure to manage 
the supply chain 

  Our sustainability 
reporting on pages 
44 to 60 and 
responsible business 
section on pages 82 
to 85

  Our sustainability 
reporting on pages 
44 to 60 and 
responsible business 
section on pages 82 
to 85

Ethics, compliance 
& governance

  Responsible business 
section on pages 82 
to 85

Reporting requirement
Environmental matters

Relevant policies and documents
HSE Excellence Framework programme and 
Group HSE Policy

Code of Conduct*

Employees

Code of Conduct*

Inclusion and Diversity policy*

Global Speaking Up policy

Gender and ethnicity pay report*

HSE Excellence Framework programme and 
Group HSE Policy

Global Menopause Policy

Social matters

Supply Chain Code of Conduct*

Group HSE Policy

Code of Conduct*

Respect for 
human rights

Code of Conduct*

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking 
Statement*

Supply Chain Code of Conduct*

Global Speaking Up policy

IMI Germany Holding B.V. & Co. KG Supply Chain 
Due Diligence Act Policy Statement*

Anti-bribery and 
anti-corruption matters

Global Speaking Up policy

Corporate Tax Strategy*

Supply Chain Code of Conduct*

Our Code of Conduct* includes our policy on:

(1) No bribery and corruption

(2) No facilitation payments

(3) No political donations

(4) No anti-competitive conduct

(5)  Use of appropriate charitable donations, 

gifts, hospitality and entertainment

(6) Know your customer checks

(7) Dealing with third parties

(8) Managing conflicts of interest

(9) Insider dealing and confidential information

(10) Non-facilitation or tolerance of tax evasion

(11) Compliance with export controls & sanctions

(12) Doing the right thing and speaking up

(13) Fraud detection and investigation

86

*  These policies are published on www.imiplc.com. All other policies listed are available to employees via the Group internal communications platform.

87

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRisk management

Risk management

How we manage risk
Our risk management processes are 
embedded throughout our businesses 
and are designed to identify, evaluate and 
manage the risks, including emerging risks, 
which could impact our performance, 
reputation and ability to execute our 
strategy successfully. Our framework is 
embedded Group-wide so we can pursue 
opportunities without exposing the Group 
to unexpected or excessive levels of risk 
to enable sustainable, profitable growth. 
We remain alert to both the internal and 
external environments, evaluating any 
exposures or developments that require 
further investigation and action.

Our risk management process forms a 
core element of our strategy reviews and 
monthly operational meetings. It utilises 
all three lines of defence, providing 
guidance on the identification, evaluation 
and management of risks that could 
impact our performance and our ability 
to implement our strategy. With each line 
of defence having a purpose, once 
combined, they help us provide 
confidence to the Board and ultimately 
our shareholders that we have adequate 
mitigating controls and processes in place.

First line – risk ownership and management. 
This is provided by Management and staff at 
the operating sites and platforms who are 
responsible for identifying and managing 
risks as part of their accountability for 
achieving IMI’s objectives. This includes 
applying the IMI values, policies and 
procedures and internal controls.

Second line – monitoring and compliance. 
This is the oversight, review and challenge 
provided by platform, functional and 
IMI Group Management (including the IMI 
Executive Committee and Board). This 
provides the policies, frameworks, tools 
and support to enable risk and compliance 
to be managed by the first line.

Third line – independent assurance. 
This is primarily provided by the Group 
Assurance function. Sitting outside of 
the risk management and operational 
processes, its main role is to review and 
report on the effectiveness of the first 

two lines of defence in managing the risks 
to IMI. It also includes an element of the 
platform audit team’s work, carried out 
under the oversight of Group Assurance.

Our Governance Framework
We operate a ‘top-down, bottom-up’ 
approach that allows the Board, the IMI 
Executive and Platform Executive teams 
to assess risks and monitor the measures 
used to mitigate, transfer, or avoid such 
risks. It also ensures that risks are identified 
and managed at multiple levels and that 
key information is communicated across 
the Group.

For more information on the role and 
responsibility of the Board and its 
Committees, please refer to pages 112 to 
113 of the Corporate Governance Report.

Risk activities in 2023
Our main areas of risk focus in 2023 have 
been driving a safety-first culture, 
updating our assessment of climate-
related risks and opportunities, as well as 
engaging with our supply chain to 
enhance ESG-related reporting and ensure 
compliance. In addition, during the year:

 – We have continued to monitor 

changes in geopolitics

 – There has been focus on artificial 

intelligence, resulting in its elevation 
from an emerging to a principal risk
 – We continued to pay close attention 
to the impact of inflation, hedging 
and passing on changes in the cost of 
raw materials, whilst supporting those 
employees impacted the most by 
cost of living increases (see page 136).

 – We launched compulsory training 

on our Code of Conduct

In addition to driving profitable, 
sustainable growth in better world 
markets, we expect these to remain 
our key areas of focus in 2024 as we:

 – maintain a safety-first and 

wellbeing-focused workplace
 – collaborate with our supply chain 
to meet evolving sustainability 
and compliance requirements

Our Governance Framework

Board
Overall responsibility for 
setting culture, approving 
the strategy and ensuring the 
effectiveness of the Group’s 
risk management and internal 
control frameworks. This 
includes evaluating principal 
risks, tracking emerging risks 
and approving risk appetite 
– the nature and extent 
of risks the Group may 
undertake when pursuing 
long-term strategic 
objectives. Oversight 
and monitoring occurs 
directly at the Board or 
in Committees, through 
governance processes 
including strategy reviews 
and executive reporting, 
in addition to deep dives 
into focused areas of risk. 
More information on the role 
of the Board can be found 
on page 112 of the Corporate 
Governance report.

Audit Committee
Reviews the effectiveness of the Group’s risk and internal control frameworks for financial risks, receiving reports from our external auditor 
and our internal, independent Group Assurance teams. Please see the Audit Committee Report from page 130 for more information.

IMI Executive Committee
Supporting the Chief Executive Officer, who has overall responsibility for establishing risk management and internal control systems and 
ensuring that risks are appropriately managed. The Executive Committee receives reports on and evaluates business risk profiles, 
communicates risk appetite and assesses emerging risks. Responsibility for the development of the Group risk management framework 
now sits with the newly created role of the Chief Legal & Risk Officer, Company Secretary. More information about the IMI Executive 
Committee can be found on page 109-111 and 113.

Group Functions
Responsible for setting appropriate functional risk management policies and controls at the Group and supporting the Platforms in their 
implementation of these policies to ensure that risk appetite is understood and risks are appropriately managed.

Platform Executive Teams
Responsible for day-to-day management of risks in the sectors and businesses whilst pursuing Platform strategic objectives (including 
risk identification, mitigation, reporting, operating in line with risk appetite and horizon scanning for emerging risks), as well as ensuring 
that there is compliance with Group policies and standards throughout their Platform, supported by the Platform Risk Champions and 
assurance teams.

Sector Leaders
Responsible for day-to-day identification and management of risks within the sector, ensuring that business activities are conducted 
in accordance with Group and Platform policies and standards.

Site Leaders
Responsible for day-to-day identification and management of risks at their site, ensuring that business activities are conducted 
in accordance with Group and Platform policies and standards.

88

89

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRisk management continued

Risk appetite
Our risk appetite statements seek to explain the level of risk that we are willing to take or tolerate to achieve our strategic objectives, 
and how we balance commercial performance with managing our business in a sustainable and compliant manner. During the year, 
we have used six categories of risk appetite statements, which we have applied to our principal risks as shown in the tables below:

Very prudent

No/very low tolerance to risk, regardless of the cost of the required controls

Prudent

Balanced

Risk reduction not carried out in 
instances of disproportional cost

A low-risk approach via sufficient and proportional controls and mitigation, in the knowledge 
that this will limit any potential reward

Applied in circumstances where there is a high change of success; equal consideration is given 
to the achievement of strategic objectives and potential negative risk impact

Elevated levels of risk accepted in the case of opportunities that offer improved returns

Receptive

Elevated levels of risk accepted in the case of opportunities that offer improved returns

Very receptive

High levels of risk accepted in the case of unproven or new projects that offer significant returns 
or growth potential

In December 2023, the Board approved a revised risk appetite framework to take effect for the financial year 2024. One unused risk 
appetite description (risk reduction) has been removed and principal risks have been assigned new risk appetites, in line with the five 
categories shown below:

Very low

Low

Medium

High

Very high

No/very low appetite for risk, and will seek to avoid exposure and uncertainty, knowing that this 
will incur cost

Low appetite for risk, and will seek to minimise our exposure and uncertainty, knowing that this 
will limit any potential return

Open to a moderate level of risk and will seek to limit our exposure and incur an appropriate level 
of cost for opportunities that offer a high chance of success and an acceptable level of return

Open to a higher level of risk for opportunities that offer a high chance of success and a higher 
level of return but will not incur risk reduction costs that are disproportionate

Looking to take higher levels of risk for opportunities that are uncertain but offer the potential 
for a higher level of return

Our 2024 Annual Report will show how these apply to our principal risks. The Board will continue to ensure that risk appetite statements 
remain consistent with the Group’s strategy and environment in which we operate, as risk appetite can change with time.

Key

Net Risk Ratings showing potential Impact and Likelihood

Link to Risk Trend

 Medium

 High

 Very high

 Increased

 Stable

 Decreased

Emerging risks
We assess emerging risks as part of our risk management review process. Emerging risks are considered throughout the Board cycle, 
including during the Board strategy and risk reviews. Below Board level, emerging risks are considered at IMI Executive meetings and 
as part of operational performance reviews of each Platform. The Board and the IMI Executive Committee review the outcome of the 
emerging risk assessment. In July 2023, the Board changed the status of the emerging risk of artificial intelligence to become a new 
principal risk.

Our assessment has identified emerging risks such as disruption from the emergence of new technologies and social instability. We do 
not expect these emerging risks to become future principal risks at this stage; however, we track them to gain a better understanding of 
their trajectory and potential impact. We continue to be vigilant and ensure that we have appropriate mitigations in place for the early 
identification and quantification of risks. More detail on how our climate-related risks may evolve is contained in our TCFD statement on 
pages 61 to 81.

Our principal risks
The principal risks facing the Group are shown in order of priority in the table below. This analysis covers how each risk (net of mitigating 
controls) could impact our strategy, our risk appetite to the particular risk and how our assessment has changed during 2023, 
and explains what we are doing to monitor and mitigate each risk area.

Links to strategy

 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Sustainability

Links to  
other risks

 – Lack of organic 

growth

 – Competitive 

markets
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain

 – Ethics, 

compliance and 
governance

Principal Risk
1. Global 
economic 
uncertainty 
and political 
instability

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

Increased

Risk Owner:
IMI CEO

Risk Appetite:

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

The Group operates in diverse 
global markets and demand 
for our products is dependent 
on economic, geopolitical and 
sector-specific environments. 
A downturn in the global or 
regional economy, brought on 
by economic cycles, conflict, 
terrorism or political instability, 
could impact end-market 
demand and, as a result, negatively 
impact revenue, profit, trade and 
our ability to deliver our strategy.

This risk is increasing due to 
conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, 
which threaten global stability and 
peace. The economy remains 
uncertain and exposed to 
geopolitical and financial shocks, 
which, in addition to climate 
shocks, threaten to disrupt our 
business, impact supply chains and 
raise prices.

We compile annual strategic plans and 
maintain a balanced portfolio 
operating across a range of markets, 
sectors and geographies, with no 
single dependency. We stress-test 
these plans and monitor market 
dynamics. We also have contingency 
plans in place to enable changes in 
our operational footprint, should 
geopolitical changes or other forms 
of disruption impact our ability 
to trade between various countries.

Our platforms nurture strong customer 
relationships and apply forecasting 
processes to identify early indications 
of reduced customer demand, to allow 
the proactive and rapid management of 
operational output and the supply 
chain. We also have action plans for 
high-risk suppliers.

Through greater integration of data, 
Platform Management have ongoing 
reviews of order books, milestones 
for major projects and customer credit 
ratings. These and other key metrics 
are fed back into monthly platform 
and IMI Executive Committee meetings.

90

91

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRisk management continued

Principal Risk
2. Lack of 
organic growth

Risk Rating:

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
Platform CEOs

Risk Appetite:

Links to  
other risks

 – Global 

economic 
uncertainty 
and political 
instability
 – Competitive 

markets
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain

 – Natural 

phenomena 
and climate 
change

 – Failure to invest 
in our digital 
capabilities and 
leverage new 
technologies 
(including 
generative 
artificial 
intelligence)

 – Talent and 
culture

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

Failure to develop and 
commercialise new products 
could impact our ability to grow.

Our better world strategy and 
increased customer intimacy remain 
two key levers for us to accelerate 
profitable organic growth in better 
world applications.

This risk has remained stable, 
unchanged during the year.

Each sector has a strategic growth 
plan that is kept under review. 
Opportunities for the Group related 
to climate change are considered 
through this process.

Processes are deployed to manage the 
innovation pipeline and scale projects, 
accelerate and scale applications 
engineering and apply a commercial 
review to ensure that there is focus on 
the best opportunities. We develop 
growth opportunities for both the near 
and far strategic horizons.

Both platforms are deploying 
more digital tools to enhance 
customer experience.

Improvements have been made to 
depth, clarity and access to business 
data to support commercial 
decision-making and prioritise 
growth initiatives.

We focus on attracting, retaining and 
developing the right talent to deliver 
on our growth ambitions.

Key

Net Risk Ratings showing potential Impact and Likelihood

Link to Risk Trend

 Medium

 High

 Very high

 Increased

 Stable

 Decreased

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Talent and 

engagement

 – Digital

Principal Risk
3. Talent and 
culture

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
IMI CPO

Risk Appetite:

Links to  
other risks

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

 – Competitive 

markets

 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Ethics, 

The inability to attract or retain a 
diverse set of employees with the 
required set of skills and experience 
in the desired location and maintain 
a positive, inclusive culture.

compliance and 
governance

Talent risk has been renamed and 
rescoped, reflecting the importance 
of culture as a strategic lever. 
It remains high, due to the pressure 
to retain key talent, ongoing wage 
inflation and a potential scarcity 
in the desired skills for the type 
of talent IMI seeks.

Our engagement score can be 
found on page 46. More detail on 
engagement, talent development 
and culture can be found on 
page 49.

Employee engagement continues 
to be a key part of the HR strategy, 
through Workplace (our internal 
communications platform), the IMI 
Way Day, our Global Employee 
Assistance Programme, our graduate 
and early careers programmes, 
leadership training and the annual 
One Big Voice survey. All our sites 
develop action plans to target areas 
for improvement.

The risk is regularly and proactively 
assessed by HR Business Partners 
who review regretted turnover, exit 
interviews, the percentage of 
vacancies filled internally, performance 
objectives, talent reviews and 
succession plans. External consultants 
are used to ensure the appropriateness 
and competitiveness of remuneration.

We have a Global Wellbeing 
Framework in place.

We enhanced our robust recruitment 
processes through the implementation 
of a system to promote diversity.

The Nomination Committee reviews 
our Group inclusion and diversity 
dashboard, as well as succession 
and development plans for the 
IMI Executive Committee.

92

93

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRisk management continued

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Talent and 

engagement

 – Digital

Principal Risk
4. Cyber

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
IMI CFO

Risk Appetite:

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Talent and 

engagement

5. Competitive 
markets

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
Platform CEOs

Risk Appetite:

Links to  
other risks

 – Ethics, 

governance and 
compliance
 – Failure to invest 
in our digital 
capabilities and 
leverage new 
technologies 
(including 
generative 
artificial 
intelligence)
 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain
 – Competitive 

markets

 – Global 

economic 
uncertainty 
and political 
instability

 – Lack of organic 

growth

 – Failure to invest 
in our digital 
capabilities and 
leverage new 
technologies 
(including 
generative 
artificial 
intelligence)

 – Ethics, 

compliance and 
governance

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

Unapproved access to our IT 
systems could cause business 
disruption, affect our future trading 
position and cause reputational 
damage and financial loss, due to 
the inability to access our systems 
or data, loss or misuse of 
confidential information, intellectual 
property or personal data.

We continue to enhance our 
capabilities to detect, block 
and remediate threats. Like most 
companies, we see an increase 
in the volume and complexity 
of threats so we maintain this 
risk as high.

We were made aware by a file 
sharing vendor of a zero day cyber 
incident involving their platform on 
31 May 2023. A small number of IMI 
Precision data files were affected 
and the impact was low. Our 
response plan was immediately 
implemented and we engaged with 
relevant stakeholders.

Competition in our core markets 
from both existing and new 
competitors could create strong 
pricing pressures, potentially 
resulting in lost sales and reduced 
profits and a failure to grow.

Although all our sector businesses 
operate in attractive end markets, 
some product offerings will 
face declines in the medium 
to long term.

We maintain this risk as high.

We have a well-developed multi-
layered IT security strategy that is 
reviewed regularly, and a formal 
update is given to the Board annually.

We have a suite of IT policies and 
procedures for our people to follow. 
Our sites confirm their compliance 
with these policies and the 
effectiveness of our IT controls 
through the internal control 
declaration process.

We continue to implement 
improvements to our IT infrastructure 
to keep abreast of new threats, 
which inform future security 
investment planning.

We operate a security oversight/approval 
process, regularly test our disaster 
recovery plans, maintain robust backups 
throughout the Group and retain the 
support of specialist consultants/service 
providers as required.

Cyber incident management and 
communication plans are ready for 
deployment in the event of an attack.
We maintain excellent customer 
relationships through account 
management and customer experience.

We compile annual strategic plans 
and maintain a balanced portfolio 
operating across a range of markets, 
sectors and geographies, with no 
single dependency.

We have an M&A strategy that focuses 
on extending our business further into 
attractive markets, in established and 
adjacent sectors with a strong link to 
our better world strategy.

We maintain strong brands and 
defend our trademarks and brands, and 
continue to develop our market-leading 
applications engineering expertise.

Our Value Today initiatives aim to 
maintain or even strengthen our 
competitive position through 
innovative solutions from Growth Hub, 
continuous process improvement and 
growth in the aftermarket.

Key

Net Risk Ratings showing potential Impact and Likelihood

Link to Risk Trend

 Medium

 High

 Very high

 Increased

 Stable

 Decreased

Links to  
other risks

 – Global 

economic 
uncertainty and 
political 
instability

 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Natural 

phenomena 
and climate 
change
 – Ethics, 

compliance and 
governance

 – Global 

economic 
uncertainty 
& political 
instability

 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain

Principal Risk
6. Failure to 
manage the 
supply chain

Risk Rating:

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Sustainability

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

Decreased

Risk Owner:
Platform CEOs

Risk Appetite:

7. Natural 
phenomena & 
climate change

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Sustainability

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
IMI CEO

Risk Appetite:

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

Failure to maintain a robust supplier 
and supply chain network could 
materially impact our ability to 
grow our business profitably, meet 
our sustainability commitments 
and maintain our strong reputation 
and relationship with customers.

Our procurement strategy is to 
balance the cost, quality and proximity 
of sustainable suppliers to production 
and customers in an optimal way. 
There is close management for 
high-risk suppliers and increasing 
dual-sourcing options.

This risk has reduced in the year. 
While supply chain risks remain in 
certain areas, overall, there has 
been an easing of pressure. We 
have also continued to optimise 
our supplier base.

There is a risk to life or disruption to 
production caused by pandemics, 
fires, floods, extreme weather 
events and climate change.

Platform procurement teams perform 
thorough reviews of our supplier base, 
qualify new materials, sign framework 
agreements where necessary, and 
create safety inventory where needed.

We work with a compliance service 
provider to check the regulatory 
compliance of our suppliers.  
More detail can be found on page 54.

Leadership teams also hold regular 
supply chain review meetings, 
deploying escalation meetings with 
key suppliers where needed.

Platform procurement teams assess 
specific Supply Chain Code of Conduct 
risks and audit high-risk suppliers.
Management teams continue to 
review emergency response and 
business continuity plans to bolster 
the operational resilience of our sites. 

We have rescoped and renamed 
this risk to include the failure to 
adapt to the physical risks from 
climate change.

Where practical, we maintain 
product-sourcing capabilities across 
multiple sites to reduce the risk of 
delivery failure to customers.

This risk has remained stable 
during the year.

More information about our 
assessment of our climate related 
risks and opportunities is contained 
in the TCFD statement on pages 61 
to 81.

We have 24/7 access to health 
and security services, should a major 
incident occur.

We remain focused on ensuring that 
we have climate-change factors built 
into our decision-making processes.

94

95

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRisk management continued

Principal Risk
8. Failure to 
deliver major 
transformational 
projects on time 
and within 
budget

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Sustainability
 – Talent and 

Links to  
other risks

 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain
 – Competitive 

engagement

markets

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
Platform CEO

Risk Appetite:

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

Failure to deliver major 
transformation projects (including 
IT) on time and within budget 
could have an adverse revenue 
and profit impact on the Group.

The Group is concluding its 
complexity reduction programme 
in 2024, but will continue to 
execute transformational projects 
when required.

We operate robust and proven 
processes to manage and monitor 
the delivery of major projects and 
business cases.

Project management and governance 
processes underpin all major IT projects, 
including ERP system roll-outs.

Upon completion of a significant 
project, we undertake a post-
investment appraisal to identify 
areas for improvement.

Key

Net Risk Ratings showing potential Impact and Likelihood

Link to Risk Trend

 Medium

 High

 Very high

 Increased

 Stable

 Decreased

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Sustainability
 – Talent and 

engagement

 – Digital

Links to  
other risks

 – Global 

economic 
uncertainty 
and political 
instability
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain

 – Talent and 
culture

 – Product failure 

and non-
compliance
 – Health and 

Safety

Principal Risk
9. Ethics, 
compliance 
and 
governance

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
Chief Legal & Risk 
Officer and 
Company 
Secretary

Risk Appetite:

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

A material breach of law or 
regulation in relation to major laws 
such as anti-bribery, anti-
corruption, competition law, data 
privacy, export controls, sanctions, 
or tax could result in financial and 
reputational damage. The markets 
in which IMI operates make the 
risk of regulatory breach an area 
of focus.

We conduct business through 
agents in Automation and operate a 
detailed process to ensure agents 
comply with our high standards of 
business conduct.

This risk has remained stable during 
the year but has shifted in response 
to an increased data and privacy 
compliance burden from new 
and evolving data privacy laws, 
as well as the increasing number 
of trade controls.

IMI has a Code of Conduct and 
supporting standard operating 
procedures, as well as guidance, 
which set out the Group’s standards 
from a legal, compliance and 
governance perspective. Each 
platform assesses its own compliance 
risk and formulates and executes an 
annual compliance plan, with results 
reported to Group on a regular basis. 
This is in addition to certifications of 
compliance provided through the 
internal control declaration process.

Know Your Customer checks, 
enhanced due diligence on third 
parties, and checks to ensure 
compliance with trade controls and 
sanctions are the subject of standard 
operating procedures and are carried 
out by the Platforms using Group-
wide software. We continue 
to enhance the Group’s data privacy 
framework in response to new and 
evolving laws.

A Legal and Compliance training 
programme is in place across the 
Group. Code of Conduct training 
was given to all employees in the year.

We operate a confidential, 
independent IMI Hotline for the 
reporting of concerns. Reports are 
investigated thoroughly and, where 
required, action is taken to resolve 
issues. The Group’s Ethics and 
Compliance Committee meets 
monthly and reviews all hotline 
reports, alongside any external 
complaints or internal referrals of 
serious accusations of breaches of the 
Code of Conduct. In 2023, the 
Committee reviewed 52 cases, 
compared to 32 cases in 2022.

Material legal and compliance issues, as 
well as details of concerns raised via the 
IMI Hotline, are reported to the Board.

96

97

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRisk management continued

Key

Net Risk Ratings showing potential Impact and Likelihood

Link to Risk Trend

 Medium

 High

 Very high

 Increased

 Stable

 Decreased

Principal Risk
12. Failure 
to invest in 
our digital 
capabilities and 
leverage new 
technologies 
(including 
generative 
artificial 
intelligence)

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Talent and 

engagement

 – Digital

Links to  
other risks

 – Lack of organic 

growth

 – Competitive 

markets
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain

 – Talent and 
culture
 – Ethics, 

compliance and 
governance

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

NEW

Risk Owner:
Platform CEOs

Risk Appetite:

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

Failure to invest in our digital 
capabilities and leverage new 
technologies (including generative 
artificial intelligence) may reduce 
our ability to maximise future 
business opportunities, evolve 
our ways of working and may limit 
our ability to counter threats from 
new or disruptive technologies.

We identified artificial intelligence 
as a new principal risk following 
the Board risk review in July, given 
the fast-developing technology 
in this area.

Enhancing our digital capabilities is 
a key strategic enabler for us. It helps 
us to drive customer intimacy, reduce 
complexity and improve the quality 
of our data.

We have developed a secure, private 
site for IMI employees to access a 
generative AI tool, which is already 
helping to accelerate strategic initiatives 
and improve operational efficiency.

We are expanding our digitally enabled 
product offering across the business, 
opening up new growth opportunities.

We are advancing our internal CRM 
and business analytics tools, 
providing more data intelligence 
for targeting improvements.

We continue to enhance our IT security 
and data governance frameworks to 
ensure that we deploy new 
technologies safely and ethically.

Principal Risk
10. Product 
failure and 
non-
compliance

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
Platform CEOs

Risk Appetite:

11. Failure 
to integrate 
acquisitions 
successfully 
and deliver 
the required 
synergies

Risk Rating:

Impact:

Likelihood:

Risk Trend:

 Stable

Risk Owner:
Platform CEOs

Risk Appetite:

Description and change in year

How we manage the risk

Links to strategy

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Sustainability
 – Digital

Links to  
other risks

 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Failure to 

manage the 
supply chain

 – Natural 

phenomena 
and climate 
change
 – Ethics, 

compliance and 
governance
 – Health and 

safety

A failure or underperformance 
of one of our products could 
result in injury, death, property 
damage, non-compliance with 
product regulations or customer 
dissatisfaction. This could 
result in financial loss and 
reputational damage.

This risk has remained stable 
during the year.

 – Customer 
satisfaction
 – Market-led 
innovation
 – Complexity 
reduction
 – Sustainability
 – Talent and 

engagement

 – Competitive 

markets

 – Lack of organic 

growth
 – Global 

economic 
uncertainty and 
political 
instability

 – Ethics, 

compliance and 
governance
 – Talent and 
culture

Failure to integrate acquisitions 
successfully and deliver the 
business case could result in 
broader business disruption, lower 
revenue and profit performance 
and compliance failures. This 
could erode shareholder 
confidence and adversely impact 
our reputation.

This risk has remained stable 
during the year.

Our Quality Management systems, 
quality operating policies, product 
quality plans and escalation 
processes allow us to meet product 
quality requirements.

We have well-embedded process 
control, continuous improvement 
programmes, and Advanced Product 
Quality Planning processes. Our most 
critical projects include extensive 
testing of the finished product and 
customer sign-off.

We have a detailed mapping of our 
engineering resources across our 
customers and geographies. Elements 
of our product quality, compliance 
and quality management systems 
are audited by external third parties. 
Should significant issues occur, 
a process that includes full root cause 
analysis, the creation of action plans 
and a lessons learnt debrief is put 
into action.
Our robust due diligence processes 
pre-acquisition enable us to identify 
synergies and build a strong 
business case.

We track all these acquisitions to 
ensure that they deliver value through 
the planned synergies and that IMI 
provides ongoing support and training 
for the local management teams.

Monitoring of integration progress 
is reported to the Group monthly. 
The Board receives regular updates 
and, with the assistance of the internal 
assurance teams, carries out a review 
in year three after each acquisition.

In the year, we formalised our 
integration playbook which details the 
key topics that will be addressed when 
integrating a newly acquired company, 
including the establishment of a 
steering group to monitor the delivery 
of the integration plan.

98

99

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsViability statement

Going concern

Scenario 2: A product recall with a one-off 
cost of £200m in 2024.

Link to principal risks: Product failure or 
non-compliance.

Scenario 3: A severe global 
macroeconomic recession in 2024 
representing a 16% reduction in revenues.

Link to principal risks: Failure to manage 
the supply chain; global economic 
uncertainty and political instability; lack 
of organic growth.

Scenario 4: This scenario considers 
the combined impact of scenario 2 and 3, 
both a £200m product recall and a 
16% reduction in revenues due to 
macroeconomic recession.

Link to principal risks: Product failure or 
non-compliance; failure to manage the 
supply chain; global economic uncertainty 
and political instability, lack of organic 
growth.

The analysis considered realistic mitigating 
actions based on historic performance, 
including reducing working capital, 
deferring capital expenditure and reducing 
overhead spend and employee costs.

The directors were satisfied that the 
scenarios considered did not result in 
a breach of loan covenants during the 
five-year period.

The directors have assessed the viability 
of the Group over a five-year period, 
taking into account the Group’s financial 
and trading position as summarised in 
this Annual Report, the principal risks and 
uncertainties set out on pages 91 to 99, 
the Group’s going concern assessment set 
out on page 101 and the five-year business 
plan reviewed by the Board in September 
2023. Based on this assessment, and other 
matters considered and reviewed by the 
Board, the directors confirm that they 
have a reasonable expectation that the 
Company will be able to continue in 
operation and meet its liabilities as they 
fall due over the period from the date of 
this Annual Report to 31 December 2028.

The directors determined that the period 
to 31 December 2028 constituted an 
appropriate period over which to make its 
assessment of viability. Whilst the directors 
have no reason to believe the Company 
will not be viable over a longer timing 
horizon, the five-year period to 
31 December 2028 was chosen as it was 
aligned with the Company’s business and 
strategic planning timing horizon and is 
a sensible period for such an assessment. 
It is believed this period provides readers 
of the Annual Report with an appropriately 
long-term view with which to assess the 
Company’s prospects although future 
outcomes cannot be predicted 
with certainty.

The directors carried out a robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing 
the Group, considering those that could 
threaten its business model, future 
performance, solvency or liquidity.

The Board has considered the long-term 
prospects of the Company based on the 
strategy, markets and business model 
as outlined previously within this Report. 
In the strategic review of the Group, 
the Board highlights a number of factors 
that underpin its long-term prospects 
and viability.

These include:

 – Purpose-led strategy Breakthrough 

engineering for a better world delivering 
improved margins and sustainable, 
profitable growth

 – Well-balanced portfolio, bound by 
world class engineering capabilities 
that offers through-cycle resilience
 – Better world purpose aligns the Group 

to attractive growth markets, supported 
by global macro-trend

 – Strong balance sheet offering strategic 
flexibility alongside disciplined financial 
objectives

 – Differentiated environmental profile – 
our solutions enable energy efficiency, 
sustainability, and safety

The business plan was used to assess 
the headroom on the Company’s facilities 
and to model stress tests for ongoing 
covenant compliance under scenarios 
where its principal risks materialise. 
The analysis considered both ‘running 
business’ risks, such as reducing revenues 
and margins, as well as one-off ‘event’ 
risks such as product recalls.

All principal risks have been individually 
and collectively considered in developing 
the scenarios below. Whilst the future 
performance of the Group could be 
impacted by all principal risks, due to 
the mitigating measures we have in place, 
these risks are less likely to threaten the 
viability of the business.

The scenarios considered over a five-year 
period to 31 December 2028 were 
as follows:

Scenario 1: A modest global 
macroeconomic recession in 2024 
representing a 5% reduction in revenues.

Link to principal risks: Global economic 
and political instability and organic growth.

Approved by order of the Board

Roy Twite
Chief Executive Officer
29 February 2024

Daniel Shook
Chief Financial Officer
29 February 2024

The directors’ assessment also recognised 
a number of key features of the Group’s 
operations. The Group’s wide 
geographical and sector diversification, 
and the spread of activities across many 
production sites, help minimise the risk of 
serious business interruption. Furthermore, 
our business model is structured so that 
the Group is not overly reliant on a few 
large customers. Our largest customer 
constitutes 2% of Group revenue and our 
top 20 customers account for 15% of 
Group revenue. In addition, our ability to 
flex our cost base reduces our exposure 
to sudden adverse economic conditions.

After making enquiries, the directors 
have a reasonable expectation that the 
Company and the Group have adequate 
resources to continue in operational 
existence for the foreseeable future and 
for a period of at least twelve months 
following the approval of the Annual 
Report on 29 February 2024. Accordingly, 
they continue to adopt the going concern 
basis in preparing the financial statements. 
Further details are included within Note 1 
to the financial statements.

The Board considered a reverse stress 
test which demonstrated that a breach of 
covenants would not occur unless there 
was an extreme unforeseen event causing 
a revenue reduction of greater than 40% 
in the 12 months following approval of the 
Annual Report. Mitigating actions 
considered for this reverse stress test 
include, but are not limited to, reducing 
working capital, restricting capital 
expenditure, reducing overhead spend 
and employee costs and cutting 
or suspending dividend payments to 
shareholders. The mitigating actions 
do not assume any special governmental 
support other than normally available 
schemes such as short-term working 
in certain countries.

The Board considered the Group’s 
liquidity, available banking facilities and 
banking covenants, details of which are 
included in Note 1 to the financial 
statements on page 188. The Board also 
considered the Company’s ability to raise 
capital in the future, as well as both the 
ongoing actions undertaken to prevent 
occurrence and the potential actions to 
mitigate the impact of any particular risk. 
In making its assessment, the Board 
recognised the principal risks facing the 
Company, including those that would 
threaten its business model, future 
performance, solvency or liquidity. 
A summary of these risks can be 
found on pages 91 to 99.

100

101

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCorporate Governance

Governance at a glance

Board highlights

 – We adopted our new sector-focused business structure
 – Our new values, which better reflect our business, 

were approved

 – We continued to develop our ESG agenda and submitted 

our SBTi plan for validation

 – Jackie Callaway joined the Board in July
 – The Board visited our Adaptas site in Massachusetts, USA
 – Our external performance review confirmed that the Board 

and its Committees continue to operate effectively

Section

Chair’s Governance Letter

Board of Directors and Executive Committee

Corporate Governance Report

Nomination Committee Report

Audit Committee Report

Remuneration Committee Report

Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report

Directors’ Report

Page

104

106

112

123

130

136

138

168

Board composition

A

A

A

B

Executive/ 
Independent  
non-executive

B

Gender

Ethnicity

Number of directors

Key skills and experience

Director of other FTSE 
companies

Strategy

M&A

Experience in international 
operations/emerging markets

Finance and accounting

Manufacturing and 
engineering

Risk management 
and compliance

ESG and climate change

Digital transformation, including 
AI adoption and technology

Reward and recognition

Skills and experience key

  Experienced

  Some experience

  Little/no experience

2018 UK Corporate Governance Code

The Company has complied in full with all provisions of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code during the year ended 
31 December 2023. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is responsible for the publication and periodic review of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code, which can be found on the FRC website: www.frc.org.uk.

Section

Read more 

Section

Read more 

Board leadership and Company purpose 

Composition, succession and evaluation

A  Executive 

B  Independent non-executive 

2

6*

* 

Under the 2018 Code, the Chair is excluded 
when considering the independent 
non-executive composition of the Board.

B

A  Male 

B  Female 

A

Nationality

A

Age

B

A  British-born 

B  Other 

4

5

102

C

A  50–55 

B  56-59 

C  60+ 

5

4

2

3

4

B

A  White 

B  Asian 

8

1

An effective Board which promotes 
the long-term sustainable success 
of the Company

Culture aligned to purpose, 
values and strategy 

14, 15, 42-43, 
106-122

4, 5, 10, 
118-122 

Resources and controls necessary to meet 
objectives and measure performance

28, 29, 88-99, 
112-117

Shareholder and stakeholder engagement 

38-43, 104, 
105, 119, 120

Workforce policies and practices, including 
procedures for raising concerns 

48-51, 82-87, 
119, 136, 137

Tenure, succession planning 
and appointments

Inclusion and Diversity

Skills, experience and knowledge

10, 104, 111, 113,  
120, 123-129

50, 51, 124-126

103, 106-108

Director, Board and Committee evaluation

121,122,129,135,167

Audit, risk and internal control 

Independence and effectiveness 
of the internal and external audit

Fair, balanced and understandable 
assessment

Principal and emerging risks, 
risk management framework 
and system of internal controls

112, 134, 135

130-135, 172

88-99, 116,  
117, 130-135

146-167

136-167

Division of responsibilities 

Roles and responsibilities

112-115, 122, 
130, 146 

Remuneration

Aligned remuneration

Time commitments and conflicts of interest

Independence 

115, 124

102, 115

Remuneration policy and its application

Independent judgement and discretion

137, 140-142

103

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023stakeholders in the year. Site visits are a 
good opportunity for the Board to see our 
culture in action and to understand the 
integration process for new acquisitions. 
The Board visited our Adaptas Solutions 
site in Massachusetts, USA following IMI’s 
December 2021 acquisition of this leading 
life sciences manufacturer. Alongside our 
Chief Executive Officer, Roy Twite, I also 
visited our factories in China and South 
Korea earlier in the year. Thomas Thune 
Andersen is the Company’s non-executive 
director with designated responsibility for 
employee engagement. A summary of the 
activities undertaken by Thomas in this 
role can be found on page 119. Our 
employee engagement activities during 
the year have supported the strategic 
priorities for employee engagement 
identified in the 2022 One Big Voice 
survey. The non-executive directors held 
three employee engagement sessions in 
2023, enabling different groups of 
employees to share their feedback 
with the Board without the Executives 
being present. More information can be 
found on page 119.

ESG
Sustainability highlights for 2023 include 
submitting our near-term and net zero 
targets to the Science Based Targets 
initiative for validation and agreeing our 
first sustainability-linked revolving credit 
facility in June 2023. Further information 
on our SBTi submission can be found on 
page 43. We have conducted a detailed 
assessment of our climate-related 
opportunities and risks and are pleased to 
report that we are consistent with all 
eleven of the Task Force on Climate-
related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) 
recommendations. We have also made 
progress in understanding the 
sustainability performance of our products 
and continue to use life cycle assessments 
and environmental product declarations 
to aid us in this area. Further details are 
available in our Sustainability Report on 
pages 44 to 85.

Board effectiveness
We engaged EquityCulture Ltd to carry 
out an external performance review of 
the Board and its Committees in 2023. 
I am pleased to report that the review 
confirmed the effectiveness of the 
individual directors, the Committees and 
the Board as a whole. The review process 
and agreed areas of focus for 2024 can 
be found on page 121 to 122 and in each 
Committee report.

AGM
This year, shareholders will once again 
be able to join us at our in-person AGM 
on 9 May 2024. Details will be included in 
our AGM notice, which is available on our 
website. Shareholders are always welcome 
to put their questions or feedback to us, 
either via our website (www.imiplc.com), 
via email (info@imiplc.com) or in person 
at our AGM.

Priorities for 2024
Preparing for the transition of the Audit 
Committee Chair and Chair of the Board 
will be key priorities for the Board in 
2024. We will also continue to consider 
opportunities to increase diversity, taking 
into account diversity targets set by the 
FTSE Women Leaders Review and the 
Financial Conduct Authority’s Listing 
Rules. The Board will keep the Group’s 
strategy under review and monitor 
how our evolved values are embedded 
throughout our business to deliver 
long-term sustainable growth for the 
benefit of our stakeholders.

Lord Smith of Kelvin
Chair
29 February 2024

Chair’s Governance Letter

 It has been an honour and a 

privilege to serve as Chair for the past 
nine years. We have made significant 
strategic progress during this period 
and I am confident that the Group is 
well placed to continue creating value 
for all of our stakeholders. 
Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chair

Dear Shareholder

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased 
to present the company’s Corporate 
Governance Report for the financial 
year ended 31 December 2023.

Board composition
In 2023 and up to the publication of 
this report, we have announced several 
changes to the Board. As announced 
on 30 January 2024, in order to ensure 
an orderly succession, my appointment 
as Chair has been extended to the end 
of 2024. It has been a privilege to work 
with so many talented colleagues at 
IMI for the last nine years and to see the 
Group make significant progress in this 
time. Jamie Pike will join IMI as Chair of 
the Board and Nomination Committee, 
with effect from 1 January 2025. Jamie 
brings a wealth of listed board experience 
and a deep understanding of engineering, 
international business and strategy. I am 
confident that IMI will be in good hands 
with Jamie as my successor. Details of 
the recruitment process can be found on 
page 128.

In July 2023, we welcomed Jackie 
Callaway to the Board as a non-executive 
director and a member of the Nomination 
and Audit Committees. Jackie brings 
extensive experience from over 30 years 
of working in finance across multinational 
manufacturing and supply chain 
businesses. She is currently the Chief 
Financial Officer of Coats Group plc.

Following nine years tenure, Isobel Sharp 
will retire from the Board and her role 
as Audit Committee Chair on 31 August 
2024. I would like to thank Isobel for her 
outstanding contribution and support to 
IMI and the Board throughout her tenure. 
Jackie will be appointed Audit Committee 
Chair from 1 September 2024. Further 
information on the induction process for 
Jackie can be found on page 127.

The Nomination Committee will continue 
to monitor the Board’s composition, to 
ensure that we maintain the range of skill 
sets and diversity needed to support the 
Company’s strategy and complement 
our succession planning.

Our people
Last year, we reported efforts to accelerate 
plans for employees to be paid at least in 
line with living wage indices. I am pleased 
to confirm that in 2023, all IMI global 
employees are now paid a living wage. 
As part of our drive to make IMI a more 
inclusive and supportive organisation, 
we have also reviewed and updated our 
global parental leave policies in the year. 
Further details on our workforce policies 
and rewards can be found in the 
Remuneration Committee report.

Stakeholder engagement
I am pleased to report that the Board has 
been able to engage with a range of 
stakeholders during the year. I enjoyed 
meeting shareholders at our 2023 AGM and 
continue to be available to shareholders.

Building strong and positive relationships 
with our key stakeholders is critical to 
fulfilling IMI’s purpose, delivering our better 
world strategy and achieving long-term 
sustainable success. Pages 38 to 43 and 
119 to 120 set out our engagement with 

104

105

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsBoard of Directors

Leading 
with purpose

Nationality
British

Expertise
 – Significant UK and international 

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
79

Appointment  
date
2015

board experience

 – Extensive knowledge of both 

engineering and manufacturing

 – Strong track record in private equity, 

mergers and acquisitions

 – Specialist capability in finance

Key external appointments
None

Lord Smith of Kelvin
Chair

Nationality
British

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
56

Expertise
 – Proven organisational and 

engineering expertise

 – Management capability, having 

run all of IMI’s sectors

 – Extensive knowledge of end-
markets and customer base

Roy Twite
Chief Executive 
Officer

Appointment  
date
2019 as Chief 
Executive Officer 
and 2007 as 
director

Key external appointments
Non-executive director of Halma plc*

Nationality
American British

Expertise
 – Extensive financial management 

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
56

Appointment  
date
2015

experience

 – Extensive knowledge of complex 
process manufacturing across a 
range of industrial sectors

 – Strong international perspective, 

having worked in a number of key 
geographies during his time with 
two leading global businesses

Key external appointments
None

Daniel Shook
Chief Financial Officer

106

Key
NC  Nomination Committee
EC  Executive Committee
AC  Audit Committee
RC  Remuneration Committee

  Committee Chair
  Member

*   Listed company directorship

NC

Specific contribution to the  
company’s long-term success
Extensive international business, sector 
and board level-experience enables 
Lord Smith of Kelvin’s valuable leadership 
of the Board and drives his commitment 
to robust corporate governance.

EC

Specific contribution to the  
company’s long-term success
Drawing on his general management  
and operational experience, Roy brings 
clear strategic leadership, passion for  
and a deep understanding of the 
engineering sector, the Group’s sectors 
and stakeholders to lead and inspire 
the Group.

EC

Specific contribution to the  
company’s long-term success
Daniel contributes his considerable global, 
financial and business development 
experience from large multinational 
companies to drive strong financial 
leadership and support the growth 
of the Group.

Nationality
Danish

Expertise
 – Experienced international business 

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
68

Appointment 
date
2018

Nationality
British

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
67

Appointment 
date
2015

Nationality
Irish

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
56

Appointment 
date
2020

leader in sectors including oil, 
energy, marine and critical 
infrastructure

 – Broad experience as a non-executive 
director of various public companies

 – Special interest in ESG matters, in 
particular corporate governance 
and climate change issues

Key external appointments
 – Chair of Lloyds Register Group
 – Chair of Orsted A/S*
 – Member of the Danish Committee 
for Good Corporate Governance

 – Non-executive director of 

BW Group Ltd

 – Chair of VRK Holdings A/S

Expertise
 – Considerable accounting, audit, 
governance and transactions 
experience, including time as a 
member of the UK Accounting 
Standards Board and the Reporting 
Review Panel

 – Worked with many international 
businesses on strategy, risk and 
sustainability matters

Key external appointments
 – Non-executive director and Audit 
Committee Chair of Balanced 
Commercial Property Trust Limited*

 – Independent non-executive 

committee member of Baillie 
Gifford & Co

 – Member of the International  
Advisory Board at Edinburgh 
University Business School

Expertise
 – Successful executive career in the 

technology sector with an industry-
leading Fortune Global 500 company 
with operations in 30 countries
 – Senior executive leadership roles 
across international operations, 
including supporting complex 
supply chains

Key external appointments
 – Non-executive director of DCC plc*
 – Non-executive director of the 

Tyndall National Institute

 – Non-executive director of CRH plc*
 – Director of UNICEF Ireland

Thomas Thune 
Andersen
Senior independent  
director,
Non-executive director 
responsible for 
employee engagement 
and ESG matters

Isobel Sharp
Independent non-
executive director

Caroline Dowling
Independent non-
executive director

NC

AC

Specific contribution to the 
company’s long-term success
Thomas brings a wealth of international 
business and board-level experience to 
his role as Senior Independent Director. 
He draws on his broad knowledge and 
personal interest in sustainability and 
culture when performing his designated 
employee engagement and ESG activities, 
supporting the formulation and delivery 
of our ESG strategy.

AC

NC

Specific contribution to the 
company’s long-term success
Isobel contributes her extensive financial 
experience and a strong understanding of 
the audit, governance, control and 
regulatory landscape to chair effectively 
the Audit Committee. 

RC

NC

Specific contribution to the 
company’s long-term success
Caroline brings substantial, global 
board-level experience and expertise in 
digital, technology and supply chain 
management. Her passion for social and 
humanitarian matters provides valuable 
insight into ESG considerations.

Caroline’s experience serving on 
remuneration committees enables 
her to chair the Remuneration 
Committee effectively.

107

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsBoard of Directors continued

Nationality
British

Expertise
 – Extensive experience at 

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
50

Appointment  
date
2018

international executive level across 
the Energy sector

 – Excellent corporate finance 

experience, including mergers 
and acquisitions

Key external appointments
 – President, National Grid Ventures
 – Chair of POWERful Women

Nationality
American British

Expertise
 – Experienced in 

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
70

Appointment  
date
2021

international business

 – Expert in innovation, science 

and technology and marketing

 – Holds a PhD in Food Science
 – Significant experience in research 
and development, innovation, 
consumer marketing and 
general management

Key external appointments
 – Non-executive director of 

Britannia Industries Limited, India*

Nationality
New Zealander

Age as at  
31 December  
2023 
54

Appointment  
date
2023

Expertise
 – Qualified accountant, with over 
30 years of experience working 
in finance across multinational 
manufacturing and supply 
chain businesses

 – Currently the CFO of Coats Group 
plc, the world’s leading industrial 
thread and global footwear 
component manufacturer, and was 
previously the CFO of Devro plc

Key external appointments
CFO Coats Group plc*

Katie Jackson
Independent non-
executive director

Dr Ajai Puri
Independent  
non-executive 
director

Jackie Callaway
Independent non-
executive director

108

Key
NC  Nomination Committee
EC  Executive Committee
AC  Audit Committee
RC  Remuneration Committee

  Committee Chair
  Member

*   Listed company directorship

NC

RC

Specific contribution to the  
company’s long-term success
Drawing on her broad, international 
business and executive experience, 
Katie shares valuable insights into strategy, 
sustainability, M&A and emerging markets. 
She is passionate about improving 
diversity and has been the Chair of 
POWERful Women, a cross-industry 
initiative working to increase the 
representation of women at the top of the 
UK energy industry, since May 2022.

AC

NC

RC

 – Non-executive director of Olam 

International Limited and a member 
of the Audit, Capital and Investment, 
Corporate Responsibility and 
Sustainability Committee

Specific contribution to the  
company’s long-term success
Ajai brings significant global business and 
board-level experience, as well as 
expertise in driving innovation and 
developing new business to support 
delivery of the Group’s strategy.

AC

NC

Specific contribution to the  
company’s long-term success
Jackie’s strong finance track record 
and experience across multinational 
manufacturing and supply chain 
businesses make her a valuable addition 
to the Board.

Executive Committee

Date of 
appointment 
to the Executive 
Committee
2020

Biography
Beth Ferreira was appointed CEO, Life 
Technology at IMI in July 2023, with 
responsibility for the Climate Control, 
Life Science & Fluid Control, and 
Transport sectors. Beth joined IMI in 
2020 as Divisional Managing Director 
of IMI Precision Engineering, where 
her Customer First transformation 
pivoted the business to growth and 
margin improvement.

Date of 
appointment 
to the Executive 
Committee
2019

Date of 
appointment 
to the Executive 
Committee
2020

Biography
Jackie joined IMI in 2008 as Sales 
Director for the company’s Nuclear 
division in Asia, before becoming the 
President of the Greater China area, 
and later President of the Asia Pacific 
region. He became Divisional 
Managing Director for IMI Critical 
Engineering in 2019, and has used 
his deep knowledge and experience 
across IMI Critical Engineering’s end 
markets to drive growth.

In July 2023, Jackie was appointed 
CEO of the Automation business, 
which includes Process Automation 
and Industrial Automation.

Biography
Liz joined IMI as Head of Group 
Reward in 2011, establishing global 
policies across the Group that 
addressed pay, annual and long-term 
incentives, employee benefits and 
mobility. Liz then joined IMI Critical 
Engineering as their Divisional HR 
Director in January 2020, a key part 
of the Management team, leading a 
significant change agenda to drive 
organic growth.

Beth Ferreira
CEO Life Technology

Jackie Hu
CEO Automation

Liz Rose
Chief People Officer

Beth brings a wealth of executive 
experience in the engineering sector. 
Before joining IMI, she held prominent 
leadership positions, including multiple 
Group President roles at Illinois Tool 
Works (ITW), where she oversaw the 
Packaging & Consumables, Polymers, 
and Fluids platforms. She also served 
as President of Belden’s Industrial 
Cables group. Her contributions 
extend beyond IMI, as she currently 
serves as a non-executive director 
at SKF since March 2023.

Jackie has a degree in Automation Control 
from Beijing University of Aeronautics 
and Astronautics, as well as an MBA from 
Washington University in St. Louis in the 
USA, and is a graduate of both Stanford 
University Graduate School of Business 
and Harvard Business School.

Her career started in the automotive 
industry as a HR generalist, where she 
also developed skills in lean manufacturing 
and quality systems. Liz earned her MSc 
in International HR Management from 
Cranfield University and has completed 
postgraduate qualifications in human 
resources, specialising in both reward 
and employee relations.

109

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsExecutive Committee continued

Date of 
appointment 
to the Executive 
Committee
2021

Biography
Louise Waldek joined IMI in July 2021 
as Group General Counsel & Company 
Secretary and as a member of the 
Executive Committee. Louise is also 
the executive sponsor of our better 
world team. She is currently a board 
member of the General Counsel for 
Diversity & Inclusion (GCD&I), an 
organisation that promotes greater 
diversity, equity and inclusion in the 
legal sector.

Prior to joining IMI, Louise was General 
Counsel & Company Secretary at Victrex 
plc. She has held legal roles in Speedy 
Hire plc, United Utilities plc and DLA Piper. 
She brings extensive experience in legal, 
risk and compliance matters to support 
the Group’s growth.

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer and the other 
members are shown on pages 109 and 110. It is the senior management body for 
the Group and takes its authority from the Chief Executive Officer. It is not a committee 
of the Board. It is well balanced, experienced and diverse, with 43% of members being 
female, as of 31 December 2023 (meeting the requirements of the FTSE Women 
Leaders Review (formerly the Hampton-Alexander Review)), and is composed of three 
nationalities. A description of the Executive Committee’s role can be found on page 113.

Louise Waldek
Chief Legal & Risk 
Officer, Company 
Secretary

Phil Clifton
President, Climate 
Control

Date of 
appointment 
to the Executive 
Committee
2018

Biography
Phil Clifton joined IMI and the 
Executive Committee in January 
2018 as Interim Divisional Managing 
Director. In November 2018, it was 
announced that he would remain 
with the division permanently. Phil has 
extensive commercial experience in 
the engineering sector. Previously he 
was Chief Executive Officer of Signum 
Technology, a private equity-backed 
specialist engineering group focused 
on flow control sectors.

Prior to that, he spent nearly seven years 
with The Weir Group plc, where he was 
Divisional Managing Director of the 
company’s Power & Industrial division 
between 2007 and 2011.

Phil announced his retirement in July 2023 
and subsequently stepped down from the 
Executive Committee in January 2024.

Roy Twite
Chief Executive 
Officer

Daniel Shook
Chief Financial 
Officer

Member since
2007

  Roy and Daniel’s full biographies 
appear on page 106.

Member since
2015

In the year, Daniel’s title was changed 
from Finance Director to Chief 
Financial Officer. There were no 
changes to his role or responsibilities.

110

A

A

C

A

B

Gender

Nationality

Ethnicity

A  White 

B  Asian 

6

1

B

A  Male 

B  Female 

C

4

3

A

B

A  British 

B  American 

C  Singaporean  

4

2

1

A

Age

Tenure at IMI

B

A  45 to 50 

B  51 to 59 

C  60+  

B

3

3

1

C

A  0–5 years 

B  6–10 years 

C  11 years+  

2

2

3

111

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCorporate Governance Report

IMI plc Board
Lord Smith of Kelvin (Chair)

   A summary of key board activity 
in 2023 can be found on pages 116 
to 117

Audit Committee
Isobel Sharp (Chair)

   Audit Committee Report  
on page 130 to 135

Nomination Committee
Lord Smith of Kelvin (Chair)

   Nomination Committee Report 
on page 123 to 129

Remuneration Committee
Caroline Dowling (Chair)

   Remuneration Committee 
Report on page 136 to 167

Membership
Thomas Thune Andersen
Jackie Callaway
Caroline Dowling
Katie Jackson
Dr Ajai Puri
Isobel Sharp
Daniel Shook
Roy Twite

Main responsibilities
 – Promoting the long-term success 
of the Company for the benefit 
of its shareholders and 
contributing to wider society

 – Demonstrating ethical leadership, 
high standards of behaviour and 
overseeing good governance
 – Ensuring effective engagement 

with and encouraging 
participation from shareholders 
and key stakeholders

 – Setting and monitoring the 

Group’s values, purpose and 
strategy and ensuring that these 
and its culture are aligned
 – Ensuring that the necessary 

resources are in place for the 
Group to meet its objectives 
and measure performance 
against them

 – Setting a framework of prudent 
and effective controls, which 
enable risk to be assessed 
and managed

 – Ensuring that workforce policies 
and practices are consistent with 
the Group’s values and support 
its long-term sustainable success

 – Reviewing management 

performance and the operating 
and financial performance of 
the Group

Membership
Thomas Thune Andersen
Jackie Callaway
Dr Ajai Puri

Main responsibilities
 – Oversight role in relation 
to the integrity of the 
financial statements

 – Reviewing significant areas 

of judgement and 
accounting policies

 – Reviewing the proposed 

statements on going concern 
and viability to appear in the 
Annual Report

 – Advising the Board on whether 
the draft Annual Report is fair, 
balanced and understandable
 – Monitoring announcements in 

respect of financial performance
 – Monitoring the effectiveness of 

internal financial controls
 – Reviewing financial risks, 

including fraud risk

 – Oversight of Group assurance
 – Overseeing the external audit 

process, its objectivity, 
effectiveness and cost, 
with responsibility for setting 
the audit fee

 – Making recommendations to the 
Board for the appointment of the 
auditor, including oversight of any 
audit tender process

 – Defining and applying the policy 

on non-audit services

IMI Governance Framework
In accordance with the Code, the 
Board has delegated certain roles and 
responsibilities to its principal Board 
Committees. While the Board retains 
overall responsibility, the Committees 
carry out deep dives into their areas of 
responsibility. Committee Chairs report 
back to the Board on the matters 
discussed, decisions taken, and, where 
appropriate, make recommendations 
to the Board on matters requiring its 
approval. Minutes of all Committee 
meetings are made available to all 
directors. Details of the oversight of our 
ESG strategy can be found on page 45.

Good corporate governance is vital to the 
long-term success of the Company. We 
work within our governance structure 
which sets out the Schedule of Matters 
Reserved for the Board and the Terms of 
Reference for each principal Board 
Committee. The IMI Governance 
Framework also describes 
the responsibilities of key positions on 
the Board and the Company Secretary. 
A complete copy is located on our 
website. We review and update 
the framework regularly to reflect 
developments in corporate governance 
and best corporate practice.

Membership
Thomas Thune Andersen
Jackie Callaway
Caroline Dowling
Katie Jackson
Dr Ajai Puri
Isobel Sharp

Membership
Katie Jackson
Dr Ajai Puri

Board and committee composition
 – Lead process for 

Board appointments

 – Oversight of diverse succession 
plans for the Board and the 
Executive Committee

 – Inclusion and Diversity policy, 
promotion of diversity and 
monitoring of progress

Main responsibilities
 – Define and recommend the 
Remuneration Policy for the 
Chair and members of the 
Executive Committee
 – Determine the individual 

remuneration packages for the 
Chair and members of the 
Executive Committee within the 
policy approved by shareholders
 – Set annual and long-term incentive 
metrics and awards and determine 
the outcomes for the members of 
the Executive Committee

 – Report on remuneration matters 

and constructively engage 
with shareholders

 – Assess risk in respect of 

remuneration and incentive 
structures in particular

Executive Committee
Roy Twite (Chair)

   Members of the Executive 
Committee are shown on 
pages 109 to 110. The Executive 
Committee diversity profile is 
on page 111

Membership
Phil Clifton
Beth Ferreira
Jackie Hu
Liz Rose
Daniel Shook
Louise Waldek

Main responsibilities
 – The Executive Committee is the 
senior management body for 
the Group, takes its authority 
from the Chief Executive Officer 
and is not a committee of 
the Board

 – The Committee meets monthly 

and more often, as may be required

 – As part of the broad remit set by 
the Chief Executive Officer, it 
monitors and manages business 
performance, reviews progress 
against strategic objectives and 
formulates budgets and proposals 
on strategy and resource 
allocation for consideration 
by the Board

 – Plays a key part in risk assessment, 
risk management and monitoring 
processes and receives regular 
reports on ESG matters, human 
resources, health and safety, 
internal audit, compliance, legal, 
investor relations and other 
corporate affairs

112

113

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCorporate Governance Report continued

Board Chair
Lord Smith of Kelvin

Senior Independent Director
Thomas Thune Andersen

Main responsibilities
 – Acting as a sounding board 

for the Chair

 – Leading the evaluation of 

the Chair

 – Ensuring an orderly succession 

planning process for the 
Chair, working with the 
Nomination Committee

Non-executive director with 
designated responsibility for 
ESG Matters
Thomas Thune Andersen 

Main responsibilities
 – Developing a balanced view of 

ESG-related issues and concerns
 – Providing thought leadership and 
supporting the better world team

 – Sharing ESG-related views 
learned in Board meetings
 – Ensuring that the Board take 
appropriate steps to evaluate 
the impact of proposals and 
developments (including internal 
and external market views) on 
ESG matters and related relevant 
stakeholder feedback

Non-executive director with 
designated responsibility for 
Employee Engagement
Thomas Thune Andersen

Company Secretary
Louise Waldek

Main responsibilities
 – Supporting the Chair
 – Advising the Board on corporate 

governance and relevant 
regulatory requirements

 – Acting as secretary to all of the 

standing committees of the Board

 – Ensuring that the Board has 

access to independent 
professional advice at the 
Company’s expense

 – Being available to all directors

Main responsibilities
 – Developing a balanced view 
of the issues and concerns 
of employees

 – Sharing employee views 

at Board meetings

 – Ensuring that the Board take 
appropriate steps to evaluate 
the impact of proposals and 
developments on employees
 – Where relevant and appropriate, 

providing feedback to employees 
on board decisions and direction 
during the engagement process
 – Soliciting the views of employees 

about executive remuneration and 
sharing feedback obtained with 
the Remuneration Committee

Main responsibilities
 – Leading the Board and creating 

the conditions for overall 
Board and individual 
director effectiveness
 – Promoting a culture of 
openness and debate
 – Setting a board agenda 

primarily focused on strategy, 
performance, value creation, 
culture, stakeholders 
and accountability

 – Ensuring that the Board has 
effective decision-making 
processes and applies sufficient 
challenge to major proposals
 – Ensuring the Directors receive 
accurate, timely and clear 
information

 – Fostering constructive relations 
between executive and non-
executive directors based on 
trust, mutual respect and 
open communications

 – Encouraging all Board members to 
engage in Board and Committee 
meetings by drawing on their skills, 
experience and knowledge

 – Leading the annual performance 
review of the Board, with support 
from the Senior Independent 
Director as appropriate, and 
acting on the results

 – Ensuring the Board listens to 

the views of shareholders, the 
workforce, customers and other 
key stakeholders

114

Board and Committee attendance
During the year, the Board met on six occasions to cover scheduled business. The table below shows the number of scheduled 
meetings attended and the maximum number of scheduled meetings that the directors could have attended. Only in exceptional 
circumstances would directors not attend Board and Committee meetings.

Director
Thomas Thune Andersen
Caroline Dowling
Jackie Callaway*
Katie Jackson
Dr Ajai Puri
Isobel Sharp
Lord Smith of Kelvin
Daniel Shook
Roy Twite

Board
6/6
6/6
4/4
6/6
6/6
6/6
6/6
6/6
6/6

% eligible 
attendance
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

Audit 
Committee
5/5
n/a
3/3
n/a
5/5
5/5
n/a
n/a
n/a

% eligible 
attendance
100
n/a
100
n/a
100
100
n/a
n/a
n/a

Nomination 
Committee
4/4
4/4
3/3
4/4
4/4
4/4
4/4
n/a
n/a

% eligible 
attendance
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
n/a
n/a

Remuneration 
Committee
n/a
3/3
n/a
3/3
3/3
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

% eligible 
attendance
n/a
100
100
100
100
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

*  Jackie Callaway was appointed as a board director and a member of the Nominations and Audit Committees with effect from 1 July 2023.

To date in 2024, the Board and each Committee has held one scheduled meeting, with all eligible members in attendance.

Division of responsibilities
There is a clear division of responsibility 
between the Chair and the Chief Executive 
Officer, which is reflected in the IMI 
Corporate Governance Framework 
approved by the Board. The Chair is 
responsible for the leadership and 
effectiveness of the Board but does not 
have any executive powers or 
responsibilities. The Chief Executive Officer, 
supported by the Executive Committee, 
leads the running of the businesses and the 
implementation of operational and 
strategic plans under authority delegated 
from the Board.

The Company’s articles of association 
set out the Board’s powers. In the IMI 
Corporate Governance Framework, the 
Board has clearly defined ‘in writing’ those 
matters that are reserved to it and to the 
respective delegated authorities of its 
committees, and it has also set written 
limits of authority for the Chief Executive 
Officer. The Group has a clear 
organisational structure and well-
established reporting and control 
disciplines. Platform CEOs assume 
responsibility for and exercise a high 
degree of autonomy in running day-to-
day trading activities.

They do this within a framework of clear 
rules, policies and delegated authorities 
regarding business conduct, the approval 
of proposals for investment and material 
changes in operations and are subject 
to regular senior management reviews 
of performance. The Company’s articles 
of association and the IMI Corporate 
Governance Framework can be found 
on our website.

Independent non-executive directors
All non-executive directors are asked to confirm their independence, external commitments and ability to commit sufficient time 
to their role at IMI, as part of an annual declaration. The Nomination Committee considers that all of the non-executive directors 
are independent. The Chair was regarded as independent at the date of his appointment and is considered by the other members 
of the board to be objective in his leadership.

Thomas Thune Andersen
Jackie Callaway
Caroline Dowling
Katie Jackson
Dr Ajai Puri
Isobel Sharp
Lord Smith of Kelvin

Date of first 
appointment
1 July 2018
1 July 2023
1 January 2020
1 July 2018
1 March 2021
1 September 2015
7 May 2015

Date of current letter 
of appointment
21 February 2023
1 July 2023
21 February 2023
21 February 2023
21 February 2023
21 February 2023
21 February 2023

115

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCorporate Governance Report continued

Summary of 2023 key Board activities and outcomes

MAR

MAY

JUL

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

 – Board engagement session to 

hear colleagues’ views on a wide 
range of topics (please see page 
119 for further details)

 – Assessed financial performance 

of the Group, approved the 2022 
Annual Report and approved 
preliminary results 
announcement

 – Considered the Group’s capital 
position and approved the 2022 
final dividend

 – Approved AGM Notice
 – Reviewed and approved the 

Modern Slavery Act Statement

 – Approved the updated IMI 
Corporate Governance 
Framework

 – Received an update on key legal 

and governance matters 
including concerns raised 
through the IMI hotline
 – Considered the shortlist of 

external evaluators and agreed 
to instruct EquityCulture to 
conduct an external 
performance review of the 
Board and its Committees

 – Investor relations and market 

reports received, providing the 
Board with investor views
 – Considered and provided 

feedback on the proposed 
internal reorganisation

 – Received and discussed the 

Group’s sustainability strategy 
and 2023 priorities
 – Assessed the financial 

performance of the Group and 
approved Q1 2023 Interim 
Management Statement

 – Received a briefing from the 

Group IT Security Director on 
cyber security, risk and controls
 – Received and discussed reports 
on latest AGM voting and proxy 
agency feedback

 – Shareholder engagement at in 
person AGM attended by all 
directors

 – Considered and approved the 

appointment of Jackie Callaway 
to the Board 

 – Reviewed and approved 

internal reorganisation and 
communication plan
 – Approved half year 2023 

financial results 
announcement
 – Approved the 2023 
interim dividend

 – Considered our principal and 
emerging risks and approved 
the creation of a new 
principal risk relating to 
generative AI

 – Considered the UK Corporate 

Governance Code 
Consultation Document and 
potential impacts on IMI

 – Board employee engagement 
session to hear colleagues 
views on a wide range of 
topics (please see page 119 
for further details)

 – Received an update on key 

legal and governance matters 
including concerns raised 
through the IMI Hotline

Committee activities
The main areas of activity for each Committee can be found in the relevant report. At each Board meeting, the Committee Chairs report 
on their activities to the full Board.

Board oversight of internal control and risk management
The Board ensures that the necessary resources are in place for the Company to meet its objectives and measures performance against 
them. The Board has established a framework of controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed. The Board has overall 
responsibility for the oversight of internal controls and our risk management processes, monitoring their effectiveness throughout the year. 
At least twice a year, the Board conducts a robust assessment of the risk management framework, as well as reviewing principal and 
emerging risks identified, to ensure they remain relevant and where possible, plans are in place to manage those risks in line with agreed 
risk appetite to support delivery of our long term strategic objectives. More details can be found in the risk management section on 
pages 88 to 99.

116

 – Assessed financial 

performance of the 
Group and approved 
the Q3 2023 Interim 
Management 
Statement

 – ESG engagement 
session held with 
Ricardo for the Board 
to review and feed 
into the updated 
assessment of 
climate-related risks 
and opportunities
 – In addition to regular 
discussions, a Board 
strategy day was held 
in September to 
review and discuss 
IMI’s strategy and 
key milestones 

 – Site visit to Adaptas, USA 
for engagement with 
colleagues and to review 
integration

 – Approved our strategy and 
reconfirmed our purpose
 – Considered and approved 

new brand and values

 – Confirmed that our 

culture is aligned to our 
purposes, values and 
strategy

 – Discussed our 2023 

employee survey themes 
and assessed additional 
cultural indicators

 – Thomas Thune Andersen 
reported on employee 
engagement activities

 – Considered and confirmed 

key stakeholder 
engagement mechanisms 
are effective

 – Received updates on our 

sustainability activities and 
approved the submission 
to the SBTi of our Scope 1, 
2 and 3 reduction targets

 – Investor relations and market reports 
received providing the Board with 
investor views

 – Considered outlook and approved 

2024 budget

 – Externally led Board development session 

on generative artificial intelligence
 – Received an update on key legal and 

governance matters including concerns 
raised through the IMI Hotline

 – Considered the Group’s principal and 
emerging risks and approved the risk 
management governance framework and 
revised risk appetite statements for 2024

 – Reviewed the main features and 

effectiveness of the Group’s internal 
control and risk management framework
 – Reviewed and provided feedback on the 
IMI Corporate Governance Framework
 – Reviewed and discussed the results of 

the external Board performance review 
and identified key findings and 2024 
focus areas

 – Received and discussed a report on 
the Group’s Inclusion and Diversity 
ambitions, actions and performance

 – Received update on health and 

safety performance from the Group 
HSE Director

On behalf of the Board, the Audit Committee monitors the internal financial control framework and receives regular reports on its 
effectiveness, reporting its findings to the Board. More information on the work of the Audit Committee can be found on pages 130 to 135. 
Once a year, the Board reviews the effectiveness of material operational, financial, and compliance controls, company culture and the risk 
management process. The Board was satisfied that the 2023 review identified no significant deficiencies and remains supportive of the 
Group’s ongoing enhancements in this area.

117

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCorporate Governance Report continued

Purpose, Values and Culture
The Board endorses our purpose of 
Breakthrough engineering for a better 
world and sets the strategy for the Group 
to align with this purpose. IMI’s purpose is 
at the heart of everything we do; it is why 
we exist. We are committed to achieving 
profitable growth on a sustainable 
long-term basis while creating a better 
world for everyone we engage with – 
our customers, our employees, the 
communities that we serve and operate in, 
and our shareholders. For more 
information about our purpose, please see 
pages 4 and 5 of the Strategic Report.

Our values are an important part of 
who we are, as they provide a culture 
and collective mindset for our entire 
organisation. These values underpin 
all that we do, and ensure that we 
maintain the foundations that have 
enabled IMI’s success throughout its 
150-year heritage. For more information, 
please see page 5 of the Strategic Report.

Our dashboard of cultural indicators 
supports the Board in its responsibility 
to monitor culture and ensure alignment 
with the Company’s purpose, values and 
strategy. The dashboard comprises more 
than 20 metrics linked to the IMI values 
which individually and collectively provide 
cultural insights. These include customer 
net promoter scores, employee 
engagement scores, wellbeing, regretted 
turnover information, the number of 
employees involved in our Growth Hub 
activities and details of the hotline reports 
received. In the year, the dashboard was 
updated to align with the four pillars of 
our sustainability strategy. The dashboard 
is designed to help the Board identify any 
factors which indicate a negative culture 
or matters which could impede our ability 
to deliver our strategic objectives. Please 
see pages 48 to 51 for more information.

In addition to the Board’s review of the 
culture dashboard and related information, 
there were a number of touchpoints in 
the annual cycle, during which reports and 
presentations were provided to the Board 
and its Committees allowing for further 
consideration of these cultural indicators. 
Thomas Thune Andersen, in his role as 
non-executive director with designated 
responsibility for employee engagement, 
provided insights into the Group’s culture, 
based on his interactions with employees 
across the Group. Following a detailed 
review of culture, which included 
considerations of the Group’s values and 
insights from our non-executive director 
with designated responsibility for 
employee engagement, together with the 
annual review of our purpose and strategy, 
the Board affirmed that culture was 
aligned with IMI’s purpose and strategy 
and adopted new values which better 
reflect our business. We will continue to 
nurture our culture and ensure monitoring 
culture plays a key role in Thomas’ 
employee engagement activities, which 
are described on the following page. More 
detailed about our evolved values and 
branding can be found on page 43.

Board-level employee 
engagement

Thomas Thune Andersen 
Non-executive director with designated 
responsibility for employee engagement

 During the year, we have 

continued our approach 
of holding focus groups 
to better understand 
employee engagement with 
our purpose-led strategy, 
customer focus, career 
development opportunities 
and culture and wellbeing at 
IMI. To ensure conversations 
addressed current topics, 
I requested details of 
the key areas cited in 
departing employees’ exit 
interviews. I am pleased 
to report that IMI takes a 
very open and proactive 
approach to engagement. 
On behalf of the Board, 
I would like to thank all 
those I spoke with for their 
openness, enthusiasm 
and transparency. 

Continuing to engage with our people 
through a wide range of interactions is 
key to nurturing our strong culture. Since 
March 2020, Thomas Thune Andersen 
has been the non-executive director with 
designated responsibility for employee 
engagement. The purpose of this role is to 
enhance the Board’s understanding of the 
views of the IMI workforce, supporting the 
directors’ collective responsibility to 
consider a wide range of stakeholder 
perspectives when arriving at Board 
decisions. His full responsibilities are set 
out on page 114.

This role does not take on the 
responsibilities of an executive director, 
the Executive Committee, the HR team or 
act as a proxy. Although Board members 
actively and directly engage with our 
workforce through activities such as site 
visits, attendance at IMI Way Day and 
employee engagement sessions, the 
Board felt that having a non-executive 
director with designated responsibility for 
employee engagement would enhance its 
ability to gather the views of the workforce 
in a more structured way, and enable a 
more focused approach to understanding 
the culture of the Group.

Employee engagement activities during 
the year have supported the strategic 
priorities for employee engagement 
identified in the 2022 One Big Voice 
survey and the subsequent 2023 One Big 
Voice pulse survey. In 2023, Thomas 
attended the following sessions:

 – Focus group to explore in greater 
depth the findings of the One Big 
Voice pulse survey

 – Graduate induction presentations
 – IMI Way Day at our Birmingham 

office, Thomas explained some of the 
areas of Board and Executive follow-up 
in response to feedback from 
engagement sessions

 – Attended and presented at the European 

Communications Forum (ECF)

 – Employee engagement sessions in 

March, July and October: focus groups 
were held across the year with a 
cross-section of UK and US employees 

The sessions were structured to consider 
business priorities, feedback from the 
One Big Voice survey and to better 
understand employee engagement with 
our purpose-led strategy, customer 
focus, career development opportunities 
and culture and wellbeing at IMI.

Outcomes of Board-level employee 
engagement:
 – We received feedback that reward 

packages could be more innovative, 
flexible and link more closely to our 
culture and values. In the year, the 
Remuneration Committee reviewed 
our global workforce policies and 
formalised family-friendly and 
menopause policies

 – As part of our One Big Voice survey, 

employees requested more information 
on grading and career progression. 
Following the feedback, our HR team 
are reviewing development career paths 
which will then be communicated 
across the Group

 – Employees expressed a desire to 

understand how they can contribute 
to reducing emissions in their roles. 
Work is ongoing to identify sustainability 
and humanitarian campaigns which all 
employees can participate in and support

Speaking up
Details of the Group’s speaking up 
arrangements are contained on page 
84 of this Report. Our Ethics & 
Compliance Committee is chaired by 
our Chief Legal & Risk Officer & 
Company Secretary and comprises 
members of the Executive Committee 
and other senior leaders. It monitors 
the effectiveness of the IMI Hotline, 
the investigation of reports and 
oversees any remedial actions 
identified. The Committee reports 
on its activities, processes and any 
trends in reports to the Executive 
Committee, Audit Committee and/or 
Board as appropriate via the Chair of 
the Committee.

118

119

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCorporate Governance Report continued

Consultation with our larger investors 
is very much concerned with the 
performance and strategy of the Group. 
Their feedback is shared with the Board 
so that it can be taken into account in 
Board discussions.

Shareholders were invited to attend 
our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 
person. Shareholders can submit 
questions in advance of the AGM to our 
Investor Relations team (info@imiplc.com), 
who will endeavour to respond promptly. 
All directors attend the AGM and are 
available to answer questions. Notice of 
the Annual General Meeting was issued 
more than 20 working days in advance of 
the meeting and the level of votes lodged 
for and against each resolution, together 
with details of abstentions, are shown on 
the IMI website. The Board values the 
support of shareholders and the poll 
results for all resolutions proposed at the 
Annual General Meeting were above 90% 
in favour in every case except for 88.80% 
approval for the authority to allot shares.

In addition to the Annual Report, the 
Company issues preliminary results and 
half-year results announcements, as well 
as two interim management statements 
between results announcements. 
The IMI website includes recordings of 
results presentations made by senior 
management, recent annual and half-year 
reports, interim management statements, 
other corporate announcements and links 
to the websites of the Group’s businesses.

Shareholder engagement
The Board oversees shareholder 
engagement and maintains a balanced 
understanding of the issues and concerns 
of major shareholders. The Chief Executive 
Officer and Chief Financial Officer have 
primary responsibility at Board level for 
investor relations with the Head of 
Investor Relations, they report to the 
Board on shareholder issues at a number 
of Board meetings during the year. 
Financial analysts’ notes are circulated to 
the directors and the Board receives 
regular investor feedback reports from the 
Company’s brokers and public relations 
advisers, as well as from management. 
The understanding of investor views 
resulting from this feedback helps inform 
the Board’s decision-making.

Dialogue is maintained with the principal 
shareholders, and the executive directors 
and/or the Head of Investor Relations 
meet regularly with institutional investors. 
As in previous years, we maintained 
a significant programme of such 
interactions with existing and potential 
shareholders; this included a series of 
in-person meetings at our Massachusetts 
factory and at our head office in 
Birmingham. Smaller – often private – 
investors also have full and timely access 
to all IMI’s presentations via the Group’s 
website. All of the directors are available to 
shareholders as needed.

During the year, our Remuneration 
Committee Chair engaged with 12 of our 
largest investors and proxy agencies in 
relation to our remuneration policy (for 
more information, see page 137) and there 
was engagement with a shareholder in 
relation to Chair succession planning. A 
number of shareholders also spoke with 
our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial 
Officer and Investor Relations team. 
Feedback from the discussions was then 
communicated to the Board.

Outcome of 2023 AGM
At our 2023 AGM, held on 4 May 2023, 
votes were cast in relation to approximately 
81.60% of the issued share capital 
(2022: 83.64%; 2021: 83.50%). All 19 
resolutions proposed by the Board were 
passed by the required majority. There 
were no significant votes cast against the 
Board’s recommendations. All directors 
are subject to annual re-election by 
shareholders. Votes cast in favour of the 
re-appointment of the Board directors at 
the 2023 AGM were as follows:

Director
Lord Smith of Kelvin
Roy Twite 
Daniel Shook
Isobel Sharp
Thomas Thune Andersen
Katie Jackson
Caroline Dowling
Dr Ajai Puri

Votes for
96.30%
99.42%
98.41%
96.82%
92.95%
96.81%
96.05%
96.81% 

Jackie Callaway was appointed to the 
Board on 1 July 2023, after the 2023 AGM.

Stakeholder engagement
IMI has multiple stakeholders who are all 
important to the long-term success of 
our business. The Board is committed 
to engaging with key stakeholders, 
developing positive relationships with 
them, and making a positive contribution 
to the environment and local communities 
in which we operate. Where engagement 
is not direct, it takes place via feedback 
from individual directors and members of 
management. The relevance of each 
stakeholder group will depend on the 
particular matter requiring Board decision. 
Our Section 172 statement, contained on 
pages 42 to 43, demonstrates how the 
Board promotes the long-term sustainable 
success of the Company. Although the 
Group has many stakeholders, the Board 
considers our key stakeholders to be 
employees, customers, investors and 
funding providers, suppliers, the 
community and the environment and 
the government and regulators.

Performance review of the Board, its principal Committees, 
the Chair & the directors
Progress on 2023 evaluation:

Area of development
Maintain focus on succession planning 
at Board and senior management level

Continue the progress made to ensure that 
meaningful, two-way engagement takes 
place with key stakeholders

Increase the number of Audit Committee 
meetings in order to meet enhanced 
regulatory requirements

Update 
During the year, the Nomination 
Committee focused on the execution 
of the succession planning for the Chair 
and those directors who are reaching 
their nine-year tenure. For further 
information, please see page 123
Please see the ‘Our stakeholders’ section 
of the Annual Report on pages 38 to 43 
for a summary of our engagement with 
our stakeholders in the year
Five Audit Committee meetings were 
held in the year and are now established 
in the Committee’s annual cycle. The 
main areas of activity considered by the 
Audit Committee are outlined on pages 
131 and 132.

An external performance review of the 
Board and its Committees was carried out 
for the year ended 31 December 2023 
by an independent evaluator, 
EquityCulture Ltd. A competitive tender 
process, led by the Chair and supported 
by the Company Secretary, was 
conducted. The Board selected 
EquityCulture and was satisfied that they 
had the relevant expertise, experience 
and independence to conduct a rigorous 
and objective assessment. This was 
EquityCulture’s first review of the Board of 
IMI plc and EquityCulture have no other 
connection with the Company or any 
individual director. They are signatories 
to the Chartered Governance Institute’s 
Code of Practice for Board Reviewers. 
The Board performance exercise centred 
on an agenda of questions drafted by 
EquityCulture tailored to our needs, based 
on discussions with the Chair. Interviewees 
were sent an advance copy of the agenda. 
The following process and findings have 
been included with the agreement of 
EquityCulture.

Review process
The review involved the following steps:

1

2

3

4

5

EquityCulture reviewed the relevant Board and Committee papers, minutes and terms of reference to assess and 
benchmark the Board’s governance practices

EquityCulture attended the July Board and Committee meetings as an observer to gain insights into the Board’s 
dynamics and interactions

EquityCulture held individual interviews with each director, as well as the Chief Legal & Risk Officer & Company 
Secretary and the Chief People Officer, to obtain their views on various aspects of the Board’s performance, such as 
strategy, risk, succession, stakeholder engagement and diversity

  Once all interviews had been conducted, EquityCulture provided a comprehensive report and met with the Chair 

to discuss their findings. The report, which included action points and recommendations for the Board to consider, 
was then presented by the Chair at the December Board meeting

At the December Board meeting, the Board agreed an action plan to address the key areas highlighted in the report; 
these are outlined in the table on page 122. The Board will monitor the implementation and impact of the action plan 
and report on the progress and outcome in the 2024 Annual Report

120

121

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
Corporate Governance Report continued

The chairs of the three principal Board 
Committees each received feedback 
from the external review and reviewed 
that with their Committee. All were found 
to be operating effectively and minor 
suggestions to improve performance 
were noted. Please see the individual 
Committee Reports for further information.

The Senior Independent Director, Thomas 
Thune Andersen, conducted a review of 
the Chair’s performance with the other 
non-executive directors, which found that 
the Chair’s leadership of the Board was 
highly efficient and effective. The results 
of this review were shared with the Chair.

The Chair also met with the non-executive 
directors to review the performance of the 
Chief Executive Officer. The Chair passed 
on to the Chief Executive Officer 
appropriate feedback from the review 
of his performance.

Areas of focus for the Board in 2024:

The Chair conducted performance reviews 
of each individual director. Each director 
was found to be performing effectively, 
discharging his or her duties, and making 
a valuable contribution to the Board.

Details of the personal contribution of 
each Board member can be found in the 
director biographies on pages 106 to 108.

EquityCulture’s observations:
 – the Board values and respects 

everyone’s contribution, and encourages 
advice and challenge in a transparent 
and constructive manner

 – there is good chemistry between the 
Chair and Chief Executive Officer

 – papers are clear, concise and circulated 

in good time

 – discussions were informed, respectful 
and appropriately challenging, with a 
good balance of contribution. No one 
voice dominated the meetings

 – discussions between the Board and 
the Executive Committee were 
robust and exhibited open and 
approachable characteristics

 – the number of Board and Committee 
meetings held appear to be right for 
the Company

 – inclusion and diversity issues are felt to be 
high on the Board’s radar, led by genuine 
commitment to this from the Chief 
Executive Officer and Chief People Officer 
and the wider Executive Committee
 – the Board has a well-planned and 

well-paced induction process for new 
directors, and provides them with the 
relevant training and resources

Composition, succession and evaluation

Nomination  
Committee Report

Lord Smith 
of Kelvin 
Chair of the 
Nomination 
Committee

Area of development 
Skills and experience

Strategy and risk

Action
Identify opportunities to increase Board experience of generative AI and current and core 
industrial manufacturing experience.
Identify opportunities to enhance the Board’s overview of the industrial landscape it occupies, 
including macro-trend and threats.

Dear Shareholder

I am pleased to make my report as Chair of the Nomination 
Committee. This report is intended to give an account of the 
Committee and its activities.

Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Louise Waldek
Company Secretary
29 February 2024

122

Date of appointment  
to the Committee:

Lord Smith of Kelvin
May 2015

Thomas Thune Andersen
July 2018

Jackie Callaway
July 2023

Caroline Dowling
January 2020

Katie Jackson
July 2018

Dr Ajai Puri
March 2021

Isobel Sharp
September 2015

Highlights of the year
 – Overseeing the externally facilitated 
performance review of the Board 
and its Committees

 – Chair succession process
 – Overseeing the recruitment and 
induction of Jackie Callaway

 – Continued focus on Inclusion and 

Diversity at Board and senior 
management level

Priorities for the year ahead
 – Ensuring an orderly handover for 
the Chair of the Audit Committee 
and the Chair of the Board

 – Continue initiatives to increase 

Inclusion and Diversity across the 
Board, senior management and the 
Group as a whole 

The core responsibilities of the 
Committee include:

 – Reviewing Board composition
 – Leading the recruitment process 

and making recommendations for 
appointments at Board level

 – Overseeing the development of a 
diverse pipeline for succession to 
the Board and Executive Committee

 – Oversight of appointments to the 

Executive Committee

 – Identifying and developing internal talent

The Committee reviewed and refreshed 
its terms of reference, which were 
approved by the Board to take effect from 
1 March 2024. The full terms of reference 
of the Committee can be found in the 
IMI Corporate Governance Framework 
on the Company’s website.

Composition
The composition of the Committee 
meets the requirement of the Code 
that a majority of members should be 
independent non-executive directors. 
All of the non-executive directors 
on the Committee are regarded as 
independent non-executive directors.

In the year, the Committee held four 
meetings. Member attendance is included 
in the table on page 115.

The Company Secretary is secretary to the 
Committee and, together with the Chief 
People Officer, attend all meetings of the 
Committee. The Chief Executive Officer is 
not a member of the Committee but is 
invited to attend all meetings. Neither the 
Chair, nor the Chief Executive Officer, 
would participate in the recruitment of 
their own successor.

Main areas of activity
Board succession
It has been a busy year for the Committee, 
running two search processes. A Sub-
Committee was appointed to conduct the 
search for my successor (please see page 128 
for further details). To ensure an orderly 
handover, I will remain on the Board until the 
end of 2024, and Jamie Pike will join IMI as 
Chair of the Board and Nomination 
Committee with effect from 1 January 2025.

123

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsComposition, succession and evaluation 
Nomination Committee Report continued

In October 2022, the Committee 
commenced the search process for 
an independent non-executive director. 
The recruitment process was supported 
by the independent recruitment firm, 
Odgers Berndtson, as well as IMI’s Chief 
People Officer. Odgers Berndtson has 
no other connection with the Company 
or with any individual director other than 
to provide recruitment services and, in line 
with our diversity policy, is a signatory to 
the Voluntary Code of Conduct.

The Committee gave due regard to the 
requisite financial qualifications, desired 
sectoral experience and benefits of 
diversity on the Board during the 
recruitment search. The Committee 
considered the diverse longlist of 
candidates provided by Odgers Berndtson 
and held one-to-one interviews with 
the short-listed candidates. Following 
interviews, the Committee recommended 
the appointment of Jackie Callaway to 
the Board. Jackie was appointed non-
executive director on 1 July 2023 and 
will stand for election at the 2024 AGM. 
Isobel Sharp will have served 9 years on 
the Board in September 2024 and will step 
down from the Board on 31 August 2024. 
Following Isobel’s resignation from the 
Board, Jackie will assume the role of Audit 
Committee Chair on 1 September 2024.

All of the directors standing are 
recommended for election or re-election 
at the AGM following Board approval of 
the recommendations made by the 
Committee in this regard. Further 
information (including a description of the 
personal contribution of each director) 
can be found in the Notes to the AGM 
Notice or in the director biographies on 
pages 106 to 108.

Composition and talent development
The Committee has undertaken 
a comprehensive review of Board 
composition, supported by a review of 
the updated skills and experience matrix, 
which can be found on page 103. Board 
succession planning features on the 
agenda at every Committee meeting. 
The Committee reviewed the anticipated 
timescales for changes in Board positions 
(taking into account tenure, plans for 

interim cover and in the short to medium 
term). As part of future succession 
planning and to ensure that a diverse 
Board is maintained, the Committee will 
also take into account any critical 
experience, skills or expertise to ensure 
achievement of the strategy using the 
Board skills and experience matrix, the 
Board Inclusion and Diversity Policy (on 
page 126) and performance against 
diversity targets (on page 124 and 125).

The Committee reviewed talent 
development and succession planning 
for the top 76 roles in the Group, with 
the support of the Chief Executive Officer 
and Chief People Officer. The Committee 
was encouraged to see that significant 
progress continues to be made in terms 
of cultivating a stronger pipeline of 
high-calibre talent and increased levels 
of internal promotion. Details of our 
leadership development and succession 
planning processes are set out on page 50.

Review of time commitments, 
conflicts and contributions
The appointments of the Chair and 
non-executive directors are made on the 
basis of a formal letter of appointment, 
including a stated minimum time 
commitment judged appropriate by the 
Committee. In accepting their appointment 
to the Board of IMI, non-executive 
directors confirm that they are able to 
allocate sufficient time to discharge their 
duties effectively. No director has raised 
concerns over the time commitment 
required of them to fulfil their duties. 
Details of the other significant 
appointments of each director are 
contained in the biographies on 
pages 106 to 108.

All directors’ external appointments 
are subject to Board approval. When 
considering approving an appointment, 
the Board takes into account potential 
conflicts of interest, the director’s 
performance and their ability to meet their 
time commitment to IMI. The Committee 
considers that the time given to IMI by 
each non-executive director is sufficient 
and the Board is satisfied that no director 
is overcommitted and unable to fulfil their 
responsibilities. The Board is satisfied that 

I have the necessary time to devote to 
my role as Chair.

Following review of their other 
commitments and after confirmation that 
each director can continue to meet their 
time commitments to IMI, the Board 
approved the following external 
appointments in the year:

 – Isobel Sharp’s external appointment 
as an independent non-executive 
member of Baillie Gifford & Co
 – Katie Jackson’s appointment as 

president of National Grid Ventures 
at National Grid

 – Dr Ajai Puri’s appointment as a 

non-executive director of Fresh 
Del Monte Produce Inc

During the year, details of any new 
conflicts or potential conflict matters were 
submitted to the Board for consideration 
and, where appropriate, these were 
approved. As part of an annual declaration, 
each director is asked to confirm their 
ability to commit sufficient time to their 
role. Details of the individual contribution 
of each director can be found in the 
biographies on pages 106 to 108.

Inclusion and Diversity
In the year, we reviewed Board 
membership to ensure that there is a good 
mix of relevant skills, experience, diversity 
and tenure. Our Board Inclusion and 
Diversity policy, summarised on page 126, 
provides a high-level indication of our 
approach to inclusion and diversity in 
Board and senior management roles. The 
full policy is available on our website.

At Board level, there are five nationalities. 
There is also a broad mix of backgrounds 
and experience, as detailed on pages 102 
and 103. We comply with the Parker 
Review’s target to appoint at least one 
Board member from an ethnic minority 
background. At 44%, we meet FCA 
guidance that women should hold at least 
40% of seats on the Board. Both our 
Remuneration and Audit Committee 
Chairs are female, however we do not 
currently meet guidance that at least one 
of the senior board positions should be 

124

held by a woman. During the search for 
the successor to the Chair, diversity was 
heavily considered by the Sub-Committee. 
Heidrick & Struggles were asked to focus 
on a diverse long, medium and short list 
and 50% of the candidates in the short list 
were female. The number of female 
candidates at each stage in the process is 
shown on page 128 of this report. The 
other senior Board positions have not 
become vacant since the FCA’s 
requirements were introduced. The 
Nomination Committee will continue to 
identify opportunities to enhance diversity 
in our senior Board succession planning. 
The Company has collected the diversity 

data used for these purposes from each 
individual on a voluntary basis. We have 
not set express gender, ethnic or other 
related diversity quotas or measurable 
objectives for the Board’s composition.

Our Executive Committee has 43% 
female membership, as at 31 December 
2023, includes three nationalities and 
28% of the direct reports to the Executive 
Committee were female. Last year, we 
introduced a target of 25% of women in 
management across the Group and, in 
2023, we achieved 22%.

Table 1: reporting table on sex/gender representation as at 31 December 2023

Number of 
Board 
members
5
4

Percentage 
of the 
Board
55.6%
44.4%

Number of 
senior positions 
on the board 
(CEO, CFO, SID 
and Chair)
4
0

Number in 
executive 
management
4
3

Percentage 
of executive 
management
57.1%
42.9%

0

0%

0

0

0%

Men
Women
Not specified/ 
prefer not to say

Table 2: reporting table on ethnic background as at 31 December 2023

Number of 
Board 
members

Percentage 
of the 
Board

Number of 
senior positions 
on the Board 
(CEO, CFO, SID 
and Chair)

Number in 
executive 
management

Percentage 
of executive 
management

White British or 
other White 
Mixed/Multiple 
Ethnic Groups
Asian/Asian 
British
Black/African/
Caribbean/
Black British
Other ethnic 
group, including 
Arab
Not specified/ 
prefer not to say

8

0

1

0

0

0

88.9%

0

11.1%

0

0

0

4

0

0

0

0

0

6

0

1

0

0

0

85.7%

0

14.3%

0

0

0

The Board recognises the importance of all 
diversity and remains committed to driving 
further progress in this space. We will 
continue to review the composition of the 
Board with consideration to the diversity 
factors set out in the UK Corporate 
Governance Code, the FCA Listing Rules 
and the recommendations of the FTSE 
Women Leaders Review, as well as the 
Parker Review.

Phil Clifton announced his retirement in 
July 2023 and subsequently stepped down 
from the Executive Committee in January 
2024. The Board received regular updates 
on the recruitment search for his 
successor. After a thorough recruitment 
process, Stefano D’Agostino joined the 
Group as President of Climate Control 
on 1 February 2024. Following the Group’s 
internal reorganisation, the President 
of Climate Control will no longer be a 
member of the Executive Committee. As at 
1 February 2024, the Executive Committee 
has a 50% female membership.

The Committee’s oversight role in relation 
to Group-wide Inclusion and Diversity is 
supported by our culture dashboard. The 
dashboard, which reports on performance 
and progress against relevant equity, 
Inclusion and Diversity targets, is 
presented to the Committee annually. 
Indicators on the dashboard included 
gender pay gap metrics, equal pay 
confirmations and performance against 
external gender and ethnicity targets. The 
dashboard also collated relevant scores 
from the One Big Voice employee survey, 
which provided insights into equality 
and inclusion.

Membership and diversity of Board 
Committees
All Committees have female 
representation and all members of the 
Remuneration and Audit Committees are 
independent non-executive directors. 
The Committee has approved emergency 
cover for the Chair and members of each 
Committee, with consideration to the 
requirements of the 2018 Corporate 
Governance Code and our Inclusion 
and Diversity policy.

125

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsComposition, succession and evaluation 
Nomination Committee Report continued

Our Inclusion and Diversity policy

The Company acknowledges the value 
of diversity in its widest sense and its 
contribution towards effective Board 
operations and decisions.

The Group operates an Inclusion and 
Diversity policy that is reviewed each year 
and provides the framework for productive 
working relationships.

Taking account of its changing strategic 
needs, the Board will ensure that:

 – The Board and its Committees have the 
appropriate balance, composition and 
mix of skills, experience, independence 
and knowledge to ensure their 
continued effectiveness, having regard 
to external guidance on diversity

 – A pipeline is maintained that promotes 
diversity for succession to the Board, 
Executive Committee and leadership 
group positions

 – Only executive search consultancies 
that have signed up to the voluntary 
Code of Conduct for executive search 
firms regarding gender diversity on 
corporate Boards are engaged when 
seeking appointments to the Board, so 
that the selection processes provide 
access to a diverse range of candidates

 – Appointments to the Board are made 
on the basis of merit, with regard to 
the candidate’s suitability for the role, 
Board balance and composition and 
the required mix of skills, background 
and experience – diversity will be 
a consideration

 – Policies adopted by the Group promote 

diversity in the broadest sense

 – Adequate and appropriate disclosure of:
 – This policy and the Inclusion and 

Diversity initiatives the Group has in 
place and the steps it is taking to 
promote diversity at Board level and 
across the Company, including a 
description of the progress made

 – The composition and structure 

of the Board

 – The gender balance of those in the 
Executive Committee, their direct 
reports and the leadership group and

 – The process of appointments to 

the Board

This policy is reviewed from time to time 
to monitor progress being made in order 
to assess its effectiveness.

During the year, the Board applied the 
policy when reviewing Board and 
Executive Committee succession plans, 
by appointing external recruitment 
agencies that are signatories to the 
voluntary Code of Conduct for executive 
search firms and during the processes to 
find new Board members. Details of how 
diversity was factored into the search for 
IMI’s next Chair can be found on page 128.

126

 IMI’s onboarding process for NEDs is extremely 
comprehensive. I spent quality time with the Executive 
Committee; these meetings provided an excellent 
overview of IMI’s strategy, innovation agenda, key markets 
and customers. Given my role as a member of the Audit 
Committee, my onboarding also included a deep dive on 
key financial matters and I spent time in the Birmingham 
office, meeting members of the Finance, Tax, Treasury and 
IT teams. A key highlight of my induction was the Board’s 
site visit to Adaptas, USA, where I got the opportunity to 
experience, first hand, the culture of the business. 
Jackie Callaway
Non-executive director

Non-executive director induction
A formal induction process for new 
non-executive directors is well established 
and is the responsibility of the Chair, with 
support from the Chief Executive Officer 
and Company Secretary. Business 
familiarisation is at the core of induction and 
continuing development for non-executive 
directors at IMI and is centred around 
gaining an understanding of the business 
and getting to know the wider management 
team. Jackie Callaway joined the Board as 
an independent non-executive director on 
1 July 2023. The induction process was 
tailored to Jackie’s experience, knowledge 
and Committee participation.

Board continuing development
Appropriate training and other continuing 
professional development is available to 
all non-executive directors, and regular 
updates are given during the year where 
they are relevant to the business arising at 
Board and Committee meetings. In the 
year, the Board received Artificial 
Intelligence training from Professor Amit 
Joshi from the IMD Business School. 
Board members also attended an ESG 
engagement session with Ricardo 
regarding our climate-related risks and 
opportunities. Tailored regulatory and 
best-practice updates were also provided 
to the Audit and Remuneration 
Committees during 2023. Non-executive 
directors are encouraged to undertake 
appropriate external training.

Jackie Callaway’s induction process

1

Pre-induction: 
 – Before joining the Board, Jackie received relevant information and 

documents about the company, including our strategy, vision, values, 
culture, governance, performance, risks, stakeholders, policies and 
procedures. Jackie was given access to our Board portal, which 
stores our Board papers, minutes and useful resources for the Board

 – Introductory meetings were held with each member of the Board, 

the Company Secretary and our external auditor

 – Daniel Shook was appointed as Jackie’s executive ‘buddy’

2

Initial induction: 
 – Jackie met with each member of our Executive Committee, as well 

as the Head of Sustainability

 – During a visit to our Birmingham office, Jackie met members of the 

Finance, Tax, Treasury and IT teams

 – Jackie attended our Board’s site visit to Adaptas, USA
 – Jackie also visited IMI Truflo Marine, UK in November 2023
 – Our external lawyers provided an update on directors’ duties

3

Evaluation and review: The induction plan was monitored and 
evaluated by the Chair, the Company Secretary and Jackie and was 
reviewed and adjusted as necessary. Jackie also provided feedback 
on the process as part of our external Board performance review. 
No areas were identified for further action.

127

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsComposition, succession and evaluation 
Nomination Committee Report continued

Chair succession process
Sub-Committee members (all independent non-executive directors):
Caroline Dowling (Chair of the Sub-Committee)
Katie Jackson
Dr Ajai Puri

A Sub-Committee of the Nomination Committee was established to begin the search for a successor to the Chair. The Sub-Committee 
was supported by our Chief People Officer, Liz Rose, and the executive search firm of Heidrick & Struggles. Heidrick & Struggles have 
no other connection with the Company or with any individual director other than to provide recruitment services. The recruitment 
process is outlined below:

Committee evaluation
An external performance review of the 
Committee was undertaken by 
EquityCulture (the review process is 
outlined on page 121). No suggestions 
were made as to the way the Committee 
is run, its membership or terms of 
references. The review found that:

 – The Committee operates effectively 

and is led by an effective Chair

 – Inclusion and Diversity issues are felt 

 – There is a strong recruitment 
and induction process for new 
non-executive directors

to be high on the Board’s radar, led by 
a genuine commitment to addressing 
these issues from the Chief Executive 
Officer, Chief People Officer and the 
wider Executive Committee

 – Succession plans for the Board and 
executive directors are well thought 
out and the number of Board and 
Committee meetings appear to 
be right for the company

1

2

3

4

Progress on 2023 actions

Focus areas for 2024

 – The Sub-Committee agreed 
the scope and profile for 
the external recruitment 
agency. After a thorough 
tender process, Heidrick & 
Struggles, which is a 
signatory to the voluntary 
Code of Conduct for 
executive search firms, 
was appointed 

 –  The full Board and 

Executive Committee 
provided feedback as part 
of the Heidrick & Struggles 
culture assessment tool to 
understand the Board’s 
dynamics, strengths, areas 
for improvement and 
strategy. This provided a 
deeper understanding of 
the ideal candidate and 
supported the development 
of the role profile 

 –  The feedback was used by 
Heidrick & Struggles to 
select a diverse longlist of 
44 candidates to present to 
the Sub-Committee for 
review. The 44 candidates 
spanned five market sectors, 
three geographical regions 
and 45% were female

 – The Sub-Committee 

agreed a medium list of 11 
candidates (36% were 
female). All 11 candidates 
were further interviewed 
and assessed by Heidrick 
& Struggles, with a full and 
thorough candidate 
report presented to 
the Sub-Committee 
for consideration 

5

6

7

8

 – A strong, diverse shortlist 
of four candidates (two 
men and two women) was 
selected. All four candidates 
were interviewed by the 
Sub-Committee

 – Following feedback from 

the Sub-Committee, the list 
was further reduced to the 
final two candidates (both 
male), whereby the wider 
Board was invited to meet 
with them and provide 
feedback to the Sub-
Committee. The two 
candidates selected had 
significant Chair experience 
and understanding of 
the markets in which 
IMI operates

 – After consideration of the 
feedback from the Board, 
the Sub-Committee 
recommended to the 
Nomination Committee 
that an offer be made to 
Jamie Pike, noting his solid 
leadership experience as 
Chair of a number of listed 
companies, as well as his 
core industrial knowledge 
and strong reputation in the 
UK market. Both the 
Sub-Committee and the 
Nomination Committee 
reviewed Jamie’s external 
appointments and consider 
him to be independent and 
able to commit sufficient 
time to the role 

 – Taking into account 
Jamie’s current 
commitments, the 
Sub-Committee 
recommended that Lord 
Smith of Kelvin’s tenure 
be extended to the end of 
2024 to ensure an orderly 
handover. The 
Nomination Committee 
(excluding Lord Smith of 
Kelvin) agreed that he 
continues to demonstrate 
objective judgement and 
promote constructive 
challenge amongst 
other Board members. 
Jamie will join IMI as 
Chair of the Board and 
Nomination Committee 
on 1 January 2025

Strengthen the succession 
pipeline for senior 
management positions

Appointments  
to the Board

Succession

The Committee reviewed 
talent development and 
succession planning for the 
top 76 roles in the Group. 
Further details are included 
on page 124

Consider how all Board 
members can have a greater 
insight into potential Board 
candidates before reaching 
the appointment stage

Ensure an orderly handover 
for the Chair and Audit 
Committee Chair

Continue to focus on 
Board succession plans 
that take into account 
greater diversity 
requirements

 – Jackie Callaway joined 

the Board on 1 July 2023. 
Following Isobel Sharp’s 
retirement from the 
Board on 31 August 2024, 
Jackie will Chair the 
Audit Committee
 – The search for a 

successor to the Chair 
took into account the 
importance of diversity 
considerations. Heidrick 
& Struggles were asked 
to provide a diverse long, 
medium and shortlist 
of candidates. See page 
128 for more information

Yours faithfully

Lord Smith of Kelvin
Chair of the Nomination Committee
29 February 2024

128

129

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAudit, risk and internal control

Audit Committee 
Report

3
2
0
2
t
r
o
p
e
R

l

a
u
n
n
A
c
p

l

I

M

I

Isobel Sharp 
Chair of 
the Audit 
Committee

Dear Shareholder

I am pleased to present this report on the work of the Audit 
Committee over the last year. 

Date of appointment  
to the Committee:

Isobel Sharp
September 2015

Thomas Thune Andersen
March 2020

Jackie Callaway
July 2023

Dr Ajai Puri
September 2021

Highlights of the year
 – Performing a deep dive into the Internal 
Control Declaration (ICD) process and 
learning first hand how a new acquisition 
coped with adopting the IMI reporting 
processes during a site visit to Adaptas, USA

 – Assessing the financial controls process 
maps and a gap analysis against the 
proposed changes to the UK Corporate 
Governance Code

 – While always a highlight, meeting senior 

financial leaders in the business, including 
the platform CFOs, the CFO of the 
Climate Control sector and the tax and 
treasury leaders to discuss their current 
successes and challenges

Priorities for the year ahead
 – Ensuring a smooth transition as Jackie 

Callaway takes the role as Audit 
Committee Chair from September 2024

 – Review and challenge the continual 
development of a more robust and 
granular framework of internal controls

The Committee’s principal responsibilities 
are to monitor the integrity of the 
Group’s financial reporting and financial 
statements, to review the effectiveness of 
internal financial controls, to monitor and 
review the effectiveness of internal audit, 
and to make recommendations to the 
Board on the appointment of an external 
auditor. The Committee acts in an 
oversight role for Annual Reports, financial 
statements and announcements with 
extended financial content, all of which 
are prepared by management. The full 
terms of reference of the Committee, 
which were reviewed during the year, are 
found in the IMI Corporate Governance 
Framework on the Company’s website.

The Committee continued to increase its 
time invested in the business, compared 
to prior years, increasing the number of 
meetings from four to five. In addition 
to our regular cycle of challenge and 
oversight activity, we have focused this 
year on finalising the accounting of 
the acquisitions for CorSolutions and 
Heatmiser, which were acquired in 
October and December 2022, respectively 
and reviewing the financial information, 
including the restatements, related to 
the business reorganisation from three 
divisions to two new operating segments, 
Automation and Life Technology. 
Internal control matters are regarded as 
a high priority and this year we reviewed 
the work undertaken to strengthen the 
controls framework and performed a deep 
dive into the Internal Control Declaration 
process during a site visit to Adaptas, USA 
in October. We challenged detailed 
aspects of the Group’s policy for 
treatment of adjusting items in Alternative 
Performance Measures (APMs). We have 
reviewed the significant restructuring 
activity and the provisions for 
rationalisation at the year-end, satisfying 
ourselves that the treatment of those 
items disclosed as adjusting is appropriate.

The Committee has monitored the 
external auditor in their third year to 
ensure the audit quality and audit 
effectiveness remain at the highest levels 
and the external auditors have 
demonstrated professional scepticism 
throughout the process. The Committee 
continues to welcome fresh insight and 
challenge from the auditors. Finally the 
Committee reviewed the circumstances 
and consequences of an immaterial 
accounting anomaly found in the year 
principally to seek to ensure the problem 
does not recur.

Members of the Audit Committee
Dr Ajai Puri, Thomas Thune Andersen and 
I were members of the Audit Committee 
throughout the year and Jackie Callaway, 
a chartered accountant with over 30 years 
of experience working in finance across 
multinational manufacturing and supply 
chain businesses, was appointed a 
member of the Audit Committee in July 
2023. All of the Committee members are 
regarded by the Board as independent 
non-executive directors and details of our 
experience are included on pages 106 to 
108. I have chaired the Audit Committee 
since 1 October 2017 and became a 
member on 1 September 2015. I will step 
down from the role of Audit Committee 
Chair and Jackie Callaway will become 
the Audit Committee Chair from 
1 September 2024.

I am a chartered accountant. I spent my 
early career in the accounting and audit 
profession and the Committee, and the 
Board, are satisfied that I have significant 
recent and relevant financial experience. 
I also currently chair the Audit and Risk 
Committee at Balanced Commercial 
Property Trust Limited, I am an independent 
non-executive Committee member at 
Baillie Gifford & Co and a member of the 
University of Edinburgh Business School’s 
International Advisory Board.

The Board is satisfied that the Committee 
members have experience at Audit 
Committee level and collectively the 
Committee has the financial, commercial 
and auditing skills, sector competence, 
experience and objectivity to be an 
effective Audit Committee. Furthermore, 
Committee members attend, as 
appropriate, external training sessions to 
update our knowledge and in May 2023 
Deloitte delivered a training and skills 
update session tailored for the Committee, 
with a particular focus on governance and 
the proposed amendments to the UK 
Corporate Governance Code.

The Committee invites the following 
to join appropriate parts of its meetings: 
the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief 
Financial Officer, the Group Financial 
Controller, the Director of Group 
Assurance and the external auditor. In 
addition, the Chair and other non-
executive directors are welcome to attend, 
and usually join, the meetings. The 
Secretary to the Committee is the Chief 
Legal & Risk Officer & Company Secretary. 
I thank them all for their help in the 
Committee’s work.

The Committee meets alone with the 
external auditor and with the Director of 
Group Assurance. The Committee has the 
power to call on any employee to attend.

Main areas of activity
The Audit Committee met five times in 
2023. For two meetings the focus was 
on the forthcoming results reporting.

All meetings included a review of current 
accounting matters within the Group, 
internal audit reports and external audit 
matters. These activities are detailed in 
the following sections.

During the year, the Committee reviewed 
the treatment of adjusting items in APMs. 
The Committee also reviewed the final 
adjustments for the acquisition accounting 
for the three acquisitions in 2022 (Bahr 
Modultechnik, Heatmiser and 
CorSolutions) for which preliminary 
numbers were included in the 2022 
financial statements.

The Committee continues to seek 
out with management constructive 
opportunities for improvement in the 
effectiveness of internal financial controls. 
The roll out of an automated system to 
support balance sheet reconciliations 
is progressing well and continues to 
facilitate improvements in both external 
audit efficiency and internal controls. 
Improvements were also made to those 
controls specific to revenue recognition 
and inventory valuation in the Process 
Automation sector.

In 2023, the Committee performed 
a deep dive into the Internal Control 
Declaration process through a review 
of its implementation in Adaptas, which 
was acquired in December 2021. This 
review helped the Committee to 
gain additional understanding on the 
integration of newly acquired businesses 
to ensure they build financial controls 
in line with IMI’s standards.

In 2023, the Committee performed a 
deep dive into the evidence binder which 
documents the supporting evidence for 
integrity of the disclosures included within 
the front half of the Annual Report and 
concluded that the process was working 
well. Committee members have tested the 
evidence for certain disclosures in the 
2023 Report.

130

131

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
Audit, risk and internal control 
Audit Committee Report continued

The Committee monitors changes 
in senior finance roles and challenges 
management to ensure continuity of 
financial reporting standards following 
team changes and to challenge on topics 
such as diversity. In 2023, management 
achieved successful internal transitions of 
key senior finance roles and has refreshed 
the talent pipeline for succession planning.

An update on tax affairs and compliance 
from the Head of Group Tax was received 
by the Committee and the Corporate 
Tax Strategy which is available on 
the IMI website was considered by 
the Committee.

This year’s discussion with the Group 
Treasurer focused on the Group’s funding 
relationships and strategy.

The Committee reviewed and approved 
for submission to the Board the 
statements on viability and going concern, 
which are on page 100 and 101 
respectively. During 2023, this involved 
regular assessment of the impact of the 
inflationary environment, international 
conflicts and continued supply chain 
uncertainties. The Committee was 
satisfied with the going concern and 
viability statements taking comfort in 
particular from the resilience demonstrated 
by IMI’s businesses in recent periods, the 
relative strength of the Company’s balance 
sheet and the committed borrowing 
facilities in place.

The Committee reviewed management’s 
approach to preparing the Annual Report 
with the European Single Electronic 
Format (ESEF) tagging. Management 
continues to use an outsourced provider 
with expertise to complete the initial 
tagging prior to finalisation internally.

The Committee advises the Board on 
the fair, balanced and understandable 
requirements for the Annual Report 
and half year results statement. In the 
Annual Report, the fair, balanced and 
understandable criteria are also a review 
area for the external auditor who has 
not reported any exceptions. The 
Statement of directors’ responsibilities 
on page 172 includes confirmation by 
the Board that it considers this Annual 
Report, taken as a whole, to be fair, 
balanced and understandable.

Deloitte was reappointed to be the 
Group’s external auditor for the year 
ended 31 December 2023.

Significant judgements 
and estimations in the 
financial statements
In preparing the accounts, there are a 
number of areas requiring the exercise 
by management of judgement and 
estimation. These matters were the 
subject of appropriate detailed analysis 
and commentary in papers and reports 
to the Committee from management 
and the external auditor. The Committee 
reviewed the significant accounting areas 
involving such judgements and estimates 
and these are described below.

Significant accounting matters
Revenue recognition
The Committee discussed the timing 
of revenue recognition on some of the 
Group’s larger contracts within the 
Process Automation sector. This is an 
area of focus on which the external 
auditor reported to the Committee. 
Having reviewed management’s process 
for identifying, and then estimating the 
stages of these contracts and the external 
auditor’s comments, the Committee 
concluded that revenues were 
appropriately reflected in the financial 
statements. Note 2 to the financial 
statements provides further information.

Inventory valuation
The year-end balance sheet includes 
inventories of £437.3m after £59.0m of 
provisions. The Committee reviewed the 
judgements applied to standard costing 
valuations and provisions against excess 
and obsolete inventory and concurred 
with management’s assessment.

Inventory valuation was a key audit matter 
for the external auditor, in respect of 
which it reported to the Committee that 
inventory valuation across the Group is 
considered appropriate. Note 15 to the 
financial statements provides details of 
inventory valuation.

Adjusting items
The Committee considered both the items 
treated as adjusting and their application 
in APMs. The Committee reviewed all 
adjusting items, in particular the treatment 
of restructuring costs, acquired intangible 
amortisation and tax-related adjustments.

The Committee challenged management’s 
judgements around the appropriateness 
of restructuring costs of £48.1m and 
provisions of £20.9m disclosed as adjusting 
items. It reviewed the restructuring costs 
incurred by project to seek confirmation 
that they were non-recurring.

The Committee reviewed tax-related 
adjusting items, and concluded 
management’s treatment was appropriate.

The Committee concluded there had 
been adherence to the company’s 
adjusting items policy.

Impairment of goodwill and intangibles 
arising from acquisitions
The Committee considered the level of 
goodwill and intangible assets held on 
the Group’s balance sheet and whether, 
given the future prospects of these 
businesses, the carrying value in each 
case remained appropriate.

The year-end balance sheet includes 
goodwill of £680.3m and intangible assets 
arising on acquisitions of £200.0m.

Due to the complexity and volatility 
involved in calculating the discount rates 
for the purposes of impairment testing, 
Evelyn Partners was engaged for a second 
year to perform the calculations and to 
report to management on these. The 
Committee concluded that the process 
and the calculations were appropriate.

In assessing the judgements in testing for 
any impairment of goodwill and intangible 
assets, management has considered the 
future impacts of climate change which is 
considered as part of the Group’s five-year 
strategic plan.

Impairment was also an area of focus 
for the external auditor who challenged 
the assumptions used in the model and 
reported its findings to the Committee. 
The external auditor also concurred with 
the assessment that no impairments 
were required. Note 11 to the financial 
statements provides details regarding the 
Group’s intangible assets and goodwill.

The Committee reviewed the final 
adjustments for the acquisition accounting 
for the three acquisitions in 2022 for 
which preliminary numbers were 
included in the 2022 financial statements 
and concluded that the fair value 
accounting for the opening balance 
sheet was appropriate.

Tax
The Committee judged the adequacy 
of taxation provisions for uncertain 
matters and concluded that these were 
appropriate. Further details on tax matters 
can be found in Notes 3 and 9 respectively.

Pensions
The Committee reviewed the 
appropriateness of the accounting 
treatment for pension scheme liabilities, 
including the actuarial assumptions used 
which provide a key source of estimation 
uncertainty, and the impact of any one-off 
special pension events. The Committee 
also received a report with appropriate 
expert input from the external auditor, 
which concluded that the accounting for 
pensions proposed by management was 
not materially misstated.

The Committee supported management’s 
ongoing efforts to de-risk the Group’s 
pension obligations, with the UK pension 
liability fully bought in during 2022. 
Further details can be found in Note 14.

Control environment
The Committee reviewed the overall 
control environment during the year and 
considered the responsibilities for site, 
region, sector, platform, and Group teams. 
The implementation of the automation 
tool across the organisation to support 
with balance sheet reconciliations is 
progressing well, and has facilitated an 
improved control environment and 
risk-based approach to controls. During 
the year, an accounting anomaly was 
identified at one of IMI’s sites. While not 
material in financial terms, a thorough 
investigation was undertaken to identify 
the cause and the impact on the financial 
statements and to confirm that it was an 
isolated incident. Additional reviews have 
taken place during the year. Management 
has formalised key control certification 
requirements by sector finance leads, 
on a quarterly basis.

The external auditors were notified of 
the matter and adapted their audit plan 
to respond to the risks identified. The 
Committee has welcomed and supported 
the response.

The Audit Committee has assessed a 
review of the financial controls process 
maps and a gap analysis prepared by Group 
Assurance against the 2023 proposed 
changes to the UK Corporate Governance 
Code in October. This process resulted in 
a project to develop a more robust and 
granular framework of internal controls, 
improve the consistency and quality of 
documentation of internal controls 
and increase the focus on assurance of 
non-financial information. Further work 
will continue in 2024 to document in 
more detail the controls and the testing 
of their application.

Following a site visit by Deloitte to the 
new business support centre in Poland in 
the Climate Control sector to understand 
and assess the integration of controls and 
processes across the business, I, together 
with David Gwilliam, CFO, Climate 
Control, visited the site to meet local 
management and to see first-hand the 
progress being made with the integration. 
It was also an excellent opportunity to visit 
the factory in Olkusz and the Ruda 
distribution centre.

Roby Buyung, CFO, Automation and 
Sukhjit Purewal, CFO, Life Technology 
attended, in July and December 
respectively, the Audit Committee 
meeting. Both discussed the control 
environment and current projects in 
their operating segments.

Improvements have been made to Internal 
Control Declaration evaluations during 
the year including a new section on 
Environmental, Social and Governance 
data reporting.

132

133

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAudit, risk and internal control 
Audit Committee Report continued

Group Assurance
The Committee received reports from, 
and monitored the work of, the Group’s 
internal audit function, known as Group 
Assurance. Group Assurance has a direct 
reporting line to the Committee and 
also reports through the Chief Financial 
Officer to the Chief Executive Officer. 
Group Assurance work is directed towards 
financial control audits but also covers 
other selected areas including project 
planning and implementation for major 
business changes and internal control 
declarations which cover financial 
and non-financial controls.

In addition to the sites reviewed in the 
year, Group Assurance continued to 
focus their review on the Group’s use 
of digital tools. This included a review 
of the following:

 – the Group-wide travel and 

expenses system;

 – IT system implementation within 

the sectors;

 – data validation for key inputs into 
the key performance metric, Total 
Recordable Incident Frequency 
Rate; and

 – climate-related data disclosed in the 

Creating a better world section of the 
Annual Report.

Other review projects undertaken during 
the year included the impairment of 
non-acquired intangibles, capitalisation 
of development costs, inventory excess 
and obsolete provisions and capital and 
rationalisation project reviews.

Group Assurance works closely with 
the platforms to implement monitoring 
and review processes to complement 
the internal and external audit coverage. 
In 2023, Group Assurance assisted in 
the integration of Bahr Modultechnik 
and Heatmiser into the IMI internal 
control policies and procedures.

Locations to be reviewed each year 
are selected on a risk assessed basis, 
discussed and agreed with the Committee 
and take account of the external audit plan.

In 2023, as in any other year, minor 
adjustments were made to the plan to 
meet changes in the business with the 
Audit Committee being consulted on 
all amendments at its meetings. The 
completion of actions arising from internal 
audits and reviews is monitored by the 
Committee and the track record for timely 
completion of actions is excellent.

During the year, 32 internal audit reviews 
were completed with 31 of these supported 
by sector finance managers. The majority 
of the 2023 internal audit plan included a 
physical visit as part of the review. As in 
prior years, a flexible approach and use 
of remote audit procedures were used to 
improve efficiency and ensure emerging 
issues were addressed. The involvement 
of sector financial managers in the internal 
audit process continues to enhance the 
quality of audits and the sharing of best 
practice. For all audit reviews, Group 
Assurance maintains the final 
determination on grading and actions.

The Group Assurance team is led centrally 
by experienced, senior internal audit 
professionals and across the Group there 
are over 100 staff trained to conduct 
internal financial control audits. The annual 
plan and resourcing for internal audit 
were approved by the Committee and 
take account of the enhanced monitoring 
and review activity within the sectors. 
The scope of internal audits covers certain 
operational and commercial risks in 
addition to financial controls. Experienced 
financial managers from the sectors work 
on combined audits covering financial, 
operational and commercial matters. 
Group Assurance has trained sector finance 
managers in financial control auditing skills 
and provided a toolkit to enable them to 
carry out financial control audits at other 
sites in their sector. Financial control 
evidence binders are used across the 
Group to help improve internal controls 
and to make internal audits more efficient. 
The binders also support transition and 
continuity in the event of any changes in 
finance staff.

The Committee reviewed the effectiveness 
of Group Assurance with management 
and received input from the external 
auditor. The Committee supports the 
co-sourcing model, with the Group 
Assurance team working together with 
experienced financial managers from 
the sectors to enhance the effectiveness 
of assurance processes. Areas for 
improvement in 2024 which were 
identified for the Group Assurance team 
are to review available automation tools 
to support with the documentation and 
consistency of controls testing across the 
organisation and to monitor the recently 
implemented reviews performed by sector 
finance leads to ensure internal key 
controls are well documented and 
continuously monitored throughout the 
year. The improvement actions for 2023 
were made, with focus on operational 
and commercial risk reviews.

The Committee has welcomed the way 
in which staff involved in Group Assurance 
activities have coped not only with some 
challenging circumstances in 2023 but also 
with the new acquisitions so that the level of 
assurance gained from its activities during 
the year is equivalent to previous years.

External audit independence 
and performance review
The Committee approved the proposed 
external audit approach and its scope based 
on the size and level of risk of the entities 
concerned. The Group and the external 
auditor take a risk-based approach to audit 
and other assurance activity. The key audit 
matters identified by Deloitte are set out in 
its report on pages 173 to 182 and were 
reviewed by the Committee in approving 
the audit scope and plan.

The Committee considered the 
independence and objectivity of the 
external auditor to be very satisfactory. 
In assessing auditor independence, the 
Committee had regard to the Financial 
Reporting Council’s (FRC) best practice 
guidance for audit committees.

Committee evaluation
An external performance review of 
the Board and each Committee was 
conducted in 2023. The review process 
and results can be found on pages 121 and 
122 of the Corporate Governance Report. 
The review found that the Committee 
operates effectively and is led by an 
effective Committee Chair. No other 
comments on the Committee were 
received. During the internal review of the 
Committee’s performance in 2022, it was 
agreed to increase the number 
of Committee meetings partly to allow 
consideration for any new regulatory 
requirements, if required. Positive 
feedback was received following the 
addition of an extra Audit Committee 
meeting in October to coincide with the 
Board’s visit to Adaptas in the USA. The 
Committee has agreed to review its cycle 
and terms of reference to meet the 
requirements of the new Corporate 
Governance Code issued in 2024.

The Committee approved this report on 
its work.

Yours faithfully

Isobel Sharp
Chair of the Audit Committee
29 February 2024

It also considered the FRC’s new Minimum 
Standards for Audit Committee and, apart 
for one new action to be considered when 
the Group retenders the audit in the future 
years, those standards are being met. 
In addition, the external auditor confirmed 
that its ethics and independence policies 
complied with the requirements of the 
FRC’s Ethical Standard. To maintain 
the objectivity of the audit process, 
the external audit partner responsible for 
the Group is rotated within the audit firm 
at least every five years and the current 
Senior Statutory Auditor, Dean Cook, 
was first appointed for the 2021 audit.

The policy on the engagement of the 
external auditor for non-audit work, which 
has been updated during the year, reflects 
regulatory requirements. It requires 
approval by the Committee Chair for any 
non-audit engagement for which the 
estimated fees exceed £10,000. The Chief 
Financial Officer monitors any proposed 
non-audit engagements of Deloitte 
and refers to the Chair for approval as 
appropriate. The policy does not allow 
work to be placed with the auditor if it 
could compromise auditor independence, 
such as functioning in the role of 
management. Non-audit fees paid to 
the auditor were £0.1m (2022: £0.1m), 
which represents 3% of the audit fee 
and demonstrates the tight control 
which is maintained in this area. The only 
significant non-audit engagement during 
the year was the interim results review, 
which is technically not statutory audit 
work but is typically placed with the audit 
firm and was approved by the Committee.

The Committee considers the level and 
nature of non-audit work to be modest 
and not to compromise the independence 
of the external auditor. The Committee is 
satisfied that Deloitte is fully independent 
from management and free of conflicts 
of interest.

Pursuant to the power granted at the 2023 
Annual General Meeting, the Committee 
reviewed and approved the proposed 
audit fee payable to Deloitte.

The Committee formally reviewed the 
effectiveness of the 2022 external audit 
process. As in other years, a questionnaire, 
sent to over 30 site finance directors 
and interviews with members of the 
Committee and selected executives were 
used to assess the quality and the 
effectiveness of the external audit process. 
Based on the results of the questionnaire 
and feedback received, the Committee 
believes the 2022 external audit process 
has been good and effective. To enhance 
further the external audit process, certain 
improvement actions such as around 
timing of steps in the finalisation of the 
Annual Report were identified, and plans 
were put in place by management and 
Deloitte to address these during the 2023 
audit. Management and Deloitte have 
made improvements in key action areas, 
and we are satisfied with the progress 
made. The Committee also reviewed the 
FRC’s Audit Quality Review report 
regarding Deloitte.

Statement of compliance
IMI confirms that it was in compliance 
with the provisions of The Statutory 
Audit Services for Large Companies 
Market Investigation (Mandatory Use of 
Competitor Tender Processes and Audit 
Committee Responsibilities) Order 2014 
during the year ended 31 December 2023.

Audit tendering
Current legislation will require an audit 
tender by not later than 2031 and the 
Company retains the freedom to tender 
earlier. The Committee considers it would 
be appropriate to conduct an external 
audit tender process commencing in 
the year before any change of auditor 
is made and therefore not later than 
2030 in any event.

134

135

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration

Remuneration 
Committee Report

3
2
0
2
t
r
o
p
e
R

l

a
u
n
n
A
c
p

l

I

M

I

Caroline 
Dowling 
Chair of the 
Remuneration 
Committee

Dear Shareholder

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present the Annual Directors’ 
Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Date of appointment  
to the Committee:

Caroline Dowling
January 2020

Katie Jackson
July 2018

Dr Ajai Puri
March 2021

136

Highlights of the year
 – Continued to create value for our 
stakeholders through improved 
financial performance

 – Focused on a review of the Policy 

ahead of the 2024 AGM and has taken 
on board remuneration feedback raised 
by employees during our Board 
engagement sessions

Priorities for the year ahead
 – Oversee the successful implementation 
of our Remuneration Policy, which will 
be presented for shareholder approval 
at the 2024 AGM

 – Ensure the Company is fully 

compliant with the 2024 UK Corporate 
Governance Code

 – Support, review and challenge 

initiatives to continue to ensure all 
our employees are paid a living wage, 
and receive meaningful benefits that 
align with our inclusive culture

Statement from the Chair of the 
Remuneration Committee
Context
The Committee carefully considered the 
remuneration of the executive directors 
in the context of the pay and conditions 
of the wider workforce, overall business 
performance and the economic 
environment. The Committee are 
comfortable that the decisions taken were 
appropriate, and in the best interests of the 
wider business and its key stakeholders.

The Committee was pleased to see that 
95.91% of shareholder votes at the 2023 
Annual General Meeting supported the 
Committee’s implementation of the 
current Remuneration Policy.

Economic environment
Our stretching 2023 annual incentive 
targets were set with the ambition to 
achieve significant growth on 2022 results. 
Whilst 2023 was a year of significant 
macro-economic disruption, there has 
been no cause to adjust targets.

Wider workforce pay
We have continued to monitor the impact 
of rising inflation on our employees and 
have taken steps during the year to focus 
our resource on those employees most 
in need of support. These actions include:

 – Using living wage indices in each of 
our main countries to help us assess 
employee pay against rising cost of 
living standards. An out-of-cycle pay 
increase was awarded to those 
employees most in need.

 – We have accelerated plans for 

employees to be paid at least in line 
with living wage indices and this has 
also been factored into our annual pay 
review process. By the end of 2023 all 
IMI employees now receive a wage that 
is at least in line with the applicable living 
wage for their geographic location.
 – As a Committee we are happy with the 
approach the Company has taken with 
the wider workforce which has resulted 
in an average UK pay award of 4.8%.

Pay for performance
Our focus in determining incentive 
outcomes for 2023 was to make sure 
that payout levels were appropriate in the 
context of wider company performance 
and workforce pay. As in previous years, 
we sought to achieve a strong link 
between pay and performance in the 
implementation of our remuneration 
policy. A high proportion of our executive 
directors’ remuneration remains closely 

tied to business performance; 
the Committee select performance 
measures that align to our purpose 
and strategy, with strong links to our 
reportable KPIs. More information 
is provided on page 150.

Key strategic and performance highlights 
in 2023 include:

 – Group revenue of £2,196m increased 
by 7% and adjusted operating margin 
increased by 90bps, statutory operating 
margin was 10bps lower than last year

 – Group adjusted profit before tax 

increased from £346m to £387m, 
statutory profit before tax increased 
from £285m to £302m

 – Adjusted Basic EPS increased from 

105.5p to 116.8p

The Alternative Performance Measures 
referred to above are defined in Note 3.

Incentive outcomes
Annual incentives paid to executive 
directors in respect of performance in 2023 
were based on achievement of stretching 
targets relating to Group adjusted profit 
before tax and strategic and personal 
objectives, incorporating sustainability 
metrics. The Committee determined 
annual incentive outcomes ranging 
between 96.2% and 97.6% of maximum 
for the executive directors, which 
fairly reflects business, individual 
performance and is aligned with 
the wider stakeholder experience.

The 2021 IMI Incentive Plan award was 
granted on 22 March 2021 and is due to vest 
on 22 March 2024. In determining the level 
of vesting under the award the Committee 
has full discretion to adjust the vesting 
based on business performance factors, 
macro-economic conditions, shareholder 
experience, and potential windfall gains 
due to share price movements.

Following a review of the above factors the 
Committee determined that no adjustment 
shall be made to the formulaic outcome.

The 2021 IIP award was subject to 
stretching Return on Invested Capital 
(ROIC), Adjusted Basic Earnings Per Share 
(EPS) growth and relative Total 
Shareholder Return (TSR) targets 
measured over three financial years and 
will vest at 82.6% in March 2024.

Acquisitions and disposals
The Committee also considered the 
impact of the disposal of Aero-Dynamiek 
on incentive outcomes. Aero-Dynamiek 

was disposed of on 1 October 2023. 
Group Profit Before Tax outcomes were 
adjusted to include the budget operating 
profit for the remaining months of 2023. 
This is consistent with the approach taken 
for other disposals. No adjustment has 
been made to IIP vesting outcomes.

Remuneration in 2024
Policy review
Ahead of the 2024 AGM, the Committee 
have conducted a thorough review of 
Policy and concluded that, other than 
minor wording changes and strengthening 
of malus and clawback provisions that 
apply to the incentive plans, the Policy is 
fit-for-purpose and no further changes 
are required.

During this process, the Committee 
consulted with our 12 largest shareholders 
comprising a total shareholding of 51%. 
Proxy Voting Agencies were also included in 
the consultation process. Responses were 
received from 5 shareholders, all of which 
were supportive of the Policy proposals.

The Committee considered the maximum 
incentive opportunities under the Policy, 
in particular in the context of the increase 
in market cap/FTSE ranking. Following this 
review, the Committee concluded that the 
quantum is modest against the FTSE 100 
but well positioned given that IMI has only 
recently established itself as a FTSE 100 
company. Therefore, no changes have 
been made to maximum incentive 
opportunities. No changes have been 
made to the operation of the incentive 
plans, which the Committee consider fit 
for purpose.

Base salary
In line with our Remuneration Policy, 
the Committee reviews executive director 
base salaries annually taking into account 
the wider workforce increase, business 
performance, external economic factors, 
changes in the complexity of the 
business or the role, cost, as well as the 
incumbent’s experience and performance.

Following the review of the above factors, 
the Committee determined that it is 
appropriate to award an increase of 4.5% 
to Roy Twite from £794,200 to £829,900 
effective January 2024. This is slightly 
below the average increase awarded to UK 
employees of 4.8%. Since his appointment 
as Chief Executive Officer in May 2019, 
Roy has received increases in line with or 
below the average employee rate. The 
Committee is acutely aware of the 

increasing demand for high-performing 
CEOs for global businesses and wants to 
ensure that Roy’s salary is appropriately 
positioned in this context.

The Committee has decided to award 
an increase of 9.0% to Daniel Shook taking 
his salary from £529,100 to £576,700 
effective January 2024 in order 
to achieve the following:

 – Recognise the growing criticality of his 

contribution to the strategy and 
performance of IMI.

 – Reflect the significant growth of IMI since 
his appointment and his direct contribution 
to that growth including the following 
individual contributions and achievements:
 – Overseeing the financial execution 

of our strategy to deliver sustainable 
growth, substantially increasing adjusted 
profit before tax and generating a 
+13% CAGR in adjusted EPS between 
2019 and 2022, propelling IMI into 
the FTSE 100.

 – Continuing to lead a committed and 
high performing finance function, 
developing a strong succession 
pipeline, and delivering year-on-year 
improvements in our internal financial 
controls scores.

 – Leading the successful integration 

of recent acquisitions Adaptas, Bahr, 
CorSolutions and Heatmiser to the 
IMI Financial Controls Framework.

 – Ensure his salary is at the market rate, 

appropriately positioned for a Company 
of IMI’s size.

Policy implementation
No changes have been proposed to the 
overall measures or weightings applying 
to the annual bonus and IIP for 2024.

The annual bonus will continue to be 
based on Group adjusted profit before 
tax and strategic and personal objectives, 
incorporating sustainability metrics.

The IIP award for 2024 will be based on 
Adjusted EPS growth (30%), relative TSR 
(30%), ROIC (30%), and total CO2 intensity 
(Scope 1 & 2) reduction against the 2019 
base figure (10%).

Yours faithfully

Caroline Dowling
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
29 February 2024

137

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
 
Remuneration

Directors’ Remuneration 
Policy Report

Salary
Pension
Benefits
Annual Bonus
IIP

Minimum On-target Maximum
830
91
31
200%
250%

830
91
31
100%
125%

830
91
31
0%
0%

Maximum 
with share 
price growth
830
91
31
200%
250%

Salary
Pension
Benefits
Annual bonus
IIP

Minimum On-target Maximum
577
63
48
150%
150%

577
63
48
75%
75%

577
63
48
0%
0%

Maximum 
with share 
price growth
577
63
48
150%
150%

The Remuneration Committee (the Committee) presents the Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report, 
which will be put to shareholders for a binding vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on 
9 May 2024. Subject to shareholder approval, the effective date of this policy will be 9 May 2024.

The Policy was determined following a robust decision-making process taking into account market, best practice and views of IMI’s 
shareholders and other stakeholders. The Policy was set in the context of the wider pay policies at IMI including those applicable to the wider 
workforce. If approved by shareholders at the AGM, the Committee will continue to review and implement the Policy in the above context.

The Committee is governed by its terms of reference which are published on the Company’s website. This sets out its role and 
responsibilities including setting and implementing the Remuneration Policy.

The Committee appoints an independent advisor to provide assistance on remuneration matters. To avoid conflicts of interest, 
or appearance thereof, no director is involved in setting their own remuneration or determining their own remuneration outcomes.

Illustrations of the application of IMI’s remuneration policy

To illustrate the opportunity available to our executive directors, and the sensitivity of pay to performance, the graphs on this page 
set out pay outcomes under four performance scenarios:

 – minimum, where pay is limited to fixed, non-performance components (based on 2024 salaries, the corresponding pension 

allowance and other benefits);

 – ‘on-target’, where annual bonus and long-term incentives vest at on-target levels;
 – maximum, where all variable pay components vest in full; and
 – maximum, where all variable pay components vest in full including 50% share price growth

The charts are based on proposed IMI Incentive Plan awards for 2024. The assumptions made under the scenario including 50% share 
price growth is that all LTI awards increase in value by 50% and no payments are deferred into shares. No dividend assumptions are 
made and all-employee share plans are excluded from the scenario tables.

Roy Twite

Daniel Shook

Minimum

  952

100%

Minimum

  688

100%

On-target

34%

29%

37%

  2,819

On-target

44%

28%

  1,553

28%

Maximum

20%

36%

  4,687

44%

Maximum

28%

36%

  2,418

36%

Maximum 
with share 
price growth

17%

29%

  5,724

54%

Maximum 
with share 
price growth

24%

30%

  2,851

46%

Long-term incentives 

Annual bonus

Fixed remuneration

Long-term incentives 

Annual bonus

Fixed remuneration

138

Percentages in the above tables are percentages of salary.

Changes from current policy
The remuneration policy below is broadly unchanged from the remuneration policy approved at the AGM in 2021. The key changes are:

 – Extension of the clawback and malus provisions for future incentive awards, to include corporate failure as a trigger event.
 – Minor wording changes to align the report with market practice and to provide the Committee with sufficient flexibility to operate 

the remuneration policy as needed.

Future policy table – executive directors
Fixed elements of executive remuneration

Component & purpose
Salary
Reflects individual 
performance and 
personal contribution 
to delivering strategy. 
Set in the context of 
total pay levels.

Operation
Normally reviewed annually with changes effective 
from January.

The Committee takes into account a range of factors when 
determining salary levels, including: the level of increase for 
the wider workforce, market data for companies of a similar 
size and complexity, market data for companies in the same 
sector, business performance, external economic factors, 
the complexity of the role, the incumbent’s experience 
and performance.

Pension
Provides for retirement 
and supports 
succession planning.
Benefits
Protects the wellbeing 
of executives and 
provides fair and 
reasonable market 
competitive benefits.

A cash allowance in lieu of pension is paid monthly or 
a monthly payment will be paid directly into a defined 
contribution pension arrangement with the 
Committee’s approval.
The policy provides a normal range of benefits to executive 
directors. These include but are not limited to:

Non-cash: private healthcare for themselves and their 
family, health screening, life insurance, and other ancillary 
benefits including the use of a company driver.

Cash and taxable allowances: car and fuel allowance, 
personal tax advice.

Relocation costs: where it is in IMI’s interests to request 
that executives work in a different country or region then 
we may pay relocation and provide benefits and allowances 
in line with IMI’s Global Mobility Policy.

Expenses: expenses that are incurred by an executive 
director in undertaking their role are reimbursed together 
with any tax arising on such benefits where the Company 
considers it fair and reasonable to do so. Typically these 
might include business travel, meals and entertainment, and 
are provided in the form of an allowance or reimbursement.

Annual opportunity
Salary increases will normally be at or below 
the level awarded to the wider workforce, 
however, increases above this level may 
be awarded in certain circumstances, 
for example (but not limited to):

 – where a new executive has been 

appointed at a lower salary level with 
stepped larger salary increases made as 
the executive gains experience

 – where larger salary increases are deemed 
necessary to reflect changes in market 
practice and/or to reflect a material 
increase in the size, scale or complexity 
of the business

 – where there has been a material increase 

in the scope of the role

Pension levels are linked to average 
workforce levels (currently 11%).

The value of benefits vary year-on-year 
depending on the circumstances of the 
individual, the cost of providing the benefit 
and the geography in which the executive 
is based. There is no maximum benefit level.

Should it be appropriate to relocate an 
executive director or to recruit an executive 
director from overseas, flexibility is reserved 
to provide benefits that ensure that the 
individual and IMI can both achieve the 
commercial purpose of this relocation.

139

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report continued

Variable elements of executive remuneration

Component & purpose
Annual Incentive Bonus
Drives and rewards 
performance against 
annual financial, strategic 
and operational goals, 
which are consistent 
with the medium to 
long-term strategic 
goals of IMI. Considers 
individual behaviours 
and contributions.

Operation
Based on annual performance relative 
to set targets.

Annual opportunity
Up to a maximum of 200% 
of salary

If the executive has not achieved their share 
ownership guideline, up to half of any bonus 
shall be invested into IMI shares for at least 
three years. Once the share ownership 
guideline is met, an executive can then elect 
to receive their bonus in cash and/or shares.

Dividends (or equivalent value payments) 
accrue and are payable in cash or shares 
when shares are released.

Recovery provisions are included in the plan 
rules allowing for malus and clawback.

Percentage of award 
payable (straight-line 
between points):

Threshold 
Target 
Maximum 

0-20%*
50%
100%

*  Determined at the discretion of the 
Remuneration Committee at the 
outset of each award.

IMI Incentive Plan (IIP)
Incentivises long-term 
value creation, 
aligning the interests 
of executives and 
shareholders through 
share awards.

Performance metrics 
support the long-term 
strategy of IMI and the 
vehicle and time horizon 
provides a retention 
tool for key executives.

The Committee can make annual share-
based awards. Dividends (or equivalent value 
payments) accrue and are payable in cash 
or shares in respect of vested awards.

Any vested performance share awards will 
be subject to a sale restriction for a period 
of 2 years from the date of vesting, subject 
to the executive being permitted to sell 
such number of shares as may be required 
to settle tax liabilities as they may arise. 
In addition the share ownership 
guidelines apply.

Recovery provisions are included in the 
plan rules allowing for malus and clawback.

Normal award: Up to 250% 
of salary

Maximum or Exceptional 
award: 400% of salary 
(to be used in exceptional 
circumstances only e.g. 
upon recruitment2)

If an award above the 
normal maximum is made, 
full details will be provided 
in the following year’s 
Annual Directors’ 
Remuneration Report.

Percentage of award 
payable (straight-line 
between points):

Threshold 
Maximum 

25%
100%

1  These are the same performance measures as 2023.

2  Refer to page 142 for further details.

Performance
In 2024, the performance 
measures will be Group 
adjusted profit before tax 
(80%), and strategic and 
personal objectives (20%), 
with a health and safety and 
ESG underpin.

The Committee has the 
discretion to determine 
the appropriate measures, 
targets, and ranges annually. 
Normally these will be a 
combination of measures 
linked to the financial and 
operational performance 
of IMI and non-financial 
personal objectives.
In 2024 the performance 
measures1 will be Adjusted 
EPS growth (30%), relative 
TSR (30%), ROIC (30%), and 
total CO2 intensity (Scope 1 
& 2) reduction against the 
2019 base figure (10%).

Performance under these 
metrics will be measured 
over 3 years.

The Committee has 
discretion to determine 
appropriate measures, 
targets and ranges in 
respect of each award.

Other executive director remuneration policies
Share ownership guidelines
It is a requirement of the remuneration policy that executive directors are subject to guidelines which require them to build a 
shareholding in IMI worth at least 250% of salary for the Chief Executive Officer, and 200% of salary for the Chief Financial Officer (and 
other executive directors if applicable). Policy permits the Committee to determine that up to 50% of any annual bonus earned may be 
deferred into shares until the share ownership guideline is achieved together with up to 50% of any vested performance share awards. 
Each executive is then required to maintain at least this share ownership guideline level (subject to allowances for share price 
fluctuations and changes in base salary thereafter). When assessing compliance with this guideline the Committee reviews both the 
level of beneficial share ownership and vested but unexercised share incentive awards on a post-tax basis.

Post-employment shareholding guidelines
Post-employment shareholding requirements require executive directors to hold 100% of their shareholding requirement (or if less, 
all shares held) for two years following departure. This will be implemented by signed agreement. The Committee will have discretion 
to allow sale where there are exceptional reasons.

Additional notes to the future policy table
Setting and assessing performance measures and targets
The Committee reviews and selects performance measures, targets and ranges annually, which take account of the economic conditions 
and the priorities of IMI at the time. Details of the performance measures are included in the Annual Report each year. At the time of 
selecting performance measures, the Committee determines the performance targets that will apply in respect of each measure. Factors 
that the Committee may consider include the strategic plan, the annual budget, analysts’ forecasts, economic conditions, environmental 
considerations, social considerations, governance matters, individuals’ areas of responsibilities and the Committee’s expectations over the 
relevant period. The Committee retains overall discretion to override the formulaic outcomes of the annual bonus and IIP in circumstances 
in which it deems appropriate e.g. if the outcome of a measure is not reflective of underlying performance.

Principles for the impact of corporate transactions
The Committee has established principles that determine the way in which corporate transactions will impact remuneration. It is 
clear that any corporate transaction, which is in the best interests of IMI and its shareholders, should not have an adverse impact 
on remuneration. The principles include the need for management to be treated in a manner consistent with shareholders in respect 
to the rights to equity, that performance should be measured on a like-for-like basis, and that there should be no compensation for 
adverse or favourable tax consequences.

Recovery provisions
The Committee has the power to operate malus and/or clawback provisions in the event that:

 – the Company misstated financial results;
 – the Company suffers serious reputational damage;
 – if there was an error or miscalculation in determining the size of the award;
 – gross misconduct by an executive;
 – corporate failure; and/or
 – the Remuneration Committee has made decisions using erroneous or misleading data.

The provisions enable the Committee to reduce future annual bonus payments, reduce the number of shares under any form of share 
award, and/or require the individual to make a payment to the Company on terms deemed to be fair and reasonable by the Committee.

All-employee share plans
IMI operates a HMRC approved Savings Related Share Option Scheme which is open to all of the Group’s UK employees, including the 
UK-based executive directors. The scheme seeks to encourage share ownership amongst the broader employee population in a tax 
efficient manner and operates subject to statutory requirements including a limit on the level of savings that can be used to acquire 
shares. The Group also has an all-employee share ownership plan, which executive directors can participate in on the same terms as 
other employees.

140

141

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
Remuneration 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report continued

Differences in the remuneration policy for executives relative to the broader employee population
The remuneration framework in place for the executive directors is informed by the remuneration structure that applies to the broader 
employee population. While absolute levels and the provision of certain components, benefits and allowances vary by geography and 
level, the overarching themes are consistent:

 – we aim to offer competitive remuneration at all levels of the organisation to attract and retain highly qualified employees;
 – salaries are reviewed annually with any increases made on a discretionary basis and informed by factors such as those set out in the 

policy table;

 – employee pay is regularly reviewed against Living Wage indices to ensure all employees receive a wage that is at least in line with the 

applicable living wage in their geographical location;

 – consistent with executive directors, the leadership group participates in annual bonus plans with measures linked to corporate, sector 

and/or local performance depending on seniority;

 – a wider senior leadership population can be considered for awards under the IIP. IMI’s share plans are intended to encourage share 

ownership at all levels of the Group. The all-employee plans described above are offered on consistent terms to all employees in the 
geographies where the plans operate; and

 – eligibility for and provision of benefits and allowances varies by level and local market practice. For senior managers, it is standard 
to receive a company car allowance. The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are already aligned with the pension 
provision provided to the wider workforce.

Appointments to the Board
Base salary will be set taking into account factors including market levels, experience, internal relativities and cost. The Committee may 
determine that an initial positioning below market is appropriate and in those circumstances, realign base salary in the years following 
appointment, which may result in an exceptional rate of increase in the short-term. Any reliance on this principle will generally be noted 
at the time of appointment. The theoretical maximum variable pay opportunity that can be awarded in one year will be up to 200% in 
annual bonus and up to 400% in an IIP award, this maximum does not include the value of any ‘buy-out’ awards.

As part of the appointments policy the Committee may also:

 – continue with the provision of existing legacy remuneration components relating to pension, benefits and allowances for 

internal appointments;

 – provide benefits, allowances and/or payments related to relocation; and/or
 – make a long-term incentive award on appointment, outside of the annual cycle, under the existing shareholder approved share plan 

to provide an immediate interest in company performance. The Committee will determine the level of any award, performance 
conditions and time horizon informed by the business circumstances at the time. The maximum total value of long-term incentive 
awards in any given year is 400% of salary and will only be used in exceptional circumstances.

In addition, the Committee may consider ‘buying–out’ incentive awards, up to an approximate equivalent value to award the individual 
forfeits in accepting the appointment. To achieve this, the Committee will use the shareholder approved plan wherever possible.

When making their decision, the Committee will be informed by the vehicles, time horizons, value and performance targets associated 
with any forfeited awards.

Service contracts will be rolling contracts entered into on the following terms:

 – notice period: 12 months’ notice by either party
 – payment in lieu of notice: as determined by the Committee, but restricted to salary, benefits and pension.

Termination and loss of office
The primary principle underpinning the determination of any payments on loss of office is that payments for failure will not be made. 
Service contracts and plan rules have been drafted in such a way that the Committee has the necessary powers to ensure this. 
On departure, the Committee will take into account factors including the reason for the executive leaving, performance during the time 
served in the year and contractual obligations when approving any payments. When an executive is terminated for cause there is no 
entitlement to salary, pension, benefits or an annual bonus and unvested share awards lapse.

The following table provides a summary of the treatment of each component of pay applicable for the current executive directors. 
It should be noted that the Committee applies judgement in determining whether an individual is classed as a good leaver or otherwise 
under the share plans and is authorised to reach compromise agreements with departing executives. Agreed departure can include 
death, ill health, redundancy or retirement.

Agreed departure
The Committee may make payment in lieu of notice.

Differences in a change in control situation
None.

Payment
Salary, pension 
and benefits
Annual bonus

Individuals can be considered for a bonus; factors such 
as time served during the performance period and 
performance can be taken into account.

Deferred bonuses vest.

Performance to the date of the event taking 
place will be considered in determining 
whether any bonus should be payable, 
subject to the overall maximum applicable 
to the relevant individual.

In certain situations (as defined in the 
plan rules) rollover awards of a broadly 
equivalent nature can be offered for 
deferred bonus awards.
Similar to agreed departure with the 
following differences:

IIP performance 
share awards

Performance measured at the end of the performance 
period, or at the date of cessation of employment.

Pro-rating for time elapsed at cessation of employment 
will be considered by the Committee.

A reduction in the exercise period for vested 
but unexercised awards.

Vested awards which are subject to a holding period will 
not normally be forfeited on a termination and the holding 
period will continue to apply to such awards (although the 
Committee may release awards early from the holding 
period in appropriate cases). If the reason for termination 
is misconduct, vested awards which are subject to a 
holding period may be forfeited in whole or in part under 
the relevant provisions.
The Committee may approve other limited payments 
which may include legal fees connected to the departure, 
untaken holiday, out-placement and repatriation.

Performance and time elapsed will be taken 
into account, but the Committee may 
enable awards to vest in full.

In certain situations (as defined in the plan 
rules) rollover awards of a broadly equivalent 
nature can be offered.

Similar to agreed departure.

Other

142

143

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report continued

Considerations taken into account when setting our directors’ remuneration
Employment conditions at IMI
When setting the remuneration policy and when determining its implementation for executive directors the Committee takes into 
account a number of factors including the broader employment conditions within IMI. More specifically:

 – the Committee reviews budgeted salary increases across the Group when assessing the appropriateness of any increases for the 

executive directors;

 – in making decisions the Committee also takes account of the internal relativities against the reference group and within the wider 

leadership group and the wider workforce; and

 – the Committee and the Board receive information from employees on a variety of matters including remuneration. This information 
is considered during the decision making process, however the Committee did not formally consult with employees regarding this 
remuneration policy.

Details of these comparison metrics will be included every year in the Annual Remuneration Report.

Shareholder views
A formal shareholder consultation process was undertaken in the autumn of 2023 to gather investor feedback on the proposed 
remuneration policy as set out herein. Shareholders were generally supportive of the proposals and their feedback has been taken 
into account during the development of the new remuneration policy set out here.

Chair and non-executive directors
Letters of appointment
The letters of appointment set out key duties, including appropriate time commitments, provisions for induction and familiarisation 
with the businesses and wider senior management team and require approval for other directorships and potential conflicts of interest.

There are no provisions for the Company to give notice, but non-executives are required to give one months notice to the Company. 
Directors are required to seek re-election by shareholders at each AGM.

The letters of appointment are available for inspection at the Annual General Meeting and the Company’s registered office. The date 
of the non-executives current letters of appointment are included in the Corporate Governance report on page 115.

Appointments to the board
Any contractual terms will be consistent with those currently adopted for existing non-executive directors updated as necessary 
for legal reasons and to reflect best practice. The Chair and non-executive directors are not eligible to receive any variable pay. 
On appointment, fees for non-executive directors will be consistent with the policy in place at the time of appointment. If necessary, 
to secure the appointment of a new Chair who is not based in the UK, payments relating to relocation and/or housing may be provided.

Chair and non-executive directors
The table over the page summarises the policy with respect to the remuneration of the Chair and non-executive directors. No component 
of remuneration is linked to performance, there are no provisions for the recovery of sums paid or the withholding of any payments 
and there are no provisions for the Company to pay compensation on early termination.

Future policy table – Chair and non-executive directors
Component
Base fees

Operation
Fees are reviewed annually and 
can be paid in cash and/or shares.

Purpose
To attract and retain 
high-calibre individuals by 
offering market-competitive 
fees, commensurate to the 
time commitment and 
experience that is required.

Additional fees

To reflect the additional time 
required when an individual 
chairs a committee, 
is appointed as senior 
independent director, 
or is otherwise required to 
assume additional duties.

Benefits

To reimburse reasonable 
business expenses.

Benchmarked against companies 
of a similar size and complexity.

When setting fees, factors considered 
include the level of increase for 
employees more generally, market 
data, business performance, external 
economic factors, the skills required, 
time requirements and cost.

In respect of the Chair, IMI also 
considers the individual’s profile 
and experience.
Fees are reviewed annually and can 
be paid in cash and/or shares.

The Chair is not eligible to receive 
additional fees for being Chair of the 
Nominations Committee.

Fees are benchmarked where 
appropriate and set in a manner 
consistent with base fees (see above).
Reimbursement in cash on production 
of receipts or other proof of payment 
of business expense.

Annual opportunity
As of 31 December 2023, the Chair’s fee 
was £367,800 paid in cash. Fees can be 
paid in a combination of cash and/or 
IMI shares.

At 31 December 2023 base fees for the 
non-executive directors were £73,675 
paid in cash.

The fees were reviewed at the end of 
2023 and increased by 4.5% with effect 
1 January 2024.

Fee levels in place at 1 January 2024:

Audit and Remuneration Committee 
chairs: £19,250

Senior independent director: £12,800

Employee engagement and ESG 
non-executive director: £11,750

All reasonable travel and other expenses 
incurred by the Chair and non-executive 
directors in carrying out their duties 
together with any tax arising on such 
benefits, are reimbursed where 
the Company considers it fair and 
reasonable to do so. Typically these 
might include business travel, meals and 
entertainment, and are provided in the 
form of an allowance or reimbursement.

144

145

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration

Annual Directors’ 
Remuneration Report

On behalf of the Board, the Remuneration Committee (the Committee) 
presents the Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report, which will be put to 
shareholders for an advisory (non-binding) vote at the Annual General 
Meeting to be held on 9 May 2024. The report includes details of the work 
of the Committee, the pay received during the year in accordance with 
our current Directors’ Remuneration Policy, approved by shareholders at 
the Annual General Meeting in May 2021. A copy of the approved 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy is included in the 2020 Annual Report 
which can be found on the IMI website.

The Committee

Composition
The members of the Committee throughout the year were Caroline Dowling (Chair), Katie Jackson and Dr Ajai Puri. In accordance with 
the UK Corporate Governance Code, all members are independent non-executive directors. Caroline Dowling meets the requirements 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code having more than 12 months’ previous experience on a remuneration committee before being 
appointed Remuneration Committee Chair.

The remaining members of the Board, the Chief People Officer, the Head of Group Reward and the Company’s independent 
remuneration consultants also attend meetings by invitation. The Company Secretary attended each meeting as Secretary to the 
Committee. No director participates in any discussion relating to their own remuneration.

Responsibility
The Committee determines the Remuneration Policy and rewards for the executive directors and other members of the Executive 
Committee and the Chair. The Committee also considers the levels of pay and benefits across the Group. A copy of the Committee’s 
terms of reference (which were reviewed and refreshed in 2023) are included in the IMI Corporate Governance Framework and are 
available on our website.

External advisers to the Committee
Independent remuneration consultant, Willis Towers Watson (WTW), is formally appointed by the Committee and provided advice on 
executive remuneration to the Committee in 2023. The Committee noted that the firm are actuaries and administrators for IMI’s UK 
Pension arrangements. The Committee is comfortable that these activities do not represent a conflict of interest and that objective 
and independent advice continues to be received by the Committee from the dedicated team servicing it at WTW.

The fees charged by WTW in respect of advice and services to the Committee totalled £85,500 in 2023.

WTW are signatories to the Remuneration Consultants’ Code of Conduct in the UK.

A summary of the Committee’s activities during 2023
The Committee held three formal meetings during the year; attendance can be viewed in the table on page 115. The principal agenda 
items were as follows:

 – A review of total compensation packages of the members of the Executive Committee taking into account wider workforce 

remuneration and related policies

 – Approval of the 2023 share awards to members of the Executive Committee
 – Approval of achievements and outcomes under the incentive plans
 – Review and approval of a fee increase for the Chair
 – Review and approval of base salary increases for the executive directors
 – Review and approval of the proposed remuneration policy for 2024
 – Review of IMI’s gender and ethnicity pay gap data for 2023
 – Review of remuneration policies and practices to ensure they remain compatible with the Company’s purpose, values and strategy
 – Review of the performance of the independent remuneration consultants to the Committee
 – Review of risks as they relate to executive compensation
 – Review of the Committee’s own performance and terms of reference

Annual General Meeting voting outcomes
The following table summarises the details of votes cast for and against the 2022 Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report along with the 
number of votes withheld. The Committee will continue to consider the views of, and feedback from, shareholders when determining 
and reporting on remuneration arrangements.

Voting item
Directors’ Remuneration Report (2023 AGM)
Directors’ Remuneration Policy (2021 AGM)

Executive single figure table (audited)

Fixed pay (£000)

Director

Base salary

Pension1

Taxable 
benefits

See page
Roy Twite

Daniel Shook

2023
2022
2023
2022

Page 148 Page 148 Page 149
31
32
48
52

794
760
529
506

87
84
58
71

Votes for % Votes against % Votes withheld #
1,089,315
2,365,464

95.91%
93.40%

4.09%
6.60%

Annual variable 
pay (£000)

Annual 
incentive 
bonus
Pages 151 to 
156
1,550
757
763
372

Long-term 
variable 
pay (£000)

IMI 
Incentive 
Plan (IIP)
Pages 156 
to 157
1,891
2,333
721
890

Other items in 
the nature of 
remuneration 
(£000)

All-employee 
share plans

Total  
(£000)

Total fixed 
pay (£000)

Total 
variable 
pay (£000)

Page 159
4
4
4
4

4,357
3,970
2,123
1,895

912
876
635
629

3,445
3,094
1,488
1,266

1  Daniel Shook’s pension allowance reduced as per the following schedule: from 1 January 2021: 17% of salary; from 1 January 2022: 14% of salary; and from 1 January 

2023: 11% of salary.

Roy Twite served on the Board of Halma plc during the year and received fees of £75,000 in respect of this appointment, 
which he retained.

146

147

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

These figures have been calculated as follows:

Base salary and fees:
Pension:
Taxable benefits:

Annual incentive bonus:

IMI Incentive Plan (IIP):

Share price assumptions:

All-employee share plans:

Total fixed pay:
Total variable pay:

the actual salary receivable for the year.
the cash allowance paid in lieu of pension.
the gross value of all taxable benefits (or benefits that would be taxable for a person tax resident 
in the UK) received in the year.
the value of the annual incentive payable for performance in respect of the relevant financial year 
(up to half is automatically delivered in the form of deferred bonus share awards, when the executive 
director does not meet their share ownership requirement), however, the plan rules permit payments 
to be made wholly in cash.
the value on vesting of the nil cost options that were subject to performance conditions over 
the three-year period ending on 31 December in the relevant financial year (see share price 
assumptions below).
for shares vesting in 2024, that related to performance in the three years to 31 December 2023, the 
average share price over the final three months of 2023 (1,560.44 pence) is used to estimate the value 
of shares on vesting. The value attributed to share price appreciation in respect of the 2021 award 
(based on the three month average share price at 31 December 2023) was £301,402 for Roy Twite and 
£114,939 for Daniel Shook. This equates to 16% of the total award vested for both executive directors.

For the 2022 financial year the IIP figure for the executive directors was estimated based on the share 
price (1,305.38 pence) over the final 3 months of the financial year. The figure has been restated based 
on the actual share price on vesting of 1,469.00 pence. The difference between the estimated figures 
and the actual figures are £260,000 for Roy Twite and £99,000 for Daniel Shook. The adjusted 
percentage attributed to share price appreciation equates to 45%.
the value of free shares at award and dividends under the Employee Share Ownership Plan in the 
relevant financial year and the intrinsic value of Save as You Earn share options on the date of grant 
in the relevant financial year (applying a 10% discount as permitted under the Save as You Earn 
Share Plan).
Sum of fixed pay columns.
Sum of annual incentive bonus, IMI Incentive Plan (IIP), all-employee share plans, and dividend 
equivalent payments (if applicable).

Executive remuneration received in respect of 2023
Base salary
Consistent with prior years, salary increases effective 1 January 2023 considered a range of factors including the increases for the wider 
workforce, the financial performance of the Group and prevailing economic conditions.

For 2023 the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer received a 4.5% base salary increase which was 1.6% lower than the 
average increase awarded to the wider workforce. Effective 1 January 2023, the base salary for the Chief Executive Officer was £794,200 
and the base salary for the Chief Financial Officer was £529,100.

Pension
Effective from the date of his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Roy Twite received a cash allowance equivalent to 11% of base 
salary which is consistent with the average global employee pension opportunity for employees.

Daniel Shook, Chief Financial Officer received a cash allowance of 14% of salary on 1 January 2022. His allowance reduced by 3% 
on 1 January 2023 to 11% of base salary which is consistent with the average global employee pension opportunity for employees.

Pension benefits for past service
Roy Twite was previously an active member of the defined benefit IMI Pension Fund, the assets and liabilities under which were 
transferred to either the IMI 2014 Pensioner Fund or the IMI 2014 Deferred Fund (the Fund) in 2014. He opted out with effect from 
1 February 2007, before he became an executive director, and as a result he retains past pensionable service up to that date in the Fund.

The key elements of the benefits in the Fund are summarised below:

 – The normal retirement age under the Fund is 62 and Roy Twite may retire from employment with IMI any time after age 60 without 

an actuarial reduction applied to his pension

 – On death after retirement, a dependant’s pension is provided equal to 50% of the member’s pension
 – Should he die within the first five years of retirement, the dependant’s pension is increased to 100% of the member’s pension for 

the remainder of the five-year period

 – Pensions in payment more than any guaranteed minimum pension, are increased each year in line with price inflation up to a 

maximum of 5% in respect of pension built up before 1 January 2006, and 2.5% in respect of pension built up after 1 January 2006

Director
Roy Twite

Accrued pension in the Fund 
as at 31 December 2023 
£000pa
87

Accrued pension in the Fund 
as at 31 December 2022 
£000pa
83

Benefits
During the year the executive directors received several benefits, which are summarised below.

Non-cash benefits (£000)
Company car and fuel allowance (£000)
Allowances and reimbursement (£000)
Total

Roy Twite

Daniel Shook

2023
11
20
–
31

2022
12
20
–
32

2023
34
14
–
48

2022
38
14
–
52

In addition to the above benefits and allowances that are included in the single figure table (refer to table on page 147), the executive 
directors are also beneficiaries of company policies that have no taxable value, including directors’ and officers’ insurance, death in 
service cover, travel insurance and personal accident cover.

How our remuneration policy aligns to the factors set out in the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018
The table below shows how our policy addresses the remuneration factors set out in provision 40 of the 2018 UK Corporate 
Governance Code.

Remuneration factors
Clarity

Simplicity

Risk

Remuneration Committee meetings
Our policy is designed to ensure pay for performance, be aligned to our strategy and be transparent. 
We believe this is clearly communicated to our stakeholders and understood by them.
Executive director remuneration is comprised of distinct elements: fixed pay, annual bonus award and the 
long-term incentive award.
A number of features within the Remuneration Policy exist to manage different kinds of risks; these include:

 – Malus and clawback provisions
 – Post-employment shareholding requirement
 – Deferral of remuneration and holding periods
 – Remuneration Committee discretion to override formulaic outturns to ensure incentive outcomes reflect 

underlying business performance and shareholder experience

 – Limits on awards specified within the policy and plan rules
Target ranges and potential maximum payments under each element of remuneration are disclosed in 
our policy and to the participants. The Committee regularly reviews the performance of inflight awards, 
so it understands the likely outcomes.
Poor performance should not be rewarded. Therefore, a key portion of remuneration is linked to 
performance and requires achievement against challenging and stretching targets.
The Committee believes our remuneration structure is appropriately aligned to our values as demonstrated 
by the following table.

Predictability

Proportionality

Alignment to Culture

148

149

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

IMI Incentive Plans
Our Remuneration Policy is aimed at enabling our business model and is aligned to our values and the delivery of the strategy.

The table below sets out our 2023 values and KPIs and how these incentivise and reward our executives for achievement of the KPIs.

Annual 
bonus

IIP

Customer 
intimacy

KPI
Organic sales growth*

Adjusted operating 
profit*

Playing to win

Cash conversion*

Return on 
invested capital
Adjusted earnings 
per share
Employee 
engagement*

One big team

Integrity

Total Recordable 
Incident Frequency 
Rate*

CO2 Intensity*

Why it is important and how is it incentivised?
 – Important part of building sustainable value for shareholders
 – Fundamental to achieving sustainable profitable growth
 – Growth Hub bookings/revenue targets included in personal objectives
 – Generates value for our shareholders and create more opportunity 

to invest further

 – Group PBT is a core annual bonus performance metric
 – Supports investment in our business and enables IMI to provide 

returns to shareholders through dividends

 – Ensures a strong balance sheet, giving customers and suppliers 

confidence in the future of IMI

 – Free cash flow management will be considered by the Remuneration 

Committee when determining the annual bonus performance

 – Indication of IMI’s ability to deploy capital effectively
 – ROIC is a core IIP performance metric
 – Creating consistent long-term value for shareholders
 – EPS is a core IIP performance metric
 – Key to retaining the existing skills and promoting and attracting 

employees who bring new ideas and capabilities

 – Employee engagement targets are explicitly included in directors’ 

personal objectives for the annual bonus plan

 – The health and safety of all who work at IMI is paramount
 – Closely linked to our business success, including attracting and 

retaining the best talent

 – Each director has a specific Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate 

personal objective for the annual bonus plan

 – The annual bonus plan has an ESG underpin which could result in 

reduced vesting outcomes if IMI underperform

 – Our purpose, Breakthrough engineering for a better world, drives our 
strategy and our ambition, including our commitment to halve our 
total CO2 intensity by 2030 (based on 2019 Scope 1 & 2 emissions)

 – Each director has a specific CO2 intensity target included as a personal 

objective for the annual bonus plan

 – CO2 Intensity reduction (Scope 1 & 2) is a core IIP performance metric

*  Whilst these measures are not explicit annual incentive bonus metrics, they contribute significantly towards adjusted profit before tax, a core annual incentive bonus metric.

Annual incentive bonus
In setting targets and assessing performance the following process is adopted by the Committee:

1

2

3

4

5

Set performance 
measures aligned with 
strategy and budget

Set stretching 
performance targets

Assess performance

Take account of wider 
circumstances

Discretion to override 
formulaic outcomes 
and to apply malus 
and clawback

As per the Policy, the Committee reviews and selects performance measures, targets and ranges annually, which take account of the 
economic conditions, strategy and the priorities of IMI at the time.

1

Set performance measures aligned with strategy and budget
The Committee reviewed and selected performance measures for 2023 that were fully aligned to the business strategy and the annual 
budget as approved by the Board in December 2022. The 2023 annual incentive bonus focused on just one financial metric and 
non-financial strategic and personal objectives metric:

 – Group adjusted profit before tax (80%)
 – Strategic and personal objectives (20%)

Free cash flow was also monitored and, if it materially underperformed against budget, the Committee may consider applying 
downward discretion.

There was also an Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) underpin to provide discretion for the Committee to take into account any 
relevant ESG matters when determining bonus outcomes.

For 2024, see page 165 for information regarding the financial metric.

2

Set stretching performance targets
In setting stretching performance targets the Committee considered a range of influencing factors that included the strategic plan, 
the annual budget, analysts’ forecasts, economic conditions, individuals’ areas of responsibilities and the Committee’s expectations 
over the relevant period.

Notwithstanding stretching targets are set at the outset, the Committee will also consider the application of discretion at the end of the 
performance period if relevant.

The performance target range itself was established based on the annual budget and required significant outperformance for executive 
directors to achieve the maximum.

3

Assess performance
Results were ahead of expectations:

 – Group revenue of £2,196m increased by 7% and adjusted operating margin increased by 90bps, statutory operating margin was 10bps 

lower than last year

 – Group adjusted profit before tax increased from £346m to £387m, statutory profit before tax increased from £285m to £302m
 – Adjusted Basic EPS increased from 105.5p to 116.8p

The Alternative Performance Measures referred to above are defined in Note 3.

150

151

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
Remuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

4

Take account of wider circumstances
The Committee believes that the range of measures used to assess performance of the annual incentive bonus ensures that 
performance is assessed using a balanced approach, that is fully aligned with the business strategy.

The Committee also considers the wider workforce remuneration and policies when making decisions on executive remuneration. 
Given the performance noted above and wider operational achievements, the Committee is comfortable that the 2023 annual incentive 
bonus outcomes represent a fair reward for performance delivered. This includes reviewing wider employee remuneration as part of the 
decision making process and actively engaging with employees to obtain feedback on remuneration policies as described on page 119.

5

Discretion to override formulaic outcomes and to apply malus and clawback
Depending on the circumstances, the Committee may exercise judgement in assessing performance and determining the level 
of achievement.

Under the current policy, the Committee has full discretion to override formulaic outcomes, reduce the amount of any annual bonus, 
reduce the number of shares (subject to any form of share award) and/or to require a repayment to the Company in the event it is 
discovered that the Company has misstated its financial results, there has been an error or miscalculation in respect of an award, there 
has been gross misconduct, there is erroneous or misleading data or in any other circumstances as the Committee sees fit. Such other 
circumstances may include, but are not limited to, serious reputational damage or corporate failure.

The Committee has considered the position and determined that for 2023 it is not appropriate for any reason to exercise the discretion 
to override formulaic outcomes or recover amounts previously awarded.

Summarised in the table below is the achievement against Group targets applicable for Roy Twite and Daniel Shook.

Director
All executive 
directors

Measure
Group adjusted 
profit before tax1
Strategic and 
personal objectives

Maximum 
opportunity 
(% of bonus 
opportunity)

Performance targets

Threshold

Target Maximum

Actual 
performance
(£m)

Actual 
performance 
(% out of 100)

Actual performance 
as a percentage of 
metric weighting

80% £329.8m £366.4m £384.7m

£394.9m

100%

80%

See table on pages 153 to 155

20%
100%

1  Adjusted Group profit before tax, as set out in the Consolidated Income Statement on page 183, adjusted for the impact of foreign exchange, acquisitions and disposals.

Strategic and personal objectives
As part of the strategic growth plan, the Committee sets each executive director several strategic and personal objectives each year. 
Performance against these objectives is assessed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative reference points to ensure a robust 
assessment process. Mid-way through the year the executive is reviewed against their progress towards achieving the strategic and 
personal objectives with a full review undertaken by the Committee at the end of the performance period. As well as performance 
against strategic and personal objectives, the Committee considers the wider performance of the Group.

A summary of the strategic and personal objectives set for 2023 and the performance against them is provided in the table below.

Director

Roy Twite

2023 Strategic and  
personal objectives

Commentary

Weighting 
(% of maximum)

Performance 
achieved 
(% of maximum)

Strategic growth: Focus the 
entire management team on 
creating sustainable better world 
profitable growth. Work with the 
Platform CEOs to ensure we have 
the best leadership and winning 
strategies in each sector of the 
organisation. Actively engage 
and support the Growth Hub 
initiatives to deliver substantial 
order book growth in 2023.

Strengthen organisation: 
Continue to accelerate the 
IMI Executive Committee’s 
performance. Build succession 
to the Executive and drive 
succession depth across 
the organisation.

Deliver projects: Focus the entire 
management team on profitable 
growth, ensuring each part of 
the organisation is designed 
most appropriately to achieve 
this. Optimise each sector’s 
performance to deliver the 
strategic plan.

Ensure the completed 
acquisitions have robust 
integration planning and 
resourcing to achieve the 
acquisition business cases.

 – The IMI strategy continues to be deployed 

20%

88%

successfully. Adjusted profit before tax increased 
by 12% which is ahead of market expectations.

 –  Revenues have increased by 7% in very 

mixed markets.

 – Earnings per share growth was 11% resulting 

in IMI re-entering the FTSE 100 in 2023.

 – Growth Hub orders have substantially increased 
to £89m in 2023 compared to £52m in 2022. 
In particular, Retrofit3D and EroSolve both reached 
£20m bookings, and connected products now 
account for c. 25% of Climate Control sales.
 – Complexity-reducing rationalisation projects 
as communicated to the Board and City have 
delivered £20m benefits.

 – The IMI Executive Committee is functioning well 

and leading IMI’s success.

 – Internal succession plans are in place, with strong 
candidates for the Executive Committee members.

 – Detailed talent reviews have been carried out to 
support the development of career pathways for 
high potential employees and improve mobility 
across IMI.

 – The new IMI operating structure was successfully 

deployed in 2023, providing IMI with greater 
opportunities to harness innovation, leverage 
talent and utilise sales synergies to deliver greater 
revenues and cost savings.

 – All recent acquisitions are now fully integrated 
into the organisation. PBM which was acquired 
in 2019 is achieving its business case. Heatmiser 
acquired in 2022 delivered results in line with 
the business case.

152

153

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Director

Daniel Shook

Director

2023 Strategic and  
personal objectives

Commentary

Weighting 
(% of maximum)

Performance 
achieved 
(% of maximum)

Environment: Focus on elevating 
the visibility of IMI’s progress and 
developing our tangible metrics 
and targets, particularly regarding 
Scope 3 emissions reductions. 
Reduce IMI’s Group water 
intensity by 0.5% in 2023.

Continue to monitor and review 
that Health & Safety, quality 
and risk improvement plans are 
robust across the organisation.

Social: Further improve 
employee communication 
and engagement, measured 
by our One Big Voice employee 
engagement scores and 
stakeholder engagement reports.

Drive a culture of wellbeing, 
ensuring employees fully 
understand and embrace IMI’s 
wellbeing strategy and how 
it aligns with IMI’s core values.

Drive a proactive diversity 
and inclusion culture at IMI.

Governance: Ensure that Quality 
and Risk improvement plans 
are robust and delivered across 
the organisation. Effectively 
communicate progress 
against our strategic plan 
to shareholders.

 – IMI’s carbon intensity (Scope 1 & 2) improved to 
1.98 CO2e in 2023 and we remain ahead of our 
target of halving our total CO2 intensity by 2030.
 – IMI electricity consumption has reduced by 7% and 
resulted in a corresponding reduction in absolute 
Scope 2 emissions of 657 tonnes. Water intensity 
has reduced to 9.6m3 per 1,000 hours worked 
compared to a target of 9.95m3 for 2023.

 – Non-recycled hazardous waste reduced from 

392t in 2022 to 321t in 2023, a reduction of 18%.
 – We submitted our near-term and net zero targets 
to the SBTi for validation in relation to Scope 1, 2 
and 3 emissions.

 – A huge focus was put into Health and Safety which 

remains our number one priority. Over 34,000 
hazards were detected globally by our workforce, 
up 14% on 2022, with 92% fixed within 30 days. 
Despite this our TRIFR increased slightly to 0.44 
but remains within the top quartile for our industry.
 – Enhancements to our Employee Value Proposition 
have been made in 2023 including ensuring all 
IMI global employees are paid a living wage.
 – The IMI employee engagement score was 77% 

in 2023 with almost all measures scoring 
above benchmarks.

 – Employee engagement with our wellbeing 
programmes has increased and the focus 
on communicating our employee support 
programmes including the Employee Assistance 
Programme has led to an increase in employees 
using the programme.

 – Compared to external benchmarks, our One 

Big Voice survey results indicate IMI employees 
experience a greater sense of belonging, fairness 
and respect for individual differences.
 – Detailed risk reviews were held with both 

platforms and actions arising were successfully 
executed to mitigate the risks the emerged in 
2023, for example with supply chains, market 
uncertainty and customer de-stocking.

 – We carried out a detailed assessment of our 

climate-related opportunities and risks and their 
potential financial impact (see pages 61 to 81 for 
more information).

 – Shareholder engagement remained high, with 
82 investor meetings attended during the year.

2023 Strategic and personal 
objectives

Commentary

Weighting 
(% of maximum)

Performance 
achieved 
(% of maximum)

Strengthen organisation: Focus 
the entire management team on 
creating sustainable better world 
profitable growth.

Support and continue to develop 
the Finance leadership team, 
ensuring all new senior finance 
hires land well and are successful.

Actively engage and support 
Growth Hub initiatives to deliver 
£75m in Growth Hub orders 
in 2023.

Ensure all acquisitions transition 
into the IMI Finance control 
environment successfully.
Deliver projects: Successfully 
deliver key strategic projects.

Support our platforms to build the 
data intelligence to identify and 
scale their best opportunities.

Environment: Advance our 
ESG reporting activity and drive 
continued efficiencies in CO2 
intensity reduction and water 
usage reductions. Ensure 
reporting is delivered to a 
high standard.

Support the platforms to continue 
to focus on IMI’s ambition for 
Health & Safety excellence and 
an accident free workplace.
Social: Drive a culture of 
wellbeing, particularly in the 
finance function. Ensure that 
employees fully understand and 
embrace IMI’s wellbeing strategy 
and how it aligns with IMI’s 
core values.

Drive a proactive diversity 
and inclusion culture at IMI.

 – IMI continues to have a strong and committed 

20%

81%

finance team with clear succession plans in place.

 – Growth Hub orders have substantially increased 
to £89m in 2023 compared to £52m in 2022.
 – The financial controls integrations of all new 

acquisitions have been successfully completed 
with the controls environment in good shape.

 – The transition of the finance, IT and controls 

process to the new platform operating structure is 
now largely complete with no business disruption. 
The finance team remains engaged and motivated.

 – Significant progress has been made to develop 
new monthly reporting structures, leverage our 
developing expertise and share best practice to 
develop and build our data intelligence capability.
 – Our IT infrastructure has been developed to leave 

us well placed to utilise Artificial Intelligence 
advancements to support business growth.
 – Established a robust ESG reporting process, 

exceeding our annual targets for CO2 intensity 
and water usage reductions.

 – Consistent efforts were undertaken through the 
year to raise awareness of our safety culture and 
drive the right behaviours to maintain our industry 
leading Health and Safety position, with a focus 
on driving improvements at our key sites.

 – Employee engagement remains high based on 

our One Big Voice survey responses, with overall 
engagement scores at similar levels to 2022.
 – We have established a strong talent pipeline of 
diverse candidates within the Finance function 
including emerging leaders developing for future 
finance leadership team opportunities. Strong 
support programmes are in place for all high 
potential female employees including mentoring 
relationships and clear career pathways.

Governance: Deliver consistently 
high internal finance controls 
scores and maintain a robust 
controls framework.

 – Overall high internal controls scores have been 

maintained. Where issues were identified, action 
plans have been carried out successfully to 
deliver improvements.

154

155

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Performance under the financial metric (80% of the total annual incentive bonus achievement) and the strategic and personal objectives 
(20% of the total annual incentive bonus achievement) and the total achievement (% of maximum) is set out below:

Director
Roy Twite
Daniel Shook

Actual performance of 
financial metrics (%)
80%
80%

Performance achieved under the 
strategic and personal objectives (%)
17.6%
16.2%

2023 maximum bonus achieved 
(% of maximum)
97.6%
96.2%

Based on the performance described above, the annual incentive bonus outcomes for 2023 are set out below:

Director
Roy Twite
Daniel Shook

2023 maximum 
bonus 
opportunity 
(% of salary)
200%
150%

2023 maximum 
bonus achieved 
(% of 
maximum)
97.6%
96.2%

Total bonus 
awarded  
(£000)
1,550
763

Total bonus 
awarded 
(% of salary)
195.2%
144.3%

Achievement of 
share ownership 
guidelines at
31 Dec 20231
274%
228%

Bonus 
delivered in 
form of cash 
(£000)
1,550
763

Bonus delivered 
in form of 
share awards
(£000)1
–
–

1  Deferred bonus share awards are made where the executive director is yet to reach their share ownership guidance. Details of the share ownership guidelines can be found on page 158.

Awards vesting under the IIP
In March 2021, performance share awards were made to the executive directors under the IIP. The vesting of the awards was subject to 
the achievement of three independent performance conditions as described below, measured over the three-years ended 31 December 
2023. The 2021 IIP award will vest in March 2024 at 82.6% of maximum.

Director
Roy Twite
Daniel Shook

Value on date
of award1
(£000)
1,827
697

Number of 
initial shares 
vesting
115,051
43,876

Initial award
139,288
53,119

Additional 
dividend 
equivalent 
shares
6,106
2,327

Total shares 
vesting
121,157
46,203

Value of shares
on vesting2
(£000)
1,891
721

1  The three-day average mid-market price on the date of award was 1,311.67 pence

2  The price on vesting is unknown at this time and so the total number of shares vesting is valued at the average price over the last quarter of 2023 (1,560.44 pence)

Return on invested capital (ROIC)
One third of the award was subject to the achievement of ROIC. This measure is defined as adjusted operating profit as a percentage 
of the average invested capital during the financial year ended 31 December 2023. Invested Capital being net assets adjusted to remove 
net debt (including lease liabilities recognised under IFRS 16), derivative assets and liabilities, restructuring provisions, employee benefit 
assets and liabilities and deferred tax on employee benefits, and to reverse historical impairments of goodwill and amortisation of 
acquired intangible assets. It compares the earnings of the Group with the capital employed. ROIC was chosen as a measure as it 
represents how well the Group has used its investment made by shareholders and capital from creditors to generate a profit.

For ROIC of less than 11.5% no award under this element would vest. 25% of the award would vest for ROIC of 11.5%, rising on 
a straight-line basis to full vesting for ROIC of 13.5%. At the end of the performance period return on invested capital was 13.1%. 
The resultant vesting outcome for this element of the award is 27.8%.

Total Shareholder Return (TSR)
One third of the award was subject to the achievement of a relative TSR performance measure against a defined group of companies 
adjusted during the performance period, to take account of merger and acquisition activity during the performance period in line with 
the Committee’s established guidelines. TSR is defined as the movement in share price during the performance period, measured in 
local currency, with adjustment to take account of changes in capital structure and dividends, which are assumed to be reinvested 
in shares on the ex-dividend date. TSR was chosen as a measure as it is an external, relative benchmark for performance that aligns 
executives’ rewards with the creation of shareholder value.

For a TSR rank that is below median, no award under this element would vest. 25% of the award would vest for median TSR, rising on 
a straight-line basis to full vesting for upper quartile TSR. At the end of the three-year performance period, the Group ranked 7th of 
the peer group. The resultant vesting outcome for this element of the award is 21.5%. Note that Circor was removed from the TSR 
comparator group following it’s acquisition by KKR in October 2023.

Adjusted earnings per share (EPS)
One third of the award was subject to the achievement of the Adjusted EPS growth measure. This measure is defined as the compound 
annual growth rate in adjusted EPS over three financial years, adjusted for any exceptional items, including significant acquisition and 
disposal and foreign exchange movements, at the Committee’s discretion.

Adjusted EPS growth is a key measure for IMI as it gives an indication of the strength of the Group’s financial performance and shows 
the amount available to reinvest into the business and pay a return to shareholders through dividends. For growth of less than 3% per 
annum, no award under this element would vest. 25% of the award would vest for growth of 3% per annum rising on a straight-line basis 
to full vesting for growth of 7.5% per annum.

Over the three-year performance period ended 31 December 2023, IMI delivered EPS growth of 13.0%. The resultant vesting outcome 
for this element of the award is 33.3%.

Deferred bonus share awards
In March 2021, deferred bonus share awards were also made under the IIP which vest in March 2024. These are in the form of share 
awards used for mandatory bonus deferral into shares of up to 50% of annual bonus payable, where the executive director is yet to 
reach their share ownership guideline. No performance conditions apply to these shares.

Discretion to override formulaic outcomes and to apply malus and clawback
Depending on the circumstances, the Committee may exercise judgement in assessing performance and determining the level 
of achievement.

Under the current policy, the Committee has full discretion to override formulaic outcomes and to reduce the amount of any IIP award, 
to reduce the number of shares subject to any form of share award and/or to impose an obligation to make a payment to the Company 
in the event that:

 – The Company misstated financial results;
 – The Company suffers serious reputational damage;
 – There was an error or miscalculation in determining the size of the award;
 – There was gross misconduct by an executive;
 – The Remuneration Committee has made decisions using erroneous or misleading data; and/or
 – In such other circumstances as the Committee sees fit.

The Committee has considered the position and determined that for 2023 it is not appropriate for any reason to exercise the discretion 
to override the formulaic outcome of the 2021 IIP awards or recover amounts previously awarded.

156

157

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Share ownership guidelines
It is a requirement of the Policy that executive directors are subject to guidelines which require them to build a shareholding 
in IMI worth at least 250% of salary for Roy Twite and 200% of salary for Daniel Shook.

The Policy permits the Committee discretion to determine that up to 50% of any annual bonus earned is deferred into shares until 
the share ownership guideline is achieved together with 50% of any vested share awards. Each executive is then required to maintain 
this share ownership guideline (subject to allowances for share price fluctuations and changes in base salary thereafter).

When assessing compliance with this guideline the Committee reviews both the level of beneficial share ownership and vested 
but unexercised share incentive awards on a post-tax basis.

The Committee has determined that as both Roy Twite and Daniel Shook have met their guidelines (as at 31 December 2023) 
as outlined above, their entire 2023 bonus will be delivered in cash.

Post-employment shareholding guidelines
Our current policy includes post-employment shareholding requirements which require executive directors to hold 100% of their 
shareholding requirement (or if less, all shares held) for two years following departure. This is implemented by signed agreement. 
The Committee will have discretion to allow sale where there are exceptional circumstances.

Share interests granted to executive directors during 2023 (audited)
Grants made under the IIP
Performance share award grants under the IIP were made on 24 March 2023 in the form of nil-cost options. Awards are due to vest 
on 24 March 2026, subject to the performance metrics described in the 2022 Annual Report: Adjusted EPS growth (30%), relative TSR 
(30%), ROIC (30%), and total CO2 intensity (Scope 1 & 2) reduction against the 2019 base figure (10%). After vesting, a holding period 
of two years applies subject to the sale of shares as required to meet tax liabilities arising on vesting.

The performance targets, which consider the Group’s approach to implementing accounting changes under IFRS 16, and vesting scale 
that apply to the 2023 IIP awards are as follows:

Threshold

Maximum

Weighting

Relative TSR
Median

Adjusted EPS
3%

Upper quartile

30%

10%

30%

ROIC
11%

13%

30%

Total CO2 intensity
2019 base -21% (2.18 tCO2e 
per 1,000 hours worked)
2019 base -36% (1.77 tCO2e 
per 1,000 hours worked)
10%

Level of vesting
25%

100%

The following performance share award grants were approved and made in 2023:

Roy Twite
Daniel Shook

IIP shares 
awarded
132,691
53,039

Value on date
of award1
(£000)
1,985
794

Award as a 
percentage 
of salary
250%
150%

1  The three day average mid-market price on the date of award was 1,496.33 pence.

The IIP is also used to grant deferred bonus awards exercisable after three years to satisfy bonuses delivered in the form of shares. 
No deferred bonus share awards were granted in 2023.

For share awards granted in 2023 the TSR group included 17 companies to ensure alignment with our peers and comparison 
to companies with similar products, customers and global spread. The 2023 peer group includes the following companies and 
these have been adjusted to take into account merger and acquisition activity during the performance period in line with the 
Committee’s guidelines:

TSR comparator group companies
Belimo
Curtiss-Wright
Eaton
Emerson Electric
Flowserve
Ingersoll-Rand US Inc

ITT
Morgan Advanced Materials
Parker-Hannifin
Rockwell Automation
Rotork
SMC

Smiths Group
Spectris
Spirax Sarco
SPX
The Weir Group

Circor has been removed from the TSR comparator group following its acquisition by KKR in October 2023.

All-employee share plans
Executive directors are eligible to participate in the all-employee share plans on the same terms as other eligible employees at IMI.

Director
Roy Twite

Daniel Shook

All Employee Share Ownership 
Plan

IMI Sharesave Scheme

Number of 
shares 
awarded
243
279
243
279

Value of free
share award1
(£000)
4
4
4
4

Number of 
options 
awarded
–
–
–
–

Value 
of options 
(£000)
–
–
–
–

Dividends 
(£000)
–
–
–
–

Total value under the 
all-employee share plans 
(£000)
4
4
4
4

2023
2022
2023
2022

1 

In 2023 free shares were awarded at a share price of 1,476.00 pence (1,290.00 pence in 2022).

Chair’s and non-executive directors’ single figure table (audited)
The following table summarises the total fixed fees and benefits paid to the Chair and non-executive directors in respect of the financial 
years ended 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2022.

2023 (£000)

2022 (£000)

Director
Lord Smith of Kelvin6
Isobel Sharp2
Thomas Thune Andersen3
Katie Jackson
Caroline Dowling4
Dr Ajai Puri
Jackie Callaway5

Base fees
368
74
74
74
74
74
37

Additional 
fees
–
18
23
–
18
–
–

Taxable
benefits1
10
6
21
5
14
8
5

Total
378
98
118
79
106
82
42

Base fees
380
71
71
71
71
71
–

Additional 
fees
–
17
22
–
17
–
–

Taxable
benefits1
7
5
10
5
6
5
–

Total
387
93
103
76
94
76
–

1  Taxable benefits includes travel and hotel expenses plus tax costs associated with Board meetings held at IMI HQ.

2 

Includes fee for Audit Committee Chair.

3 

Includes fee for Senior Independent Director and non-executive director with responsibility for employee engagement and for ESG matters.

4 

Includes fee for Remuneration Committee Chair.

5  Jackie Calloway was appointed to the Board on 1 July 2023. 2023 fees represent pro-rated amount.

6  As a consequence of the Company being near to its Articles of Association limit on payments it may make to Directors, the Chair, Lord Smith of Kelvin agreed to a £27,778 

underpayment of his £338,500 fee in 2021. The Chair was repaid in 2022 and the total 2022 fee of £380,000 reflects this repayment. However, the Chair’s total 2022 fees (excluding this 
repayment) were £352,000, reflecting the 4.0% applied to the 2021 full year fee, as detailed in the 2021 Annual Report. Shareholder approval was obtained at the 2022 AGM to increase 
the payment limit within our Articles of Association.

158

159

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Directors’ shareholdings and share interests (audited)
The following table summarises the share interests of any director who served during the year as at 31 December 2023 or at the date 
of leaving the Board.

During the period 31 December 2023 to 29 February 2024 there were no changes in the interests of any current director from those 
shown save for purchases within the IMI All Employee Share Ownership Plan on 9 January 2024 of 9 shares on behalf of Roy Twite and 
7 shares on behalf of Daniel Shook at 1,589.34 pence per share, and 13 February 2024 of 9 shares on behalf of Roy Twite and 8 shares 
on behalf of Daniel Shook at 1,710.56 pence per share.

Scheme interests

Nil-cost options

With performance 
conditions

Without performance 
conditions (deferred bonus 
share awards)

Total 
interests
777,318
330,121
14,300
3,000
3,025
2,846
3,014
3,000
3,097

Beneficial 
interests
337,196
157,386
14,300
3,000
3,025
2,846
3,014
3,000
3,097

Unvested1
430,188
169,254
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Vested but 
unexercised
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Unvested
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Vested but 
unexercised
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

All-
employee 
share plans
9,934
3,481
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Director
Roy Twite
Daniel Shook
Lord Smith of Kelvin
Isobel Sharp
Thomas Thune Andersen
Katie Jackson
Caroline Dowling
Dr Ajai Puri
Jackie Callaway

1  Vesting dates of share awards are shown in Note 6, page 205.

Relative importance of spend on pay
The following information is intended to provide additional context regarding the total remuneration for executive directors.

Dividends
Total employment costs for Group (see Note 5 on page 204)

2023
(£m)
68.8
633.0

2022
(£m)
62.2
602.6

Change
11%
5%

Historical performance and remuneration
In addition to considering executive remuneration in the context of internal comparisons, the Committee reviews historical outcomes 
under the variable pay plans.

The graph compares IMI’s TSR to the FTSE100 and FTSE250 over the last ten years. We compare performance to the FTSE100 
as IMI is currently a constituent of the index. The FTSE250 is shown as IMI was previously a constituent of the index.

TSR measures the returns that a company has provided for its shareholders, reflecting share price movements and assuming 
reinvestment of dividends (source: CapIQ), with data averaged over the final 30 days of each financial year.

As the graph below illustrates, IMI’s absolute and relative TSR performance has been robust over the last ten years.

Value of a hypothetical £100 investment

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

IMI 

FTSE 100 

FTSE 250 

Source: S&P Global Capital IQ

The following table summarises the total remuneration for the Chief Executive Officer over the last ten years, and the outcomes of short 
and long-term incentive plans as a percentage of maximum.

Financial year ended 
31 December
Total remuneration 
(single figure, £000)
Annual variable pay 
(% of maximum)
Long-term variable pay 
(% of maximum) – 
Performance Share Plan
Long-term variable pay 
(% of maximum) – 
IMI Incentive Plan

20141

20151

20161

20171

20181

20192

20202

20212

20222

20232

1,567

1,667

1,901

2,773

3,047

1,707

2,455

3,978

3,9703

4,357

36%

40%

50%

95%

75%

43%

73%

98%

50%

98%

–

–

–

–

3.5%

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

6.6%

29.2%

47.1%

58.8%

75.3%

66.8%

82.6%

1  Represents remuneration for Mark Selway, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer on 1 January 2014.

2  Represents remuneration for Roy Twite, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer on 9 May 2019.

3  Figure recalculated, see page 148.

160

161

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Pay ratio reporting
The table below sets out the ratio at median, 25th and 75th percentile of the total remuneration received by the Chief Executive Officer 
compared to the total remuneration received by our UK employees – as well as comparing to base salary only. Total remuneration 
reflects all remuneration received by an individual in respect of the relevant years, and includes salary, benefits, pension, and value 
received from incentive plans.

Annual percentage change in remuneration of directors and employees
The Committee actively considers any increases in base pay for the Chief Executive Officer and other directors relative to the broader 
IMI employee population. Benefits and bonus payments are not typically comparable given they are driven by a broad range of factors, 
such as geographical location, local practices, eligibility, individual circumstances and role.

The following table summarises the annual percentage change of each director’s remuneration compared to:

 – The annual percentage change of the average remuneration of the Group’s employees, calculated on a full-time equivalent basis

Financial year
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019

Total remuneration

Methodology
Option C
Option C
Option C
Option C
Option C

P25 (Lower Quartile)
128:1
112:1
116:1
85:1
83:1

P50 (Median)
95:1
86:1
95:1
67:1
62:1

P75 (Upper Quartile)
71:1
50:1
63:1
45:1
45:1

Executive Directors

Chair

Non-executive Directors

2020 Annual Salary/Fees
Benefits6
Annual Bonus
2021 Annual Salary/Fees
Benefits6
Annual Bonus
2022 Annual Salary/Fees
Benefits6
Annual Bonus
2023 Annual Salary/Fees
Benefits6
Annual Bonus

Roy Twite
7.5%
-23.3%
103.7%
6.9%
8.7%
35.8%
4.0%
28.0%
-47.0%
4.5%
-3.1%
104.8%

Daniel 
Shook
-3.1%
-14.6%
101.6%
6.9%
34.3%
36.2%
9.0%
10.6%
-45.4%
4.5%
-7.7%
105.1%

Lord Smith
of Kelvin1
-3.1%
-85.7%
–
-1.9%
200.0%
–
22.2%
133.3%
–
-3.2%
42.9%
–

Isobel 
Sharp
-3.7%
-50.0%
–
7.6%
100.0%
–
4.0%
150.0%
–
4.5%
20.0%
–

Thomas 
Thune 
Andersen2
1.5%
-87.5%
–
22.4%
400.0%
–
13.5%
100.0%
–
4.5%
110.0%
–

Katie 
Jackson
-4.5%
-75.0%
–
7.9%
100.0%
–
4.0%
150.0%
–
4.5%
–
–

Caroline 
Dowling3
–
–
–
17.5%
–
–
20.0%
100.0%
–
4.5%
133.3%
–

Dr Ajai
Puri4
–
–
–
–
–
–
24.8%
-16.7%
–
4.5%
60.0%
–

Jackie 
Callaway5
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Average Pay 
of UK HQ 
employees7
3.8%
0.1%
92.0%
4.4%
3.6%
68.8%
8.3%
3.9%
-44.0%
6.2%
1.5%
152.2%

1  As a consequence of the Company being near to its Articles of Association limit on payments it may make to Directors, the Chair, Lord Smith of Kelvin agreed to a £27,778 underpayment 
of his £338,500 fee in 2021. The Chair was repaid in 2022 and the total 2022 fee of £380,000 reflects this repayment. However, the Chair’s total 2022 fees (excluding this repayment) 
were £352,000, reflecting the 4% applied to the full year fee, as detailed in the 2021 Annual Report. Shareholder approval was obtained at the 2022 AGM to increase the payment limit 
within our Articles of Association.

2  Senior Independent Director fee pro-rated in 2021 following appointment on 1 September 2021.

3  Chair of the Remuneration Committee fee pro-rated in 2021 following appointment on 1 September 2021.

4  Dr Ajai Puri was appointed to the Board on 1 March 2021. Fees represented pro-rated amounts.

5  Jackie Callaway was appointed to the Board on 1 July 2023. Percentage changes will be reported from 2024 onwards.

6  Benefits include travel to board meetings held at IMI plc Head Office. In 2021 board meetings were held remotely.

7  All UK head office employees. This comparison excludes our international workforce which we feel would not provide a true comparison given differing local market factors.

Payments to past directors and payments for loss of office
There have been no payments to past directors. There have been no payments for loss of office during the Financial Year.

 – The 2023 Chief Executive Officer single figure is calculated considering the Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration calculation 

includes base salary, fees, pension, taxable benefits, annual bonus and shares paid during 2023.

 – As is permitted by Option C of the regulations, the Gender Pay Gap data for 2023 based on a snapshot in April 2023 was used to 

identify our three quartile employees, P25, P50 and P75. Having identified P25, P50 and P75, we chose to review the single figure data 
for an additional ten employees at each of the quartiles for the full year ended on 31 December 2023.

 – The remuneration calculation included base salary, allowances, pension, taxable benefits, annual bonus and shares. This method 

provides a like-for-like comparison with the Chief Executive Officer’s single figure total for the 2023 calendar year. Gathering data on 
more than three employees provides a better opportunity to capture all pay and benefits of employees to get a true median value at 
each of the three bandings.

 – Our principles for pay setting and progression in our wider workforce are the same as for our executives – total reward being 

sufficiently competitive to attract and retain high-calibre individuals without over-paying and providing the opportunity for individual 
development and career progression, to attract and retain great talent. The pay ratios reflect how remuneration arrangements differ 
as accountability increases for more senior roles within the organisation and the ratios reflect the weighting towards long-term value 
creation and alignment with shareholder interests for the Chief Executive Officer.

 – We are satisfied that the median pay ratio reported this year is consistent with our wider pay, reward and progression policies for 
employees. All IMI employees receive competitive pay and benefits and have the opportunity for annual pay increases and career 
progression and development opportunities.

 – Changes to the ratio in 2023 compared to 2022 are largely attributable to the impact of variable pay.

The total pay and benefits and base salary component of the total pay and benefits figures are as follows:

2023
Chief Executive Officer remuneration
25th Percentile employee
50th Percentile employee
75th Percentile employee

Base salary (£)
794,200
31,428
40,907
55,914

Total pay and benefits 
(£)
4,356,948
34,038
45,892
61,180

162

163

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Implementation of the Policy for 2024
The remuneration policy below is broadly unchanged from the remuneration policy approved at the AGM in 2021. The key changes are:

 – Extension of the clawback and malus provisions for future incentive awards, to include corporate failure as a trigger event.
 – Minor wording changes to align the report with market practice and to provide the Committee with sufficient flexibility to operate 

the remuneration policy as needed.

Summary of Policy

Implementation in the year to 31 December 2024

Base salary
Reviewed annually with changes normally effective 
from January.

The Committee takes into account the level of 
increase for the wider workforce, market data, business 
performance, external economic factors, the complexity 
of the business and the role, cost, and the incumbent’s 
experience and performance.

Consistent with prior years, salary increases effective 1 January 2024 
considered a range of factors including the increases for the wider 
workforce, the financial performance of the Group and prevailing 
economic conditions.

In line with our Remuneration Policy, the Committee reviews Executive 
Director base salaries annually taking into account the wider workforce 
increase, business performance, external economic factors, changes 
in the complexity of the business or the role, cost, as well as the 
incumbent’s experience and performance.

Following the review of the above factors, the Committee determined 
that it is appropriate to award an increase of 4.5% to Roy from £794,200 
to £829,900 effective January 2024. This is below the average increase 
awarded to UK employees. Since his appointment as Chief Executive 
Officer in May 2019, Roy has received increases in line with or below the 
average employee rate. The Committee is acutely aware of the increasing 
demand for high-performing CEOs for global businesses and wants to 
ensure that Roy’s salary is appropriately positioned in this context.

The Committee has determined to award an increase of 9.0% to Daniel 
taking his salary from £529,100 to £576,700 effective January 2024 in order 
to achieve the following:

 – Recognise the growing criticality of his contribution to the strategy 

and performance of IMI.

 – Reflect the significant growth of IMI since his appointment and his direct 

contribution to that growth including the following individual 
contributions and achievements:
 – Overseeing the financial execution of our strategy to deliver 

sustainable growth, substantially increasing adjusted profit before tax 
and generating a +12% CAGR in adjusted EPS between 2019 and 2023, 
propelling IMI into the FTSE 100.

 – Continuing to lead a committed and high performing finance function, 
developing a strong succession pipeline, and delivering year on year 
improvements in our internal financial controls scores.

 – Leading the successful integration of recent acquisitions Adaptas, Bahr, 
CorSolutions and Heatmiser to the IMI Financial Controls Framework.

 – Ensure his salary is at the market rate, appropriately positioned for a 

Company of IMI’s size.

Summary of Policy

Implementation in the year to 31 December 2024

Pension
A cash allowance in lieu of pension is paid monthly. 
To the extent required by law, part of this allowance 
will be paid into a defined contribution pension 
arrangement. With the Committee’s approval the 
executive directors may redirect all or part of the 
balance of this allowance into a defined contribution 
pension arrangement.

Pension for any newly hired executive to be linked 
to average workforce levels (currently 11%).
Benefits
The policy provides a normal range of benefits to 
executive directors. The value of benefits vary year-on-
year depending on the age and health of the individual, 
the cost of providing them and the geography in which 
the executive is based. However, the range of benefits 
is not expected to change from year to year.
Annual Bonus
Based on annual performance relative to set targets.

Drives and rewards performance against annual 
financial, strategic and operational goals, which 
are consistent with the medium to long-term 
strategic goals of IMI. Considers individual 
behaviours and contributions.

If the executive has not achieved their share ownership 
guideline, up to half of any bonus shall be invested 
into IMI shares for at least three years. Once the share 
ownership guideline is met, an executive can then 
elect to receive their bonus in cash and/or shares.

Dividends (or equivalent value payments) accrue and 
are payable in cash or shares when shares are released.

Recovery provisions are included in the plan rules 
allowing for malus and clawback.

From 1 January 2024, all Executive Directors will receive 11% of salary 
which is aligned to that of the average employee and that of the Investment 
Association guidelines.

In line with the Policy, each Executive Director receives:

 – Car allowance
 – Life insurance
 – Private health insurance including medical screen as appropriate
 – Other ancillary benefits including tax advice

During 2023 the Committee reviewed the appropriateness of continuing 
with the metrics that applied to the 2023 annual bonus to ensure alignment 
with IMI’s strategy.

The Committee determined that the 2024 annual bonus will be contingent 
on a Profit Before Tax growth target alongside strategic and personal 
objectives for each executive director. There will be a weighting of 80% 
to financial metrics and 20% to strategic and personal objectives.

Free cash flow will be considered by the Committee when determining 
annual bonus outcomes. The ESG underpin will continue to be considered 
to allow the Committee to take into account any relevant ESG matter when 
determining remuneration outcomes.

The Committee will continue to monitor the underlying performance of 
the business when determining bonus outcomes. Due to the commercially 
sensitive nature of the financial targets and strategic and personal 
objectives, they will be disclosed retrospectively in next year’s report along 
with performance against them.

The maximum bonus opportunity will be set at 200% of salary for Roy 
Twite. The annual bonus opportunity for Daniel Shook will be set at 150% of 
base salary. On-target bonus is set at 50% of maximum bonus opportunity.

164

165

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsRemuneration 
Annual Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Summary of Policy

Implementation in the year to 31 December 2024

Performance shares awarded under the 
IMI Incentive Plan
Incentivises long-term value creation, aligning 
the interests of executives and shareholders through 
share awards.

Performance metrics support the long-term strategy 
of IMI and the vehicle and time horizon provides 
a retention tool for key executives.

The Committee can make annual share-based awards. 
Dividends (or equivalent value payments) accrue and are 
payable in cash or shares in respect of vested awards.

Any vested performance share awards will be subject 
to a sale restriction for a period of 2 years from the date 
of vesting, subject to the executive being permitted to 
sell such number of shares as may be required to settle 
tax liabilities as they may arise. In addition the share 
ownership guidelines apply.

Recovery provisions are included in the plan rules 
allowing for malus and clawback.

Share ownership guidelines
It is a requirement of the remuneration policy that 
executive directors are subject to guidelines which 
require them to build a shareholding in IMI worth at least 
250% of salary for the Chief Executive Officer, and 200% 
of salary for the Chief Financial Officer (and other 
executive directors if applicable). Policy permits the 
Committee to determine that up to 50% of any annual 
bonus earned may be deferred into shares until the 
share ownership guideline is achieved together with up 
to 50% of any vested performance share awards. Each 
executive is then required to maintain at least this share 
ownership guideline level (subject to allowances for 
share price fluctuations and changes in base salary 
thereafter). When assessing compliance with this 
guideline the Committee reviews both the level of 
beneficial share ownership and vested but unexercised 
share incentive awards on a post-tax basis.

166

At the same time as the review of annual bonus metrics, the Committee 
also reviewed those attached to IIP awards.

The Committee continues to believe that this will ensure that executives are 
only rewarded if underlying earnings are increased over the performance 
period and shareholder returns outperform peers.

2024 awards will be set at 250% for Roy Twite and 150% for Daniel Shook 
and will be subject to a two-year post-vesting holding period, extending 
the total time horizon to five years from grant.

The Committee considered whether the performance metrics for LTIP 
awards remain appropriate before concluding that the existing metrics of 
TSR, EPS and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), and CO2 intensity remain 
aligned with strategy. Consistent with the previous year, TSR, EPS and 
ROIC will each have a 30% weighting, and CO2 intensity will have a 
10% weighting.

The Committee decided to increase our ROIC target at threshold from 
11.0% to 11.5% for 2024 awards. This change ensures our target remains 
stretching in line with latest financial forecasts, taking into account the 
short-term dilutive effect of acquisitions.

The performance targets that will apply to the 2024 IIP awards are 
as follows:

Relative 
TSR

Adjusted 
EPS

ROIC

Median

3%

11.5%

Upper 
quartile
30%

10%
30%

13.0%
30%

Total CO2 intensity
2019 base - 26% 
(2.18 tCO2e per 1,000 
hours worked)
2019 base - 41% 
(1.77 tCO2e per 1,000 
hours worked)
10%

Level of 
vesting

25%

100%

Threshold

Maximum

Weighting

The share ownership guidelines are:

 – Chief Executive Officer – 250% of base salary
 – Chief Financial Officer – 200% of base salary

Post-employment shareholding guidelines
Our policy (approved by shareholders at the 2021 AGM) includes post-
employment shareholding requirements which require executive directors 
to hold 100% of their shareholding requirement (or if less, all shares held) 
for two years following departure. This will be implemented by signed 
agreement. The Committee will have discretion to allow sale where 
there are exceptional reasons.

Summary of Policy

Implementation in the year to 31 December 2024

Malus and Clawback
The provisions enable the Committee to reduce future 
annual bonus payments, reduce the number of shares 
under any form of share award, and/or require the 
individual to make a payment to the Company on terms 
deemed to be fair and reasonable by the Committee.

The Committee has the power to operate malus and/or clawback 
provisions in the event that:

 – The Company misstated financial results;
 – The Company suffers serious reputational damage;
 – Corporate failure;
 – If there was an error or miscalculation in determining the size 

of the award;

 – Gross misconduct by an executive; and/or
 – The Remuneration Committee has made decisions using erroneous 

or misleading data.

Other policy items

For a description of policy items such as:

 – Appointments to the Board; and/or
 – Loss of office (including change of control).

Please refer to the Directors’ Remuneration Policy published in the 2020 
Annual Report.

Letters of appointment
The unexpired terms of the non-executive directors’ service contracts can be reviewed in the Board’s Corporate Governance Report 
on page 115.

Fees for the Chair and non-executive directors
The Chair and non-executive directors’ remuneration increased by 4.5% with effect from 1 January 2024 which is lower than the general 
increase applied to UK employees.

Committee evaluation
An external performance review of the Board and its Committees was carried out by independent evaluator EquityCulture in 2023. 
The review found that the Committee continues to operate effectively and is led by an effective Chair. The membership of the 
Committee and number of meetings was considered appropriate for the Company. The Committee has agreed to focus on ensuring 
that its cycle and terms of reference meet the requirements of the new Corporate Governance Code in 2024. Further details on the 
external performance review can be found on pages 121 to 122 of the Corporate Governance Report.

The Committee approved this report on its work.

Caroline Dowling
Chair of the Remuneration Committee for and on behalf of the Board
29 February 2024

167

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsDirectors’ Report

Directors’ Report

Statutory and Other Information
The directors present their management report, including the Strategic Report, together with the audited financial statements of IMI plc 
(the Company) and its subsidiaries (together, the Group), for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Amendment of Articles 
of Association
Annual General Meeting

Branches
Business relationships

Change of control

Corporate governance 
statement

Directors

The Company’s Articles of Association may only be amended by special resolution of the Company 
at a general meeting of its shareholders.
The Annual General Meeting will be held on 9 May 2024. Full details of the resolutions to be proposed to our 
shareholders, and accompanying explanatory notes, are contained in our Notice of Annual General Meeting, 
a copy of which is published on our website.
The Company does not have any branches outside the UK.
A summary of how the Company has engaged with suppliers, customers and other third parties can be 
found on pages 38 to 41. Details of how the Directors have had regard to the need to foster the Company’s 
business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, and the effect of that regard on the principal 
decisions taken by the Company during the financial year, are contained in the Section 172(1) statement on 
pages 42 and 43. Further information on our payment practices with suppliers can be found on the 
government’s reporting portal. Our statement on slavery and human trafficking can be found on our website 
at www.imiplc.com.
The Company and its subsidiaries are party to a number of agreements that may allow the counterparties to 
alter or terminate the arrangements on a change of control of the Company following a takeover bid, such 
as commercial contracts and employee share plans. Other than as referred to in the next paragraph, none of 
these are considered by the Company to be significant in terms of its likely impact on the Group as a whole. 
In the event of a change of control of the Company, the Group’s main funding agreements allow the lenders 
to renegotiate terms or give notice of repayment for all outstanding amounts under the relevant facilities.

The Company does not have agreements with any director or employee that would provide compensation 
for loss of office or employment specifically resulting from a takeover, although the provisions of the 
Company’s share schemes include a discretion to allow awards granted to directors and employees 
under such schemes to vest in those circumstances.
The corporate governance report on pages 102 to 167 is hereby incorporated by reference into this 
directors’ report and includes details of our application of the principles and reporting against the provisions 
of the code. A copy of the 2018 version of the code, as applicable to the company for the year ended 
31 December 2023, can be found at the Financial Reporting Council’s website: frc.org.uk.
The names and biographies of our directors who served during the financial year ended 31 December 2023 
and up to the date of publishing can be found on pages 106 to 108. The rules for the appointment and 
replacement of directors are set out in the Company’s Articles of Association. Each new appointee to the 
Board is required to stand for election at the next Annual General Meeting following their appointment. In 
addition, the Company’s Articles of Association require each director to stand for re-election every year.

Directors’ indemnities 
and insurance

The Company maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and all directors of the Company benefit 
from qualifying third party indemnity provisions that were in place during the financial year. At the date 
of this Annual Report, there are such indemnity arrangements with each director in respect of the costs of 
defending civil, criminal and regulatory proceedings brought against them as a director or employee, subject 
always to the limitations set by the Companies Act 2006.

The Group operates pension schemes in the UK that provide retirement and death benefits for employees 
and former employees of the Group. The corporate trustee of the pension schemes is IMI Pensions Trust 
Limited, a subsidiary of the Company. Qualifying pension scheme indemnity provisions, as defined in section 
235 of the Companies Act 2006, were in force for the financial year ended 31 December 2023 and remain in 
force for the benefit of each of the directors of the corporate trustee of the pension schemes. These 
indemnity provisions cover, to the extent permitted by law, certain losses or liabilities incurred as a director 
or officer of the corporate trustee of the pension schemes. The Group also has in place third party qualifying 
indemnity provisions, as defined in section 234 of the Companies Act 2006, in favour of certain employees 
who discharge responsibilities for various wholly owned subsidiary companies, and these indemnities are 
given on a similar basis to the above.
Details of the interests in the Company’s shares held by our directors and persons connected with them 
(including interests under share option and incentive schemes) are shown in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report from page 160 and are hereby incorporated by reference into this Directors’ Report.
The powers of the directors are determined by UK legislation and the Articles of Association of the Company 
in force from time to time. The directors were authorised to allot and issue ordinary shares and to make 
market purchases of the Company’s ordinary shares by resolutions of the Company passed at its Annual 
General Meeting held on 4 May 2023. The current authorities will expire at the conclusion of the next Annual 
General Meeting to be held on 9 May 2024, at which new authorities will be sought. Further details of 
authorities the Company is seeking for the allotment, issue and purchase of its ordinary shares will be set out 
in the separate Notice of Annual General Meeting.
Each director confirms that, so far as they are each aware, there is no relevant audit information of which 
the Company’s auditor is unaware and that each director has taken all the steps that they ought to have 
taken as a director to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the 
Company’s auditor is aware of that information.
The directors recommend a final dividend of 19.2p per ordinary share for the year ended 31 December 2023. 
Subject to shareholder approval by our shareholders at our Annual General Meeting on 9 May 2024, the final 
dividend will be paid on 17 May 2024 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 5 April 2024. 
Together with the interim dividend of 9.1p per ordinary share paid on 15 September 2023, this gives a total 
dividend for the 2023 financial year of 28.3p per ordinary share.

The interim and final dividends paid in respect of the 2022 financial year were 17.4p per ordinary share 
and 8.3p per ordinary share, respectively (2022 total dividends paid of 25.7p).

Directors’ interests

Directors’ powers

Disclosure of information 
to the auditor

Dividends

168

169

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsDirectors’ Report continued

Employee matters

Events occurring after 
the reporting period
Financial instruments

Going Concern

Information required 
by UK Listing Rule 9.8.4

Details of how we engage with our workforce, provide them with relevant information and take into account 
their interests in decision-making can be found on pages 38 and 119. Our approach to investing in and 
rewarding the workforce is set out on page 136. Our Section 172(1) statement can be found on pages 42 to 
43. Details of the arrangements in place under which employees can raise any matter of concern are set out 
on page 84. We actively encourage colleagues to take an interest in the financial performance of IMI. We 
operate a HMRC-approved Savings Related Share Option Scheme which is open to all of the Group’s UK 
employees, including the UK-based executive directors. Consistent with executive directors, the leadership 
group participates in annual bonus plans, with measures linked to corporate, sector and/or local 
performance depending on seniority.

Every effort is made to ensure that applications for employment from disabled employees are fully and fairly 
considered and that disabled employees (including colleagues who may have become disabled during 
service) have equal opportunities in training, career development and promotion. Further disclosures relating 
to employee diversity, employee engagement and related policies are set out on page 51. Our Board 
Inclusion and Diversity policy is summarised on page 126.
There have been no important events affecting the Company or any member of the Group since 
31 December 2023.
Our risk management objectives and policies in relation to the use of financial instruments can be found 
in Note 18 of the financial statements.
After making enquiries, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have 
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and for a period of at 
least twelve months (1 March 2025) following the approval of the Annual Report. Further details can be 
found on page 101.

Listing Rule statement

Detail

Note reference of financial statements/
page number

9.8.4R (12)
9.8.4R (4)
9.8.4R (5)

Shareholder waiver of future dividends Page 170
Page 166
Long-term incentive schemes
Page 147 and 159
Directors’ waiver of emoluments

Major shareholdings

Information provided to the Company pursuant to the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules is 
published on a regulatory information service and on the Company’s website. As at 31 December 2023, 
the following voting interests in the ordinary share capital of the Company, disclosable under the Disclosure 
Guidance and Transparency Rules, had been notified to the Company:

Name of shareholder

Percentage of issued share capital

Direct or indirect nature 
of holding

Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Ameriprise Financial Inc.
Standard Life Investments (Holdings) Limited
BlackRock, Inc.
Legal & General Group plc

9.89
5.01
4.97
Below 5%
3.03

Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Direct

Between 31 December 2023 and the date of this Annual Report, no changes in the voting interests have been 
notified to the Company in accordance with the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, save for a 
notification received from Ameriprise Financial Inc. on 26 February 2024 that its interests totalled below 5%.
No political party contributions or political expenditure were made during the year.
The Company was granted authority at the Annual General Meeting held on 4 May 2023 to purchase up to 
26,080,779 of its ordinary shares. This authority will expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General 
Meeting to be held on 9 May 2024, where shareholders will be asked to give a similar authority, details of 
which will be given in the Notice of Annual General Meeting. We did not purchase any shares under this 
authority during the year.
Details of related party transactions are in Note 26 of the financial statements.

See Note 5 to the financial statements for an indication of the research and development activities of the 
Group. More information about our investment in Growth Hub projects can be found on page 13.

Political donations
Purchase of own shares

Related party 
transactions
Research and 
development

170

Share Capital

Strategic report

Treasury shares

As at 31 December 2023, the Company’s issued share capital was £78,604,214.57, divided into 275,114,751 
ordinary shares of 28 4/7p each. Details of the share capital of the Company are set out in Note 22 to the 
financial statements. The Company’s ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange. During the 
year, 66,709 shares were issued in respect of options exercised under employee share schemes. Details of 
these schemes are summarised in Note 6 to the financial statements. Shares acquired by employees under 
employee share schemes rank equally with the other shares in issue and have no special rights.

As at 31 December 2023, 1,122,554 shares were held in an employee trust for use in relation to certain executive 
incentive plans, representing 0.43% of the issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) at that time. 
The independent trustee of the trust has the same rights as any other shareholder, other than as specifically 
restricted in the governing trust deed. The trust has agreed to waive any right to all dividend payments now and in 
the future. Participants in option schemes do not hold any voting rights on the shares until the date of exercise.

The rights and obligations attaching to the Company’s ordinary shares are set out in the Company’s Articles 
of Association, copies of which can be obtained from Companies House in the UK, from the Company’s 
website or by writing to the Company Secretary. Changes to the Articles of Association must be approved by 
a special resolution of the shareholders (75% majority required), in accordance with the legislation in force at 
the time. Subject to applicable statutes, shares may be issued with such rights and restrictions as the 
Company may by ordinary resolution decide, or (if there is no such resolution or so far as it does not make 
specific provision) as the Board may decide.

Holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive the Company’s report and accounts, to attend, speak and 
vote at general meetings of the Company, and to appoint proxies to exercise their rights. Holders of ordinary 
shares may receive a dividend and, in a liquidation, may share in the assets of the Company. Subject to 
meeting certain thresholds, holders of ordinary shares may requisition a general meeting of the Company or 
propose resolutions at Annual General Meetings. Voting rights for ordinary shares held in treasury are 
suspended and the treasury shares carry no rights to receive dividends or other distributions of assets.

There are no restrictions on the transfer of ordinary shares in the Company, other than:

 – Certain restrictions as may from time to time be imposed by laws and regulations (for example, insider 

trading laws, in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, Listing Rules or the City Code on Takeover and 
Mergers)

 – Pursuant to the Company’s share dealing code, whereby the directors and certain employees of the 

Company require approval to deal in the Company’s shares

The Company is not aware of any arrangements between shareholders that may result in restrictions on the 
transfer of ordinary shares or on voting rights. None of the ordinary shares carry any special rights with 
regard to control of the Company. The only restrictions on voting rights are those that apply to the ordinary 
shares held in treasury. Electronic and paper proxy appointments and voting instructions must be received 
by the Company’s registrars not later than 48 hours (excluding any non-working days) before a general 
meeting, or (subject to the Company’s Articles of Association) any adjournment thereof.
The Company has chosen to disclose the following information in the Strategic Report on pages 4 to 101:

 – Future developments in the Group’s business (pages 16 to 27)
 – Environmental matters, including greenhouse gas emissions (pages 46 to 81)
 – The business model (pages 14 and 15)
 – The principal risks and uncertainties facing the Group (pages 91 to 99)

Such information is incorporated into this report by reference and is deemed to form part of this Directors’ Report.
As at 31 December 2023, 13,648,836 ordinary shares (nominal value £3,899,667.43) were held in treasury, 
representing 5.2% of the issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) at that time. In the year, 600,000 
ordinary shares were transferred out of treasury for nil consideration to the trustee of the IMI Employee 
Benefit Trust.

Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Louise Waldek
Company Secretary
29 February 2024

IMI plc is registered in England No. 714275

171

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsStatement of directors’ responsibilities in respect of the 
Annual Report and the financial statements

Independent Auditor’s Report to the members of IMI plc

The directors are responsible for preparing 
the Annual Report, which includes the 
Directors’ Report, the Strategic Report, 
Remuneration Report and Corporate 
Governance Statement, and the Group 
and parent company 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 
as adopted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 
1606/2002 as it applies in the European 
Union and the parent company financial 
statements in accordance with 
International Accounting Standards in 
conformity with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006 as applied in 
accordance with section 408 of the 
Companies Act 2006. Under company law 
the directors must not approve the financial 
statements unless they are satisfied that 
they present fairly the financial position, 
financial performance and cash flows for 
that period. In preparing those financial 
statements, the directors are required to:

 – select suitable accounting policies and 

then apply them consistently;

 – make judgements and estimates that are 

reasonable;

 – present information, including 

accounting policies, in a manner that 
provides relevant, reliable, comparable 
and understandable information;

 – state whether applicable UK Accounting 
Standards have been followed, subject to 

any material departures disclosed and 
explained in the financial statements; and

 – state for the parent company financial 

statements whether applicable 
International Accounting Standards in 
conformity with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006 as applied in 
accordance with section 408 of the 
Companies Act 2006.

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 Group and the 
parent company and enable them to 
ensure that the Group and parent company 
financial statements comply with the 
Companies Act 2006 and International 
Financial Reporting Standards adopted 
pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 1606/2002 
as it applies to the European Union, as 
appropriate. They are also responsible for 
safeguarding the assets of the Group and 
the parent company and hence for taking 
reasonable steps for the prevention and 
detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The directors are responsible for the 
maintenance and integrity of the corporate 
and financial information included on the 
Company’s website. Legislation in the 
United Kingdom governing the preparation 
and dissemination of financial statements 
may differ from legislation in other 
jurisdictions.

Directors’ responsibility statement under 
the Disclosure and Transparency Rules
We confirm that to the best of 
our knowledge:

 – the Group and parent company financial 
statements in this Annual Report, which 
have been prepared in accordance with 
applicable UK law and with the applicable 
set of accounting standards, give a true 
and fair view of the assets, liabilities, 
financial position and profit of the 
Group; and

 – the Annual Report (which includes the 
Directors’ Report and the Strategic 
Report) includes a fair review of the 
development and performance of the 
business and the position of the Company 
and the Group taken as a whole, together 
with a description of the principal risks 
and uncertainties that they face.

The directors are responsible for preparing 
the Annual Report in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations. Having 
taken advice from the Audit Committee, 
the Board considers the report and 
accounts, taken as a whole, are fair, 
balanced and understandable and provide 
the information necessary for shareholders 
to assess the Group’s performance, 
business model and strategy.

By order of the Board

Roy Twite
Chief Executive Officer
29 February 2024

Daniel Shook
Chief Financial Officer
29 February 2024

Report on the audit of the financial statements
1. Opinion

In our opinion:
 – the financial statements of IMI 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 31 December 2023 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

 – the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom adopted international 

accounting standards;

 – 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.

We have audited the financial statements which comprise:

 – the consolidated income statement;
 – the consolidated statement of comprehensive income;
 – the consolidated and parent company balance sheets;
 – the consolidated and parent company statements of changes in equity;
 – the consolidated statement of cash flows;
 – the statement of accounting policies;
 – the related notes 1 to 27 for the consolidated financial statements; and
 – the related notes C1 to C10 for the parent company.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group financial statements is applicable law and 
United Kingdom adopted international accounting standards. 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).

2. 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. The non-audit services 
provided to the Group and parent company for the year are disclosed in note 5 to the financial statements.

We confirm that we have not provided any non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard 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.

172

173

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIndependent Auditor’s Report to the members of IMI plc continued

3. Summary of our audit approach

Key audit matters

The key audit matters that we identified in the current year were:

Materiality

Scoping

 – overstatement of revenue through inappropriate cut-off in the Process Automation sector; and
 – inventory valuation.

All key audit matters have remained at a similar risk level to the prior year.
The materiality that we used for the Group financial statements was £15.5 million (2022: £15.0 million) and 
equates to 4.4% of profit before tax adjusted for restructuring costs.
Full scope audit work was performed on 3 (2022: 3) reporting components, and audits of specified balances 
and specified audit procedures were undertaken on a further 47 (2022: 45) reporting components. These 
in-scope components account for 74% (2022: 70%) of Group revenue.

Certain components are loss-making, including those which are solely cost centres. When considering the 
absolute value of each component’s profit or loss for the period, the in-scope components accounted for 
73% (2022: 76%) of the absolute value of the Group’s total profit or loss before tax.

Our evaluation of the directors’ assessment of the Group’s and parent company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis 
of accounting included:

 – obtaining an understanding of the Group’s financing facilities including the nature of facilities, repayment terms, covenants 

and expected renewal of financing arrangements;

 – challenging the assumptions used in the Board approved forecasts by reference to historical performance, the impact 

of macroeconomic uncertainty, and other supporting evidence such as market data;

 – recalculating the amount of headroom in the forecasts (in liquidity terms and against the relevant covenant limits);
 – assessing the appropriateness of the sensitivity analysis and reverse stress tests performed by management; and
 – assessing the appropriateness of the disclosures made in the financial statements.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, 
individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s and parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern for 
a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

In relation to the reporting on how the Group has applied the UK Corporate Governance Code, we have nothing material to add or 
draw attention to in relation to the directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether the directors considered it appropriate 
to adopt the going concern basis of accounting.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections 
of this report.

4. Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the 
preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

How the scope of our 
audit responded to the 
key audit matter

5. 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.

5.1. Overstatement of revenue through inappropriate cut-off in the Process Automation sector
Key audit matter 
description

The Group recognised revenue of £2,196 million (FY22: £2,049 million) principally through the provision of 
goods and services accounted for under IFRS 15, as described in the Audit Committee Report and note 2c to 
the financial statements.

We have performed a risk assessment of the Group’s revenue streams to understand the revenue cycles 
across each business. We identified a key audit matter in relation to the risk, due to either fraud or error, of 
inappropriate cut-off of revenue in the Process Automation sector (see note 4) owing to the fact that more 
revenue is generated in December as compared to other months in the year.
We have performed the following procedures to address this key audit matter for in-scope locations within 
the Process Automation sector:

•  obtained an understanding of and tested the relevant controls over revenue that specifically address the 

cut-off risk;

•  assessed the level of credit notes and statutory adjustments raised post year-end (both in FY23 and FY24 

to date) to look for evidence of significant reversals of revenue in the subsequent period; and

•  tested a sample of transactions around the year-end to assess whether revenue was being recognised in 

the correct period.

Key observations

We consider the year-end cut-off of revenue recognised in the Process Automation sector to 
be appropriate.

174

175

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIndependent Auditor’s Report to the members of IMI plc continued

5.2. Inventory valuation 
Key audit matter 
description

How the scope of our 
audit responded to the 
key audit matter

The Group’s inventory balance as at 31 December 2023 was £437.3 million (FY22: £417.7 million). 
As described in the Financial Review on page 30 the Group has increased inventories 
predominantly to fulfil increased orders in the Process Automation sector offsetting the strategic 
reduction of inventory in other sectors. Inventory valuation is considered a significant accounting 
matter by the Audit Committee on page 130.

There is a level of estimation and judgement associated with the Group’s excess & obsolete (E&O) 
inventory provision and inventory absorption. We have identified a key audit matter as inventory 
valuation risk, including: consideration of the provision for E&O inventory; judgements relating to the 
manufacturing costs of inventory and overhead absorption; and physical verification of inventory.

As disclosed in note 15, the provision for E&O inventory as at 31 December 2023 was £59.0 million 
(FY22: £52.5 million). The Group’s provision policy for E&O inventory is determined by considering 
expected usage levels of inventory, based on historical sales, as well as forward looking judgements 
such as forecast sales associated with the order book and with new products. Where local 
management judgement is applied beyond these factors, Group level review and approval is required.

Judgement is applied to the cost of inventories in order to reflect accurately the manufacturing 
costs incurred in bringing inventories to their current condition and location. The manufacturing 
cost primarily relates to the assessment of direct labour costs incurred, manufacturing overheads 
to be absorbed and other relevant production costs. Judgement is also made in relation to 
inventory turn and the level of costs which are directly attributable to manufacturing.
We have performed the following procedures to address this key audit matter:

•  obtained an understanding of the relevant controls relating to the E&O provision;
•  challenged whether the assumptions underpinning the judgements applied in determining the 

E&O provision are aligned to the Group’s policy, and assessed whether the policy is being 
applied consistently across the Group;

•  challenged the key assumptions concerning overhead absorption by performing tests of details 

on bills of materials and standard costing;

•  identified costs directly related to manufacturing which may have been under or over absorbed 

in the period;

•  challenged the assumptions concerning normal levels of production, including the inventory 

turns used to identify the amounts that should be recognised; and

•  attended physical inventory counts at 25 locations to test, on a sample basis, the existence of 

inventory and assess for any indicators of impairment.

Key observations

Based on our procedures performed, we are satisfied that the carrying value of inventory as at 
31 December 2023 is appropriate.

176

6. Our application of materiality
6.1. 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
£15.5 million (2022: £15.0 million)
Forecast profit before tax adjusted for restructuring 
costs, which equates to 4.4% of profit before tax 
adjusted for restructuring costs (2022: 4.8% of profit 
before tax adjusted for restructuring costs).
Profit before tax adjusted for restructuring costs is a 
key metric for users of the financial statements and 
reflects the way business performance is reported and 
assessed by external users of the financial statements.

The Group has incurred significant restructuring costs as 
an adjusting item, therefore we believe it is appropriate 
to adjust for these costs in determining an appropriate 
level of materiality.

Parent company financial statements
£10.5 million (2022: £10.6 million)
1.8% of net assets (2022: 2% of net assets).

The parent company does not generate 
external sales, therefore we have 
determined net assets to be the 
appropriate basis.

  Profit before tax adjusted for 
restructuring costs

  Group materiality

£350.5m

Group materiality £15.5m

Component materiality range 
£1.9m to £10.5m

Audit Committee reporting 
threshold £0.50m

6.2. Performance materiality
We set performance materiality at a level lower than materiality to reduce the probability that, in aggregate, uncorrected and undetected 
misstatements exceed the materiality for the financial statements as a whole.

Performance materiality

Group financial statements
70% (2022: 70%) of Group materiality

Parent company financial statements
70% (2022: 70%) of parent company 
materiality 

Basis and rationale for determining 
performance materiality

In determining performance materiality for the Group and parent company, we considered the 
following factors:

•  our risk assessment, including our assessment of the Group’s overall control environment;
•  the level of oversight at both a Group and platform level over the local entity financial 

reporting processes;

•  the low level of corrected and uncorrected misstatements identified in the prior year audit; and
•  the experience of key management personnel in senior roles at Group, platform and sector 
levels following the change in the reporting structure of the business as noted on page 106.

6.3. Error reporting threshold
We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to the Committee all audit differences in excess of £500,000 (2022: £500,000), 
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.

177

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIndependent Auditor’s Report to the members of IMI plc continued

7. An overview of the scope of our audit
7.1. Identification and scoping of components
The Group operates in over 50 locations across the world. As noted on page 7, the Group has restructured the business from three 
divisions, into two platforms, focused on five major market sectors. These five sectors comprise of many individual reporting 
components which represent the lowest level at which management prepares financial information that is included in the financial 
statements. The parent company is located in the UK and is audited directly by the Group audit team.

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 and component level.

The change in business structure has not impacted our approach to scoping and we focused our Group audit scope across all 5 sectors: 
Process Automation, Industrial Automation, Life Science and Fluid Control, Transport and Climate Control (previously the three divisions 
of IMI Critical Engineering, IMI Precision Engineering and IMI Hydronic Engineering).

We have considered reporting components based on their contribution to Group revenue and absolute profit or loss, as well as 
qualitative considerations such as results of recent internal audit reviews undertaken by the Group Assurance function, prior year issues 
or errors and an understanding of any recent or projected restructuring or relocation activities in specific locations.

As noted in the Audit Committee’s Report on page 130 we made an update to the initial scoping plan following management’s 
identification of accounting anomalies at one of the Group’s sites. We expanded our scope to include a further two components. To 
introduce additional unpredictability, we also expanded the scope of our testing in a number of components already within the Group 
audit scope and extended our central procedures and oversight.

Full scope audit work was completed on 3 (2022: 3) components and audits of specified balances or specified audit procedures were 
undertaken at a further 47 (2022: 45) components. Each reporting component in scope was subject to an audit materiality level 
between £1.9 million (2022: £3 million) and £10.5 million (2022: £10.6 million).

These in-scope components account for 74% (2022: 70%) of Group revenue. Certain components are loss-making, including those 
which are solely cost centres. When considering the absolute value of each component’s profit or loss for the period, the in-scope 
components accounted for 73% (2022: 76%) of the absolute value of the Group’s total profit or loss before tax. At a Group level, further 
substantive audit work was performed over the consolidation, and analytical review procedures were performed over all components 
not in scope.

8%

5%

  Full audit scope

26%

27%

Revenue

Pre-tax  
absolute 
results

66%

68%

  Specified audit procedures

  Review at Group level

7.2. Our consideration of the control environment
The Group uses a number of different IT systems across the reporting components and we worked with our IT specialists to obtain an 
understanding of the general IT controls for relevant systems. Following this, we focused our testing on the five core financial IT 
systems that underpin the five sectors and which the majority of entities either utilise or plan to migrate to in the future.

Given the disaggregated nature of the Group, we continue to adopt a largely substantive audit approach and did not plan to rely 
upon controls.

In the current year our controls approach was principally designed to obtain an understanding of the relevant controls in key financial 
reporting process cycles to inform our risk assessment and allow us to test certain relevant revenue controls, as well as automated 
controls across a number of key business cycles.

178

As noted on page 134, opportunities for enhancements to the Group’s Internal Controls Declaration (ICD) framework have been 
identified as the Group continues to develop a more robust and granular framework of internal controls, an improvement to the 
consistency and quality of documentation of internal controls and an increased focus on controls over non-financial information.

7.3. Our consideration of climate-related risks
In planning our audit, we have considered the potential impact of climate change on the Group’s business and its financial statements.

As noted on page 95 the Group has assessed the risk and opportunities relevant to climate change and whilst the Group has not 
identified a separate principal risk in relation to the potential risk of climate change, it is incorporated into several existing principal risks.

We have obtained management’s climate-related risk assessment and held discussions with those charged with governance to 
understand the process of identifying climate-related risks, the determination of mitigating actions and the impact on the Group’s 
financial statements. As noted on page 95, the Directors have considered the impact of climate change, particularly in the context of the 
risks identified in the TCFD disclosures on pages 61 to 81, and have not identified there to be a material impact on the financial reporting 
judgements and estimates.

We performed our own qualitative risk assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the Group’s account balances and 
classes of transactions and did not identify any additional risks of material misstatement. Our procedures included reading disclosures 
included in the Strategic Report to consider whether they are materially consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge 
obtained in the audit.

7.4. Working with other auditors
The audit work on all components was performed by Deloitte member firms. The component work was performed under the direction 
and supervision of the Group audit team.

The extent of our involvement, which commenced from the planning phase, included:

 – setting the scope of the work to be performed by the component auditors and assessment of their independence;
 – designing the audit procedures for all significant risks to be addressed by the component auditors and issuing Group audit 

instructions detailing the nature and form of the reporting required by the Group engagement team;

 – hosting a webinar for all component auditors at the planning stage of the audit to highlight key aspects of the audit instructions and 

expectations of the Group audit team;

 – providing direction on instructions specific to individual components throughout the year, including any scope changes arising from 
the accounting anomalies referenced in section 7.1, as well as in-person visits by senior members of the Group audit team to 5 sites 
during the year;

 – providing direction on enquiries made by the component auditors through online communications and telephone conversations;
 – attending audit planning and close calls at components selected through a risk-based approach; and
 – adopting a risk-based approach to the review of specific component auditors’ engagement files by senior members of the Group 

engagement team.

8. Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s 
report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report.

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.

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 course of 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 this gives rise to a 
material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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.

We have nothing to report in this regard

179

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIndependent Auditor’s Report to the members of IMI plc continued

9. 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.

11.2. Audit response to risks identified
As a result of performing the above, we identified overstatement of revenue through inappropriate cut-off in the Process Automation 
sector as a key audit matter related to the potential risk of fraud. The key audit matters section of our report explains the matter in more 
detail and also describes the specific procedures we performed in response to that key audit matter.

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.

10. 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.

11. Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our 
responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our 
procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.

11.1. Identifying and assessing potential risks related to irregularities
In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and 
regulations, we considered the following:

 – the nature of the industry and sector, control environment and business performance including the design of the Group’s 

remuneration policies, key drivers for directors’ remuneration, bonus levels and performance targets;

 – results of our enquiries of management, Group Assurance, and the Audit Committee about their own identification and assessment of 

the risks of irregularities, including those that are specific to the Group’s sector;

 – any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed the Group’s documentation of their policies and procedures relating to:

 – identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
 – detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and
 – the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations.

 – the matters discussed among the audit engagement team including significant component audit teams and relevant internal 

specialists, including tax, valuations, forensic, pensions and IT specialists regarding how and where fraud might occur in the financial 
statements and any potential indicators of fraud.

As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and 
identified the greatest potential for fraud in the following area: overstatement of revenue through inappropriate cut-off in the Process 
Automation sector. In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the 
risk of management override.

We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the Group operates in, focusing on provisions of those 
laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The 
key laws and regulations we considered in this context included the UK Companies Act, the Listing Rules in the UK, pensions legislation 
and tax legislation in all relevant jurisdictions where the Group operates.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but 
compliance with which may be fundamental to the Group’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty.

180

In addition to the above, our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

 – reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of 

relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;

 – enquiring of management, the Audit Committee and in-house legal counsel concerning actual and potential litigation and claims;
 – performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement 

due to fraud;

 – reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance, reviewing internal audit reports and reviewing correspondence 

with HMRC;

 – in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and other 

adjustments; assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and 
evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members including 
significant component audit teams and remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations 
throughout the audit.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements
12. 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 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.

13. Corporate Governance Statement
The Listing Rules require us to review the directors’ statement in relation to going concern, longer-term viability and that part of the 
Corporate Governance Statement relating to the Group’s compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code 
specified for our review.

Based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements of the Corporate 
Governance Statement is materially consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge obtained during the audit:

 – the directors’ statement with regards to the appropriateness of adopting the going concern basis of accounting and any material 

uncertainties identified set out on page 102;

 – the directors’ explanation as to its assessment of the Group’s prospects, the period this assessment covers and why the period is 

appropriate set out on page 100;

 – the directors’ statement on fair, balanced and understandable set out on page 172;
 – the board’s confirmation that it has carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks set out on page 91;
 – the section of the annual report that describes the review of effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems set 

out on page 88; and

 – the section describing the work of the Audit Committee set out on page 131.

181

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIndependent Auditor’s Report to the members of IMI plc continued

Consolidated income statement
For the year ended 31 December 2023

14. Matters on which we are required to report by exception
14.1. 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.

We have nothing to report in this regard

14.2. 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 this regard

15. Other matters which we are required to address
15.1. Auditor tenure
Following the recommendation of the Audit Committee, we were reappointed by the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting 
on 4 May 2023 to audit the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2023 and subsequent financial periods. The period of 
total uninterrupted engagement including previous renewals and reappointments of the firm is three years, covering the years ended 
31 December 2021 to 31 December 2023.

15.2. 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).

16. 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.

As required by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule (DTR) 4.1.14R, these financial 
statements form part of the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) prepared Annual Financial Report filed on the National Storage 
Mechanism of the UK FCA in accordance with the ESEF Regulatory Technical Standard (ESEF RTS). This auditor’s report provides no 
assurance over whether the annual financial report has been prepared using the single electronic format specified in the ESEF RTS.

Dean Cook MA FCA
(Senior statutory auditor)
For and on behalf of Deloitte LLP 
Statutory Auditor 
London, United Kingdom

29 February 2024

182

Revenue
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Net operating costs
Operating profit
Financial income
Financial expense
Gains on instruments measured at fair value 
through profit or loss
Net financial (expense)/income relating to defined 
benefit pension schemes
Net financial (expense)/income
Profit before tax
Taxation
Profit after tax
Earnings per share
Basic – from profit for the year
Diluted – from profit for the year

2023

Adjusting 
items
(Note 3)
£m

(1.6)
(1.6)
(90.4)
(92.0)

Adjusted
£m
2,196
(1,182.1)
1,013.9
(603.3)
410.6
8.1
(30.8)

Statutory
£m
2,196
(1,183.7)
1,012.3
(693.7)
318.6
8.1
(30.8)

Adjusted
£m
2,049
(1,110.9)
938.1
(574.3)
363.8
4.6
(23.8)

2022

Adjusting 
items
(Note 3)
£m

(1.2)
(1.2)
(64.4)
(65.6)

Statutory
£m
2,049
(1,112.1)
936.9
(638.7)
298.2
4.6
(23.8)

7.0

7.0

4.9

4.9

(0.5)
(23.2)
387.4
(84.5)
302.9

7.0
(85.0)
19.4
(65.6)

(0.5)
(16.2)
302.4
(65.1)
237.3

91.5p
91.2p

1.5
(17.7)
346.1
(73.7)
272.4

4.9
(60.7)
14.6
(46.1)

1.5
(12.8)
285.4
(59.1)
226.3

87.6p
87.2p

Notes
4

5

8
8

14

9

7

All activities relate to continuing operations and are all attributable to the owners of the Company.

183

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsConsolidated statement of comprehensive income
For the year ended 31 December 2023

Consolidated statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 31 December 2023

Profit for the year
Items that will not subsequently be reclassified to profit and loss
Remeasurement loss on defined benefit plans
Related taxation effect

Items that may be reclassified to profit and loss
Gain/(loss) arising on hedging instruments designated in hedges of the 
net assets in foreign operation
(Loss)/gain on exchange differences on translation of foreign operations 
net of funding revaluations
(Gain)/loss on exchange differences reclassified to income statement 
on disposal of operations
Related tax credit/(charge) on items that may subsequently be reclassified 
to profit and loss

Other comprehensive loss for the year, net of taxation
Total comprehensive income for the year, net of taxation
Attributable to:
Equity holders of the parent

Notes

2023

£m

£m
237.3

2022

£m

£m
226.3

14
9

(33.7)
8.6

(82.7)
20.4

(25.1)

(62.3)

17

6.7

(41.1)

(0.2)

9

1.8

(7.5)

40.9

0.6

(0.3)

(32.8)
(57.9)
179.4

179.4

33.7
(28.6)
197.7

197.7

As at 1 January 2022
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income/(expense) excluding 
related taxation effect
Related taxation effect
Total comprehensive income
Issue of share capital
Dividends paid
Share-based payments (net of tax)
Shares acquired for: 
  employee share scheme trust
As at 31 December 2022
Changes in equity in 2023
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive expense excluding related 
taxation effect
Related taxation effect
Total comprehensive (expense)/income
Issue of share capital
Dividends paid
Share-based payments (net of tax)
Shares acquired for: 
  employee share scheme trust
As at 31 December 2023

Share 
capital
£m
78.6

Share 
premium 
account 
£m
15.2

Capital  
redemption  
reserve
£m
177.6

Translation 
reserve
£m
10.1

Notes

34.0
(0.3)
33.7

1.2

78.6

16.4

177.6

43.8

Retained 
earnings
£m
497.6
226.3

(82.7)
20.4
164.0

(62.2)
9.8

(20.0)
589.2

Total
£m
779.1
226.3

(48.7)
20.1
197.7
1.2
(62.2)
9.8

(20.0)
905.6

237.3

237.3

0.6

(34.6)
1.8
(32.8)

(33.7)
8.6
212.2

(68.8)
13.4

78.6

17.0

177.6

11.0

746.0

(68.3)
10.4
179.4
0.6
(68.8)
13.4

–
1,030.2

9

22
10
6

9

22
10
6

184

185

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsConsolidated balance sheet
At 31 December 2023

Consolidated statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 December 2023

Assets
Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Employee benefit assets
Deferred tax assets
Other receivables
Total non-current assets

Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Derivative financial assets
Current tax
Investments
Cash and cash equivalents
Total current assets
Total assets

Liabilities
Trade and other payables
Bank overdraft
Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
Lease liabilities
Provisions
Current tax
Derivative financial liabilities
Total current liabilities

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
Lease liabilities
Employee benefit obligations
Provisions
Deferred tax liabilities
Other payables
Total non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Net assets

Share capital
Share premium
Other reserves
Retained earnings
Total equity

Approved by the Board of Directors on 29 February 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Lord Smith of Kelvin
Chair

186

Notes

11
11
12
13
14
9

15
16
17

17
19

21
19
19
13
20

17

19
13
14
20
9
21

22

2022
(Restated 
Note 1)
£m

697.4
316.7
299.2
107.0
28.5
24.2
2.6
1,475.6

417.7
483.9
15.7
1.9
2.0
133.0
1,054.2
2,529.8

(438.0)
(93.8)
(150.1)
(25.8)
(27.2)
(70.4)
(13.8)
(819.1)

(595.4)
(79.9)
(47.4)
(15.3)
(59.2)
(7.9)
(805.1)
(1,624.2)
905.6

78.6
16.4
221.4
589.2
905.6

2023
£m

680.3
277.4
300.4
99.6
1.7
22.7
2.3
1,384.4

437.3
523.9
12.1
4.5
1.7
106.5
1,086.0
2,470.4

(470.3)
(66.3)
(47.2)
(25.2)
(28.7)
(73.0)
(10.9)
(721.6)

(531.4)
(75.0)
(50.6)
(13.0)
(33.3)
(15.3)
(718.6)
(1,440.2)
1,030.2

78.6
17.0
188.6
746.0
1,030.2

Cash flows from operating activities
Operating profit for the year
Adjustments for:
  Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment/(reversal of impairment) of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
(Profit)/loss on disposal of subsidiaries

  Loss on sale of property, plant and equipment
  Equity-settled share-based payment expense
Increase in inventories
Increase in trade and other receivables
Increase in trade and other payables
Decrease in provisions
Increase in employee benefits
Settlement of transactional derivatives
Cash generated from operations
Income taxes paid
Cash generated from operations after tax
Additional pension scheme funding
Net cash from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Interest received
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
Settlement of effective net investment hedge derivatives
Acquisitions of subsidiaries net of cash
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment and non-acquired intangibles
Proceeds from disposal of subsidiaries net of cash
Net cash from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Interest paid
Shares acquired for employee share scheme trust
Proceeds from the issue of share capital for employee share schemes
Drawdown of borrowings
Repayment of borrowings
Principal elements of lease payments
Dividends paid to equity shareholders
Net cash from financing activities

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at the start of the year
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents
Bank overdraft
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

Notes to the cash flow appear in Note 19.

Notes

2023
£m

2022
£m

318.6

298.2

11, 12, 13
11, 12, 13
24
12
6
15
16
21
20
14
17

9

14

8
12
17
23
11, 12
24

8
22
22
19
19
13
10

19
19

124.4
5.2
(0.7)
0.5
12.9
(32.3)
(56.5)
57.5
(0.1)
1.0
8.8
439.3
(76.1)
363.2
–
363.2

8.1
1.6
1.0
–
(79.9)
0.1
(69.1)

(30.8)
–
0.6
–
(148.4)
(29.0)
(68.8)
(276.4)

17.7
39.2
(16.7)
40.2

106.5
(66.3)
40.2

122.2
(1.6)
4.8
1.7
11.7
(47.6)
(38.8)
1.3
(16.0)
2.2
(2.3)
335.8
(48.6)
287.2
(3.5)
283.7

4.6
2.9
(6.3)
(201.2)
(71.3)
(2.1)
(273.4)

(23.8)
(20.0)
1.2
259.1
(121.3)
(32.3)
(62.2)
0.7

11.0
29.1
(0.9)
39.2

133.0
(93.8)
39.2

187

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements

1. Basis of preparation
Introduction
IMI plc (the Company) is a company incorporated and domiciled in the United Kingdom. The consolidated financial statements of the 
Company comprise the Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to as the Group). The Company financial statements present 
information about the Company as a separate entity and not about the Group. The consolidated financial statements have been 
prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as adopted by the UK. The Company financial 
statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standards (IAS) in conformity with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006 as applied in accordance with section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and these are presented on pages 258 to 
263. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 29 February 2024.

Basis of accounting
The financial statements are presented in Pounds Sterling (which is the Company’s functional currency), rounded to the nearest 
hundred thousand, except revenues, which are rounded to the nearest whole million. They are prepared on the historical cost basis 
except for: derivative financial instruments; financial assets classified as fair value through profit and loss or other comprehensive 
income; assets and liabilities acquired through business combinations, which are stated at fair value and retirement benefits. 
Non‑current assets and liabilities held for sale are stated at the lower of their carrying amounts and their fair values less costs to sell.

The accounting policies described in the notes to the financial statements have been applied consistently throughout the Group 
for the purposes of these consolidated financial statements.

i. New or amended UK Endorsed Accounting Standards adopted by the Group during 2023
Noted below are the amended and new International Financial Reporting Standards, which became effective for the Group 
as of 1 January 2023, none of which have a material impact on the financial statements:

 – Amendments to IFRS 17 Insurance contracts
 – Amendments to IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements and IFRS Practice Statement 2 Making Materiality Judgements – 

Disclosure of Accounting Policies

 – Amendments to IAS 12 Income Taxes – Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction
 – Amendments to IAS 12 Income Taxes – International Tax Reform – Pillar Two Model Rules
 – Amendments to IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors – Definition of Accounting Estimates

The directors have considered the current macroeconomic conditions. The Group is well diversified and maintains a balanced portfolio 
operating across a range of markets, sectors and geographies, with no single dependency. Performance in each of IMI’s two platforms 
has been robust during the year.

During this period of uncertainty, the Group continues to maintain a robust financial position. At 31 December 2023, the Group had 
cash and cash equivalents of £40.2m and undrawn committed facilities of £300m in the form of Revolving Credit Facilities (RCF), 
of which £100m is due for renewal in 2024, £75m in 2025, £75m in 2026 and £50m in 2027. Forecasts indicate that the Group can 
operate within the level of facilities in place, without the need to obtain any new facilities in the twelve‑month period following the 
approval of the Annual Report.

The directors have assessed the viability of the Group (page 100) and reviewed detailed cash flow forecasts for a period of at least 
twelve months following the date of approval of the Annual Report. After applying a reverse stress test on the Group’s banking 
covenants and making comparisons to the detailed forecasts, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the financial headroom 
will not be exhausted during this period.

Covenant compliance reviews are undertaken to ensure that the Group remains fully within the covenant limits. Funding covenants 
currently require EBITDA to be no less than 4.0 times interest and net debt to be no more than 3.0 times EBITDA. Those covenant ratios, 
at 31 December 2023, were 22.2 times and 1.3 times, respectively.

A reverse stress test shows that for there to be a breach of covenants during the twelve‑month period following the approval of the 
Annual Report, forecast revenue would need to fall by 40% and forecast EBITDA by 63%, after taking into account the mitigating actions 
that would be undertaken in these circumstances. The mitigating actions include, but are not limited to, reducing working capital, restricting 
capital expenditure, reducing overhead spend and employee costs and cutting or suspending dividend payments to shareholders.

Climate Change
Climate change is considered to be a key element of our overall sustainability roadmap. In preparing the financial statements, the 
directors have considered the impact of climate change, particularly in the context of the risks identified in the TCFD disclosures on 
pages 61 to 81. There has been no material impact identified on the financial reporting judgements and estimates.

Overall, sustainability is recognised in the market as a growth driver and a key part of our investment case. This is consistent with our 
assessment that climate change is not expected to have a detrimental impact on the viability of the Group in the medium‑term.

ii. New and revised accounting standards in issue but not yet effective
New and revised accounting standards that are in issue but not yet effective are listed below:

Specifically we note the following:

 – Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28 – Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture
 – Amendments to IAS 1 – Classification of Liabilities as Current or Non‑current
 – Amendments to IAS 1 – Non‑current Liabilities with Covenants
 – Amendments to IAS 7 and IFRS 7 – Supplier Finance Arrangements
 – Amendments to IFRS 16 – Lease Liability in a Sale and Leaseback

The adoption of the above standards and interpretations is not expected to lead to any changes to the Group’s accounting policies 
or have any other material impact on the financial position or performance of the Group.

Going concern
Accounting standards require that directors satisfy themselves that it is reasonable for them to conclude whether it is appropriate 
to prepare financial statements on a going concern basis. The Group’s business activities, together with the factors likely to affect its 
business development, performance and position, are set out in the Strategic Report. Principal risks are detailed on pages 91 to 99. 
The financial position of the Group, its cash flows, liquidity position and borrowing facilities are described in these financial statements. 
In addition, Note 18 includes; the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for managing its capital; its financial risk management 
objectives; details of its financial instruments and hedging activities; and its exposures to credit risk and liquidity risk. Note 14 to the 
financial statements addresses the management of the funding risks of the Group’s employee benefit obligations.

After making enquiries, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have adequate resources to 
continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and for a period of at least twelve months (1 March 2025) following the 
approval of the Annual Report. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

 – The impact of climate change has been included in the modelling to assess the viability and going concern status of the Group, both 
in terms of the preparation of our Strategic Plan, which underpins our viability statement modelling, and the modelling of our severe, 
but plausible downside scenarios;

 – Our assessment of the carrying value of goodwill and intangible assets included consideration of scenario analysis of potential climate 

change on our end markets and this did not introduce a set of circumstances that could reasonably lead to an impairment; and

 – The impact on the carrying value and useful lives of tangible assets has been considered and while we continue to invest in projects 

to reduce our carbon impact, there is not considered to be a material impact on our existing asset base.

188

189

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 20231. Basis of preparation continued
Restatements
2022 comparatives have been restated to reflect the impact of the following items:

Adjustments arising on prior year acquisitions
In finalising the accounting for the 2022 acquisitions of CorSolutions and Heatmiser, 2022 goodwill was decreased by £36.3m at 
31 December 2022 and allocated to Other intangible assets (increase of £46.2m), Inventories (increase of £1.4m), Trade and other 
receivables (decrease of £1.0m), Trade and other payables (decrease of £1.7m), Deferred tax (decrease of £11.6m) and Current tax 
(decrease of £0.4m). Refer to Note 23, which shows a reconciliation between the 2022 Consolidated Balance Sheet as disclosed 
in the 2022 Annual Report and the restated 2022 Consolidated Balance Sheet as disclosed on page 186.

Adjustments arising on changes in structure
On 28 July 2023, the Group announced a structure change whereby the existing divisional structure, including IMI Critical Engineering, 
IMI Precision Engineering and IMI Hydronic Engineering will now report under two platforms, Automation and Life Technology. 
Industrial Automation (formerly part of the IMI Precision Engineering division) and Process Automation (formerly IMI Critical 
Engineering) will form the Automation platform and Climate Control (formerly IMI Hydronic Engineering), Transport and Life Science 
& Fluid Control (both formerly part of the IMI Precision Engineering division) will form the Life Technology platform. Rail, which 
was previously reported under Transportation, has been re‑presented within Industrial Automation. As part of the 2022 restatement, 
corporate costs of £15.5m have been allocated to Automation and £9.9m has been allocated to Life Technology. Refer to Note 4, 
which shows the restated segmental analysis under the two new platforms.

2. Significant accounting policies
Where appropriate, the significant accounting policies are presented in the note to which it applies to aid the reader’s understanding 
of their application. Set out below are the significant accounting policies that do not have a specific note.

A. Subsidiaries
The Group financial statements consolidate the financial statements of IMI plc and the entities it controls (its subsidiaries) for the year 
to 31 December 2023. The Group has no significant interests which are accounted for as associates or joint ventures.

Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date of their acquisition, being the date on which the Group obtains control, and continue to 
be consolidated until the date that such control ceases. Control comprises the power to govern the financial and operating policies 
of the investee so as to obtain benefit from its activities and is achieved through direct or indirect ownership of voting rights, currently 
exercisable or convertible potential voting rights, or by way of contractual agreement. The financial statements of subsidiaries used in 
the preparation of the consolidated financial statements are prepared for the same reporting year as the parent company and are based 
on consistent accounting policies. All intragroup balances and transactions, including unrealised profits arising from them, are 
eliminated in full.

A change in the ownership interest of a subsidiary, without loss of control, is accounted for as an equity transaction. If the Group loses 
control over a subsidiary, it:

 – derecognises the assets (including any goodwill relating to the subsidiary) and liabilities of the subsidiary;
 – derecognises the carrying amount of any non‑controlling interest;
 – derecognises the cumulative translation differences recorded in equity;
 – recognises the fair value of the consideration received;
 – recognises the fair value of any investment retained;
 – recognises any surplus or deficit in profit or loss; and
 – reclassifies the parent’s share of components previously recognised in other comprehensive income to profit or loss or retained 

earnings, as appropriate.

Taxation on the above accounting entries would also be recognised, where applicable.

B. Use of critical judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the 
application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from 
these estimates.

i. Critical judgements
The critical judgements are the identification of the Alternative Performance Measures as disclosed in Note 3.

ii. Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The Group bases its assumptions and estimates on information available when the consolidated financial statements are prepared. 
Market changes or circumstances arising beyond the control of the Group are reflected in the assumptions and estimates when they 
occur. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised and in any future periods affected. 
The key assumptions concerning the future, and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting period that may have a 
significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year, are 
disclosed in Note 14 ‘Retirement benefits’.

iii. Changes in critical judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
Management has reassessed the critical judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty presented in the 2022 Annual Report 
and concluded that the determination of a lease term previously considered a critical judgement is no longer considered critical on 
the basis that the financial impact of revising lease terms to reflect the effect of exercising extension or termination options is no 
longer materially significant.

C. Revenue recognition
Revenue is recognised when obligations under the terms of a contract with our customer are satisfied. This generally occurs when the 
goods are transferred, or the services are provided, to our customer. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect 
to receive in exchange for transferring goods or providing services. Sales and other taxes collected from customers are excluded from 
revenue. The nature of the equipment, valve and other contracts into which the Group enters means that:

 – the contracts usually contain distinct performance obligations, each of which transfers control of the goods to the customer. Where 
such distinct performance obligations are present, revenue is recognised on each element in accordance with the policy on the sale 
of goods; and

 – the service element of the contract is usually insignificant in relation to the total contract value and is often provided on a short‑term 

or one‑off basis. Where this is the case, revenue is recognised when the service is complete

As a result of the above, the significant majority of the Group’s revenue is recognised on a sale of goods basis. Each of the platform’s 
revenue streams set out in Note 4 can consist of the sale of goods, the provision of services or a combination of the two. The specific 
methods used to recognise the different forms of revenue earned by the Group are set out below:

i. Sale of goods
Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised in the income statement net of returns, trade discounts and volume rebates when control 
has been transferred to our customer. No revenue is recognised where recovery of the consideration is not probable or if there are 
significant uncertainties regarding associated costs or the possible return of goods.

In Climate Control, the amount of consideration received and the revenue recognised varies in line with discounts and promotions 
offered to our customers and their customers. The level of estimation uncertainty associated with variable consideration is minimal, 
as discounts and rebates are accounted for at the point of sale and adjusted as required at each financial year‑end.

The timing of the transfer of control to our customer varies depending on the nature of the products sold and the individual terms 
of the contract of sale. Sales made under internationally accepted trade terms, Incoterms 2020, are recognised as revenue when the 
Group has completed the primary duties required to transfer control as defined by the International Chamber of Commerce Official 
Rules for the Interpretation of Trade Terms. Sales made outside Incoterms 2020 are generally recognised on delivery to the customer. 
In limited instances, a customer may request that the Group retains physical possession of an asset for a period after control has been 
transferred to the customer. In these circumstances, the Group provides this storage as a service to the customer and, therefore, 
revenue is recognised prior to delivery of the asset.

190

191

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements2. Significant accounting policies continued
ii. Rendering of services
Servicing relates to repairs and maintenance activity that is completed at our customer sites within our installed base. Revenue from the 
rendering of services is usually insignificant in relation to the total contract value and is generally provided on a short‑term or one‑off 
basis. Accordingly, revenue is usually recognised when the service is complete.

Where this is not the case, revenue from services rendered is recognised in proportion to the stage of completion of the service at the 
balance sheet date.

The stage of completion is assessed by reference to the contractual performance obligations with each separate customer and 
the costs incurred on the contract to date in comparison to the total forecast costs of the contract. Revenue recognition commences 
only when the outcome of the contract can be reliably measured. Installation fees are similarly recognised by reference to the stage 
of completion on the installation unless they are incidental to the sale of the goods, in which case they are recognised when the goods 
are sold.

iii. Combined services and goods
When a transaction combines a supply of goods with the provision of a significant service, distinct performance obligations are identified 
and recognised in line with the applicable policy. Revenue from a service that is incidental to the supply of goods is recognised at the 
same time as the revenue from the supply of goods.

D. Foreign currencies
i. Foreign currency transactions
Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies have been translated into Sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the 
balance sheet date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translating transactions at the exchange rate ruling on the transaction date 
are reflected in the income statement. Non‑monetary assets and liabilities that are measured at historical cost in a foreign currency are 
translated using the exchange rates at the date of the transaction. Non‑monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies 
that are stated at fair value are translated into Sterling at foreign exchange rates ruling at the balance sheet date.

ii. Foreign operations
The income statements of overseas subsidiary undertakings are translated at the appropriate average rate of exchange for the year, 
and the adjustment to year‑end rates is taken directly to reserves.

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, including goodwill and fair value adjustments arising on acquisition, are translated 
at foreign exchange rates ruling at the balance sheet date.

Foreign exchange differences arising on retranslation are recognised directly as a separate component of equity. Since 1 January 2004, 
the Group’s date of transition to IFRS, such differences have been recognised in the translation reserve. When a foreign operation is 
disposed of, either in part or in full, the relevant amount in the translation reserve is transferred to profit or loss.

E. Financial instruments and fair value hedging
Financial instruments are initially recorded at fair value plus directly attributable transaction costs unless the instrument is a derivative 
not designated as a hedge (see below). Subsequent measurement depends on the designation of the instrument, which follows the 
categories in IFRS 9:

 – short‑term borrowings and overdrafts are classified as financial liabilities at amortised cost;
 – derivatives, comprising interest rate swaps, foreign exchange contracts and options, metals futures contracts and any embedded 

derivatives, are classified as ‘fair value through profit or loss’ under IFRS 9, unless designated as hedges. Derivatives not designated as 
hedges are initially recognised at fair value; attributable transaction costs are recognised in profit or loss when incurred. Subsequent 
to initial recognition, changes in fair value of such derivatives and gains or losses on their settlement are recognised in net financial 
income or expense;

 – long‑term loans and other interest bearing borrowings are generally held at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. 
Where the long‑term loan is hedged, generally by an interest rate swap, and the hedge is regarded as effective, the carrying value 
of the long‑term loan is adjusted for changes in fair value of the hedge;

 – trade receivables are stated at cost as reduced by appropriate impairment allowances for expected irrecoverable amounts;
 – trade payables are stated at cost;
 – financial assets and liabilities are recognised on the balance sheet only when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions 

of the instrument; and

 – fair value through other comprehensive income (FVTOCI) financial instruments are carried at fair value with gains and losses being 

recognised in equity, and represent investments.

i. Derecognition of financial instruments
The Group derecognises a financial asset only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or when it transfers 
the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset to another entity. If the Group neither transfers 
nor retains substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership and continues to control the transferred asset, the Group recognises 
its retained interest in the asset and an associated liability for amounts it may have to pay. If the Group retains substantially all the risks 
and rewards of ownership of a transferred financial asset, the Group continues to recognise the financial asset and also recognises a 
collateralised borrowing for the proceeds received.

On derecognition of a financial asset measured at amortised cost, the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the sum 
of the consideration received and receivable is recognised in profit or loss. In addition, on derecognition of an investment in a debt 
instrument classified as FVTOCI, the cumulative gain or loss previously accumulated in the investments revaluation reserve is reclassified 
to profit or loss. In contrast, on derecognition of an investment in an equity instrument which the Group has elected on initial 
recognition to measure at FVTOCI, the cumulative gain or loss previously accumulated in the investments revaluation reserve is not 
reclassified to profit or loss, but is transferred to retained earnings.

The Group derecognises financial liabilities when, and only when, the Group’s obligations are discharged, cancelled or have expired. 
The difference between the carrying amount of the financial liability derecognised and the consideration paid and payable is recognised 
in profit or loss.

When the Group exchanges with the existing lender one debt instrument into another one, with substantially different terms, such 
exchange is accounted for as an extinguishment of the original financial liability and the recognition of a new financial liability. Similarly, the 
Group accounts for substantial modification of terms of an existing liability or part of it as an extinguishment of the original financial liability 
and the recognition of a new liability. It is assumed that the terms are substantially different if the discounted present value of the cash 
flows under the new terms, including any fees paid net of any fees received and discounted using the original effective interest rate is at 
least 10% different from the discounted present value of the remaining cash flows of the original financial liability. If the modification is not 
substantial, the difference between: (1) the carrying amount of the liability before the modification; and (2) the present value of the cash 
flows after modification is recognised in profit or loss as the modification gain or loss within other gains and losses.

192

193

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements2. Significant accounting policies continued
ii. Derecognition of hedging arrangements
The Group discontinues hedge accounting only when the hedging relationship (or a part thereof) ceases to meet the qualifying criteria 
(after rebalancing, if applicable). This includes instances when the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised. 
The discontinuation is accounted for prospectively. Any gain or loss recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated 
in cash flow hedge reserve at that time remains in equity and is reclassified to profit or loss when the forecast transaction occurs. 
When a forecast transaction is no longer expected to occur, the gain or loss accumulated in the cash flow hedge reserve is reclassified 
immediately to profit or loss.

F. Other hedging
i. Hedge of monetary assets and liabilities, financial commitments or forecast transactions
Where a derivative financial instrument is used as an economic hedge of the foreign exchange or metals commodity price exposure 
of a recognised monetary asset or liability, financial commitment or forecast transaction, but does not meet the criteria to qualify for 
hedge accounting under IFRS 9, no hedge accounting is applied and any gain or loss resulting from changes in fair value of the hedging 
instrument is recognised in net financial income or expense.

Where such a derivative is a formally designated hedge of a forecast transaction for accounting purposes, movements in the value 
of the derivative are recognised directly in other comprehensive income to the extent the hedge is effective. The Group assesses the 
effectiveness of the hedge based on the expected fair value of the amount to be received and the movement in the fair value of the 
derivative designated as the hedge.

For segmental reporting purposes, changes in the fair value of economic hedges that are not designated hedges, which relate to current 
year trading, together with the gains and losses on their settlement, are allocated to the operating profit of the relevant business segment.

ii. Hedge of net investment in foreign operations
Where a foreign currency liability or derivative financial instrument is a formally designated hedge of a net investment in a foreign 
operation, foreign exchange differences arising on translation of the foreign currency liability or changes in the fair value of the financial 
instrument are recognised directly in equity via other comprehensive income, to the extent the hedge is effective. The Group assesses 
the effectiveness of its net investment hedges based on fair value changes of its net assets, including relevant goodwill designated as 
foreign currency assets, and the fair value changes of both the debt designated as a hedge and the relevant financial instrument.

G. Investments not held for trading
Investments that are designated as being not held for trading are initially recognised at fair value. Subsequently, the fair value of the 
investment is reassessed at each balance sheet date, with movements in the fair value recognised in other comprehensive income. 
In contrast, on derecognition of an investment in an equity instrument which the Group has elected on initial recognition to measure 
at fair value through other comprehensive income, the cumulative gain or loss previously accumulated in the investments revaluation 
reserve is not reclassified to profit or loss, but is transferred to retained earnings.

H. Discontinued operations
When the Group has assets and liabilities that have been sold in the year or are likely to be sold rather than being held for continuing 
use, these assets and liabilities are included in current assets and liabilities and denoted ‘held for sale’ rather than in their usual 
categories. They are recognised at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell. Impairment losses on the initial 
classification of assets held for sale are included in the income statement, even for assets measured at fair value, as are impairment 
losses on subsequent remeasurement and any reversal thereof. Once classified as held for sale, assets are no longer depreciated 
or amortised.

If they represent a significant enough proportion of the Group, they are also treated as discontinued operations. A discontinued 
operation is a component of the Group’s business that represents a separate major line of business that has been disposed of, is held 
for sale or is a subsidiary acquired exclusively with a view to resale. This means that their trading performance, i.e., their revenues, costs 
and other items of income and expense, are no longer reported within the headline figures in the income statement and are instead 
reported in a separate line, net of tax, called ‘discontinued operations’. These amounts no longer form part of continuing earnings per 
share. Comparative figures are re‑presented to be shown on the same basis.

This enables the income statement for the current and prior year to be presented on a consistent basis and to convey a more 
forward‑looking version of the results for the year.

3. Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) and adjusting items

Accounting policy
The Group’s policy is to exclude items from underlying performance that are considered to be significant in nature (i.e., outside of 
the normal course of business) and/or quantum and where treatment as an adjusting item provides stakeholders with additional 
useful information to assess period‑on‑period trading performance of the Group.

The Group believes that 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. These APMs are consistent with how the business 
performance is planned and reported within the internal management reporting to the Board and Executive Committee. Some of 
these measures are also used for the purpose of setting remuneration targets and for banking covenants.

The adjusting items in the income statement and the reasons these are considered to be adjusting items are detailed below:

 – Costs associated with major restructuring projects – these costs are reported as adjusting items on the basis that they are 

significant in quantum, relate to specific, approved strategic initiatives following reviews of our organisation structure during 
the period and to provide stakeholders with comparability of underlying results from one period to the next, including dual 
running costs. Restructuring costs that are not considered to be major or one‑off are included within underlying results in the 
Consolidated Income Statement

 – Impairment losses – impairment losses treated as adjusting items include those which are large in quantum or one‑off in nature 
and, as a result, are not considered to be usual operating costs of the Group. In addition to this, impairment losses associated 
with major restructuring projects are considered to be part of the overall project and therefore follow the same treatment as 
restructuring projects, as described above. Impairment losses incurred, which are not significant or do not form part of a major 
restructuring project are recorded as adjusted items. All impairment losses recorded as adjusting items in the current and prior 
period relate to restructuring projects treated as adjusting items

 – Gains and losses on property disposals – significant quantum gains and losses on property disposals are not considered to relate 
to the underlying trading of the business and are therefore treated as adjusting items. All gains and losses on property disposals 
associated with major restructuring projects are considered to be part of the overall project and therefore follow the same 
treatment as restructuring projects, as described above

 – Acquired intangible amortisation – the amortisation charge is not considered to be related to the underlying performance of 
the Group and can fluctuate materially period‑on‑period as new businesses are acquired. All acquired intangible amortisation 
is treated as an adjusting item due to its nature. The trading results of acquired businesses are included in the adjusted results

 – Gains and losses on disposal of subsidiaries – due to their one‑off nature and large quantum, gains and losses on disposals 
are treated as adjusting items. If these gains or losses are not considered to be one‑off or material, these amounts would be 
included within underlying results. This also includes the impact of the exit from Russia – the loss on disposal of the Group’s 
Russian subsidiary and impairment of assets related to Russian contracts

 – The reversal of gains and losses on economic hedges – gains and losses on economic hedges are treated as an adjusting item 
on a qualitative basis. The adjusting item reverses the treatment taken locally by the Group’s businesses, where the impact of 
foreign currency forwards and commodity hedges are booked at the hedged rate in the adjusted results of the local businesses. 
In compliance with IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, these do not meet the requirement of an effective hedge and are therefore 
adjusted to be booked at the spot rate. The recognition of the gain and losses on the hedged items is recorded as a financing 
item, including any unrealised gains and losses

 – Other acquisition costs – for an acquired business, the acquisition costs which are primarily advisor and legal fees and the 

one‑off write‑off of the inventory uplift to fair value do not reflect trading performance and so are treated as adjusting items 
to ensure consistency between periods

 – Special pension events – due to their one‑off nature and typically large quantum, special pension events are treated as adjusting 

items. Special pension events which are not significant are recorded as adjusting items. There are no special pension events 
recorded as adjusting items in the current or prior period

 – Tax effect on adjusting items above – any tax effect of the above items is treated as an adjusting item
 – Other tax items – an assessment is made, on a case‑by‑case basis, for one‑off tax items which significantly impact the Group’s 

results to determine whether the item should be treated as an adjusting item

194

195

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements3. Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) & adjusting items continued

The policies outlined above are consistent with the policies adopted in the previous period.

Movements in revenue and adjusted operating profit are given on an organic basis (see definition below) so that performance is not 
distorted by acquisitions, disposals and movements in exchange rates.

The directors’ commentary discusses these APMs to remove the effects of items of both income and expense that are considered 
different in nature from the underlying trading and normal quantum and where treatment as an adjusting item provides 
stakeholders with additional information to assess period‑on‑period trading.

Critical judgement
Management have applied judgement in the identification of the APMs used in the Annual Report. The APMs presented are used in 
discussions with the investment analyst community and by the Board and management to monitor the trading performance of 
the Group.

Net debt

Net debt: adjusted EBITDA
Free cash flow before 
corporate activity

Return on invested capital 
(ROIC)

Cash conversion

Net debt is defined as the cash and cash equivalents, overdrafts, 
interest‑bearing loans and borrowings and lease liabilities.
Net debt divided by adjusted EBITDA as defined above.
This measure is a sub‑total in the reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net 
debt and is presented to assist the reader to understand the nature of the 
current year’s cash flows excluding dividends, share buybacks and the 
purchase and issuance of own shares.
This measure takes adjusted operating profit after tax divided by average 
capital invested. Capital invested is defined as net assets adjusted to remove 
net debt, derivative assets and liabilities, defined benefit pension position 
(net of deferred tax) and to reverse historical impairments of goodwill and 
amortisation of acquired intangible assets.
Cash conversion is the adjusted operating cash flow as a percentage of the 
adjusted operating profit.

  See Note 19.

  See Note 19.

The table below details the definition of each APM and a reference to where it can be reconciled to the equivalent statutory measure.

Outlined below are the adjusting items impacting the current and prior year results.

APM
Adjusted profit before tax

Adjusted net interest cost

Adjusted earnings per share
Adjusted effective tax rate

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted operating profit

Adjusted operating margin
Adjusted net financing costs

Definition
Adjusted profit before tax is statutory profit before tax before adjusting items 
as shown on the income statement.
Adjusted net interest cost is statutory net interest costs before adjusting items 
as shown on the income statement.
Adjusted earnings per share is defined within the table in Note 7.
The adjusted effective tax rate is the tax impact on adjusted profit before tax 
divided by adjusted profit before tax.
This measure reflects adjusted profit after tax before interest, tax, 
depreciation, amortisation and impairment.
Adjusted operating profit is statutory operating profit before adjusting items 
as shown on the income statement.
Adjusted operating margin is adjusted operating profit divided by revenue.
Adjusted net financing costs is interest received and interest paid including 
the impact on interest costs on leases before gains on instruments measured 
at fair value through profit or loss (other economic hedges) and net financial 
income relating to defined benefit pension schemes.
These two measures remove the impact of adjusting items, acquisitions, 
disposals and movements in exchange rates and are reconciled in Note 4.

Organic revenue growth
Organic adjusted  
operating profit
Adjusted operating cash flow This measure reflects cash generated from operations as shown in the 

statement of cash flows less cash spent acquiring property, plant and 
equipment, non‑acquired intangible assets and investments; plus cash 
received from the sale of property, plant and equipment, the sale of 
investments less the repayment of principal amounts of lease payments 
excluding the cash impact of adjusting items.

Reconciliation to 
statutory measure

  See income statement 
on page 183.
  See income statement 
on page 183.
  See Note 7.
  See Note 9.

  See Note 19.

  See income statement 
on page 183 and 
segmental reporting 
in Note 4.

  See Note 19.

Recognised in arriving at operating profit
Reversal of net economic hedge contract (gains)/losses
Restructuring costs
Acquired intangible amortisation and other acquisition costs
Exit from Russia

Recognised in net financial expense
Gains on instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss

Recognised in taxation
Tax impact of adjusting items above

Key

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

2023
£m

(8.3)
(48.1)
(33.6)
(2.0)
(92.0)

2022
£m

3.0
(25.9)
(33.7)
(9.0)
(65.6)

(a)

7.0

4.9

(e)

19.4

14.6

(a)  Reversal of net economic hedge contract gains/losses – for segmental reporting purposes, changes in the fair value of economic 
hedges that are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes, together with the gains and losses on their settlement, are 
included in the revenues and adjusted operating profit of the relevant business segment. The adjusting items at the operating costs 
level reverse this treatment. The financing adjusting items reflect the change in value or settlement of these contracts with the 
financial institutions with which they were transacted.

(b)  Restructuring costs – restructuring costs of £48.1m were recognised in 2023. The Automation platform incurred costs of £30.6m 
related to the rationalisation of three facilities. The Life Technology platform incurred costs of £17.5m related to the Customer First 
reorganisation project, which transforms the structure into customer‑led sectors (across a number of businesses), and the 
rationalisation of three facilities. The benefits of the restructuring programme are included in adjusted operating profit. These 
ongoing significant restructuring projects are due to be completed in 2024.

Restructuring costs of £25.9m were recognised in 2022. These primarily related to Automation and were for the Customer First 
project, across a number of businesses and the rationalisation of four facilities.

196

197

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
3. Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) and adjusting items continued
(c)  Acquired intangible amortisation and other acquisition costs – the acquired intangible amortisation charge was £32.0m 

(2022: £29.5m), which largely relates to the amortisation of the intangible assets recognised on the acquisition of Adaptas Solutions, 
Heatmiser UK Ltd and Bimba Manufacturing Company. Other acquisition costs of £1.6m for the year ended 31 December 2023 are 
related to the unwind of the inventory fair value uplift adjustment for Heatmiser. Other acquisition costs of £4.2m for the year ended 
31 December 2022 primarily related to professional fees associated with the acquisition of Heatmiser and Bahr and the unwind of 
the inventory fair value uplift adjustment for Adaptas.

(d)  Exit from Russia – During 2023, changes were made to the legal structure of a customer, which resulted in a £2m write‑off. In 

2022, the Group’s decision to end all new business in Russia resulted in a charge of £9.0m. The Group recorded a loss on disposal 
of its Russian subsidiary of £4.8m. In addition, the exit resulted in a £4.2m impairment of assets related to Russian contracts.

(e)  Taxation – the tax effect of the above items has been recognised as an adjusting item and amounts to £19.4m (2022: £14.6m).

4. Segmental Information
Segmental information is presented in the consolidated financial statements for each of the Group’s operating segments. The operating 
segment reporting format reflects the Group’s management and internal reporting structures and represents the information that was 
presented to the chief operating decision‑maker, being the Executive Committee.

On 28 July 2023, the Group announced a structure change where the existing divisional structure, including IMI Critical Engineering, 
IMI Precision Engineering and IMI Hydronic Engineering now reports under two platforms, Automation and Life Technology to better 
align IMI to its key sectors and to help position IMI to accelerate growth.

The following table shows a reconciliation of platform adjusted operating profit to statutory operating profit. 2022 results have been 
restated to reflect the structure change described in Note 1.

Revenue
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted operating profit margin (%)

Reconciliation to statutory operating profit:
Reversal of net economic hedge contract losses/(gains)
Restructuring costs
Acquired intangible amortisation and other acquisition items
Exit from Russia
Statutory operating profit
Statutory operating margin (%)
Net financial expense
Statutory profit before tax

Automation

Life
Technology

Total

2023
£m
1,350
257.3
19.1%

(7.5)
(30.6)
(14.9)
(2.0)
202.3
15.0%

2022
(Restated)
£m
1,248
225.3
18.1%

1.0
(15.9)
(16.2)
(5.9)
188.3
15.1%

2023
£m
846
153.3
18.1%

(0.8)
(17.5)
(18.7)
–
116.3
13.7%

2022
(Restated)
£m
801
138.5
17.3%

2.0
(10.0)
(17.5)
(3.1)
109.9
13.7%

2023
£m
2,196
410.6
18.7%

(8.3)
(48.1)
(33.6)
(2.0)
318.6
14.5%
(16.2)
302.4

2022
(Restated)
£m
2,049
363.8
17.8%

3.0
(25.9)
(33.7)
(9.0)
298.2
14.6%
(12.8)
285.4

Automation
The Automation business leverages deep automation technology and applications expertise to improve productivity, safety and 
sustainability in the Process Automation and Industrial Automation sectors.

The following table illustrates how revenue and adjusted operating profit have been impacted by movements in foreign exchange, 
acquisitions and disposals compared to 2022. 2022 results have been restated to reflect the structure change described in Note 1.

Year ended 31 December 2022 (Restated)

Year ended 31 December 2023

Life Technology
The Life Technology business focuses on technologies that enhance and improve everyday life, particularly in the areas of health, 
sustainability and comfort across the Climate Control, Transport and Life Science & Fluid Control sectors.

Performance is measured by the Executive Committee, based on adjusted operating profit and organic revenue growth, which are 
defined in Note 3. These two measures represent the two short‑term key performance indicators for the Group.

Businesses enter into forward currency and metal contracts to provide economic hedges against the impact on profitability of swings 
in rates and values in accordance with the Group’s policy to minimise the risk of volatility in revenues, costs and margins. Adjusted 
operating profits are therefore charged/credited with the impact of these contracts. In accordance with IFRS 9, these contracts do not 
meet the requirements for hedge accounting and gains and losses are reversed out of operating profit and are recorded in net financial 
income and expense for the purposes of the Consolidated income statement.

The following table illustrates how the results for the segments reconcile to the overall results reported in the income statement. 
2022 results have been restated to reflect the structure change described in Note 1.

Revenue
Automation
Life Technology
Total

Adjusted operating profit
Automation
Life Technology
Total

As
adjusted
1,248
801
2,049

As

Disposal
(6)
(3)
(9)

Exchange
(1)
4
3

Organic
1,241
802
2,043

adjusted Acquisitions
(6)
(26)
(32)

1,350
846
2,196

Organic
1,344
820
2,164

225.3
138.5
363.8

(0.6)
–
(0.6)

(0.6)
1.8
1.2

224.1
140.3
364.4

257.3
153.3
410.6

(1.1)
(8.4)
(9.5)

Adjusted 
growth 
(%)
8%
6%
7%

Organic 
growth 
(%)
8%
2%
6%

14%
11%
13%

14%
3%
10%

256.2
144.9
401.1

18.5%

Adjusted operating profit margin (%)

17.8%

17.8%

18.7%

198

199

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements4. Segmental Information continued
The following table illustrates how the segmental assets and liabilities reconcile to the overall total assets and liabilities reported in the 
balance sheet. 2022 results have been restated to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions and the structure 
change, both of which are described in Note 1.

Automation
Life Technology
Total segmental assets/liabilities (including lease liabilities)
Corporate items
Employee benefits
Investments
Net debt items (excluding lease liabilities)
Net taxation
Total assets and liabilities in Group balance sheet

Assets

Liabilities

2023
£m
1,393.0
921.8
2,314.8
18.5
1.7
1.7
106.5
27.2
2,470.4

2022 
(Restated) 
£m
1,362.2
955.5
2,317.7
22.5
28.5
2.0
133.0
26.1
2,529.8

2023
£m
444.1
155.6
599.7
38.7
50.6
–
644.9
106.3
1,440.2

2022 
(Restated) 
£m
389.5
171.8
561.3
46.6
47.4
–
839.3
129.6
1,624.2

The following table includes other information to show how certain costs are allocated between the platforms of the Group. 
2022 results have been restated to reflect the structure change described in Note 1.

Automation
Life Technology
Total

Adjusting restructuring 
costs

2023
£m
30.6
17.5
48.1

2022 
(Restated)
£m
15.9
10.0
25.9

Capital expenditure

Amortisation*

Depreciation**

2023
£m
51.3
28.6
79.9

2022 
(Restated)
£m
40.7
30.6
71.3

2023
£m
24.7
24.9
49.6

2022 
(Restated)
£m
23.6
24.4
48.0

2023
£m
46.2
28.6
74.8

2022 
(Restated)
£m
43.6
30.6
74.2

The following table shows a geographical analysis of how the Group’s revenue is derived by destination:

UK
Germany
Rest of Europe
Total Europe

USA
Rest of Americas
Total Americas

China
Rest of Asia Pacific
Total Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa

Total revenue

Revenue by geography (2023)

Revenue by geography (2022)

D

A

D

A

2023
£m
117
280
557
954

525
140
665

174
296
470

107

2022
£m
93
265
520
878

536
91
627

179
271
450

94

2,196

2,049

* 

The amortisation figures above include the amortisation of acquired intangibles. £14.9m (2022: £15.3m restated) is included in respect of Automation and £17.1m (2022: £14.2m 
restated) is included in respect of Life Technology.

**  The depreciation figures above include the impact of IFRS 16 ‘Leases’: £17.1m in respect of Automation (2022: £18.8m restated) and £12.3m in respect of Life Technology 

(2022: £13.6m restated).

C

C

A Europe

B Americas

C Asia Pacific

B

43%

30%

22%

A Europe

B Americas

C Asia Pacific

B

43%

30%

22%

D Middle East and Africa 5%

D Middle East and Africa 5%

200

201

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements4. Segmental Information continued
The following table shows a geographical analysis of the location of the Group’s intangible assets, property, plant and equipment 
and right‑of‑use assets. 2022 results have been restated to include the impact of Heatmiser and CorSolutions acquisitions, as discussed 
in Note 1.

5. Net operating costs
Operating profit is stated after charging/(crediting):

UK
Germany
Rest of Europe
USA
Asia Pacific
Rest of World
Total

2023
£m
196.6
298.2
312.9
468.5
49.1
32.4
1,357.7

2022 
(Restated)
£m
192.3
306.8
307.4
519.0
64.5
30.3
1,420.3

The Group’s revenue streams are disaggregated in the table below. The 2022 results have been restated as a result of the changes 
to the Group’s structure, which now reports under two platforms, Automation and Life Technology, as discussed in Note 1.

Industrial Automation
Aftermarket
New Construction
Process Automation
Automation

Climate Control
Life Science & Fluid Control
Transport
Life Technology

Total revenue
Sale of goods
Sale of services
Total revenue

2023
Revenue
£m 
543
483
324
807
1,350

2022
Revenue
(Restated)
£m
535
411
302
713
1,248

386
276
184
846

2,196
2,115
81
2,196

350
289
162
801

2,049
1,977
72
2,049

Net foreign exchange gains included in operating profit
Research and development expense
Amortisation of intangible assets
Impairment of intangible assets treated as adjusting items
Impairment of intangible assets
Depreciation of owned property, plant and equipment
Impairment/(reversal of impairment) of owned property, plant and equipment and leased assets treated as 
adjusting items
Impairment/(reversal of impairment) of owned property, plant and equipment
Depreciation of right‑of‑use assets
Cost of inventories recognised as an expense
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment

2023
Revenue
£m 
(4.6)
73.6
49.6
–
–
45.4

5.0
0.2
29.4
1,183.7
0.5

2022
Revenue
£m
(3.2)
70.3
48.0
0.2
0.5
41.9

(2.3)
(0.6)
32.3
1,112.1
1.7

Operating costs by function
The following table shows how much of the operating costs disclosed in the income statement relate to selling and distribution costs 
and administrative expenses:

Selling and distribution costs
Administrative expenses
Total

2023
£m 
224.2
387.4
611.6

2022
£m
207.2
367.1
574.3

Employee information 
The average number of people employed by the Group during the year is shown in the table below. 2022 comparatives have been 
restated to reflect the change to the business structure as described in Note 1.

Automation
Life Technology
Corporate
Total Group

2023

6,542
4,410
85
11,037

2022
(Restated)
7,102
3,947
80
11,129

202

203

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
5. Net operating costs continued
The aggregate employment cost charged to operating profit for the year was:

Wages and salaries
Share‑based payments
Social security costs
Pension costs
Total

2023
£m 
531.9
12.9
82.4
5.8
633.0

2022
£m
505.9
11.7
76.7
8.3
602.6

The aggregate gains made by directors on the exercise of share options was £3.7m (2022: £2.6m). The remuneration, as defined in the 
Companies Act 2006 Schedule 5, for the executive directors comprises fixed and annual variable pay as set out in the table on page 147 of 
the Remuneration Report. For details of the non‑executive directors’ remuneration please refer to page 159 of the Remuneration Report.

Research and development expenditure
The cost of research and development expenditure charged directly to the income statement was £73.6m (2022: £70.3m). Included 
within this is amortisation of capitalised intangible development costs which amounted to £7.3m (2022: £8.2m) and across the Group 
a further £6.2m (2022: £5.9m) was capitalised in the year.

Exchange on operating activities net of hedging arrangements
The transactional foreign exchange gains in the Group were £4.6m (2022: gains of £3.2m).

Audit fees
The Group engages its auditor, Deloitte, to perform other assurance assignments in addition to their statutory audit duties where their 
expertise, experience and knowledge of the Group should enable them to perform these assignments more efficiently than other similar 
service providers.

6. Share-based payments
The Group operates a number of equity and equity‑related compensation benefits to reward its employees. The estimated cost of 
awarding these share options is charged to the income statement over the period that the Group benefits from the employees’ services. 
This cost is then added back to retained earnings, to reflect that there is no overall impact on the Group’s balance sheet until the shares 
are issued to the employees when the options are exercised.

The individual share option schemes, the number of options outstanding under each of them, the estimated cost of these options 
recognised in the income statement and the assumptions used in arriving at this estimated cost are described below.

Accounting policy
The fair value of the employee services received in exchange for the grant of the options is recognised as an expense each year. 
The total amount to be expensed over the vesting period is determined by reference to the fair value of the options granted, 
excluding the impact of any non‑market vesting conditions (for example, profitability and sales growth targets). Non‑market 
vesting conditions are included in assumptions about the number of options that are expected to become exercisable. The fair 
value of the options is determined based on the Monte Carlo and Black‑Scholes option‑pricing models.

At each balance sheet date, the Group revises its estimates of the number of options that are expected to vest. It recognises the 
impact of the revision of original estimates, if any, in the income statement.

For newly issued shares, the proceeds received net of any directly attributable transaction costs are credited to share capital 
(nominal value) and share premium when the options are exercised.

Outstanding share options
At 31 December 2023, options to purchase ordinary shares had been granted to, but not yet exercised by, participants of IMI share 
option schemes as follows:

The Group’s policy on such assignments is set out in the Audit Committee Report on page 130. Fees earned by Deloitte and its associates 
during the year are set out below:

IMI Sharesave Scheme

Fees earned by the Company’s auditor for the audit of the Company’s Annual Accounts
The audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation
Other assurance services
Total

2023
£m 
0.2
3.0
0.1
3.3

2022
£m
0.2
2.9
0.1
3.2

Purchase Plans

IMI Incentive Plan

IMI Share Option Plan

Total

Date of grant
04.04.18
04.04.19
02.04.20
02.04.21
31.03.22
07.06.23

15.08.22
20.03.23

18.03.19
16.03.20
22.03.21
18.03.22
24.03.23

11.03.14

Number of shares
650
15,663
11,966
62,396
89,403
70,305
250,383
68,053
41,140
109,193
9,880
113,408
735,433
815,275
822,056
2,496,052
22,450
22,450
2,878,078

Price
1012.68p
884.16p
904.66p
1166.58p
1260.18p
1458.36p

1155.78p
1375.11p

–
–
–
–
–

1467.00p

Dates from which exercisable
01.08.21 or 01.08.23
01.08.22 or 01.08.24
01.08.23 or 01.08.25
01.08.24 or 01.08.26
01.08.25 or 01.08.27
01.08.26 or 01.08.28

15.08.24
20.03.25

18.03.22
16.03.23
22.03.24
09.03.25
09.03.26

11.03.17

204

205

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements6. Share-based payments continued
Schemes under which options are outstanding
The options in the above table relate to the following share‑based payment schemes:

IMI Sharesave Scheme (SAYE)
This scheme is open to the majority of the Group’s UK employees, including the executive directors, and allows the grant of options to 
all participants at a discount of up to 20% below the market price. Such schemes are not subject to performance conditions and offer 
tax incentives to encourage employees to use their own money to purchase IMI shares. SAYE options may be exercised within six 
months of the date they first become exercisable.

Global Employee Share Purchase Plans (GESPP)
These plans were introduced in 2011 for the USA and Germany. The German and USA GESPP offer the opportunity to buy shares in IMI 
at a fixed price at a future date. The German GESPP mirrors the UK Sharesave Scheme, with a minimum/maximum savings limit per 
month and a contract duration of three to five years. The US GESPP also operates in a similar way to the UK Sharesave Scheme, with a 
minimum/maximum savings limit per month, but the contract duration is for a fixed period of two years and different taxation 
conditions apply for the exercise period. No further awards are intended to be granted under the German GESPP.

IMI Share Option Plan (SOP)
Share option awards were made from 2009 to selected senior managers and certain other employees under the SOP. These awards 
are not subject to performance conditions, but are subject to a three year vesting period. The purpose of the SOP is to give selected 
IMI employees (who are not executive directors of the Company) the opportunity to share the benefits of share price growth and to 
increase their IMI shareholding.

Other share-based payment arrangements
The Group also operates the following employee share plans:

Share Incentive Plan (SIP)
The SIP is open to the majority of the Group’s UK employees, including the executive directors. This scheme covers two separate 
opportunities for employees to share in IMI’s success, as follows:

 – Partnership shares – allows employees to invest up to the statutory maximum from pre‑tax pay, which is used to buy IMI shares
 – Free shares – allows a grant of shares to employees each year, up to the statutory maximum

Shares acquired or awarded under the SIP are not subject to performance conditions and offer tax incentives to encourage employees 
to build up their shareholdings with the Company.

The IMI Incentive Plan (IIP)
In light of the expiry in 2015 of both the PSP and SMP, the IIP was introduced to act as the Company’s sole senior executive long‑term 
incentive plan. The IIP acts as an umbrella plan which allows the Company to grant different types of awards to different employee 
groups in an efficient way. The IIP is to be used annually to grant ‘Performance Share Awards’ in respect of ordinary shares to the 
executive directors and other members of senior management, subject to performance conditions. The IIP will also be used annually 
to grant ‘Bonus Share Awards’ below board level. The IIP also gives the Company the ability to grant ‘Restricted Stock Unit Awards’ 
and ‘Share Options’. It is currently intended that Restricted Stock Unit Awards and share options will only be granted in response to 
specific business requirements.

Options granted during the year

Number of 
options granted 
(thousand)

Weighted 
average
option price

Normal 
exercisable
date

SAYE
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
GESPP
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
IIP
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

200
68
75
103
75

33
43
–
85
44

845
1,466
891
929
859

Movement in outstanding options in the year

Outstanding at 1 January 2022
Exercisable at 1 January 2022
Granted
Exercised
Lapsed
Outstanding at 31 December 2022
Exercisable at 31 December 2022

Granted
Exercised
Lapsed
Outstanding at 31 December 2023
Exercisable at 31 December 2023

Options not granted  
at nil cost1

Number of
options 
(thousand)
538
222
188
142
65
519
180

119
191
66
382
25

Range of
option prices
845‑1518p
845‑1518p
1156‑1260p
845‑1467p
845‑1467p
884‑1518p
884‑1518p

1375-1458p
845-1375p
845-1458p
884-1458p
905-1467p

Weighted
average
option price
1116p
1325p
1213p
947p
1025p
1209p
1197p

1428p
1238p
1219p
1260p
1412p

884p
905p
1167p
1260p
1458p

903p
956p
–
1156p
1375p

2022‑2025
2023‑2026
2024‑2027
2025‑2028
2026-2029

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

–
–
–
–
–

2021‑2022
2022‑2023
2023‑2024
2024‑2025
2025-2026

Options
granted at
nil cost2

Number of
options 
(thousand)
3,065
272
1,033
533
306
3,255
477

905
799
594
2,767
195

Total

Number of
options 
(thousand)
3,603
494
1,221
675
371
3,774
657

1,024
989
660
3,149
286

1  Options not granted at nil cost include options granted under the following schemes: IMI Sharesave Scheme, Global Employee Share Purchase Plans and IMI Share Option Plan.

2  Options granted at nil cost are those granted under the Performance Share Plan, Share Matching Plan and IMI Incentive Plan.

206

207

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements6. Share-based payments continued
Share-based payment charge for the year
The total expense recognised for the year arising from share‑based payments was £12.9m (2022: £11.7m) which comprises a charge 
of £15.9m (2022: £15.5m) for the year, offset by a credit of £3.0m (2022: £3.8m) in respect of lapses.

£2.8m (2022: £2.7m) of the total charge and £0.8m (2022: £0.5m) of the total credit is in respect of options granted to directors.

Share-based payment valuation methodology
The fair value of services received in return for share options granted are measured by reference to the fair value of share options 
granted, based on Black‑Scholes and Monte Carlo option pricing models. The assumptions used for grants in 2023 included a 
dividend yield of 2.0% (2022: 2.0%), expected share price volatility of 29% (2022: 32%), a weighted average expected life of 3.7 years 
(2022: 3.5 years) and a weighted average interest rate of 4.11% (2022: 1.75%). The expected volatility is wholly based on the historical 
volatility (calculated based on the weighted average remaining life of the share options), adjusted for any expected changes to future 
volatility due to publicly available information.

Other share-based payment disclosures
The weighted average remaining contractual life for the share options outstanding as at 31 December 2023 is 3.1 years (2022: 4.8 years) 
and the weighted average fair value of share options granted in the year at their grant date was £13.69 (2022: £13.01).

The weighted average share price at the date of exercise of share options exercised during the year was £15.18 (2022: £14.71).

7. Earnings per ordinary share
Earnings per share (EPS) is the amount of post‑tax profit attributable to each share (excluding those held in the Employee Benefit Trust 
or by the Company). Basic EPS measures are calculated as the Group profit for the year attributable to equity shareholders, divided by 
the weighted average number of shares in issue during the year. Diluted EPS takes into account the dilutive effect of all outstanding 
share options priced below the market price, in arriving at the number of shares used in its calculation.

Both of these measures are also presented on an adjusted basis to assist the reader of the financial statements and provide insight into 
the performance of the Group. The table below demonstrates how this calculation has been performed.

Weighted average number of shares for the purpose of basic earnings per share
Dilutive effect of employee share options
Weighted average number of shares for the purpose of diluted earnings per share

Statutory profit for the year
Total adjusting item charges included in profit before tax
Total adjusting item credits included in taxation
Earnings for adjusted EPS

Statutory EPS measures
Statutory basic EPS
Statutory diluted EPS

Adjusted EPS measures
Adjusted basic EPS
Adjusted diluted EPS

208

Key
A

B

C

D

2023
million
259.3
1.0
260.3

£m
237.3
85.0
(19.4)
302.9

2022
million
258.3
1.2
259.5

£m
226.3
60.7
(14.6)
272.4

2023

2022

C/A
C/B

91.5p
91.2p

87.6p
87.2p

D/A
D/B

116.8p
116.4p

105.5p
105.0p

8. Net financing costs

Accounting policy
Financial income comprises interest receivable on funds invested, income from investments and gains on hedging instruments that 
are recognised in the income statement. Interest income is recognised in the income statement as it accrues, taking into account 
the effective yield on the asset. Dividend income is recognised in the income statement on the date that the dividend is declared.

Financial expense comprises interest payable on borrowings calculated using the effective interest rate method, the interest‑related 
element of derivatives and losses on financial instruments that are recognised in the income statement. The interest expense 
component of lease payments is recognised in the income statement applying territory‑specific incremental borrowing rates.

Net finance expense relating to defined benefit pension schemes represents the assumed interest on the difference between 
employee benefit plan liabilities and the employee benefit plan assets.

The finance income or expense on mark‑to‑market movements on interest and foreign exchange derivatives and other financing 
costs are excluded from adjusted earnings.

Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of an asset that necessarily takes a substantial 
period of time to get ready for its intended use or sale are capitalised as part of the cost of the respective assets. All other 
borrowing costs are expensed in the period they occur. Borrowing costs consist of interest and other costs that an entity incurs 
in connection with the borrowing of funds.

Recognised in the income statement
Interest income on bank deposits
Financial income
Interest expense on interest‑bearing loans and borrowings
Interest expense on leases
Financial expense
Recognised in other comprehensive income
Gains on instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss:
  Other economic hedges
Net financial (expense)/income relating to defined benefit pension 
schemes
Net financial (expense)/income

2023

Financial
Instruments
£m

–

–

Interest
£m
8.1
8.1
(27.9)
(2.9)
(30.8)

Total
£m
8.1
8.1
(27.9)
(2.9)
(30.8)

Interest
£m
4.6
4.6
(21.0)
(2.8)
(23.8)

2022

Financial
Instruments
£m

–

–

Total
£m
4.6
4.6
(21.0)
(2.8)
(23.8)

7.0

7.0

4.9

4.9

(0.5)
(23.2)

7.0

(0.5)
(16.2)

1.5
(17.7)

4.9

1.5
(12.8)

Included in financial instruments are current year trading gains and losses on economically effective transactions, which, for management 
reporting purposes, are included in adjusted revenue and operating profit (Note 3). For statutory purposes, these are shown within net 
financial income and expense above. Gains or losses for future year transactions are in respect of financial instruments held by the 
Group to provide stability of future trading cash flows.

Recognised in other comprehensive income
Gain/(loss) arising on hedging instruments designated in hedges of the net assets in foreign operations
Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations net of funding revaluations
Exchange differences reclassified to the income statement on disposal of operations
Income tax on items recognised in other comprehensive income
Total items recognised in other comprehensive income (net of tax)

Recognised in statement of changes in equity
Translation reserve

2023
£m 
6.7
(41.1)
(0.2)
1.8
(32.8)

2022
£m
(7.5)
40.9
0.6
(0.3)
33.7

(32.8)

33.7

209

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements9. Taxation
IMI operates through subsidiary companies all around the world that pay many different taxes, such as corporate income taxes, VAT, 
payroll withholdings, social security contributions, customs import duties and excise duties. This note aggregates only those corporate 
income taxes that are or will be levied on the profits of IMI plc and its subsidiary companies for periods leading up to and including the 
balance sheet date. The profits of each company are subject to certain adjustments as specified by applicable tax laws in each country 
to arrive at the tax liability that is expected to result on its tax returns. Where these adjustments have future tax impact, then deferred 
taxes may also be recorded.

Accounting policy
Current tax payable/receivable represents the expected tax payable/receivable on the taxable profits for the year, using tax rates 
enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date and taking into account any adjustments in respect of prior years.

Deferred tax is provided, using the balance sheet method, on temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets 
and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred tax is not recognised for the 
following temporary differences: the initial recognition of goodwill, the initial recognition of assets or liabilities in a transaction 
that is not a business combination and that affects neither accounting nor taxable profit, and differences relating to investments in 
subsidiaries to the extent that the timing of the reversal of the differences can be controlled and it is probable that the differences 
will not reverse in the foreseeable future. Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply when the temporary 
differences reverse, based on the tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

A deferred tax asset is recognised to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the 
temporary difference can be utilised.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets against current tax 
liabilities and when deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority on either the same 
taxable entities or different taxable entities where there is an intention to settle the balances on a net basis.

The Group has applied the temporary exception issued by the IASB in May 2023 from the accounting requirements for deferred 
taxes in IAS 12. Accordingly, the Group neither recognises nor discloses information about deferred tax assets and liabilities related 
to the OECD Inclusive Framework agreement for a global minimum corporate income tax rate.

In common with many multinational companies, IMI faces tax audits in jurisdictions around the world, including in relation to the 
transfer pricing of goods and services between associated entities within the Group, the outcomes of which are uncertain. These 
tax audits may be subject to inter‑government negotiations. The matters under discussion are often complex and can take many 
years to resolve. Tax liabilities are recorded based on Management’s estimate of either the most likely amount or the expected 
amount depending on which method is expected to better reflect the resolution of the uncertainty.

Tax governance, risk and strategy
IMI recognises its corporate responsibility to ensure that all businesses within the IMI Group follow responsible tax practices to enhance 
long‑term shareholder value, whilst also contributing to the public expenditure and the overall welfare of the communities in which it 
operates. Accordingly, the IMI Tax Policy sets the core principles of compliance, fairness, value and transparency for the management 
of the Group’s tax affairs.

This Policy has been approved by the Board, fully communicated to subsidiary businesses, and is reviewed to ensure that responsible 
business practices across the Group are maintained. The Chief Financial Officer has primary responsibility for all tax matters and keeps 
the Board apprised of any significant issues or changes to the Tax Policy. A robust tax governance framework has also been established 
under which the Executive Committee and the IMI Board are apprised on a regular basis of any material or significant tax matters, 
so that appropriate action can be implemented. Through our internal communications platform, the Group communicates policies, 
procedures, guidance and best practices to improve the management of taxation across its subsidiary companies worldwide.

Compliance: IMI pays and collects significant amounts of taxes around the world as a result of its business activities. It seeks to manage 
its taxation obligations worldwide in compliance with all applicable tax laws and regulations, as well as fully in line with the Group’s 
Code of Conduct. Accordingly, the tax contribution by the individual businesses is monitored and robust standard tax compliance 
processes operate together with appropriate financial controls to ensure that all tax returns are complete, accurate and filed on a timely 
basis with the tax authorities around the world and the declared taxes are paid on time. Furthermore, the preparation and filing of the 
corporate income tax returns for IMI subsidiary companies worldwide have been largely outsourced to one tax advisory firm.

Tax laws are often complex, which can lead to inconsistent interpretations by different stakeholders. Where this occurs, IMI may reduce 
uncertainty and controversy through various actions, including proactive discussion with the fiscal authorities to obtain early resolution 
and securing external tax advice to ensure the robust interpretation of tax laws and practices.

The Group Tax Policy is fully aligned with the Group’s Code of Conduct, which requires the Group and its employees and agents to act 
in compliance with applicable laws and with fairness and integrity in all of its business dealings. IMI has a zero‑tolerance approach to tax 
evasion and the facilitation of tax evasion. Consideration of UK legislation regarding third party tax evasion has also been incorporated 
into the Group’s prevention procedures, including employee training.

Fairness: IMI seeks to record its profits across the subsidiary companies around the world on an arm’s length basis in accordance with 
internationally accepted best practices, recognising the relative contributions of people, assets, intellectual property and risks borne 
by the various businesses. The resulting allocation of profits is regularly tested for compliance with this standard.

IMI has taken action to ensure that it meets the enhanced transfer pricing disclosures and documentation requirements by tax 
authorities as a result of the Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (commonly referred to as ‘BEPS’) initiative by the OECD.

Value: IMI manages the impact of taxation on its businesses in a responsible manner by only adopting legitimate and commercial 
positions. In doing so, the Group may make use of legitimate tax incentives, exemptions and statutory alternatives offered by 
governments and will look to ensure that it is not taxed more than once on the same profit. As a UK‑headquartered group, IMI’s profits 
are ultimately subject to UK taxation, although as the Group pays significant taxes overseas, the overall effective tax rate for the Group 
is slightly different from the UK statutory tax rate.

Transparency: IMI aims to build positive working relationships with tax authorities by cooperating in a constructive, open and timely 
manner. IMI seeks to disclose its tax affairs in its published accounts and taxation returns fully in accordance with the applicable 
standards and, where appropriate, will supplement its tax disclosures with further information to better inform, and to be transparent to, 
its stakeholders.

Risk: IMI engages external support to manage tax risks and achieve the strategic objectives outlined above. Tax risks are regularly 
assessed for all companies within the Group, promptly addressed and reported so that they may be appropriately provided and 
disclosed in the relevant accounts and tax returns. To the extent that identified tax risks are material they will be reported to the 
Executive Committee through the Group’s process for strategic risk management as described on page 88.

210

211

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements9. Taxation continued
UK Corporation tax
The average rate of corporation tax in the UK for 2023 was 23.5% (2022: 19%). From 1 April 2023, the statutory rate increased from 19% 
to 25%. UK deferred tax assets and liabilities have therefore been calculated using a rate of 25% (2022: 25%).

Tax payments
During the year, the Group made payments of corporate income tax of £76.1m (2022: £48.6m), principally arising as follows:

Jurisdiction of companies making corporate income tax payments:

2022: £48.6m 

2023: £76.1m

A

A Germany

£10.4m

A

N

M

L

K

J

I
GH

F

B USA

C Italy

D Japan

E Switzerland

B
C
D

F UK

G Sweden

H Austria

I China

£1.1m

£1.0m

£3.1m

£5.8m

£5.7m

£0.5m

£0.1m

£3.4m

J Czech Republic £2.3m

E

K South Korea

L India

M Singapore

N Other

£2.7m

£3.8m

£0.9m

£7.8m

K L
J

I
H

G

N

M

B

A Germany

B USA

C Italy

D Japan

E Switzerland

F UK

G Sweden

H Austria

I China

£9.1m

£13.9m

£3.4m

£2.6m

£10.5m

£11.1m

£1.3m

£0.7m

£5.9m

D

E

C

J Czech Republic £1.4m

K South Korea

L India

M Singapore

N Other

£0.3m

£4.3m

£2.2m

£9.4m

F

There is normally an element of volatility in the annual payments of corporate income taxes due to the timing of assessments, acquisitions 
and disposals, exceptional items and payments on account in the many countries in which the Group operates. Changes in the jurisdictions 
in which profits are earned can have an impact on cashflow levels which may take time to be reflected in the tax cashflow.

The level of payments made during 2023 increased significantly compared to 2022. Of the significant movements, the UK and USA 
payments for 2022 included the recovery of tax assets and receivables and so the 2023 levels of payment are more normal. The USA 
also reflects an increase in taxable profits, including recent acquisitions. Switzerland payments reflect the timing differences in profits 
being earned and tax assessments being received. Other territorial movements in payments largely reflect shifts in trading.

In addition, the Group makes substantial other tax payments relating to employment, consumption, procurement and investment to tax 
authorities around the world.

Recognised in the income statement
This section sets out the current and deferred tax charges, which together comprise the total tax charge in the income statement.

Current tax charge
Current year charge
Adjustments in respect of prior years

Deferred taxation
Origination and reversal of temporary differences
Total income tax charge

2023
£m 

86.7
(7.3)
79.4

(14.3)
65.1

2022
£m

63.0
(1.9)
61.1

(2.0)
59.1

Reconciliation of effective tax rate
As IMI’s head office and parent company is domiciled in the UK, the Group references its effective tax rate to the UK corporation tax 
rate, despite only a small portion of the Group’s business being in the UK. Therefore, the following tax reconciliation applies the UK 
corporation tax rate for the year to profit before tax, both before and after adjusting items. The resulting tax charge is reconciled to 
the actual tax charge for the Group, by taking account of specific tax adjustments as follows:

Profit before tax
Income tax using the Company’s domestic rate of tax of 23.5% 
(2022: 19.0%)
Effects of:
Non‑deductible items
Non‑taxable loss on disposal of businesses
Utilisation of losses on which no deferred tax had been 
recognised
Current year losses for which no deferred tax asset has 
been recognised
Recognition of deferred tax asset on previously unprovided 
timing differences
Differing tax rates
Adjustments to prior year current and deferred tax charges
Total tax in income statement
Income tax expense reported in the consolidated 
income statement
Effective rate of tax:

2023

2022

Adjusted
£m
387.4

Adjusting 
£m
(85.0)

Total
£m
302.4

Adjusted
£m
346.1

Adjusting
£m
(60.7)

Total
£m
285.4

91.0

(20.0)

71.0

65.8

(11.5)

54.3

4.6
(0.3)

–

0.8

–
(4.0)
(7.6)
84.5

84.5
21.8%

0.7
–

–

–

–
(1.6)
1.5
(19.4)

(19.4)

5.3
(0.3)

–

0.8

–
(5.6)
(6.1)
65.1

3.0
–

(1.0)

0.2

(0.8)
12.5
(6.0)
73.7

65.1
21.5%

73.7
21.3%

0.4
0.9

–

–

–
(4.4)
–
(14.6)

(14.6)

3.4
0.9

(1.0)

0.2

(0.8)
8.1
(6.0)
59.1

59.1
20.7%

212

213

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements9. Taxation continued
Events after the reporting period
During 2023, the UK government substantively enacted the OECD Inclusive Framework agreement for a global minimum corporate 
income tax rate of 15%. For IMI, this takes effect from 1 January 2024. The event does not therefore affect IMI’s results for 2023. IMI is 
evaluating the impact that this will have on future accounting periods but expects that its entities in most territories will not be impacted 
by this minimum tax requirement. To the extent top‑up taxes are required, the impact on IMI’s results is expected to be minimal. 
However, further evaluation will be undertaken as additional guidance becomes available.

Recognised outside of the income statement
In addition to amounts charged to the income statement, some current tax and deferred tax is charged/(credited) directly to equity 
or through other comprehensive income, which can be analysed as follows:

Deferred tax:
  On equity‑settled transactions
  On remeasurement gains and on defined benefit plans

Current tax:
  On change in value of effective net investment hedge derivatives
  On equity‑settled transactions

Of which the following amounts are charged/(credited):

to the statement of comprehensive income
to the statement of changes in equity

2023
£m 

(0.4)
(8.6)
(9.0)

(1.8)
(0.1)
(10.9)

(10.4)
(0.5)
(10.9)

2022
£m

1.9
(20.4)
(18.5)

0.3
–
(18.2)

(20.1)
1.9
(18.2)

The movement in the net deferred tax balances has been recognised in the financial statements, as analysed below:

Intangible and tangible fixed assets
Inventories
Revaluation of derivatives
Pension and share‑based payments
Short‑term timing differences
Other tax credits and losses
Net deferred tax (liability)/asset

Intangible and tangible fixed assets
Inventories
Revaluation of derivatives
Pension and share‑based payments
Short‑term timing differences
Other tax credits and losses
Net deferred tax (liability)/asset

Balance at
1 Jan 23
(Restated)
£m
(70.1)
3.4
(0.3)
5.0
25.3
1.7
(35.0)

Balance at
1 Jan 22
£m
(48.7)
3.3
(0.6)
(13.9)
25.0
4.4
(30.5)

Recognised
in the 
income 
statement
£m
13.8
2.3
(0.3)
(0.5)
(0.8)
(0.2)
14.3

Recognised
in the
income 
statement
(Restated)
£m
6.0
0.4
0.3
(0.2)
(1.7)
(2.8)
2.0

Recognised 
outside the 
income 
statement
£m

9.0

9.0

Recognised 
outside the 
income 
statement
£m

Acquisitions/
disposals
£m

Exchange
£m
1.7
(0.1)

(0.4)
(0.1)
1.1

–

Acquisitions/
disposals
(Restated)
£m
(23.0)
(0.4)

Exchange
£m
(4.4)
0.1

18.5

18.5

0.6
1.6
0.1
(2.0)

0.4

(23.0)

Balance at
31 Dec 23
£m
(54.6)
5.6
(0.6)
13.5
24.1
1.4
(10.6)

Balance at
31 Dec 22
(Restated)
£m
(70.1)
3.4
(0.3)
5.0
25.3
1.7
(35.0)

Recognised deferred tax assets and liabilities
Deferred taxes record the tax consequences of temporary differences between the accounting and taxation recognition of certain items, 
as explained below:

All exchange movements are taken through the translation reserve.

Intangible and tangible fixed assets
Inventories
Revaluation of derivatives
Pension and share‑based payments
Short term timing differences
Other tax credits and losses

Offsetting within tax jurisdictions
Total deferred tax assets and liabilities

Assets

Liabilities

Net

2023
£m
13.0
6.4
0.5
13.5
29.7
1.4
64.5
(41.8)
22.7

2022 
(Restated)
£m
6.2
5.1
0.5
12.1
31.1
1.7
56.7
(32.5)
24.2

2023
£m
(67.6)
(0.8)
(1.1)
–
(5.6)
–
(75.1)
41.8
(33.3)

2022 
(Restated)
£m
(76.3)
(1.7)
(0.8)
(7.1)
(5.8)
–
(91.7)
32.5
(59.2)

2023
£m
(54.6)
5.6
(0.6)
13.5
24.1
1.4
(10.6)
–
(10.6)

2022 
(Restated)
£m
(70.1)
3.4
(0.3)
5.0
25.3
1.7
(35.0)
–
(35.0)

214

215

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements 
 
 
9. Taxation continued
Unrecognised deferred tax assets and liabilities
Deferred assets are reviewed at each reporting date. Deferred tax assets have not been recognised for the following temporary differences:

Tax losses expiring:
Within 10 years
Available indefinitely

Capital losses expiring:
Within 10 years
Available indefinitely

Surplus interest expiring:
Within 10 years
Available indefinitely

Other temporary differences:
Within 10 years

Available indefinitely

2023

Gross 
amount
£m

Tax
effected
£m

2022

Gross 
amount
£m

Tax
effected
£m

2.3
18.1

–
118.5

0.6
–

56.2

–
195.7

0.6
4.8

–
29.7

0.1
–

3.5

–
38.7

7.4
46.0

–
119.2

0.5
–

–

–
173.1

1.8
12.0

–
29.9

0.1
–

–

–
43.8

Deferred tax assets have not been recognised for these temporary differences due to uncertainty over suitable future taxable profits 
and therefore their ability to be recovered. In assessing the probability of recovery, the Group assesses the likelihood of them being 
recovered within a reasonably foreseeable time frame, this being typically a minimum of five years, taking into account the future 
expected profit profile business model of the relevant company and country. The Group also considers the nature of the temporary 
differences, and any potential legislative restrictions on use. In some instances, these amounts are yet to be accepted by the tax 
authorities and could be challenged. The majority of these amounts have no expiry date as noted in the table above.

It is likely that the majority of unremitted earnings of overseas subsidiaries would qualify for the UK dividend exemption. However, 
£159.4m (2022: £112.9m) of those earnings may still result in a tax liability principally as a result of withholding taxes levied by the 
overseas jurisdictions in which those subsidiaries operate. These tax liabilities are not expected to exceed £9.0m (2022: £6.6m), 
of which £3.5m (2022: £3.2m) has been provided on the basis that the Group expects to remit these amounts.

10. Dividends

Accounting policy
Dividends are recognised as a liability in the period in which they are approved by shareholders.

Dividends
After the balance sheet date, the following dividends were proposed by the directors. The dividends have not been provided for and 
there are no income tax consequences.

Current year final dividend – 19.2p per qualifying ordinary share (2022: 17.4p)

The following dividends were declared and paid by the Group during the year:

Prior year final dividend paid – 17.4p per qualifying ordinary share (2022 final year dividend: 15.8p)
Current year interim dividend paid – 9.1p per qualifying ordinary share (2022: 8.3p)

2023
£m 
49.9

2023
£m 
45.1
23.7
68.8

2022
£m
45.1

2022
£m
40.8
21.4
62.2

Dividend policy and share buy backs
As part of the capital management process, the Group ensures that adequate reserves are available in IMI plc in order to meet proposed 
shareholder dividends, the purchase of shares for employee share scheme incentives and any on‑market share buyback programme.

The Group does not have a formal dividend policy or pay out ratio. The Group’s aim is to continue with progressive dividends which 
typically increase at a steady rate for both the interim and final dividend payments. In the event that the Board cannot identify sufficient 
investment opportunities through capital expenditure, organic growth initiatives and acquisitions, the return of funds to shareholders 
through share buybacks or special dividends will be considered. It should be noted that a number of shares are regularly bought in the 
market by an employee benefit trust, in order to hedge the exposure under certain management incentive plans. Details of these 
purchases are shown in Note 22 to the financial statements.

216

217

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements11. Intangible assets

Analysis of intangible assets
2022 results have been restated to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as discussed in Note 1.

Accounting policy
Intangible assets are disclosed as acquired intangible assets and non‑acquired intangible assets. Amortisation of acquired intangible 
assets is treated as an adjusting item, as described in Note 3, as the impact of any acquisitions, which are clearly identifiable, 
can materially impact the net book value, from period to period.

i. Goodwill
Goodwill is initially measured at cost, being the excess of the aggregate of the acquisition date fair value of the consideration 
transferred over the net identifiable amounts of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed for the business combination. After 
initial recognition, goodwill is measured at cost, less any accumulated impairment losses. The value of the goodwill can arise from 
a number of sources, but in relation to our more recent acquisitions, it has been represented by post‑acquisition synergies and the 
skills and knowledge of the workforce.

ii. Research and Development
Expenditure on research activities, undertaken with the prospect of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding, 
is recognised in the income statement as an expense as incurred.

Expenditure on development activities, whereby research findings are applied to a plan or design for the production of new or 
substantially improved products and processes, is capitalised provided benefits are probable, cost can be reliably measured and if, 
and only if, the product or process is technically and commercially feasible and the Group has sufficient resources and intention 
to complete development. The expenditure capitalised includes the cost of materials, direct labour and directly attributable 
overheads. Other development expenditure is recognised in the income statement as an expense as incurred. Capitalised 
development expenditure is stated at cost less accumulated amortisation (see below) and impairment losses (see accounting policy 
‘Impairment’) and is included in the other acquired or other non‑acquired category of intangible assets depending on its origin.

iii. Software development costs
Software applications and systems that are not an integral part of their host computer equipment are capitalised on initial recognition 
as intangible assets at cost. Cost comprises the purchase price plus directly attributable costs incurred on development of the asset 
to bring it into use. Following initial recognition, software development costs are carried at cost less any accumulated amortisation 
(see below) and accumulated impairment losses (see accounting policy ‘Impairment’) and are included in the other acquired or 
other non‑acquired category of intangible assets depending on their origin.

iv. Customer relationships and other acquired intangible assets
Customer relationships and other intangible assets that are acquired by the Group as part of a business combination are stated 
at their fair value calculated by reference to the net present value of future benefits accruing to the Group from utilisation of the 
asset, discounted at an appropriate discount rate.

Expenditure on other internally generated intangible assets is recognised in the income statement as an expense as incurred.

v. Amortisation of intangible assets other than goodwill
Amortisation is charged to the income statement on a straight‑line basis (other than for customer relationships and order book, 
which are charged on a sum of digits basis) over the estimated useful lives of the intangible assets. Amortisation commences 
from the date the intangible asset becomes available for use. The estimated useful lives for:

 – Capitalised development costs are the life of the intangible asset (usually a maximum of 17 years)
 – Software development costs are the life of the intangible asset (up to 17 years)
 – Customer relationships are the life of the intangible asset (up to 17 years)
 – Other intangible assets (including order books, brands and software) are the life of the intangible asset (up to 10 years)

The Group splits its intangible assets between those arising on acquisitions and those which do not, because the amortisation 
of acquired intangibles is recognised as an adjusting item in the income statement.

Cost
As at 1 January 2022
Exchange adjustments
Acquisitions (Note 23)
Additions
Transfers from assets in the course of construction
Disposals
As at 31 December 2022
Exchange adjustments
Additions
Transfers from assets in the course of construction
Disposals
As at 31 December 2023

Amortisation
As at 1 January 2022
Exchange adjustments
Disposals
Impairment charge
Amortisation for year
As at 31 December 2022
Exchange adjustments
Disposals
Amortisation for year
As at 31 December 2023
Net book value at 31 December 2022
Net book value at 31 December 2023

Acquired 
customer 
relationships 
(Restated)
£m

Other 
acquired 
intangibles 
(Restated)
£m

Other 
non-
acquired
intangibles*
£m

Goodwill 
(Restated)
£m

Non-
acquired 
intangibles 
under 
construction
£m

Other 
intangible 
assets 
(Restated)
£m

569.6
48.3
117.2

283.9
21.2
59.7

185.0
22.3
33.9

735.1
(17.7)

364.8
(7.8)

241.2
(10.6)

717.4

357.0

230.6

36.0
1.7

204.3
14.0

107.2
11.5

37.7
(0.6)

37.1
697.4
680.3

17.2
235.5
(5.7)

21.3
251.1
129.3
105.9

12.3
131.0
(5.2)

10.7
136.5
110.2
94.1

172.2
12.7

7.0
9.3
(6.0)
195.2
(4.5)
12.1
3.8
(4.0)
202.6

104.0
6.8
(6.0)
0.7
18.5
124.0
(2.8)
(4.0)
17.6
134.8
71.2
67.8

8.9
(0.7)

7.1
(9.3)

6.0

7.4
(3.8)

9.6

6.0
9.6

650.0
55.5
93.6
14.1
–
(6.0)
807.2
(22.9)
19.5
–
(4.0)
799.8

415.5
32.3
(6.0)
0.7
48.0
490.5
(13.7)
(4.0)
49.6
522.4
316.7
277.4

*  Other non‑acquired intangibles include capitalised development costs with a carrying value of £32.0m (2022: £33.1m) and capitalised software costs with a carrying value of £35.8m 

(2022: £38.1m).

The individually significant acquired customer relationships includes £42.1m (2022: £50.5m) in Adaptas Solutions LLC, £21.1m 
(2022: £24.3m) in Bahr Modultechnik GmbH and £24.6m (2022: £28.7m) in Heatmiser UK Limited, which have 12 to 16 years of 
amortisation remaining. The only individually significant other acquired intangibles is the Adaptas brands, with a net book value 
of £29.1m (2022: £33.3m), which have 8 to 13 years of amortisation remaining.

218

219

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements11. Intangible assets continued
Goodwill impairment testing

This exercise resulted in the use of the following ranges of values for the key assumptions:

Accounting policy
For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill acquired in a business combination is, from the acquisition date, allocated to each 
of the Group’s cash‑generating units (or groups of ’CGUs’). The composition of CGUs reflects both the way in which cash inflows 
are generated and the internal reporting structure. Where our businesses operate closely with each other we will continue to 
review whether they should be treated as a single CGU. Each unit or group of units to which goodwill is allocated represents the 
lowest level within the entity at which the goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes and shall not be larger than an 
operating segment before aggregation.

Where goodwill forms part of a CGU and part of the operation within that unit is disposed of, the goodwill associated with the 
operation disposed of is included in the carrying amount of the operation when determining the gain or loss on disposal of the 
operation. Goodwill disposed of in this circumstance is measured based on the relative values of the operation disposed of and 
the portion of the CGU retained.

Impairment
The carrying values of the Group’s non‑financial assets other than inventories and deferred tax assets, are reviewed at each balance 
sheet date to determine whether impairment indicators exist.

If indicators exist, the recoverable amount of the asset or all assets within its CGU is estimated. An impairment loss is recognised 
whenever the carrying amount of an asset or its CGU unit exceeds its recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognised in the 
income statement.

For goodwill and assets that are not yet available for use, the recoverable amount is evaluated at each balance sheet date.

The recoverable amount of non‑financial assets is the greater of their fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value 
in use, an individual assessment is made of the estimated future cash flows generated for each CGU derived from the Group’s 
long‑term forecasts for the next five years with due consideration to climate related risks. These are discounted to their present 
value using a pre‑tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the 
asset. Management believe that this approach, including the use of the indefinite cash flow projection, is appropriate based upon 
both historical experience and because it is one of the bases management utilise to evaluate the fair value of investment 
opportunities. For an asset that does not generate largely independent cash inflows, the recoverable amount is determined for the 
smallest cash‑generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Reversals of impairment
Impairments of goodwill are non‑reversible. In respect of other assets, an impairment loss is reversed if at the balance sheet date, there 
are indications that the loss has decreased or no longer exists following a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable 
amount. An impairment loss is reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that 
would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortisation, if no impairment loss had been recognised.

The Group has 12 (2022: 12) cash‑generating units to which goodwill is allocated.

The recoverable amount of a CGU is the higher of its fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. Value in use is determined using 
cash flow projections from financial budgets, forecasts and plans approved by the Board covering a five‑year period, and include 
a terminal value multiple. The projected cash flows reflect the latest expectation of demand for products and services, including 
consideration of the future impacts of climate change, which is considered as part of the Group’s five‑year strategic planning process.

The key assumptions in these calculations are the long‑term growth rates and the discount rates applied to forecast cash flows, in 
addition to the achievement of the forecasts themselves. Long‑term growth rates are based on long‑term economic forecasts for 
growth in the manufacturing sector in the geographical regions in which the cash‑generating unit operates. Pre‑tax discount rates 
specific to each cash‑generating unit are calculated by adjusting country and region‑specific post‑tax weighted average cost of capital 
(WACC) for specific country risk premium, the Group’s size risk premium and tax rate relevant to the jurisdiction in which the cash flows 
are generated.

2023
2022
%
%
8.8‑13.3
8.5-13.3
8.0-14.0 10.0‑12.0
1.2‑2.0

1.5-2.1

Discount rate
Short‑term growth rate
Long‑term growth rate

For the purpose of assessing the significance of CGUs, the Group uses a threshold of 10% of the total goodwill balance. The recoverable 
amount of the CGUs is determined from a value in use calculation and the key assumptions used in this calculation are the discount 
rate, growth rate and operating cash flows. These estimates are determined using the methodology discussed above and for those 
CGUs considered to be significant, outlined in the table below. 2022 results have been restated to reflect the goodwill allocation of 
Heatmiser and the structure change, both of which are described in Note 1.

2023
CGU

Life Science & Fluid Control
Process Automation – Petrochemical & Isolation

Process Automation – Control Valves
Heatmiser

2022
CGU
Life Science & Fluid Control
Process Automation – Petrochemical & Isolation
Process Automation – Control Valves

Discount 
rate
%

Short-term 
growth 
rate
%

Long-term 
growth 
rate
%

10.5
11.8

13.3
12.0

8.0
8.0

8.0
14.0

2.0
2.0

2.0
1.5

Discount 
rate
%

Short-term 
growth 
rate
%

Long-term 
growth 
rate
%

10.3
10.0
13.3

12.0
10.0
10.0

2.0
2.0
2.0

Goodwill
£m

201.4
115.2

96.5
67.6

Goodwill
£m

208.9
117.4
99.6

The carrying amount of goodwill allocated to CGUs deemed to be non‑significant is £199.6m (2022: £272.1m restated).

Sensitivity to changes in assumptions
The key estimates reflect the combination of assumptions used, including the long‑term growth rates and the discount rate applied 
to forecast cash flows, in addition to the achievement of the forecasts themselves.

The directors do not consider that any reasonably possible changes to the key assumptions would cause the carrying amount to exceed 
the recoverable amount of the CGU.

The aggregate amount of goodwill arising from acquisitions prior to 1 January 2004 that had been deducted from the profit and loss 
reserves and incorporated into the IFRS transitional balance sheet as at 1 January 2004, amounted to £364m. The cumulative 
impairment recognised in relation to goodwill is £41m (2022: £41m).

220

221

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements12. Property, plant and equipment
This note details the physical assets used by the Group to generate revenues and profits, in addition to those disclosed in Note 13 
‘Leases’. These assets include manufacturing, distribution and office sites, and equipment used in the manufacture of the Group’s 
products. The cost of these assets represents the amount initially paid for them.

Accounting policy
Freehold land and assets in the course of construction are not depreciated.

Items of property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation (see below) and impairment losses (see Note 11).

Where an item of property, plant and equipment comprises major components having different useful lives, they are accounted 
for as separate items of property, plant and equipment. Costs in respect of tooling owned by the Group for clearly identifiable 
new products are capitalised net of any contribution received from customers and are included in plant and equipment.

Depreciation is charged to the income statement, from the date the asset is brought in to use, on a straight‑line basis (unless such 
a basis is not aligned with the anticipated benefit) so as to write down the cost of assets to residual values over the period of their 
estimated useful lives within the following ranges:

 – Freehold buildings – 25 to 50 years
 – Plant and equipment – 3 to 20 years

The useful lives of assets could be reduced by climate‑related matters, for example as a result of physical risks, obsolescence, or legal 
restrictions. The change in useful lives would have a direct impact on the amount of depreciation or amortisation recognised each 
year from the date of reassessment.

Assets in the course of construction comprise assets that are not currently ready to be brought in to use. Assets under construction 
are not depreciated.

If there has been a technological change or decline in business performance, the directors review the value of the assets to ensure 
they have not fallen below their depreciated value. If an asset’s value falls below its depreciated value, a one‑off impairment charge 
is made against profit.

Cost
As at 1 January 2022
Exchange adjustments
Acquisitions (Note 23)
Additions
Transfers from assets in the course of construction
Disposals
As at 31 December 2022
Exchange adjustments
Additions
Transfers from assets in the course of construction
Disposals
As at 31 December 2023
Depreciation
As at 1 January 2022
Exchange adjustments
Disposals
Reversal of impairment
Depreciation
As at 31 December 2022
Exchange adjustments
Disposals
Impairment charge
Depreciation
As at 31 December 2023
NBV at 31 December 2022
NBV at 31 December 2023

Land and 
buildings
£m

Plant and 
equipment
(restated)
£m

Assets in the 
course of 
construction
£m

186.7
8.7
2.9
3.6
0.8
(4.3)
198.4
(5.6)
7.1
1.6
(1.6)
199.9

100.6
3.6
(2.1)
(1.9)
4.7
104.9
(2.3)
(1.2)
0.2
5.2
106.8
93.5
93.1

674.7
43.9
2.0
23.7
24.4
(32.8)
735.9
(17.6)
27.2
19.1
(35.9)
728.7

519.7
35.6
(30.5)
(1.0)
37.2
561.0
(12.5)
(34.9)
2.9
40.2
556.7
174.7
172.0

26.6
(0.4)
0.2
29.9
(25.2)
(0.1)
31.0
(0.5)
26.1
(20.7)
(0.6)
35.3

–

–
31.0
35.3

Total
£m

888.0
52.2
5.1
57.2
–
(37.2)
965.3
(23.7)
60.4
–
(38.1)
963.9

620.3
39.2
(32.6)
(2.9)
41.9
665.9
(14.8)
(36.1)
3.1
45.4
663.5
299.2
300.4

An impairment charge of £3.1m was recognised during the year (2022: reversal of impairment of £2.9m) as part of the restructuring 
costs incurred in the complexity reduction program. The recoverable amount of these assets has been determined using their fair value 
less costs to sell, estimated by both internal and external valuation specialists. Group contracts in respect of future capital expenditure 
that had been placed at the balance sheet date amounted to £3.1m (2022: £3.7m).

222

223

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements13. Leases

Set out below are the carrying amounts of right‑of‑use assets recognised and the movements during the period: 

Accounting policy
The Group leases various properties, plant, equipment and cars. Rental contracts are negotiated individually and have a range of 
initial terms, and may have extension options. The lease agreements do not impose any covenants, but leased assets may not be 
used as security for borrowing purposes.

Leases are recognised as a right‑of‑use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use 
by the Group. Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to the income 
statement over the lease period, so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each 
period. The right‑of‑use asset is depreciated over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight‑line basis.

Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the net present value of:

fixed payments less any lease incentives receivable;

i. 
ii.  variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate;
iii.  amounts expected to be payable by the Group under residual value guarantees;
iv.  the exercise price of a purchase option if the Group is reasonably certain to exercise that option; and
v.  payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the Group exercising that option.

The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease. If that rate cannot be determined, the entity’s 
incremental borrowing rate is used, being the rate that the entity would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain 
an asset of similar value in a similar economic environment with similar terms and conditions.

Right‑of‑use assets are measured at cost, comprising:

the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability;

i. 
ii.  any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received; and
iii.  restoration costs.

Payments associated with short‑term leases and leases of low‑value assets are recognised on a straight‑line basis as an expense 
in profit or loss. Short‑term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less. Low‑value assets comprise IT‑equipment 
and small items of office furniture.

Extension and termination options – Extension and termination options are included in a number of property and equipment 
leases across the Group. These terms are used to maximise operational flexibility in terms of managing contracts. The majority 
of extension and termination options held are exercisable only by the Group and not by the respective lessor.

As at 1 January 2022
Additions
Acquisitions
Extensions
Payment changes
Terminations
Impairment
Depreciation expense
Exchange
As at 31 December 2022

Additions
Extensions
Payment changes
Terminations
Impairment
Depreciation expense
Exchange
As at 31 December 2023

Land and 
buildings
£m
80.9
27.9
–
8.0
1.6
(0.5)
(0.6)
(25.0)
2.5
94.8

Plant and 
equipment
£m
10.6
7.3
0.1
1.0
0.2
(0.2)
–
(7.3)
0.5
12.2

12.0
4.5
0.1
(1.2)
(2.1)
(21.7)
(1.3)
85.1

9.0
1.1
(0.2)
(0.5)
–
(7.7)
0.6
14.5

Total
£m
91.5
35.2
0.1
9.0
1.8
(0.7)
(0.6)
(32.3)
3.0
107.0

21.0
5.6
(0.1)
(1.7)
(2.1)
(29.4)
(0.7)
99.6

224

225

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements13. Leases continued
Set out below are the carrying amounts of lease liabilities and the movements during the period:

14. Retirement benefits

As at 1 January 2022
Additions
Acquisitions
Extensions
Payment changes
Terminations
Accretion of interest
Payments
Exchange
As at 31 December 2022

Additions
Extensions
Payment changes
Terminations
Accretion of interest
Payments
Exchange
As at 31 December 2023

Current
Non-current

The following are the amounts recognised in the income statement:

Depreciation expense of right‑of‑use assets
Interest expense on lease liabilities
Total amount recognised in profit or loss

Land and 
buildings
£m
83.2
23.7
–
8.1
1.7
(0.5)
2.6
(27.2)
2.2
93.8

Plant and 
equipment
£m
10.7
7.3
0.1
1.0
0.2
(0.2)
0.2
(7.9)
0.5
11.9

11.9
4.5
(0.8)
(1.2)
2.6
(23.6)
(0.8)
86.4

19.4
67.0

8.9
1.0
0.4
(0.5)
0.3
(8.3)
0.1
13.8

5.8
8.0

2023
£m
(29.4)
(2.9)
(32.3)

Total
£m
93.9
31.0
0.1
9.1
1.9
(0.7)
2.8
(35.1)
2.7
105.7

20.8
5.5
(0.4)
(1.7)
2.9
(31.9)
(0.7)
100.2

25.2
75.0

2022
£m
(32.3)
(2.8)
(35.1)

Practical expedients applied
The Group has used the following practical expedients permitted by the standard:

i. 

the use of a single discount rate to a portfolio of leases with reasonably similar characteristics.

No practical expedient has been applied in relation to short‑term leases and low‑value assets and is not expected to be used 
in subsequent periods.

Future cash outflows that the Group is potentially exposed to in relation to the measurement of lease liabilities that have not 
been reflected is £nil (2022: £nil).

Accounting policy
i. Defined contribution (DC) pension plans
Arrangements where the employer pays fixed contributions into an external fund on behalf of the employee (who is responsible 
for making the investment decision and, therefore, assumes the risks and rewards of fund performance).

Contributions to defined contribution pension plans are recognised as an expense in the income statement as incurred.

ii. Defined benefit (DB) pension plans
A defined benefit pension plan is a pension arrangement in which the employer promises a specified annual benefit on retirement 
that is predetermined by a formula based on the employee’s earnings history, tenure of service and age, rather than depending 
directly on individual investment returns. In some cases, this benefit is paid as a lump sum on leaving the Company or while 
in the service of the Company, rather than as a pension. The Group underwrites one or more risks in meeting these obligations 
and therefore any net liability or surplus in these arrangements is shown on the Group balance sheet.

The Group’s net obligation in respect of defined benefit pension plans is calculated separately for each plan by estimating the 
amount of future benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods; that benefit is 
discounted to determine its present value, and the fair value of any plan assets are deducted. Past service costs are recognised in 
profit or loss on the earlier of the date of the plan amendment or curtailment, and the date that the Group recognises restructuring‑
related costs. The discount rate is the yield at the balance sheet date on high‑quality corporate bonds of the appropriate currency 
that have durations approximating those of the Group’s obligations. The calculation is performed by a qualified actuary using the 
projected unit credit method. At each year‑end the Company and the local actuaries consider whether the plans are affected by the 
asset ceiling requirements. When the calculation results in a net asset to the Group, the recognised asset is limited to the present 
value of any future refunds from the plan or reductions in future contributions to the plan and restricted by any relevant asset ceiling. 
Any deduction made by the tax authorities in the event of a refund of a surplus would be regarded by the Group as an income tax.

When the benefits of a plan are improved, the expense is recognised immediately in the income statement. Remeasurement gains 
and losses are recognised immediately in equity and disclosed in the statement of comprehensive income.

iii. Long-term service and other post-employment benefits
The Group’s net obligation in respect of long‑term service and other post‑employment benefits, other than pension plans, is the 
amount of future benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods. The obligation 
is calculated using the projected unit credit method and is discounted to its present value, and the fair value of any related assets 
is deducted. The discount rate is the yield at the balance sheet date on high‑quality bonds of the appropriate currency that have 
durations approximating those of the Group’s obligations.

Key source of estimation uncertainty
The present value of the Group’s defined benefit pension plans and other post‑employment benefits are determined using actuarial 
valuations. An actuarial valuation involves making various assumptions that may differ from actual developments in the future. 
These include the determination of the discount rate, inflation, future salary increases, mortality rates and future pension increases. 
The assumptions used and analysis of their sensitivity is set out below. Due to the complexity of the valuation and its long‑term 
nature, a defined benefit obligation is highly sensitive to changes in these assumptions. 

226

227

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements14. Retirement benefits continued
Summary information
Net pension deficit: £48.9m (2022: deficit of £18.9m)
The assets and liabilities of the defined benefit schemes are aggregated, recognised in the consolidated balance sheet and shown 
within non‑current liabilities or in non‑current assets if a scheme is in surplus and it is deemed recoverable.

Number of DB arrangements: 70 (2022: 70)
There has been no change to the number of schemes during the year.

The following table shows a summary of the geographical profile of the Group’s defined benefit schemes:

Australia
Austria
France
Germany
India
Italy
Mexico
Spain
Switzerland
UAE
US*
UK

Quantity
2023
3
6
3
30
6
6
5
2
5
1
2
1
70

Quantity
2022
3
6
3
30
6
6
5
2
5
1
2
1
70

Assets
£m

0.2
6.4

89.9

304.1
400.6

Liabilities
£m
(0.4)
(2.1)
(0.8)
(42.7)
(1.4)
(1.6)
(1.2)

(88.2)
(1.4)
(1.9)
(307.8)
(449.5)

Net 
(deficit)/
surplus
£m
(0.4)
(2.1)
(0.6)
(36.3)
(1.4)
(1.6)
(1.2)
–
1.7
(1.4)
(1.9)
(3.7)
(48.9)

* 

The US deficit above excludes £0.5m of assets relating to unqualified plans classified as investments (see Note 17).

As at 31 December 2023, the Group has recognised a net defined benefit deficit of £3.7m (2022: surplus of £28.4m) for the UK 
Deferred Fund.

The Group provides pension benefits through a mixture of funded and unfunded DB and DC arrangements. Assessments of the 
obligations of the defined benefit plans are carried out by actuaries, based on the projected unit credit method. A historical split of the 
types of defined benefit schemes in operation is as follows:

Type of scheme
2023
Final salary*
Cash balance**
Jubilee Awards***
Other
Total
Asset ceiling
Revised assets

2022
Final salary*
Cash balance**
Jubilee Awards***
Other
Total
Asset ceiling
Revised assets

Quantity
No.

Assets
£m

% of total 
assets
%

Liabilities
£m

% of total 
liabilities
%

25
12
14
19
70

25
12
14
19
70

304.3
89.9
–
6.8
401.0
(0.4)
400.6

325.9
79.1
–
7.2
412.2
(5.7)
406.5

76.0%
22.4%
0%
1.6%
100%

(345.3)
(90.3)
(2.3)
(11.6)
(449.5)

76.8%
20.1%
0.5%
2.6%
100%

79%
19%
0%
2%
100%

(333.6)
(76.3)
(2.7)
(12.8)
(425.4)

78%
18%
1%
3%
100%

* 

Final salary scheme: The pension available to a member in a final salary arrangement will be a proportion of the member’s salary at or around their retirement date. This proportion 
will be determined by the member’s length of pensionable service, their accrual rate and any particular circumstances under which the member retires (for example early ill‑health 
retirement).

**  Cash balance: A cash balance scheme is a form of defined benefit pension under which the member has the right to a defined lump sum on retirement rather than a defined amount 
of pension receivable. For example, a cash balance plan may have minimum or guaranteed rates of return on pension contributions. The amount of pension to which that lump sum 
may be converted is determined by the annuity rates prevailing at the time of conversion.

***  Jubilee Awards: Jubilee plans provide for cash award payments that are based on completed lengths of service. These payments are often made on cessation of service with the 

company, subject to a minimum period of service.

228

229

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements14. Retirement benefits continued
Asset profile of schemes  
The following table sets out the profile of the overall assets of the schemes (to give an indication of their risk profile), the comparative 
amounts of the funded and unfunded defined benefit liabilities (DBOs) and a split of the balance sheet impact between schemes with 
a net pension surplus and a net pension deficit.

Quoted equities
Quoted bonds
Total quoted assets

Unquoted equities
Insurance policies*
Property
Other**
Total unquoted assets

Fair value of assets
Restriction due to an asset ceiling
DBOs for funded schemes
DBOs for unfunded schemes
Deficit for DBOs

Schemes in net pension deficit
Schemes in net pension surplus

2023
£m
27.2
28.1
55.3

28.9
291.7
20.3
4.8
345.7

401.0
(0.4)
(403.4)
(46.1)
(48.9)

2022
£m
24.7
23.3
48.0

103.3
272.0
19.5
(30.6)
364.2

412.2
(5.7)
(378.3)
(47.1)
(18.9)

(50.6)
1.7

(47.4)
28.5

* 

The value of the insurance policies matches the value of the IAS 19 liabilities insured.

**  

‘Other’ assets primarily consists of cash, currency swaps and UK commercial real estate debt.

The overseas assets of £96.9m (2022: £86.9m) comprise equities of £27.2m (2022: £24.7m), bonds of £28.1m (2022: £21.0m), insurance 
of £6.8m (2022: £7.5m), property of £20.2m (2022: £19.5m) and other assets of £14.6m (2022: £14.2m). This excludes the impact of the 
restriction due to the asset ceiling of £0.4m (2022: £5.7m) associated with schemes in Switzerland and Germany.

Funded: The majority of the Group defined benefit and other post‑employment benefit arrangements are funded, which means that 
they are linked to specific plan assets that have been segregated in a trust or foundation.

Unfunded: Plans that are not funded are those that are not backed by segregated assets. These include not only some pension plans but 
also a number of other long‑term arrangements for the benefit of our employees, with benefits payable while they are employed by the 
Group but more than 12 months after the related service is rendered. Actuarial gains and losses on other long‑term arrangements are 
recognised in the income statement in the period in which they arise.

Average duration by geography
The following table shows the weighted average number of years (or duration) over which pension benefits are expected to be paid.

Location
UK
Switzerland
US
Eurozone

230

2023
£m
15.0
14.2
5.4
11.3

2022
£m
15.4
14.1
5.1
11.9

The UK Funds
The United Kingdom constitutes 68% (2022: 70%) of total defined benefit liabilities and 76% (2022: 80%) of total defined benefit assets. 
Historically, the IMI Pension Fund offered final salary benefits to UK employees until it closed to new entrants in 2005 and to future accrual 
on 31 December 2010. In December 2014, winding‑up procedures commenced and those members who were not eligible or did not take 
up the offer of a single cash lump sum transferred to one of two new Funds (the IMI 2014 Pensioner Fund or the IMI 2014 Deferred Fund 
– the UK Funds). Ongoing pension benefits in the UK are provided via the trustee’s defined contribution plan – The IMI Retirement Savings 
Plan. All UK pension assets are run on behalf of the trustee by the Board of the IMI Common Investment Fund.

Court Ruling
A High Court legal ruling in June 2023 (Virgin Media Limited v NTL Pension Trustees II Limited) decided that certain rule amendments 
between 1997 and 2016 for contracted‑out defined benefit schemes were invalid if they were not accompanied by the correct actuarial 
confirmation. If the ruling stands it will form part of case law and will be applied across other pension schemes. The judgement is 
subject to appeal with a hearing scheduled for 25 June 2024.

The lawyers for the IMI 2014 Deferred Fund (the Fund), Squire Patton Boggs, in conjunction with the Fund administrators, Willis 
Towers Watson Ltd, are currently carrying out a review of the past amending deeds. The risk of potential impact remains and 
continues to be assessed.

Liability management
During 2022, the Group completed an insurance buy‑in exercise for the remaining uninsured members. The trustees agreed to defer 
part of the premium owed to the insurance company for this buy‑in and the outstanding amount is expected to be paid over the next 
five years. During the year, a repayment of £5.0m was made. The remaining liability is £15.0m.

Contributions
The March 2021 Valuation was completed in December 2021 and the Funds’ Actuary certified that no deficit funding contributions 
would be required over and above the projected investment returns and the scheduled payments, of £7.0m per annum, due from the 
Scottish Limited Partnerships until the earlier of either full funding of the UK Deferred Fund or 2030.

During 2022, the Group ceased contributions to the Scottish Limited Partnership as the UK Deferred Fund was fully funded. The final 
payment of £3.5m for 2021 was made in February 2022.

Specific effect on the financial statements
The corresponding entries for increases and decreases in the net pension deficit reported in the balance sheet are reflected as follows:

 – Cash flow statement: When the Group makes cash contributions to fund the pension deficit/surplus, they are reflected in the cash 

flow statement and reduce the net deficit/increase the net surplus

 – Income statement: Movements in the overall net pension deficit/surplus are recognised in the income statement when they relate 
to changes in the overall pension promise, due to either an additional period of service (known as ‘current service cost’), changes 
to pension terms in the scheme rules (known as ‘past service cost’), or closure of all or part of a scheme (known as settlements 
and curtailments). The interest charge/income on the net deficit/surplus position is also recognised in the income statement
 – Other comprehensive income (OCI): Movements in the overall net pension deficit/surplus are recognised through OCI when 
they relate to changes in actuarial assumptions or the difference (experience gain or loss) between previous assumptions and 
actual results

231

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements14. Retirement benefits continued
The table below reconciles the movement in the UK and overseas net defined benefit (obligation)/surplus between 1 January 2023 
and 31 December 2023.

Cash flow impacts

Net defined benefit surplus/(obligation) at 1 January 2023

Movement recognised in:
Income statement
OCI
Cash flow statement
Exchange movements
Net defined benefit obligation at 31 December 2023

UK
£m
28.4

Overseas
£m
(47.3)

1.3
(33.4)
–
–
(3.7)

(5.5)
(0.3)
6.9
1.0
(45.2)

Total
£m
(18.9)

(4.2)
(33.7)
6.9
1.0
(48.9)

Risks faced by the schemes
The main risks that the Group face in respect of the UK Deferred Fund, which makes up 76% of the Group’s liabilities, are:

Risk
Interest rate risk

Description/mitigation
Under IAS 19, the discount rate should be set with reference to the yield on high quality corporate bonds 
(typically taken to mean those rated AA) of term appropriate to the duration of the liabilities.

A decrease in corporate bond yields and therefore the resulting discount rate, leads to a higher value 
being placed on the pension liabilities.

The trustees’ investment strategy for the UK Deferred Fund includes investing in liability‑driven 
investments and bonds whose values increase with decreases in interest rates. The trustees have a target 
to hedge 100% of interest rate risk. The trustee’s investment managers measure and monitor the hedging 
arrangements in place, and the latest performance report shows this target is being met.

Note that the scheme hedges interest rate risk on a scheme funding basis (relative to gilts) whereas AA 
corporate bonds are implicit in the IAS 19 discount rate and so there is some mismatching risk to the 
Group should yields on gilts and corporate bonds diverge. The Scheme’s exposure to corporate bonds 
mitigates this risk to some extent.
In the UK Deferred Fund, a large proportion of the benefits are linked to inflation. Therefore, an increase 
in inflation would lead to higher benefits being paid than expected.

To mitigate this risk, the UK Deferred Fund aims to hedge 100% of the Fund’s liabilities against inflation 
risk. The trustee’s investment managers measure and monitor the hedging arrangements in place and 
the latest performance report shows this target is being met.
The UK Deferred Fund holds investments in asset classes, such as private equity and property, which 
have volatile market values. These assets are expected to provide better returns than Government bonds 
over the long‑term. However, the short‑term volatility can cause additional funding to be required, if a 
deficit emerges. As these investments make up around 9% of the total assets, the risk to the Group is 
relatively small.
The majority of the plans’ obligations are to provide benefits for the life of each retired member and 
his/her spouse, so increases in life expectancy result in an increase in the plans’ liabilities.

An increase of one year in life expectancy for the UK Deferred Fund would act to increase liabilities 
by c.£9.8m.

Inflation risk

Investment risk

Mortality risk

Amounts from employees
Amounts from employers
Benefits and settlements paid directly by the Group
Total

2023

Overseas
£m
2.5
3.0
3.9
9.4

UK
£m
–
–
–
–

Total
£m
2.5
3.0
3.9
9.4

2022

Overseas
£m
2.3
2.9
5.3
10.5

UK
£m
–
3.5
–
3.5

Total
£m
2.3
6.4
5.3
14.0

The expected contributions to the DB arrangements in 2024 are £3.0m of normal employer contributions and £2.5m of normal 
employee contributions, both in relation to overseas pension funds.

Other comprehensive income
Movements in pension assets and liabilities that arise during the year from changes in actuarial assumptions, or because actual 
experience is different from the actuarial assumptions, are recognised in equity via other comprehensive income. These movements 
are analysed below:

Change in discount rate
Change in inflation
Change in other assumptions
Actuarial experience – assets/(liabilities) 
Asset experience
Actuarial (losses)/gains in the year
Change in the asset ceiling
Exchange gains/(losses)
(Losses)/gains recognised through equity

2023

2022

Overseas
post
employment
£m
(9.4)
0.5
–
(0.1)
3.3
(5.7)
5.4
0.9
0.6

UK
£m
(15.3)
3.1
2.9
4.7
(28.8)
(33.4)

(33.4)

Overseas
non-post
employment
£m

0.1
0.1

Overseas
post
employment
£m
26.0
9.3
–
(1.2)
(8.5)
25.6
(5.4)
(2.8)
17.4

UK
£m
203.9
2.2
2.3
(2.1)
(309.2)
(102.9)

(102.9)

Total
£m
(24.7)
3.6
2.9
4.6
(25.5)
(39.1)
5.4
1.0
(32.7)

Overseas
non‑post
employment
£m

(0.4)
(0.4)

Total
£m
229.9
11.5
2.3
(3.3)
(317.7)
(77.3)
(5.4)
(3.2)
(85.9)

IMI takes advice from actuaries regarding the appropriateness of the assumptions used to determine the present value of the defined 
benefit obligations. These assumptions include the discount rate applied to the assets and liabilities, the life expectancy of the members, 
their expected salary and pension increases and inflation. The assumptions used for this purpose in these financial statements are 
summarised below:

Inflation – RPI
Inflation – CPI (pre‑2030)
Inflation – CPI (post‑2030)
Discount rate
Expected salary increases
Rate of pension increases

Weighted averages

2023

2022

2021

UK*
% pa
3.3
2.3
3.3
4.5
n/a
3.2

Overseas
% pa
–
1.5
1.5
2.4
1.9
0.6

UK*
% pa
3.4
2.4
3.4
4.8
n/a
3.3

Overseas
% pa
n/a
1.5
1.5
3.0
1.8
0.5

UK**
% pa
3.4
2.4
3.4
1.9
n/a
3.3

Overseas
% pa
n/a
1.3
1.3
0.8
1.7
0.7

The Group has an objective to insure benefits as members retire, in order to reduce mortality risk.

**  Assumptions are based on 31 December 2021 UK market conditions excluding buy‑ins

*  Assumptions are based on 31 December market conditions and based on the weighted average of various buy‑in policy assumptions

232

233

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements14. Retirement benefits continued

Life expectancy (IMI Pension Fund only)***
Current male pensioners
Current female pensioners
Future male pensioners
Future female pensioners

2023
years

21.0
23.5
22.3
24.9

2022
years

21.5
23.9
22.8
25.4

2021
years

21.8
24.1
23.1
25.6

***  Life expectancies are based on members with a pension size of £5k‑£20k for male members and £1k‑£8k for female members.

The mortality assumptions used for the UK Funds above reflect its scheme‑specific experience, together with an allowance for 
improvements over time. The experience was reviewed as part of the formal triennial actuarial valuation, carried out as at 31 March 
2021. The assumptions used as at 31 December 2023 have been based on the results of this review, with the allowance for 
improvements over time updated to reflect the latest data available.

The table below illustrates how the UK Funds’ net pension surplus would decrease (excluding the impact of inflation rate and interest 
rate hedging), as at 31 December 2023, in the event of the following reasonable changes in the key assumptions above.

UK
Discount rate 0.1% pa lower*
Inflation‑linked pension increases 0.1% pa higher
Increase of one year in life expectancy from age 65
10% fall in non‑bond‑like assets** 

2023
£m
5.2
4.6
9.8
2.9

2022
£m
5.0
4.0
10.0
11.0

* 

Due to the volatility of the discount rate year on year, sensitivities using a percentage of 0.1% are shown to provide the users of the accounts with the ability to adjust the sensitivities 
as they consider necessary.

** 

Fund assets excluding cash, bonds and insurance policies.

The table below shows how the net pension deficit for IMI’s non‑UK plans would increase, in the event of the following reasonable 
changes in the key assumptions above.

Non-UK
Discount rate 0.1% pa lower
Salary increases 0.1% higher
Increase of one year in life expectancy at age 65

In each case, all other assumptions are unchanged.

2023
£m
1.6
0.4
2.9

2022
£m
1.4
0.3
2.7

Income statement
In accordance with IAS 19, pension costs recorded through the income statement primarily represent the increase in the DBO based on 
employee service during the year and the interest on the net liability or surplus for DBOs in respect of employee service in previous years. 
The table below shows the cost reported in the income statement in respect of pension obligations (excluding defined benefit contributions):

Current service cost
Recognition of gains
Pension expense – operating costs
Interest on DBO
Interest on assets ceiling
Interest on assets
Interest (income)/expense – financing costs

234

2023

2022

Overseas
post
employment
£m
3.5

UK
£m

–
14.1

(15.4)
(1.3)

3.5
3.6
0.1
(2.1)
1.6

Overseas
non-post
employment
£m
0.5
(0.3)
0.2
0.2

0.2

Total
£m
4.0
(0.3)
3.7
17.9
0.1
(17.5)
0.5

Overseas
post
employment
£m
4.5

UK
£m

9.2

(11.5)
(2.3)

4.5
1.1

(0.4)
0.7

Overseas
non‑post
employment
£m
0.8
(0.1)
0.7
0.1

0.1

Total
£m
5.3
(0.1)
5.2
10.4
–
(11.9)
(1.5)

2023

2022

Assets
£m
412.2

Asset
ceiling
£m
(5.7)

DBO
£m
(425.4)

(4.0)

Net 
defined 
benefit 
(liability)/
asset
£m
(18.9)

(4.0)
–

Asset
ceiling
£m

DBO
£m
(657.2)

(5.3)
1.2

Assets
£m
719.7

(1.2)

(17.9)

17.5

(0.1)

(0.5)

(10.4)

11.9

17.5

(0.1)

0.3
(4.2)

0.1
(14.4)

10.7

–

Overall reconciliation of changes in the net (liability)/surplus for DBOs

Brought forward at start of year
Income Statement (charges)/credits
Current service cost
Settlements
Net interest (cost)/income on net DB 
(liability)/asset
Immediate recognition of gains/(losses) 
– other long‑term benefits
Total charged to income statement
Remeasurements recognised in other 
comprehensive income
Actuarial gain/(loss) due to 
actuarial experience
Actuarial (loss)/gain due to financial 
assumption changes
Actuarial gain due to demographic 
assumption changes
Return on plan assets* less than 
discount rate
Change in asset ceiling
Total remeasurements recognised 
in other comprehensive income
Cash flows in the year
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Benefits paid directly by the Company
Benefits paid from plan assets
Net cash inflow/(outflow)
Other movements
Changes in exchange rates
Total other movements
Carried forward at end of year

* 

Net of management costs.

0.3
(21.6)

4.6

(21.1)

2.9

(25.5)

(13.6)

(25.5)

(2.5)
3.9
12.4
13.8

3.0
2.5

(12.4)
(6.9)

(2.7)
(2.7)
(449.5)

3.7
3.7
401.0

5.4

5.4

–

–
(0.4)

Net 
defined 
benefit 
asset/ 
(liability)
£m
62.5

(5.3)
–

1.5

0.1
(3.7)

(3.3)

241.6

2.2

(317.8)
(5.4)

4.6

(3.3)

(21.1)

241.6

2.9

2.2

(25.5)
5.4

(317.8)

(5.4)

(33.7)

240.5

(317.8)

(5.4)

(82.7)

3.0

3.9
–
6.9

(2.3)
5.3
13.6
16.6

1.0
1.0
(48.9)

(10.9)
(10.9)
(425.4)

2.9
2.3

(13.6)
(8.4)

8.0
8.0
412.2

2.9
–
5.3
–
8.2

(3.2)
(3.2)
(18.9)

–

(0.3)
(0.3)
(5.7)

235

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements15. Inventories

Accounting policy
Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Due to the varying nature of the Group’s operations, both first 
in, first out and weighted average methodologies are employed. In respect of work in progress and finished goods, cost includes 
all direct costs of production and the appropriate proportion of production overheads.

The Group sells a wide range of highly technical products and whilst they are designed and engineered to a high degree of 
precision and to customer specifications, there is a risk of products requiring modification, which can lead to excess or obsolete 
inventory. The amount of inventory provision recognised is disclosed below.

2022 results have been restated in the following table to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described 
in Note 1.

Inventories

Raw materials and consumables
Work in progress
Finished goods

Inventories are stated after:
Allowance for impairment

2023
£m
162.1
174.4
100.8
437.3

2022 
(Restated)
£m
164.8
136.7
116.2
417.7

59.0

52.5

In 2023, the cost of inventories recognised as an expense (being segmental cost of sales) amounted to £1,183.7m (2022: £1,112.1m).

In 2023, the write‑down of inventories to net realisable value amounted to £0.1m (2022: £0.1m). Write‑downs and reversals in both 
years relate to ongoing assessments of inventory obsolescence, excess inventory holding and inventory resale values across all of the 
Group’s businesses.

16. Trade and other receivables

Accounting policy
The recoverable amount of the Group’s receivables other than financial assets held at fair value is calculated as the present value of 
expected future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest rate inherent in the asset. Receivables with a short duration 
of less than one year are not discounted. Other receivables comprise various assets across the Group, including sales tax 
receivables and other non‑trade balances.

The expected credit loss is calculated based on the ageing of individual customers’ receivables, giving consideration to the 
geographical location in which they operate, historical collectability and the customer’s financial position, where this information 
is known.

Trade and other receivables
2022 results have been restated in the following table to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described 
in Note 1.

Current
Trade receivables
Prepayments
Accrued income
Other receivables

Receivables are stated after:
Allowance for impairment

2023
£m
402.6
24.6
11.2
85.5
523.9

2022
(Restated) 
£m
367.1
23.6
2.3
90.9
483.9

18.0

16.4

Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual 
obligations, and arises principally from the Group’s receivables from customers, cash and cash equivalents held by the Group’s banks 
and other financial assets. At the end of 2023 these totalled £565.8m (2022: £526.1m).

Managing credit risk arising from customers
The Group’s exposure to credit risk is influenced mainly by the individual characteristics of each customer. The demographics of the 
Group’s customer base, including the default risk of the industry and country in which customers operate, have less of an influence 
on credit risk. Our largest single customer accounted for 2% of our 2023 revenues (2022: 2%).

Geographically, there is no unusual concentration of credit risk. The Group’s contract approval procedure ensures that large contracts 
are signed off at executive director level at which time the risk profile of the contract, including potential credit and foreign exchange 
risks, is reviewed. Credit risk is minimised through due diligence regarding potential customers, appropriate credit limits, cash flow 
management and the use of documentary credits where appropriate.

Exposure to credit risk in respect of trade receivables
2022 results have been restated in the below table to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described 
in Note 1.

UK
Germany
Rest of Europe
USA
Asia Pacific
Rest of World
Total

Carrying amount

2023
£m
17.5
28.3
108.1
77.9
105.8
65.0
402.6

2022 
(Restated)
£m
16.7
33.0
98.3
75.7
95.6
47.8
367.1

236

237

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements16. Trade and other receivables continued
The maximum exposure to credit risk for trade receivables at the reporting date by segment is shown in the table below. 2022 results 
have been restated to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described in Note 1.

Automation
Life Technology
Total

Carrying amount

2023
£m
302.8
99.8
402.6

2022 
(Restated)
£m
249.7
117.4
367.1

Impairment provisions for trade receivables
The ageing of trade receivables at the reporting date is shown in the following table. 2022 results have been restated in the following 
table to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described in Note 1.

Not past due
Past due 1‑30 days
Past due 31‑90 days
Past due over 90 days
Total

2023

2022 (Restated)

Gross
£m
343.0
36.2
14.9
26.5
420.6

Impairment
£m
(0.1)
(0.9)
(1.0)
(16.0)
(18.0)

Gross
£m
315.6
30.7
14.4
22.8
383.5

Impairment
£m
(0.1)
(0.9)
(0.9)
(14.5)
(16.4)

The net movement in the allowance for impairment in respect of trade receivables during the year in shown in the below table. 
2022 results have been re‑presented to correct a typographical error between amounts ‘utilised during the year’ and ‘charged to the 
income statement’:

Net balance at 1 January
Acquisitions
Utilised during the year
Charged to the income statement
Released
Exchange
Net balance at 31 December

2022 
(Re‑
presented)
£m
15.7
(0.4)
(0.1)
2.0
(1.6)
0.8
16.4

2023
£m
16.4
–
(0.7)
3.9
(1.4)
(0.2)
18.0

Managing credit risk arising from counterparties
A group of relationship banks provides the bulk of the banking services, with preapproved credit limits set for each institution. 
Financial derivatives are entered into with these core banks and the credit exposure to these instruments is included when considering 
the credit exposure to the counterparties. At the end of 2023, credit exposure including cash deposited did not exceed £19.0m with 
any single institution (2022: £16.0m).

17. Financial assets and liabilities
Financial instruments included in the financial statements are measured at either fair value or amortised cost. The measurement of this 
fair value can in some cases be subjective, and can depend on the inputs used in the calculations. The Group generally calculates its 
own fair values using comparable observed market prices and a valuation model using the respective and relevant market data for the 
instrument being valued.

The table below sets out the Group’s accounting classification of each class of financial assets and liabilities, and their fair values at 
31 December 2023 and 31 December 2022. Under IFRS 9, all derivative financial instruments not in a hedge relationship are classified 
as derivatives at fair value through the income statement. The Group does not use derivatives for speculative purposes and transacts all 
derivatives with suitable investment‑grade counterparties. All transactions in derivative financial instruments are undertaken to manage 
the risks arising from the Group’s business activities. 2022 results have been restated in the following table to reflect the allocation of 
goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described in Note 1.

2023
Cash and cash equivalents
Bank overdrafts
Borrowings due within one year
Borrowings due after one year
Lease liabilities
Trade and other payables**
Trade receivables
Investments
Other current financial assets/(liabilities)
  Derivative assets***
  Derivative liabilities****
Total

2022
Cash and cash equivalents
Bank overdrafts
Borrowings due within one year
Borrowings due after one year
Lease liabilities
Trade and other payables**
Trade receivables
Investments
Other current financial assets/(liabilities)
  Derivative assets***
  Derivative liabilities****
Total

At 
amortised
cost
£m

Total
carrying
value
£m

Fair value if 
different
£m

Fair value

Other
derivatives
at fair 
value
£m

Designated
at fair 
value
£m

Financial 
assets
at fair
value*
£m

106.5

1.7

(66.3)
(47.2)
(531.4)
(100.2)
(485.6)
402.6

(3.5)
(3.5)

12.1
(7.4)
4.7

108.2

(828.1)

133.0

2.0

(93.8)
(150.1)
(595.4)
(105.7)
(445.9)
367.1

(3.9)
(3.9)

15.7
(9.9)
5.8

135.0

(1,023.8)

(511.7)

(554.2)

106.5
(66.3)
(47.2)
(531.4)
(100.2)
(485.6)
402.6
1.7

12.1
(10.9)
(718.7)

133.0
(93.8)
(150.1)
(595.4)
(105.7)
(445.9)
367.1
2.0

15.7
(13.8)
(886.9)

238

* 

This classification includes items for which the movement in fair value will be recognised in both profit and loss and other comprehensive income.

**   Trade and other payables exclude corporation tax and include liabilities of £15.3m (2022: £7.9m restated) falling due after more than one year.

*** 

Includes £0.3m (2022: £2.6m) falling due after more than one year.

****  Derivative liabilities include liabilities of £0.2m (2022: £0.4m) falling due after more than one year: £0.2m in 1‑2 years and £nil in 2‑3 years (2022: £0.4m in 1‑2 years and £nil in 

2‑3 years). Derivative liabilities designated at fair value represent the fair value of unsettled net investment hedge derivatives. The increase in value of net investment hedge derivatives 
in the year of £0.4m is shown in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

239

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements17. Financial assets and liabilities continued
The decrease in other derivative assets and liabilities at fair value of £1.1m is recognised in the income statement and consists of £1.3m 
decrease of unsettled net foreign currency and metal forward contracts, which are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes 
offset by an increase of £0.2m of forward contracts to be utilised against specific trade receivables and trade payables.

There are no other financial liabilities included within payables disclosed above.

Fair value hierarchy
The Group uses the following hierarchy for determining and disclosing the fair value of financial instruments by valuation technique:

Level 1: quoted (unadjusted) prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Valuation techniques for level 3 inputs
At 31 December 2023, the Group held one external investment at fair value using significant unobservable (level 3) inputs. The valuation 
is derived using the cash flows of the investment which indicate a fair value of £nil.

Valuation methodology
Cash and cash equivalents, bank overdrafts, trade payables and trade receivables are carried at their book values as this approximates 
to their fair value due to the short‑term nature of the instruments.

Long‑term and short‑term borrowings, apart from any that are subject to hedging arrangements, are carried at amortised cost as it 
is the intention that they will not be repaid prior to maturity, where this option exists. The fair values are evaluated by the Group based 
on parameters such as interest rates and relevant credit spreads.

Level 2: other techniques for which all inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are observable, either directly 
or indirectly.

Long‑term borrowings that are subject to hedging arrangements are valued using appropriate discount rates to value the relevant 
hedged cash flows.

Level 3: techniques that use inputs that have a significant effect on the recorded fair value that are not based on observable market data.

The following table shows the Group’s financial instruments held at fair value (excluding cash):

As at 31 December 2023
Financial assets measured at fair value
Equity instruments*
Foreign currency forward contracts

Financial liabilities measured at fair value
Foreign currency forward contracts

As at 31 December 2022
Financial assets measured at fair value
Equity instruments*
Foreign currency forward contracts

Financial liabilities measured at fair value
Foreign currency forward contracts

Quoted prices 
in active 
markets for 
identical 
assets and 
liabilities
Level 1
£m

Significant 
other 
observable 
inputs
Level 2
£m

1.7

1.7

2.0

2.0

12.1
12.1

(10.9)
(10.9)

15.7
15.7

(13.8)
(13.8)

Total
£m

1.7
12.1
13.8

(10.9)
(10.9)

2.0
15.7
17.7

(13.8)
(13.8)

*  Equity instruments primarily relate to investments in funds in order to satisfy long‑term benefit arrangements.

Valuation techniques for level 2 inputs
Derivative assets and liabilities of £12.1m and £10.9m, respectively, are valued by level 2 techniques. The valuations are derived from 
discounted contractual cash flows using observable, and directly relevant, market interest rates and foreign exchange rates from market 
data providers.

Derivative assets and liabilities, including foreign exchange forward contracts, interest rate swaps and metal hedges, are valued using 
comparable observed market prices and a valuation model using foreign exchange spot and forward rates, interest rate curves and 
forward rate curves for the underlying commodities.

18. Financial risk management
Overview
The Group’s activities expose it to a variety of financial risks: interest rate, foreign exchange and base metal price movements, in 
addition to funding and liquidity risks. The financial instruments used to manage these risks themselves introduce exposure to market 
risk and liquidity risk.

The Board has overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight of the Group’s risk management framework. As described in 
the Corporate Governance Report on page 112 the Executive Committee monitors risk and internal controls and the Audit Committee 
monitors financial risk, while the other Board Committees also play a part in contributing to the oversight of risk.

The Audit Committee oversees how Management monitors compliance with the Group’s financial risk management policies and 
procedures and reviews the adequacy of the risk management framework in relation to the financial risks faced by the Group. The 
Group Assurance department undertakes both regular and ad‑hoc reviews of risk management controls and procedures, the results 
of which are reported to the Audit Committee.

The following sections discuss the management of specific financial risk factors in detail, including market risk, foreign exchange risk, 
interest rate risk, commodity risk and liquidity risk. The management of credit risk is disclosed in Note 16.

Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as foreign exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices will affect the 
Group’s income and cash flows or the value of its financial instruments. The objective of market risk management is to manage and 
control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters.

Under the management of the central Treasury function, the Group enters into derivatives in the ordinary course of business and also 
manages financial liabilities in order to mitigate market risks. All such transactions are carried out within the guidelines set by the Board 
and are undertaken only if they relate to underlying exposures.

Foreign exchange risk
The Group publishes consolidated accounts in Sterling but conducts much of its global business in other currencies. As a result, it is 
subject to the risks associated with foreign exchange movements affecting transaction costs (transactional risk), translation of foreign 
profits (profit translation risk) and translation of the underlying net assets of foreign operations (asset translation risk).

240

241

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements18. Financial risk management continued
Management of transactional risk
The Group’s wide geographical spread both in terms of cost base and customer locations helps to reduce the impact on profitability 
of swings in exchange rates as well as creating opportunities for central netting of exposures. It is the Group’s policy to minimise risk 
to exchange rate movements affecting sales and purchases by economically hedging or netting currency exposures at the time of 
commitment, or when there is a high probability of future commitment, using currency instruments (primarily forward exchange 
contracts). A proportion of forecast exposures are hedged depending on the level of confidence and hedging is periodically adjusted 
following regular reviews. On this basis over 50% of the Group’s annual exposures to transactional risk are likely to be hedged at any 
point in time and the Group’s net transactional exposure to different currencies varies from time to time.

Management of profit translation risk
The Group is exposed to the translation of profits denominated in foreign currencies into the Sterling‑based income statement. The 
interest cost related to the currency liabilities hedging the asset base provides a partial hedge to this exposure. Short‑term currency 
option contracts may be used to provide limited protection against Sterling strength on an opportunistic basis. The translation of US 
Dollar and Euro‑based profits represent the most significant translation exposures for the Group.

Management of asset translation risk
The Group hedges its net investments in its major overseas operations by way of external currency loans and forward currency 
contracts. The intention is to manage the Group’s exposure to gains and losses in Group equity resulting from the retranslation of 
currency net assets at balance sheet dates.

Cash*
2023
£m
(74)
(6)
29
91
40

Debt
2023
£m

(205)
(374)

(579)

Lease 
liabilities
2023
£m
(13)
(7)
(29)
(51)
(100)

Exchange 
contracts
2023
£m
290

(184)
(106)
–

Assets and 
liabilities 
subject to 
interest 
rate risk
2023
£m
203
(218)
(558)
(66)
(639)

Other net
assets**
2023
£m
194
612
546
317
1,669

Total net 
assets 
2023
£m
397
394
(12)
251
1,030

Total net
assets
2022
£m
191
368
64
283
906

Sterling
US Dollar
Euro
Other
Total

* 

Cash is stated net of overdrafts.

**  Other net assets includes leased assets: £11.9m Sterling (2022: £14.9m), £9.1m US Dollar (2022: £8.1m), £54.0m Euro (2022: £33.3m) and £24.6m Other (2022: £50.7m).

Exchange contracts and non‑Sterling debt are financial instruments used as currency hedges of overseas net assets.

Interest rate risk
The Group is exposed to a number of global interest rates through assets and liabilities denominated in jurisdictions to which these rates 
are applied, most notably US, Eurozone and UK rates. The Group is exposed to these because market movements in these rates will 
increase or decrease the interest charge recognised in the Group income statement.

Management of interest rate risk
The Group adopts a policy of maintaining a portion of its liabilities at fixed interest rates and reviewing the balance of the floating rate 
exposure to ensure that if interest rates rise globally, the effect on the Group’s income statement is manageable.

Interest rates are managed using fixed and floating rate debt and financial instruments including interest rate swaps. Floating rate 
liabilities comprise short‑term debt which bears interest at short‑term bank rates and the liability side of exchange contracts where 
the interest element is based primarily on three‑month inter‑bank rates.

All cash surpluses are invested for short periods and are treated as floating rate investments.

Non‑interest bearing financial assets and liabilities, including short‑term trade receivables and payables, have been excluded from the 
following analysis.

Interest rate risk profile
The following table shows how much of our cash, interest‑bearing liabilities and exchange contracts attract both fixed and floating rate 
interest charges, and how this is analysed between currencies:

Debt and
exchange
contracts*
2023
£m
(13)
(212)
(587)
(157)
(969)

Cash and
exchange
contracts
2023
£m
216
(6)
29
91
330

Assets 
subject
to interest
rate risk*
2023
£m
203
(218)
(558)
(66)
(639)

Assets 
subject
to interest
rate risk*
2022
£m
47
(301)
(465)
(94)
(813)

Floating
rate
2023
£m
203
(60)
(184)
(66)
(107)

Floating
rate
2022
£m
47
(136)
(84)
(94)
(267)

Weighted
average 
fixed
interest
rate
%

Weighted
average 
period
for which
rate is fixed
years

3.9
2.3

2.6
4.0

Weighted
average 
fixed
interest
rate
%

Weighted
average 
period
for which
rate is fixed
years

3.9
2.3

3.6
5.0

Fixed
rate
2023
£m

(158)
(374)

(532)

Fixed
rate
2022
£m

(165)
(381)

(546)

Sterling
US Dollar
Euro
Other
Total

Debt and
exchange
contracts*
2022
£m
(94)
(297)
(517)
(153)
(1,061)

Cash and
exchange
contracts
2022
£m
141
(4)
52
59
248

* 

Net of lease liabilities; £16m Sterling, £9m US Dollar, £31m Euro and £50m Other.

Market risk sensitivity analysis on financial instruments
In estimating the sensitivity of the financial instruments, all other variables are held constant to determine the impact on profit before 
tax and equity. The analysis is for illustrative purposes only, as in practice, market rates rarely change in isolation.

The values shown in the table below are estimates of the impact on financial instruments only. Actual results in the future may differ 
materially from these estimates. As such, this table should not be considered as a projection of likely future gains and losses in these 
financial instruments.

To the extent that an instrument used to hedge a net investment in a foreign operation is determined to be an effective hedge, the gain 
or loss arising is recognised directly in the translation reserves. Any ineffective portion is recognised immediately in the income statement.

The Group have designated £205m (2022: £288m) of loans in a net investment hedge of USD net assets and £374m (2022: £381m) 
of EUR net assets. No ineffectiveness was recorded (2022: £nil) and a gain of £0.4m (2022: £8.8m loss) was taken to the translation 
reserve. The amount accumulated in this reserve in respect of gains/losses arising on hedging instruments designated in net investment 
hedges up to 31 December 2023 was an accumulated loss of £0.8m (2022: accumulated loss of £1.2m).

Sterling
US Dollar
Euro
Other
Total

Currency profile of assets and liabilities

*   Net of lease liabilities; £13m Sterling, £7m US Dollar, £29m Euro and £51m Other.

242

243

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements18. Financial risk management continued
Sensitivity table
The outputs from the sensitivity analysis are estimates of the impact of market risk assuming that the specified changes occur only to 
the financial derivatives and do not reflect the opposite movement from the impact of the specific change on the underlying business 
that they are designed to hedge.

At 31 December 2023
Impact on income statement: gain/(loss)
Impact on equity: (loss)/gain

At 31 December 2022
Impact on income statement: gain/(loss)
Impact on equity: (loss)/gain

1% decrease
in interest
rates
£m

1% increase
in interest
rates
£m

10%
weakening
in Sterling
£m

10%
strengthening
in Sterling
£m

0.5

(0.5)

2.0

(2.0)

(18.4)
(75.2)

(11.3)
(77.2)

18.4
75.2

11.3
77.2

Commodity risk
The Group’s operating companies purchase metal and metal components and are, therefore, exposed to changes in commodity prices.

The Group manages this exposure through a centralised process hedging copper, zinc and aluminium using a combination of financial 
contracts and local supply agreements designed to minimise the volatility of short‑term margins.

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due.

Management of liquidity risk
The Group’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure, as far as possible, that it will always have adequate resources to meet its 
liabilities when they fall due, with sufficient headroom to cope with abnormal market conditions. This position is reviewed on a 
quarterly basis.

Funding for the Group is co‑ordinated centrally by the Treasury function and comprises committed bilateral facilities with a core group 
of banks, and a series of US loan note issues. The level of facilities is maintained such that facilities and term loans exceed the forecast 
peak gross debt of the Group over a rolling 12‑month view by an appropriate amount taking into account market conditions and 
corporate activity, including acquisitions, organic growth plans and share buybacks. In addition, we undertake regular covenant 
compliance reviews to ensure that we remain fully within those covenant limits. At the end of 2023, the Group had undrawn committed 
facilities totalling £300.0m (2022: £200.0m) and was holding cash and cash equivalents of £106.5m (2022: £133.0m). There are no 
significant seasonal funding requirements or capital intensive investment areas for the Group.

Capital management
Overview
Capital management concerns the decision as to how the Group’s activities are financed and specifically, how much of the Group 
capital is provided by borrowings (or debt) and how much of it is financed with equity raised from the issue of share capital.

The Board’s policy is to maintain a balance sheet with a broad capital base and the strength to sustain the future development of the 
business, including acquisitions.

The capital base of the Group includes total equity and reserves and net debt. Employee benefit obligations net of deferred tax form 
part of the extended capital base. Management of this element of the capital base is discussed further in Note 14 of the financial 
statements. Undrawn committed funding facilities are maintained as described in Note 19 to provide additional capital for growth 
(including acquisitions and organic investments) and liquidity requirements as discussed above. 2022 results have been restated in 
the following table to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described in Note 1.

Capital base

Total equity
Gross debt including overdrafts
Gross cash
Capital base
Employee benefits and deferred tax assets
Extended capital base
Undrawn funding facilities
Available capital base

2023
£m
1,030
645
(107)
1,568
24
1,592
300
1,892

2022
£m 
(Restated) 
906
839
(133)
1,612
53
1,665
200
1,865

Part of the capital base is held in currencies to broadly match the currency base of the assets being funded as described in the asset 
translation risk section.

Debt or equity
The balance between debt and equity in the capital base of the Group is considered regularly by the Board in light of market conditions, 
business forecasts, growth opportunities and the ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA. Funding covenants currently limit net debt to 
a maximum of 3.0 times EBITDA. The net debt to EBITDA ratio at the end of 2023 was 1.3 times (2022: 1.8 times). Through the life of 
our five‑year plan, the Board would consider appropriate acquisitions that could take net debt up to 2.5 times EBITDA on acquisition, 
provided that a clear plan exists to reduce this ratio back to under 2.0 times. It is expected that at these levels our debt would continue 
to be perceived as investment grade. The potential benefits to equity shareholders of greater leverage are offset by higher risk and the 
cost and availability of funding. The Board will consider raising additional equity in the event that it is required to support the capital base 
of the Group.

244

245

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements19. Net debt
Net debt is the Group’s key measure used to evaluate total outstanding debt, net of the current cash resources. Some of the Group’s 
borrowings (and cash) are held in foreign currencies. Movements in foreign exchange rates affect the Sterling value of the net debt. 
Cash and cash equivalents comprises cash balances and call deposits. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and form an 
integral part of the Group’s cash management are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents for the purpose of the 
statement of cash flows.

Movement in net debt

Adjusted EBITDA*
Working capital movements
Capital and development expenditure
Provisions and employee benefit movements**
Principal elements of lease payments
Other
Adjusted operating cash flow***
Adjusting items
Tax paid
Interest
Derivatives
Additional pension scheme funding
Free cash flow before corporate activity
Dividends paid to equity shareholders
Acquisition and disposal of subsidiaries
Net purchase of own shares
Net cash flow (excluding debt movements)

2023
£m
503.2
(31.3)
(79.9)
(2.7)
(29.0)
6.0
366.3
(43.1)
(76.1)
(22.7)
9.8
–
234.2
(68.8)
0.5
0.6
166.5

2022
£m 
457.0
(85.1)
(71.3)
1.5
(32.3)
20.2
290.0
(52.6)
(48.6)
(19.2)
(8.6)
(3.5)
157.5
(62.2)
(213.3)
(18.8)
(136.8)

Reconciliation of net cash to movement in net debt

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents, excluding foreign exchange
Less: cash acquired/disposed
Net repayment/(drawdown) of borrowings excluding foreign exchange and net debt disposed/acquired
Decrease/(Increase) in net debt before acquisitions, disposals and foreign exchange
Net (debt)/cash acquired/disposed
Currency translation differences
Movement in lease liabilities

Movement in net debt in the year
Net debt at the start of the year
Net debt at the end of the year

Reconciliation of adjusted operating cash flow to cash flow statement

Cash generated from operations
Principal lease payments
Settlement of transactional derivatives
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment and non‑acquired intangibles
Adjusting items
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
Adjusted operating cash flow

Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents

* 

Adjusted profit after tax £302.9m before interest £23.2m, tax £84.5m, depreciation £74.8m, amortisation £17.6m and impairment on property, plant and equipment and non‑acquired 
intangible assets £0.2m.

**  Movement in provisions and employee benefits as per the statement of cash flows £0.9m adjusted for the movement in the restructuring provisions £3.6m.

***  Adjusted operating cash flow is the cash generated from the operations shown in the statement of cash flows less cash spent acquiring property, plant and equipment, non‑acquired 
intangible assets and investments; plus cash received from the sale of property, plant and equipment and the sale of investments, excluding the cash impact of adjusting items. 
This measure best reflects the operating cash flows of the Group.

Cash and cash equivalents in current assets
Bank overdraft in current liabilities
Cash and cash equivalents

2023
£m
17.7
0.4
148.4
166.5
(0.4)
1.8
5.5

173.4
(812.0)
(638.6)

2023
£m
439.3
(29.0)
(8.8)
(79.9)
43.1
1.6
366.3

2023
£m
106.5
(66.3)
40.2

2022
£m 
11.0
(10.0)
(137.8)
(136.8)
10.0
(50.6)
(11.8)

(189.2)
(622.8)
(812.0)

2022
£m 
335.8
(32.3)
2.3
(71.3)
52.6
2.9
290.0

2022
£m 
133.0
(93.8)
39.2

246

247

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements19. Net debt continued
Analysis of net debt

Terms and debt repayment schedule
The terms and conditions of cash and cash equivalents, outstanding loans, lease liabilities and derivative financial liabilities were as follows:

At 1 January 2022
Lease additions, extensions, terminations and payment changes
Lease payments and interest
Cash flow excluding settlement of currency derivatives hedging balance 
sheet and net cash/(debt) disposed of/acquired
Cash/(debt) acquired
Settlement of currency derivatives hedging balance sheet
Currency translation differences
At 31 December 2022

Lease additions, extensions, terminations and payment changes
Lease payments and interest
Cash flow excluding settlement of currency derivatives hedging balance 
sheet and net cash/debt disposed of/acquired
Settlement of currency derivatives hedging balance sheet
Currency translation differences
At 31 December 2023

Total
net debt
£m 
(622.8)
(41.4)
32.3

(141.7)
10.0
(6.3)
(42.1)
(812.0)

Borrowings and finance 
leases due

Cash and 
cash
equivalents
£m
29.1

within one
year
£m
(127.7)

after more
than one 
year
£m
(430.3)

Lease 
creditors
£m
(93.9)
(41.4)
32.3

2.5
10.0
(6.3)
3.9
39.2

3.0
1.0
(3.0)
40.2

(21.1)

(123.1)

(1.3)
(150.1)

(42.0)
(595.4)

(2.7)
(105.7)

(24.2)
29.0

(24.2)
29.0

99.2

49.6

3.7
(47.2)

14.4
(531.4)

0.7
(100.2)

151.8
1.0
15.8
(638.6)

Undrawn committed facilities
The Group has various undrawn committed borrowing facilities. The facilities available at 31 December in respect of which all conditions 
precedent had been met were as follows:

Expiring within one year
Expiring between one and two years
Expiring after more than two years
Total

The weighted average life of these facilities is 1.6 years (2022: 0.9 years).

2023
£m
100.0
75.0
125.0
300.0

2022
£m 
–
193.5
6.0
199.5

2023
Cash and cash equivalents
Term loan 2024
US loan notes 2025
US loan notes 2026
US loan notes 2027
US loan notes 2028
US loan notes 2029
US loan notes 2030
Bank overdrafts
Lease liabilities
Derivative financial liabilities
Total

2022
Cash and cash equivalents
Revolving credit facilities
Term loan 2023
Term loan 2024
US loan notes 2025
US loan notes 2026
US loan notes 2027
US loan notes 2028
US loan notes 2029
US loan notes 2030
Bank overdrafts
Lease liabilities
Derivative financial liabilities
Total

Effective
interest 
rate
%

Floating
Floating
1.39%
3.86%
3.92%
1.53%
3.30%
3.40%
Floating
Various

Effective
interest 
rate
%

Floating
Floating
Floating
Floating
1.39%
3.86%
3.92%
1.53%
3.30%
3.40%
Floating
Various

Carrying
value
£m

Contractual
cash flows
£m

0 to
<1 year
£m

1 to
<2 years
£m

2 to
<3 years
£m

3 to
<4 years
£m

4 to
<5 years
£m

5 years
and over
£m

106.5
(47.2)
(130.4)
(98.4)
(59.1)
(69.6)
(87.0)
(87.0)
(66.3)
(100.2)
(10.9)
(649.6)

106.5
(47.2)
(134.0)
(109.8)
(68.3)
(75.1)
(104.4)
(108.0)
(66.3)
(100.2)
(10.9)
(717.7)

106.5
(47.2)
(1.8)
(3.8)
(2.3)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)
(66.3)
(25.2)
(10.7)
(57.8)

(132.2)
(3.8)
(2.3)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(18.6)
(0.2)
(164.1)

(102.2)
(2.3)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(61.4)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(70.7)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(89.9)
(93.0)

(15.7)

(12.2)

(8.5)

(20.0)

(127.2)

(80.6)

(85.1)

(202.9)

Carrying
value
£m

Contractual
cash flows
£m

0 to
<1 year
£m

1 to
<2 years
£m

2 to
<3 years
£m

3 to
<4 years
£m

4 to
<5 years
£m

5 years
and over
£m

133.0
(100.5)
(49.6)
(49.6)
(132.7)
(103.3)
(62.0)
(70.8)
(88.5)
(88.5)
(93.8)
(105.7)
(13.8)
(825.8)

133.0
(100.5)
(49.6)
(49.6)
(138.1)
(119.3)
(74.0)
(77.4)
(108.8)
(112.5)
(93.8)
(105.7)
(13.8)
(910.1)

133.0
(100.5)
(49.6)
(24.8)
(1.8)
(4.0)
(2.4)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)
(93.8)
(25.8)
(13.4)
(190.1)

(24.8)
(1.8)
(4.0)
(2.4)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(22.1)
(0.4)
(62.5)

(134.5)
(4.0)
(2.4)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(107.3)
(2.4)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(64.4)
(1.1)
(2.9)
(3.0)

(71.9)
(94.3)
(97.5)

(15.8)

(11.8)

(9.9)

(20.3)

(163.7)

(128.5)

(81.3)

(284.0)

Contractual cash flows include undiscounted committed interest cash flows and, where the amount payable is not fixed, the amount 
disclosed is determined by reference to the conditions existing at the reporting date.

248

249

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements19. Net debt continued
Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities
The table below details changes in the Group’s liabilities arising from financing activities, including both cash and non‑cash changes. 
Liabilities arising from financing activities are those for which cash flows were, or future cash flows will be, classified in the Group’s 
consolidated cash flow statement as cash flows from financing activities.

2023
Revolving credit facilities
Term loan 2023 and 2024
US loan notes
Bank overdrafts
Lease liabilities
Total

2022
Revolving credit facilities
Term loan 2023 and 2024
Acquired loan
US loan notes
Bank overdrafts
Lease liabilities
Total

Non-cash changes

1 January 
2023
£m

Financing
cash flows*
£m

Acquisition 
of subsidiary
£m

New leases
£m

Exchange
£m

Other**
£m

(100.5)
(99.2)
(545.8)
(93.8)
(105.7)
(945.0)

100.1
48.3

27.5
31.9
207.8

0.4
3.7
14.4

0.7
19.2

(24.2)
(24.2)

Non-cash changes

(2.9)
(2.9)

1 January 
2022
£m

Financing
cash flows*
£m

Acquisition 
of subsidiary
£m

New leases
£m

Exchange
£m

Other**
£m

(70.3)
(133.3)
(1.8)
(352.6)
(65.5)
(93.9)
(717.4)

(35.0)
24.0
1.8
(221.9)
(28.3)
35.1
(224.3)

4.8
10.1

28.7

(2.7)
40.9

(2.8)
(2.8)

(41.4)
(41.4)

–

31 
December 
2023
£m

–
(47.2)
(531.4)
(66.3)
(100.2)
(745.1)

31 
December 
2022
£m

(100.5)
(99.2)
–
(545.8)
(93.8)
(105.7)
(945.0)

* 

Financing cash flows exclude the impact of interest paid.

** 

Includes IFRS 16 interest payments.

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
The Group borrows money from financial institutions in the form of bonds and other financial instruments. These generally have 
fixed interest rates and are for a fixed term or are drawn from committed borrowing facilities that generally have floating interest rates. 
For more information about the Group’s exposure to interest rate and foreign currency risk, see Note 18.

Current liabilities
Unsecured loan notes and other loans
Lease liabilities
Total

Non-current liabilities
Unsecured loan notes and other loans
Lease liabilities
Total

250

2023
£m

47.2
25.2
72.4

531.4
75.0
606.4

2022
£m 

150.1
25.8
175.9

595.4
79.9
675.3

20. Provisions

Accounting policy
A provision is recorded instead of a payable when uncertainty exists over the timing and amount of the cash outflow. Provisions are 
recognised when: the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events; it is probable that an outflow 
of resources will be required to settle the obligation; and the amount can be reliably estimated. Provisions are valued at Management’s 
best estimate of the amount required to settle the present obligation at the balance sheet date.

A provision for restructuring is recognised when the Group has approved a detailed and formal restructuring plan, and the restructuring 
has either commenced or has been announced publicly.

The recognition of a provision requires estimation. The principal estimates made in respect of the Group’s provisions using the best 
estimate methodology (with the exception of indemnity provisions as noted below) concern the timing and amount of payments 
required to:

 – cover the costs of known restructuring projects;
 – reimburse customers for potential product warranty claims;
 – ensure that current and former manufacturing sites meet relevant environmental standards;
 – reflect the estimated outcome of ongoing legal disputes; and
 – provide against indemnities following the disposal of subsidiaries.

Analysis of the Group’s provisions:

Current
Non‑current
At 1 January 2023

Arising during the year
Released during the year
Utilised during the year
Exchange adjustment
At 31 December 2023

Current
Non‑current

Restructuring
£m
17.6
0.2
17.8

Trade
warranties
£m
9.2
8.7
17.9

Environmental 
& legal
£m
0.4
6.4
6.8

34.9
–
(31.3)
(0.5)
20.9

19.9
1.0

2.3
(1.5)
(3.0)
(0.2)
15.5

8.4
7.1

–
(1.5)
–
–
5.3

0.4
4.9

Total
£m
27.2
15.3
42.5

45.4
(3.0)
(42.5)
(0.7)
41.7

28.7
13.0

Restructuring
The restructuring provision reflects residual amounts committed but not spent in relation to a number of specific projects that are 
discussed further in Note 3, where the cost is a reliable estimate of the obligation. The opening balance of £17.8m primarily related to 
the closure of a factory in Europe within our IMI Precision Engineering division and the Customer First project, which both simplify the 
structure of the division and ensures the business structure is aligned with our customer base. The utilised balance includes £31.3m of 
cash settlements. The provision as at 31 December 2023 of £20.9m primarily relates to the expected redundancy payments for facility 
closures with the majority of the resulting outflow expected during 2024.

251

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements20. Provisions continued
Trade warranties
The Group sells a wide range of highly technical products and whilst they are designed and engineered to a high degree of precision 
and to customer specifications, there is a risk of products requiring modification, which can lead to warranty claims. Trade warranties 
are given in the normal course of business and cover a range of periods, typically one to two years, with the expected amounts falling 
due in less than and greater than one year separately analysed, as above. The provision represents the directors’ best estimate of the 
Group’s liability based on past experience.

22. Share capital
The movement in the number of ordinary shares of 28 4/7p each issued by IMI plc is as follows:

Number and value of shares

Environmental and legal
Environmental and legal provisions recognise the Group’s obligation to remediate contaminated land at a number of current and former 
sites, together with current legal cases for which a settlement is considered probable. Due to the long‑term nature of the liabilities, 
the timescales are uncertain and the provisions represent the directors’ best estimates of these costs.

In issue at the start of the year
Issued to satisfy employee share schemes
In issue at the end of the year

2023

Ordinary shares
28 4/7p per share

2022

Ordinary shares
28 4/7p per share

Number (m)
275.0
0.1
275.1

Value (£m)
78.6
–
78.6

Number (m)
274.9
0.1
275.0

Value (£m)
78.6
–
78.6

21. Trade and other payables
2022 results have been restated to reflect the allocation of goodwill of Heatmiser and CorSolutions, as described in Note 1.

All issued share capital at 31 December 2023 and 2022 is fully paid and conveys the same rights.

Share movements in the year
Movements in shares due to share issues and purchases during the year were as follows:

Current
Trade payables
Social security and other taxation
Accruals
Deferred income
Progress billings and advance payments from customers
Other payables

Non-current
Other payables

2023
£m

152.0
33.7
42.6
0.3
96.8
144.9
470.3

15.3
485.6

2022
(Restated) 
£m

150.4
35.1
43.9
–
71.9
136.7
438.0

7.9
445.9

£50.9m of the £71.9m progress billings and advance payments from customers held at the prior year‑end, were recognised as revenue 
during the year. £52.5m of the £73.2m progress billings and advance payments from customers held at 31 December 2021, were 
recognised as revenue during the 2022 financial year. Other payables includes costs for services and professional fees invoiced at the 
balance sheet date.

In issue at 31 December 2022
New issues to satisfy employee share scheme awards
Transfer shares from treasury to employee benefit trust
Shares allocated under employee share schemes
At 31 December 2023

Number of ordinary
shares of 28 4/7p each (million)

Employee 
Benefit Trust
2.4

Treasury
14.3

0.6
(1.3)
1.7

(0.6)

13.7

Other
258.3
0.1

1.3
259.7

Total
275.0
0.1
–
–
275.1

During the year 0.1m (2022: 0.1m) shares were issued under employee share schemes realising £0.6m (2022: £1.2m).

Employee Benefit Trust
The Employee Benefit Trust made market purchases of a total of nil (2022: 1.4m) shares with an aggregate market value of £nil 
(2022: £20.0m) and a nominal value of £nil (2022: £0.4m). Associated transaction costs amounted to £nil (2022: £nil). On 28 November 
2023 0.6m ordinary shares were transferred out of treasury for nil consideration to the IMI Employee Benefit Trust.

Share options exercised in 2023 were settled using the shares in the Group’s Employee Benefit Trust. In 2023, 0.7m (2022: 0.8m) shares 
were issued for cash of £nil (2022: £nil).

Of the 15.4m (2022: 16.7m) shares held within retained earnings, 1.7m (2022: 2.4m) shares with an aggregate market value of £28.6m 
(2022: £30.9m) are held in trust to satisfy employee share scheme vesting.

252

253

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements23. Acquisitions
Acquisitions in 2022
During the year ended 31 December 2022, the Group made three acquisitions, namely:

 – Heatmiser UK Ltd (“Heatmiser”)
 – CorSolutions LLC (“CorSolutions”)
 – Bahr Modultechnik GmbH (“Bahr”)

a) Heatmiser UK Ltd (“Heatmiser”)

Other intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade and other payables
Current taxation
Deferred taxation
Total identified net assets at fair value
Goodwill arising on acquisition
Purchase consideration

Fair value at
23 December 
2022
£m
46.2
0.2
7.4
5.6
7.4
(4.7)
(0.6)
(11.6)
49.9
67.6
117.5

On 23 December 2022 the Group acquired 100% of the share capital, and associated voting rights, of Heatmiser UK Ltd (“Heatmiser”) 
for initial cash consideration of £117.5m, with up to a further £8.0m payable based on future financial performance. Heatmiser is a 
leading UK smart thermostatic control manufacturer and is based in Blackburn, UK.

This acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination and the accounting, including the purchase price allocation, 
has been finalised during the year. After updating the assumptions, deferred consideration recognised is £nil. The goodwill recognised 
above includes certain intangible assets that cannot be separately identified and measured due to their nature. This includes control 
over the acquired business, the skills and experience of the assembled workforce, the increase in scale, synergies and the future growth 
opportunities that the businesses provide to the Group’s operations.

Acquisition costs of £2.0m were recognised in the income statement in 2022.

b) CorSolutions LLC (“CorSolutions”)

Other intangible assets
Inventories
Deferred taxation
Total identified net assets at fair value
Goodwill arising on acquisition
Total consideration
Of which relates to deferred consideration
Purchase consideration

Fair value at
27 October 
2022
£m
8.8
0.6
–
9.4
–
9.4
1.3
8.1

On 27 October 2022 the Group acquired 100% of the share capital, and associated voting rights, of CorSolutions LLC (“CorSolutions”) 
for initial cash consideration of £7.5m, an additional payment of £0.6m made in 2023 as part of the closing consideration, with up to 
a further £3.6m payable based on future financial performance. CorSolutions is a leading innovator in micro‑fluid flow control and is 
based in Ithaca, New York.

This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination. The acquisition accounting has been finalised and changes were made 
to the provisional fair value amounts recognised in the 2022 Annual Report in respect of the deferred consideration and identified assets 
acquired and liabilities assumed. This resulted in a decrease of £1.7m from the 2022 Annual Report, bringing the goodwill position 
to £nil. The expected earn‑out payout has decreased from £3.6m as at 31 December 2022 to £1.3m.

c) Bahr Modultechnik GmbH (“Bahr”)
On 9 June 2022 the Group acquired 100% of the share capital, and associated voting rights, of Bahr Modultechnik GmbH (“Bahr”) for 
cash consideration of £88.3m. Bahr is a leading provider of highly configured modular electric linear motion systems, based on a broad 
portfolio of specialist components and is based in Luhden, Germany.

This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination. Our accounting has been finalised and there are no changes to the 
provisional fair value amounts recognised in the 2022 Annual Report in respect of the identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

d) Adjustments arising on prior year acquisitions
In finalising the acquisition accounting for the prior year acquisitions of CorSolutions and Heatmiser, an adjustment of £36.3m was 
made to include acquired intangibles and corresponding deferred tax, adjust working capital and other payables. This resulted in a 
decrease in goodwill of £36.3m.

The adjustment is material and as such the comparative balance sheet has been restated, as follows:

Non-current assets
Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Deferred tax assets
Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Current tax
Total assets
Non-current liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Other payables
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Current tax
Total liabilities

Allocation of 
Heatmiser and 
CorSolutions 
goodwill  
2022
£m

Restated 
Balance Sheet 
2022
£m

Balance Sheet 
(as Reported) 
2022
£m

733.7
270.5
24.5

416.3
484.9
2.0
2,519.9

(47.9)
(9.9)

(437.7)
(70.1)
(1,614.3)

(36.3)
46.2
(0.3)

1.4
(1.0)
(0.1)
9.9

(11.3)
2.0

(0.3)
(0.3)
(9.9)

697.4
316.7
24.2

417.7
483.9
1.9
2,529.8

(59.2)
(7.9)

(438.0)
(70.4)
(1,624.2)

254

255

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial Statements24. Disposals
Disposals in 2023
The Group disposed of its Dutch subsidiary, IMI Aero‑Dynamiek BV, on 2 October 2023 for proceeds of £0.8m, resulting in a gain 
on disposal for the Group of £0.7m after disposing of £nil of net assets and incurring £0.3m of associated disposal costs.

This disposal is not disclosed as a discontinued item because it did not represent a separate major line of business.

Sale consideration
Net assets disposed
Costs of disposal
Foreign exchange gain reclassified on disposal
Gain on disposal

Net cash flow arising on disposal
Sale consideration
Cash costs of disposal
Net cash flow arising on disposal of operations

2 October
2023
£m
0.8
–
(0.3)
0.2
0.7

0.8
(0.3)
0.5

Disposals in 2022
The Group disposed of its Russian subsidiary, IMI International LLC, on 27 May 2022 for proceeds of £nil resulting in a loss on disposal 
for the Group of £4.8m after disposing of £3.3m of net assets and incurring £0.9m of associated disposal costs. In addition, the exit 
resulted in a £4.2m impairment of assets related to Russian contracts.

The exit from Russia was presented in the income statement as an adjusting item in 2022 but it was not disclosed as a discontinued item 
because it did not represent a separate major line of business.

Sale consideration
Net assets disposed
Costs of disposal
Foreign exchange loss reclassified on disposal
Loss on disposal

Net cash flow arising on disposal
Sale consideration
Cash costs of disposal
Net cash flow arising on disposal of operations

27 May
2022
£m
–
(3.3)
(0.9)
(0.6)
(4.8)

–
(0.9)
(0.9)

25. Contingent liabilities
A contingent liability is a liability that is not sufficiently certain to qualify for recognition as a provision because significant subjectivity 
exists regarding its outcome.

Group contingent liabilities relating to guarantees in the normal course of business and other items amounted to £131m (2022: £132m).

26. Related party transactions
Related parties include the key management personnel. The Board, including the non‑executive directors are considered to be the key 
management personnel of the Group.

Short‑term employee benefits*
Share‑based payments**
Total

* 

Short‑term employee benefits comprise salary, including employers’ social contributions, benefits earned during the year and bonuses awarded for the year.

** 

For details of the shared‑based payment charge for key management personnel, see Note 6.

Transactions with associated companies

Sales to associated companies
Purchases from associated companies
Total
Accounts receivable
Accounts payable

There are no other related party transactions.

27. Subsequent events

2023
£m
4.8
2.0
6.8

2023
£m
0.8
–
0.8
1.2
–

2022
£m 
3.5
2.2
5.7

2022
£m
–
–
–
–
–

Events that occur in the period between 31 December and the date of approval of the Annual Report can be categorised as 
adjusting or non‑adjusting depending on whether the condition existed at 31 December. If the event is an adjusting event, then an 
adjustment to the results is made. If a non‑adjusting event after the year‑end is material, non‑disclosure could influence decisions 
that readers of the financial statements make. Accordingly, for each material non‑adjusting event after the reporting period we 
disclose the nature of the event and an estimate of its financial effect, or a statement that such an estimate cannot be made.

There were no adjusting or non‑adjusting subsequent events after the balance sheet date of 31 December 2023.

256

257

Notes to the consolidated financial statements continuedIMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCompany balance sheet
At 31 December 2023

Fixed assets
Investments

Current assets
Debtors
Deferred tax assets
Cash at bank and in hand

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other creditors
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Net assets

Capital and reserves
Called up share capital
Share premium account
Capital redemption reserve
Profit and loss account
Equity shareholders’ funds

Company statement of changes in equity for the year

At 1 January 2022
Retained profit for the year
Dividends paid on ordinary shares
Shares issued in the year
Share‑based payments
Shares acquired for:
  employee share scheme trust
At 31 December 2022

Retained profit for the year
Dividends paid on ordinary shares*
Shares issued in the year
Share-based payments
Shares acquired for:
  employee share scheme trust*
At 31 December 2023

Share
capital
£m
78.6

Share
premium
£m
15.2

Redemption
reserve
£m
177.6

–

1.2

78.6

16.4

177.6

–

0.6

–
78.6

–
17.0

–
177.6

Retained
earnings
£m
294.3
59.6
(62.2)

9.8

(20.0)
281.5

77.5
(68.8)

13.2

0.3
303.7

Parent
equity
£m
565.7
59.6
(62.2)
1.2
9.8

(20.0)
554.1

77.5
(68.8)
0.6
13.2

0.3
576.9

* 

Details of treasury and employee trust share scheme movements are contained in Note 22 of the Group financial statements and details of dividends paid and proposed in the year 
are shown in Note C4.

All of the retained earnings held at both 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2022 are considered to be distributable reserves.

Notes

C5

C6
C7

C8

C9

2023
£m

563.4
563.4

14.9
6.4
1.6
22.9

(9.4)
13.5
576.9
576.9

78.6
17.0
177.6
303.7
576.9

2022
£m

533.0
533.0

18.3
5.5
1.6
25.4

(4.3)
21.1
554.1
554.1

78.6
16.4
177.6
281.5
554.1

The Company reported a profit for the financial year ended 31 December 2023 of £77.5m (2022: £59.6m).

Approved by the Board of Directors on 29 February 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Lord Smith of Kelvin
Chair

258

259

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsIMI plc Annual Report 2023Company notes to the financial statements

C1. Significant accounting policies
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items considered material in relation to the financial 
statements, except where otherwise noted below:

Taxation
The charge for taxation is based on the profit for the year and takes into account taxation deferred because of temporary differences 
between the treatment of certain items for taxation and accounting purposes.

Basis of accounting
The financial statements were prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101 ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’ (FRS 101).

The Company has not presented a separate profit and loss account as permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.

The Company has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemptions under FRS 101:

a)   the requirements of paragraphs 45(b) and 46‑52 of IFRS 2 ‘Share‑based Payment’;
b)   the requirements of IFRS 7 ‘Financial Instruments’;
c)   the requirements of paragraphs 91‑99 of IFRS 13 ‘Fair Value Measurement’;
d)   the requirement in paragraph 38 of IAS 1 ‘Presentation of Financial Statements’ to present comparative information in respect 

of paragraph 79(a)(iv) of IAS 1;

e)   the requirements of paragraphs 10(d), 10(f) and 134‑136 of IAS 1;
f)   the requirements of IAS 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’;
g)   the requirements of paragraphs 30 and 31 of IAS 8 ‘Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors’;
h)   the requirements of paragraph 17 of IAS 24 ‘Related Party Disclosures’; and
i)  

the requirements in IAS 24 ‘Related Party Disclosures’ to disclose related party transactions entered into between two or more 
members of the Group, provided that any subsidiary which is party to the transaction is wholly owned by such a member. Related 
party transactions with the Company’s key management personnel are disclosed in the Remuneration Report on pages 146 to 167 
and in Note 26 of the Group financial statements.

Critical judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of financial statements requires Management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts 
reported for assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date and the amounts reported for income and expenses during the year. 
However, the nature of estimation means that actual outcomes could differ from those estimates.

There were no critical judgements or key sources of estimation uncertainty applied in 2023 or in 2022.

Foreign currencies
The Company’s functional currency and presentation currency is Sterling. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded using the rate 
of exchange ruling at the date of transaction.

Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies have been translated into Sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the 
balance sheet date and the gains or losses on translation are included in the profit and loss account.

Investments
Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for at cost less any provision for impairment. The Company’s cost of investments in 
subsidiary undertakings is stated at the aggregate of (a) the cash consideration and either (b) the nominal value of the shares issued as 
consideration when Section 612 of the Companies Act 2006 applies, or (c) in all other cases the market value of the Company’s shares 
on the date they were issued as consideration.

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all temporary differences between the treatment of certain items for taxation and accounting 
purposes that have arisen but not reversed by the balance sheet date, except as otherwise required by IAS 12 ‘Income Taxes’. Deferred 
tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply when the temporary differences reverse, based on the tax laws that have been 
enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. A deferred tax asset is recognised to the extent that it is probable that future 
taxable profit will be available against which the temporary difference can be utilised.

Equity and equity-related compensation benefits
The Company operates a number of equity and equity‑related compensation benefits as set out in Note 6 to the Group financial 
statements. The fair value of the employee services received in exchange for the grant of the options is recharged in full to the principal 
employing company and accordingly, there is no net charge recorded in the Company’s financial statements. The recharged amount is 
recognised as a debtor falling due for payment within one year.

The total amount recharged over the vesting period is determined by reference to the fair value of the options granted, excluding the 
impact of any non‑market vesting conditions (for example, profitability and sales growth targets). Non‑market vesting conditions are 
included in assumptions about the number of options that are expected to become exercisable. The fair value of the options at the date 
of grant is determined based on the Monte Carlo and Black‑Scholes option‑pricing model.

At each balance sheet date, the Company revises its estimate of the number of options that are expected to vest. It recognises the 
impact of the revision of original estimates, if any, in the amount recharged to subsidiary undertakings.

For newly issued shares, the proceeds received, net of any directly attributable transaction costs are credited to share capital 
(nominal value) and share premium when the options are exercised.

Treasury shares
The consideration paid by the Company on the acquisition of treasury shares is charged directly to retained earnings in the year of 
purchase. Consideration received for the sale of such shares is also recognised in equity, with any difference between the proceeds 
from sale and the original cost taken to share premium. If treasury shares are subsequently cancelled the nominal value of the cancelled 
shares is transferred from share capital to the capital redemption reserve. No gain or loss is recognised on the purchase, sale or 
cancellation of treasury shares.

Dividends
Dividends unpaid at the balance sheet date are only recognised as a liability at that date to the extent that they are authorised and 
are no longer at the discretion of the Company. Unpaid dividends that do not meet these criteria are disclosed in the notes to the 
financial statements.

C2. Remuneration of directors
The detailed information concerning directors’ emoluments, shareholdings and options are shown in the audited section of the 
Remuneration Report on pages 136 to 167, Note 5 and Note 26 of the Group financial statements.

C3. Staff numbers and costs
The number of people employed by the Company, including directors, during the year was 19 (2022: 18), all of whom were employed 
in administrative roles. The costs associated with them were borne by a subsidiary undertaking.

The Company participates in the IMI UK Funds, which are defined benefit schemes in which the assets are held independently. The total 
net defined benefit costs of these funds are borne by a subsidiary undertaking and therefore in accordance with IAS 19, no net defined 
benefit costs are recognised in the Company’s financial statements. Note 14 to the Group financial statements provides further details 
regarding the defined benefit schemes.

260

261

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsCompany notes to the financial statements continued

C4. Dividends
The aggregate amount of dividends comprises:

C7. Deferred tax
The deferred tax included in the balance sheet is as follows:

Prior year final dividend paid – 17.4p per qualifying ordinary share (2022: 15.8p)
Current year interim dividend paid – 9.1p per qualifying ordinary share (2022: 8.3p)
Aggregate amount of dividends paid in the financial year

Dividends paid in the year of £68.8m represent 26.5p per share (2022: 24.1p).

2023
£m
45.1
23.7
68.8

2022
£m 
40.8
21.4
62.2

After the balance sheet date the following dividends were proposed by the directors. The dividends have not been provided for and 
there are no income tax consequences.

Current year final dividend – 19.2p per qualifying ordinary share (2022: 17.4p)

2023
£m
49.9

2022
£m 
45.1

Dividends proposed after the balance sheet date may differ from the final dividend paid. This is a result of the final number of qualifying 
shares entitled to dividends differing from those in issue at the balance sheet date.

C5. Fixed assets – investments

Investments in subsidiary undertakings
Loans owed by subsidiary undertakings
Total

2023
£m
173.2
390.2
563.4

2022
£m 
173.2
359.8
533.0

Details of subsidiary undertakings as at 31 December 2023 are shown on pages 264 to 268.

The loan due from subsidiary undertakings is due for repayment on 31 December 2027. The loan is unsecured and interest is calculated 
using SONIA plus a fixed percentage of 1.86%.

C6. Debtors

Falling due for payment within one year:
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings
Total

Employee benefits and share‑based payments
Deferred tax asset included in the balance sheet

Reconciliation of movement in deferred tax asset:

At 1 January 2023
Adjustment in respect of prior years
Deferred tax credit in the profit and loss account
Deferred tax (credit)/charge in equity
At 31 December 2023

2023
£m
6.4
6.4

2023
£m
5.5
0.1
0.5
0.3
6.4

2022
£m 
5.5
5.5

2022
£m 
6.8
–
0.6
(1.9)
5.5

The rate of corporation tax in the UK for 2023 was 23.5% (2022: 19%). From 1 April 2023, the statutory rate increased from 19% to 25%. 
UK deferred tax assets and liabilities have therefore been calculated using a rate of 25% (2022: 25%).

C8. Other creditors falling due within one year

Corporation tax
Other payables
Total

C9. Share capital

Issued and fully paid
275.1m (2022: 275.0m) ordinary shares of 28 4/7p each

2023
£m
8.4
1.0
9.4

2023
£m

2022
£m 
3.3
1.0
4.3

2022
£m 

78.6

78.6

2023
£m

14.9
14.9

2022
£m 

18.3
18.3

C10. Contingencies
Contingent liabilities relating to guarantees in the normal course of business and other items amounted to £54.1m (2022: £37.8m).

There is a right of set‑off with three of the Company’s banks relating to the balances of the Company and a number of its wholly owned 
UK subsidiaries.

Where the Company enters into financial guarantee contracts to guarantee the indebtedness of other companies within its Group, 
the Company considers these to be insurance arrangements, and accounts for them as such. In this respect, the Company treats the 
guarantee contract as a contingent liability until such time as it becomes probable that the Company will be required to make a 
payment under the guarantee.

262

263

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsSubsidiary undertakings

A full list of the Group’s subsidiary undertakings and registered/principal offices as at 31 December 2023 is included below. Except 
where indicated, the share capital consists of ordinary shares only. The principal country in which each subsidiary operates and has its 
registered/principal office is the country of incorporation. IMI plc’s effective interest in the undertakings listed is 100%, except where 
indicated, and is held in each case by a subsidiary undertaking, except for IMI Group Limited and IMI Deutschland Verwaltungs GmbH 
which are held directly by IMI plc.

The Group has an interest in two partnerships, The IMI Scottish Limited Partnership and The IMI 2017 Scottish Limited Partnership, 
which are both fully consolidated into these Group accounts. The Group has taken advantage of the exemption conferred by regulation 
7 of the Partnerships (Accounts) Regulations 2008 and has, therefore, not appended the accounts of these qualifying partnerships to 
these accounts. Separate accounts for the partnerships are not required to be and have not been filed at Companies House.

Charles Baynes Netherlands B.V.,
Holford Estates Limited,
IMI CIF Trustee Limited,
IMI Components Limited,
IMI Deutschland Limited,
IMI Euro Finance Limited,
IMI Fluid Controls (Finance) Limited,
IMI Germany Limited,
IMI Group Limited,
IMI Kynoch Limited,
IMI Marston Limited,
IMI Overseas Investments Limited,
IMI Pensions Trust Limited,
IMI plc,
IMI Precision Engineering Limited,
IMI Property Investments Limited,
IMI Refiners Limited,
IMI Sweden Finance Limited,
IMI Vision Limited,
Liquick 211 Limited,
Truflo Group Limited,
Truflo International Limited,
Truflo Investments Limited
IMI Americas LLC,
IMI Fluid Controls Holdings Inc,
IMI Norgren LLC,
Norgren LLC
Finch Land Management LLC
IMI Critical Engineering Holding GmbH,
IMI Deutschland II GmbH & Co KG,
IMI Deutschland Verwaltungs GmbH,
IMI Germany Holding B.V. & Co KG,
Norgren GmbH
Adaptas Acquisition Co,
Adaptas Acquisition Holdings, LLC,
Adaptas Solutions, LLC

264

Lakeside, Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham,
West Midlands, B37 7XZ, United Kingdom

5400 South Delaware Street, Littleton, CO 80120, United States

145 Hyde Road, Farmington, CT 06032, United States
Bruckstrasse 93, 46519 Alpen, Germany

Palmer Industrial Park, 9 Second Street, Palmer, MA 01069, United States

Heimeier GmbH,
IMI Hydronic Engineering Deutschland Gmbh,
THJ Holding GmbH
IMI Australia Pty Ltd,
IMI Critical Engineering (PAC) Pty Ltd,
IMI Lakeside Australia Pty Ltd
IMI Finance SA,
IMI Finance USD SA,
IMI Hydronic Engineering International SA
Adaptas Solutions Pty Ltd,
DeTech Australia Holdings Pty Ltd
IMI Hydronic Engineering NV

CCI Italy S.R.L,
IMI Holding Italy S.R.L.,
Orton S.R.L.
IMI Hydronic Engineering A/S,
Norgren A/S
IMI Hydronic Engineering AS,
Norgren AS
IMI Hydronic Engineering BV,
IMI Netherlands Holdings BV
IMI Scotland Limited,
The IMI Scottish Limited Partnership,
The IMI 2017 Scottish Limited Partnership
Lakeside Finance Unlimited Company,
Lakeside Treasury Unlimited Company
Norgren Co Limited,
Norgren Manufacturing Co Ltd
Valves Holding GmbH,
Z & J Technologies GmbH
Acro Associates LLC
Adaptas Solutions China Co, Ltd
Applied Kilovolts Limited
Bahr Modultechnik Holding GmbH,
Bahr Modultechnik GmbH
Bimba LLC,
Mead Fluid Dynamics, Inc.
Bopp & Reuther Valves GmbH
Brookvale International Insurance Limited
Buschjost GmbH
CCI AG
IMI Critical Engineering Brasil Ltda.
CCI Czech Republic s.r.o.
CCI Flow Control (Shanghai) Co Ltd

CCI International Limited

Völlinghauser Weg 2, 59597 Erwitte, Deutschland, Germany

33 South Corporate Avenue, Rowville VIC 3178, Australia

Route de Crassier 19, Lake Geneva Business Park, 1262 Eysins, Switzerland

2-8 Martha Street, Clyde NSW 2142, Australia

Fountain Business Park, C. Van Kerckhovenstraat 110 Gebouw 3
BE-2880 Bornem

Via Larga 6, 20122 Milan, Italy

Vesterlundvej 18, 2730 Herlev, Denmark

Glynitveien 7, Ski, N-1400, Norway

Klipperaak 101 (1e etage), 2411 ND Bodegraven

c/o Brodies LLP Capital Square, 58 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BP, United 
Kingdom

1 Stokes Place, St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

Building 3, No. 1885, Duhui Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, China

Bertramsweg 6, 52355 Düren, Germany

145 Hyde Road, Farmington, CT 06032, United States
No. 1588 Xinhong Road, Qidong City, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
Woods Way, Goring By Sea, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 4QY, United Kingdom
North-South-Str. 10a, 31711 Luhden, Germany

25150 S. Governors Hwy, University Park, IL 60484, United States

Carl-Reuther Str. 1, 68305 Mannheim, Germany
Clarendon House, Church Street, Hamilton, HM11, Bermuda
Detmolder Strasse 256, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Fabrikstrasse 10, 8370 Sirnach, Switzerland
Rua Anuar Dequech, 272 – Galpão 06, Iporanga – Sorocaba/SP, Brasil 18087-157
K Letišti 1804/3, Šlapanice, 62700 Brno, Czech Republic
Room 108, Unit 15, 159 Tian Zhou Road, Cao He Jing Development Zone, 
Shanghai, 200233, China
Unit A3 Brookside Business Park, Greengate, Middleton, Manchester, M24 1GS, 
United Kingdom

265

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsSubsidiary undertakings continued

CCI Valve Technology AB
CCI Valve Technology GmbH
Control Component India Pvt Limited

IMI Critical Engineering LLC
CorSolutions LLC
FAS Medic SA
Fluid Automation Systems GmbH
Heatmiser UK Ltd

Heatmiser Automatic Control Technology 
(Beijing) Limited
Herion Systemtechnik GmbH
IMI Critical Engineering (APAC) Pte. Ltd

Industrigatan 7, Box 603, 661 29 Säffle, Sweden
Lemböckgasse 63/1, 1230 Wien, Austria
Ground, 1st & 2nd Floor, Tower 4, SJR i park, Plot # 13, 14 & 15, EPIP Zone Phase 
1, Whitefield Road, Bangalore 560066, India
22591 Avenida Empresa, Rancho Santa Margarita CA 92688, United States
622 Scofield Road, Groton, New York, 1307
Route de Bossonnens 2, 1607, Palézieux, Switzerland
Hortensienweg 21, 70374 Stuttgart, Germany
Units 1-5 Hurstwood Court, Mercer Way, Blackburn, England, BB1 2QU, United 
Kingdom
North Zone, Floor 2, Building 12, 738 Changliu Road, Machikou Town, Changping 
District, Beijing, China
Untere Talstrasse 65, 71263 Weil der Stadt, Germany
29 International Business Park, ACER Building, #04-01 Acer Building, Singapore, 
609923, Singapore
c/o 21-22 Greenhill Road, Wayville SA 50344, Australia

IMI Critical Engineering (AUS) Pty Ltd
IMI Critical Engineering (Shanghai) Company Limited Building 3, No. 1-5, Lane 800, Yewang Road, Yexie Town, Songjiang District, 

IMI Critical Engineering Korea
IMI Critical Engr PBM LLC
IMI Critical FZE

IMI Deutschland B.V.
IMI Engineering Sdn. Bhd.

IMI France SARL
IMI Holdings LLC
IMI Hydronic Engineering AB
IMI Hydronic Engineering Business Services Spólka Z 
Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia
IMI Hydronic Engineering China

IMI Hydronic Engineering France S.A.
IMI Hydronic Engineering FZE
IMI Hydronic Engineering GesmbH
IMI Hydronic Engineering Inc
IMI Hydronic Engineering Limited

IMI Hydronic Engineering Ltda
IMI Hydronic Engineering OY
IMI Hydronic Engineering Pte Ltd
IMI Hydronic Engineering S.A.

IMI Hydronic Engineering (Spain) SAU
IMI Hydronic Engineering S.R.L.
IMI Hydronic Engineering Switzerland AG
IMI Hydronic Engineering UAB
IMI International Co Srl
IMI International d.o.o.

266

Shanghai 201609, China
14 Dangdong 2-ro, Munsan-eup, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 10816, Republic of Korea
1070 Sandy Hill Road, Irwin, PA 15642, United States
Office No. FZJOA1308, FZJ0A1310, FZJ0A1307A, Jebel Ali Free Zone, PO BOX 
17827, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Versterkerstraat 6, 1322 AP Almere, the Netherlands
K-7-5 & K-7-6, Solaris Kirara, Soho, Jalan Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, 
Malaysia
52 Boulevard de Sébastopol, 75003 Paris, France
101 Broadway Street West, Suite 204, Osseo, MN 55369, United States
Annelund, SE-524 80, Ljung, Sweden
Olewin 50 A, PL-32300, Olkusz, Poland

Room 610, Block C the MIXC No.1799 Wuzhong Road, Minghang District, 
Shanghai 201103, China
13, rue de la Perdrix – Les Flamants 8, 93290 Tremblay-en-France, France
JAFZA One – Tower A, Office 1310, P.O. Box 262611, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Industriestrasse 9, Objekt 5, 2353, Guntramsdorf, Austria
8908 Governors Row, Dallas, TX 75247, United States
Hat House Third Floor, 32 Guildford Street, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 2NR, 
United Kingdom
Av Fagundes Filho, 134 cj 43, S. Judas, Sao Paulo, 04304-010, Brazil
Robert Huberin tie 7, Vantaa FI-01510, Finland
223 Mountbatten Road #03-01, Singapore 398008, Singapore
lndustriestrasse 9, rue des Trois Cantons, L- 8399 Windhof, Grand Duchy 
of Luxembourg
Calle Orduña 3 Planta Baja, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Via dei Martinitt n. 3, 20146 Milan, Italy
Mühlerainstrasse 26, 4414 Füllinsdorf, Switzerland
A.Juozapaviciaus 27-5, Kaunas, LT – 45258, Lithuania
Str. Aristide Pascal nr.36, Sector 3, Bucuresti, 031445, Romania
Alpska cesta 37b, Lesce, 4248, Slovenia

IMI International d.o.o.
IMI International d.o.o. Beograd
IMI International Kft.
IMI International s.r.o.
IMI International Sp. z.o.o.
IMI Japan K.K.
IMI Norgren Herion PVT Limited

IMI Norgren Limited
IMI Norgren SA (Sociedad Unipersonal)
IMI Saudi Industry LLC

IMI Ventures Singapore Pte Ltd
Industrie Mecanique Pour Les Fluides SA
Kynoch Sweden Holding AB
Newman Hattersley Limited
Norgren AG
Norgren Automation Solutions LLC
Norgren BV
Norgren Co Limited

Norgren Finland OY
Norgren Ges.m.b.H
Norgren GT Development LLC
Norgren Kloehn LLC
Norgren Limited

Norgren Limited
IMI Webber Limited,
Norgren Limited
Norgren Ltda
Norgren Manufacturing (Suzhou) Co., Ltd

Norgren Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V.

Norgren S.A. de C.V.
Norgren NV
Norgren Pte. Limited
Norgren SAS
Norgren Srl
Norgren Sweden AB
Norgren Taiwan Co Limited
Pneumadyne LLC
Remosa S.R.L.
SAIC CCI Valve Co Ltd (44%)*

Shanghai CCI Power Control Equipment Co Ltd
STI S.R.L.

Slavonska Avenija 17, Zagreb, 10040, Croatia
Milutina Milankovica 1b, Novi Beograd, 11070, Serbia
Kunigunda Útja 60, Budapest, HU-1037, Hungary
Evropska 852, 664 42, Modrice, Czech Republic
Olewin 50 A, PL-32300, Olkusz, Poland
7-3-6 Minatojima Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
c/o Rajesh Malhotra & Associates 505, Mercantile House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, 
New Delhi – 110001
1 Stokes Place, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 DE03
Calle Colom, 391, 2 Edif. Tecno, 08223, Terrassa, Spain
3826 unit No. 7, Street 122, Second Industrial City, Post 34325-7535, Dammam, 
Saudi Arabia
29 International Business Park #04-01 Acer Building Singapore 609923
15 Avenue des Cures, 95580, Andilly, France
c/o IMI Hydronic Engineering AB, 52 480 Ljung, Sweden
5063 North Service Road, Suite 100, Burlington, ON, L7L 5H6 Canada
Fabrikstrasse 10, 8370 Sirnach, Switzerland
2871 Bond Street, Rochester Hills, MI 48309, United States
Versterkerstraat 6, 1322 AP Almere, Netherlands
36/8 Room M1 Krungthep Kreetha Rd., Khlong Song Ton Nun Sub-District, 
Lat Krabang District, Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Robert Huberin Tie 7, FI-01510 Vantaa, Finland
Industriezentrum NÖ Süd, Straße 2a, Objekt M39/1, A-2355, Wiener Neudorf, Austria
425 “C” Street NW, Suite 100, Auburn, WA 98001, United States
Palmer Industrial Park, 9 Second Street, Palmer, MA 01069 United States
Room M, Block 1, 19/F., Kingswin Industrial Building, 32-50 Lei Muk Road, Kwai 
Chung, Hong Kong
15A Vestey Drive, Auckland, 1060, New Zealand
Blenheim Way, Fradley Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 8SY, United Kingdom

Av. Eng. Alberto de Zagottis, 696-B, Sao Paulo SP, 04675-085, Brazil
No. 975, Xinzi Road, Wujiang Economic & Technological Development Zone, 
Jiangsu Province, China
Avenida de la Montaña # 120, Parque Industrial Querétaro, Santiago De 
Querétaro, Querétaro, CP 76220, México
45061 Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico
Norgren NV, Alfons Gossetlaan 54 bus 5, B1702 Dilbeek, Belgium
JTC Space @ Tuas, 16B Tuas Ave 1, #03-40, Singapore 639534
1, rue de Lamirault 77090 Collégien, France
Building F2, Via Roma 108, Cassina de Pecchi, 20051, Milan, Italy
Kamaxelgatan 11, S-212 41 Malmö, Sweden
3F, No. 540 Sec. 1, Minsheng N. Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 333, Taiwan
14425 23rd Ave North, Plymouth, MN 55447, United States
VI Strada Ovest – Macchiareddu, Uta (CA), 09068, Italy
Block B, 123 Chongming Xiushan Road, Chengqiao Town, Chongming County, 
Shanghai, 202150 China
229C, 2F, No 11, Lane 465, Tengyue Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200090, China
Via dei Caravaggi 15, 24040, Levate (BG), Italy

267

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsSubsidiary undertakings continued

Five-year summary*

TA Regulator d.o.o.
TH Jansen Armaturen GmbH

Thompson Valves Limited
Truflo Marine Limited
Vaccon Company, Inc.

* 

Treated as external investments.

Orliska Ulica 13, Brezice, SI-8250, Slovenia
Blücherstrasse 47, 66386 Sankt Ingbert, Germany

17 Balena Close, Creekmoor, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7EF, United Kingdom
2, Priory Road, Aston, Birmingham B6 7LG, United Kingdom
2871 Bond Street, Rochester Hills, MI 48309, United States

Subsidiary audit exemptions
IMI plc has issued guarantees over the liabilities over the following companies at 31 December 2023 under Section 479C of Companies 
Act 2006 and these entities are exempt from the requirements of the Act relating to the audit of individual accounts by virtue of Section 
479A of the Act:

Company name
Applied Kilovolts Limited
CCI International Limited
Heatmiser UK Limited
Holford Estates Limited
IMI Components Limited
IMI Deutschland Limited
IMI Euro Finance Limited
IMI Fluid Controls (Finance) Limited
IMI Germany Limited
IMI Hydronic Engineering Limited
IMI Kynoch Limited
IMI Marston Limited
IMI Overseas Investments Limited

Company number
02101051
00259162
03747773
01181406
01640862
07843551
07929408
08528502
07843576
02945254
00713735
00155987
00209251

Company name
IMI Precision Engineering Limited
IMI Refiners Limited
IMI Scotland Limited
IMI Sweden Finance Limited
IMI Vision Limited
IMI Webber Limited
Norgren Limited
Thompson Valves Limited
Truflo Group Limited
Truflo International Limited
Truflo Investments Limited
Truflo Marine Limited

Company number
01687068
00148305
SC378424
07272731
04421176
01416237
00564656
02791464
04430846
00164822
04430927
00993167

Geographic distribution of employees*
The following table shows the geographic distribution of employees as at 31 December 2023 and is not required to be audited.

United Kingdom
Continental Europe
Americas
Asia Pacific
Rest of World
Total

* 

Includes agency and contractors.

1,129
5,273
2,767
1,555
48
10,772

Revenue £m

Adjusted profit before tax £m

Group revenue by geography 2023

1,873

1,825

1,866

2,196

2,049

346.1

307.0

273.9

250.7

387.4

D

A

C

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

A  Europe 
B  Americas 

44%
30%

B

C  Asia Pacific   21%
D   Middle East 
and Africa 

5%

Income statement

Revenue
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted profit before tax
Special pension events
Restructuring costs and associated impairment losses
Acquired intangible amortisation
Other acquisition items
Loss/(gain) on disposal of subsidiaries
Exit from Russia
Financial instruments excluding economic hedge contract (losses)/gains
Profit before tax
Adjusted EBITDA

Group sales by destination

UK
Germany
Rest of Europe
Total Europe
Total Americas
Total Asia Pacific
Middle East and Africa
Revenue

* 

The five-year summary is not required to be audited.

2019
£m
1,873
266.1
250.7
8.6
(53.3)
(19.5)
(1.6)
–
–
4.4
189.3
357

2019
£m
90
234
494
818
538
404
113
1,873

2020
£m
1,825
284.7
273.9
–
(37.7)
(18.7)
–
–
–
(3.2)
214.3
380

2020
£m
88
222
486
796
545
390
94
1,825

2021
£m
1,866
318.1
307.0
–
(39.7)
(15.0)
(3.1)
(3.8)
–
(0.8)
244.6
404

2021
£m
83
238
520
841
526
409
90
1,866

2022
£m
2,049
363.8
346.1
–
(25.9)
(29.5)
(4.2)
–
(9.0)
7.9
285.4
457

2022
£m
93
265
520
878
627
450
94
2,049

2023
£m
2,196
410.6
387.4
–
(48.1)
(32.0)
(1.6)
–
(2.0)
(1.3)
302.4
503

2023
£m
117
280
557
954
665
470
107
2,196

268

269

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsFive-year summary* continued

Shareholder and general information

Earnings and dividends

Adjusted basic earnings per share
Statutory basic earnings per share
Ordinary dividend per share

Balance sheet

Segmental net assets (including lease liabilities)
Other net non-operating liabilities excluding borrowings (gross)
Net debt (excluding lease liabilities)
Net assets

Statistics

Adjusted operating profit as a percentage of revenue
Adjusted operating profit as a percentage of segmental net assets
Effective tax rate on adjusted profit before tax
Net debt as a percentage of shareholders’ funds
Net debt: adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA: interest

2019
73.2p
56.6p
41.1p

2019
£m
1,168
(111)
(347)
710

2019
14.2%
22.8%
21.0%
48.9%
1.2
24

2020
79.7p
62.7p
22.5p

2020
£m
1,124
(96)
(228)
800

2020
15.6%
25.3%
21.0%
39.5%
0.8
35

2021
92.0p
73.5p
23.7p

2022
105.5p
87.6p
25.7p

2023
116.8p
91.5p
28.3p

2021
£m
1,340
(32)
(529)
779

2022
(Restated) 
£m
1,756
(144)
(706)
906

2022
(Restated)
£m
17.8%
20.7%
21.3%
89.6%
1.8
24

2021
17.0%
23.7%
20.0%
79.9%
1.5
33

2023
£m
1,715
(147)
(538)
1,030

2023
£m
18.7%
23.9%
21.8%
62.0%
1.3
22

Announcement of trading results
The trading results for the Group for the first half of 2024 will be announced on 26 July 2024. The trading results for the full year 
ending 31 December 2024 will be announced in February 2025.

Interim Management statements will be issued in May and November 2024.

Expected dividend payments
Final: 17 May 2024 
Interim: September 2024

Share prices and capital gains tax
The closing price of the Company’s ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange on 31 December 2023 was 1,684.0p 
(2022: 1,228.0p). The market value of the Company’s ordinary shares on 31 March 1982, as calculated for capital gains tax purposes, 
was 53.5p per share.

The Company’s SEAQ number is 51443.

Enquiries about shareholdings
For enquiries concerning shareholders’ personal holdings, please contact the Company’s Registrar: Equiniti (contact details appear below).

Please remember to tell Equiniti if you move house, change bank details or if there is any other change to your account information.

Managing your shares online
Shareholders can manage their holdings online by registering with Shareview, the internet-based platform provided by Equiniti. 
Registration is a straightforward process and allows shareholders to:

 – help us to reduce print, paper and postage costs and the associated environmental impact of these;
 – cast your AGM vote electronically;
 – receive an email alert when important shareholder documents are available online such as Annual Reports and Notices of 

General Meetings;

 – access details of your individual shareholding quickly and securely;
 – set up a dividend mandate online; and
 – change your registered postal address or your dividend mandate details.

To find out more information about the services offered by Shareview and to register, please visit:

www.shareview.co.uk.

Corporate website
The IMI plc website provides a wealth of useful information for shareholders and should be your first port of call for general queries 
relating to the Company and your shares. As well as providing share price data and financial history, the site also provides background 
information about the Company.

Shareholders are also encouraged to sign up to receive news alerts by email in the Investors section of the website. These include all of 
the financial news releases from throughout the year that are not sent to shareholders by post. You can access the corporate website at: 
www.imiplc.com.

Annual General Meeting 2024
This year’s AGM will be held on 9 May 2024. For further information, please refer to the Notice of Meeting, which is on the corporate website.

Individual Savings Account (ISA)
IMI‘s ordinary shares can be held in an ISA. For information about the ISA operated by our Registrar, Equiniti, please call the Equiniti ISA 
helpline on 0345 300 0430. Lines are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays in England and Wales).

270

271

IMI plc Annual Report 2023Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsShareholder and general information continued

Share dealing service
Managed by Equiniti, the Company’s registrar, the IMI plc share dealing service provides shareholders with a simple way of buying and 
selling IMI ordinary shares. Telephone: 0345 603 7037. Full written details can be obtained from Equiniti (contact details appear below).

Share fraud
Share fraud includes scams where investors are called out of the blue and offered shares that often turn out to be worthless or 
non-existent, or an inflated price for shares they own. These calls come from fraudsters operating in ‘boiler rooms’ that are mostly 
based abroad. Further information on how to spot share fraud or report a scam can be found on our corporate website.

American Depository Receipts
IMI plc terminated its sponsored American Depository Receipt programme on 18 January 2023. If you have questions about the 
termination, please contact Citibank, N.A. at 1-877-248-4237.

Headquarters and registered office
Lakeside
Solihull Parkway
Birmingham Business Park
Birmingham
B37 7XZ

Telephone: +44 121 717 3700

IMI plc is registered in England No.714275

Registrars
Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA

Website: www.shareview.co.uk

Telephone: 0371 384 2040

Lines are open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays in England and Wales).

Email:
customer@equiniti.com
bereavementsupport@equiniti.com

Stockbrokers
J.P. Morgan Cazenove
Bank of America

Auditor
Deloitte

Cautionary statement
This Annual Report may contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove accurate. For example, statements regarding 
expected revenue growth and operating margins, market trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements. It is believed 
that the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable but they may be affected by a number of risks and uncertainties that are 
inherent in any forward-looking statement which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Any 
forward-looking statement is made in good faith and based on information available to IMI plc as of the date of the preparation of this 
Annual Report. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to IMI plc are qualified by this caution. IMI plc does not undertake 
any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in IMI plc’s expectations.

272

Design and production
www.luminous.co.uk

IMI plc Annual Report 2023IMI plc
Lakeside
Solihull Parkway
Birmingham Business Park
Birmingham B37 7XZ
United Kingdom

www.imiplc.com