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James Hardie Industries

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FY2016 Annual Report · James Hardie Industries
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®

20 16 A N N UA L  R E V I E W

FOCUSED ON

VALUE
CREATION

RESULTS AT 
A GLANCE

ADJUSTED NET 
OPERATING 
PROFIT(1) (US$Million)

NET SALES 
(US$Million) 

ADJUSTED EBIT(2) 
(US$Million) 

ADJUSTED DILUTED 
EARNINGS PER SHARE (1) 
(US cents)

$243M

$1,728M

$351M

54cents

3
4
2

1
2
2

7
9
1

4
4
1

1
4
1

12

7
1
1

8
2
7
,
1

7
5
6
,
1

4
9
4
,
1

1
2
3
,
1

8
3
2
,
1

7
6
1
,
1

1
5
3

4
0
3

3
5
2

4
8
1

5
9
1

1
8
1

4
5

0
5

4
4

3
3

2
3

7
2

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

TOTAL 
SHAREHOLDER 
RETURN (%)

22%

8
4

5
3

4
2

2
2

5
1

)

7
1

(

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

US EBIT  
MARGIN(2)  
(%)

25%

2
2

1
2

0
92
1

7
1

5
2

DIVIDENDS PAID 
PER SHARE  
(US cents)

ADJUSTED RETURN 
ON CAPITAL 
EMPLOYED (%) (2)

58cents

31%

8
8

8
5

5
4

3
4

1
3

9
2

4
2

0
2

9
1

7
1

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

4

2
1

0

1
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

Please refer to the inside back cover for full footnote references.

 
 
OUR 
STRATEGIC 
FOCUS

Our strategy is to aggressively grow market demand 
for fibre cement and our overall market share, and to 
be sustainable and profitable throughout the business 
cycle by diversifying our sales across end markets and 
geographies, promoting value-added product offerings 
and leveraging a proven track record of operational 
excellence, innovation and technical product development. 
Our strategy is driven by six clear focus areas.

ENHANCE ORGANISATIONAL  
CAPABILITY

Continue to invest in the 
development and  
promotion of our people

GROW MARKET SHARE

Grow fibre cement share 
of market in all  
geographies  
we operate in

DRIVING 
PROFITABLE 
GROWTH 
DELIVERING 
SUPERIOR 
RETURNS

DRIVE MANUFACTURING 
CAPACITY

A commitment to  
investing in capability  
and capacity

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

Maintain industry leadership 
through an unrivalled  
commitment to research  
and development

STRONG FINANCIAL 
MANAGEMENT

Disciplined capital allocation 
and conservative leverage 
of balance sheet

EMBEDDED SAFETY 
AND SUSTAINABILITY

Promote sustainability and  
safety in our processes  
and innovation

1

OPERATIONS 
OVERVIEW

We delivered on our 2016 objectives and created 
greater value for our investors, customers, employees 
and the communities in which we operate. In meeting 
our objectives, James Hardie is in a strong position to 
maintain our strategic industry leadership, create profitable 
growth and deliver superior returns in the long-term.

NORTH AMERICA & EUROPE

NET SALES

US$1,386M

u 9% from 2015

GROSS PROFIT

u 15% from 2015

GROSS MARGIN

u 2.2PP from 2015

SALES VOLUME

2,001mmsf

u 8% from 2015

EBIT(2)

US$341M

u 19% from 2015

AVERAGE NET SALES PRICE

US$676 per msf

STABLE from 2015

EMPLOYEES

2,391

u 5% from 2015

2

KEY

  North America & Europe
  Asia Pacific
  Research & Development
  Manufacturing Facilities

NET SALES  
(US$Million)

EBIT (2) 
(US$Million)

EMPLOYEES 
(#)

CAPEX SPEND 
(US$Million)

$1,728

$422

$73.2M

3,285

6
8
0
2

,

9
6
2
2

,

1
9
3
,
2

8
6
8

,

1

8
3
7
1

,

8
1
7
1

,

$1,386M
$342M

$341M
$81M

2
2
8

6
6
8

0
7
8

7
9
8

9
0
9

4
9
8

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

1
1

2
1

3
1

4
1

5
1

6
1

ASIA PACIFIC

NET SALES

US$342M

t 10% from 2015

GROSS PROFIT

t 11% from 2015

GROSS MARGIN

t 0.5PP from 2015

SALES VOLUME (3)

440mmsf

u 6% from 2015

EBIT(2)

US$81M

t 9% from 2015

AVERAGE NET SALES PRICE

US$1,020per msf

u 8% from 2015

EMPLOYEES

894

t 2% from 2015

3

CHAIRMAN’S 
REPORT

ADJUSTED NET OPERATING PROFIT(1) 
(US$Million)

$243M

u 10% from 2015

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURN (%)

22%

u 7.0pp from 2015

DIVIDEND PAID PER SHARE (US CENTS)

58cents

t 34% from 2015

NET SALES (US$Million)

US$1,728M

u 4% from 2015

OVERVIEW

James Hardie again delivered solid results in fiscal year 2016. We anticipate another 
year of sustained growth in fiscal year 2017 anchored by strong operational and 
financial results, positioning the Company to continue to deliver superior returns 
for shareholders.

Fiscal year 2016 proved to be a robust year for the North American business with 
volumes, net sales and margins all improving when compared to the previous year. 
In the first half of the year, management was challenged as our market share growth 
was below our internally targeted levels, however, following a management reset and 
the implementation of new programs there were signs of improvement in the second 
half. Lifting market demand for our products will remain a key area of focus over the 
next several quarters as we look to lift our market share growth back to our targeted 
levels.

In Australia, net sales growth out-paced the average growth of the domestic repair 
and remodel and single detached housing markets in the eastern states of Australia. 
Similarly, the New Zealand business delivered improved results supported by growth 
in residential markets in the North Island. The Philippines business also experienced 
growth and has lifted its contribution to Asia Pacific’s solid results during the year.

MANAGEMENT TEAM REALIGNMENT

We realigned our management team during fiscal year 2016 as part of the Company’s 
continuing efforts to execute strategic initiatives designed to drive market demand 
for fibre cement building products. Effective 16 October 2015, Ryan Sullivan, 
was promoted to the position of Executive Vice President and President – James 
Hardie Building Products and Matthew Marsh, expanded his Chief Financial Officer 
responsibilities to also include Executive Vice President – Corporate. Mark Fisher 
remains responsible for international fibre cement operations as Executive Vice 
President – International. 

In his role, Mr Sullivan is responsible for the daily management of James 
Hardie Building Products’ fibre cement operations in North America, including 
manufacturing, supply chain and engineering operations, R&D and product 
development, and sales and marketing.

In his role, Mr Marsh continues his oversight of the Company’s overall financial 
management in addition to the oversight of James Hardie’s global human 
resources, information systems, legal and compliance, and investor and media 
relations functions.

With the transition of daily operational management for the North American fibre 
cement business to Mr Sullivan and oversight of corporate responsibilities to 
Mr Marsh, our CEO, Louis Gries, is now focusing on driving market demand growth 
for the Company’s fibre cement products and the continued creation of long-term 
shareholder value.

4

CAPITAL ALLOCATION AND 
SHAREHOLDER RETURNS

Our strong operating performance 
and confidence in the operating 
environments enabled the Board 
to declare a first half dividend 
of US9.0 cents and a second half 
ordinary dividend of US29.0 cents. 

The resulting full year ordinary dividend 
paid increased to US$246.5m, reflecting 
a payment of US58.0 cents per security, 
compared to US$390.1 million in the 
prior corresponding year, reflecting 
a payment of US88.0 cents per security. 

The ordinary dividend reflects our 
commitment to provide shareholder 
returns within the ordinary dividend 
payout ratio of 50 to 70% of 
net operating profit, excluding 
asbestos adjustments. 

Additionally, during the second quarter 
of fiscal year 2016 we repurchased 
and cancelled 1,653,247 shares of our 
common stock. The aggregate cost 

of the shares repurchased and cancelled 
was A$30.0million (US$22.3million), 
at an average market price of A$18.14 
(US$13.50).

BOARD CHANGES

As indicated in the 2013 Annual General 
Meeting (AGM) notice of meeting, 
Donald McGauchie AO, who will retire 
at the 2016 AGM will not be standing 
for re-election. The Board would like to 
acknowledge and thank Mr McGauchie 
for his considerable contribution since 
joining James Hardie as an independent 
non-executive director in August 2003 
and, in particular, in his capacity as 
Deputy Chairman since April 2007. 

ASBESTOS INJURIES 
COMPENSATION FUND (AICF) 

Due to our strong financial performance 
during fiscal year 2016, we will contribute 
US$91.1 million to the AICF in July 2016. 
This amount represents 35% of our free 
cash flow for fiscal year 2016 which 

we are obliged to contribute as part 
of our commitment under the Amended 
and Restated Final Funding Agreement. 

Including this contribution, we have 
provided over A$1.1 billion towards 
asbestos disease related compensation, 
and medical research and education 
since 2001. 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

This year’s AGM will be held on Thursday, 
11 August 2016, in Dublin, Ireland.

Shareholders can participate via 
a teleconference. Details regarding the 
matters to be acted upon at the 2016 
AGM will be contained in the notice 
of meeting and related materials.

Michael Hammes 
Chairman

5

CEO’S 
REPORT

Our results for fiscal year 2016 reflect a strong group financial 
performance. Highlights include adjusted net operating profit 
increasing by 10%, a 45% increase in net cash provided by 
operating activities, and $268.8 million of capital returned to 
shareholders through a combination of dividends and our share 
buyback program.

For the full year, Group revenue increased 4% to US$1,728.0 million from 
US$1,656.9 million including the adverse impact of a strong US dollar. Both the 
North America and Europe segment and the Asia Pacific segment contributed 
to the stronger revenue outcome. 

CAPACITY EXPANSION

On 20 November 2015 we announced the official opening of our expanded fibre 
cement manufacturing facility in Carole Park, Queensland. The opening follows 
a phased capital investment of approximately A$89 million to increase manufacturing 
capacity by a further 40% to align with market demand and support the continued 
market growth of our Australian business.

We are nearing completion of our previously announced US capacity expansion 
projects. We continually evaluate the demand in the US housing market and, 
currently, we have deferred the sheet machine commissioning at our Plant City, 
Florida and Cleburne, Texas locations. 

6

NORTH AMERICA 
AND EUROPE  
FIBRE CEMENT

ASIA  
PACIFIC  
FIBRE CEMENT

Our North America and Europe 
segment continued to provide 
strong financial results. Revenue, 
sales volume and Earnings Before 
Interest and Tax (EBIT) margin 
all grew compared to fiscal 
year 2015. This performance 
was primarily driven by higher 
sales volumes and lower 
production costs as a result of 
our manufacturing plant network’s 
improved performance, as well as 
lower freight and input costs.

For fiscal year 2016, revenue 
for our North America and 
Europe segment increased 
9% to US$1,386.3 million from 
US$1,276.5 million, reflecting 
higher sales volumes. The 
increase in sales volume 
compared to the prior year was 
primarily driven by modest market 
penetration and growth in the 
repair and remodel and new 
construction markets. 

EBIT increased 19% to US$340.6 
million from US$285.9 million 
in the prior year, which reflected 
lower freight, improved plant 
performance, lower unit costs 
and increased volumes, partially 
offset by higher segment selling 
and general and administrative 
(SG&A) costs. 

Our 24.6% EBIT margin for the 
segment was 2.2 percentage 
points higher than the prior year.

For fiscal year 2016, our Asia 
Pacific segment contributed 
higher operating earnings 
compared to the prior year. 
In Australian dollars, the Asia 
Pacific revenue increased 7% 
to A$464.2 million, compared 
with A$434.5 million in the prior 
year, primarily due to a higher 
average net sales price. In US 
dollars, revenue decreased 
10% to US$341.9 million, due 
to the unfavourable impact of 
the weighted average Australian 
dollar/US dollar foreign exchange 
rate movements, and the sale in 
the first quarter of fiscal year 2016 
of our Australian Pipes business. 

In our Australian business, the 
key drivers of revenue growth 
were favourable conditions in our 
target markets, the impact of our 
price increase and a favourable 
product mix. In New Zealand, 
volume grew across most 
regions; however, revenue growth 
was partially offset by a lower 
average selling price due to an 
unfavourable product mix. In our 
Philippines business, revenue 
was higher, compared to the 
prior year, driven by growth in our 
target markets, continued market 
penetration and the favourable 
impact of our price increase.

EBIT 1, in US dollars, decreased 
9% from US$89.8 million to 
US$81.4 million in the Asia Pacific 
segment. In Australian dollars, 
EBIT 1 increased 8% compared 
to the prior year, primarily driven 
by improved gross profit, partially 
offset higher by SG&A expenses 
in relation to marketing and 
compensation costs.

Our 23.8% EBIT 1 margin for the 
segment was 0.2 percentage 
points higher than the prior year.

OUTLOOK

For fiscal year 2017 we expect 
to see moderate growth in the 
US housing market. Our North 
America and Europe segment 
EBIT is expected to grow and 
we further expect our EBIT 
margins to remain at the high 
end of our target range of 20% 
to 25%. These expectations 
are based upon the continued 
achievement of strong operating 
performances in our plants, 
consistent with recent quarters, 
and stable exchange rates and 
input costs during the fiscal year.

Net sales from the Australian 
business are expected to trend 
ahead of the average growth 
of the domestic repair and 
remodel and single detached 
housing markets in the eastern 
states of Australia. Similarly, 
the New Zealand business is 
expected to deliver improved 
results supported by growth in 
residential markets in the North 
Island. The Philippines business 
has experienced strong growth 
over the past year, which is 
expected to continue into fiscal 
year 2017.

After realigning our management 
team in October 2016, our key 
focus for fiscal year 2017 will be 
driving market demand growth 
for the Company’s fibre cement 
products towards our targeted 
levels and the continued creation 
of long-term shareholder value.

Louis Gries 
CEO

(1)  Excludes New Zealand weathertightness claims.

7

 
 
 
 
ENVIRONMENTAL, 
SOCIAL AND 
GOVERNANCE 
REVIEW

SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW

As a leader in the building 
materials industry, James 
Hardie’s approach to 
sustainability extends far 
beyond the manufacturing 
process. We recognise our 
obligation to design and 
promote energy efficient 
products, building solutions 
and sustainable communities.

8

RAW MATERIALS
One key aspect driving our focus on 
sustainability is the recycling of input 
materials. Water usage forms a critical part 
of the fibre cement manufacturing process 
and is reused at least four times before 
it is treated and released. We continue 
to research new water optimisation 
technologies as part of a continuous 
effort to reduce both the amount of fresh 
water used and discharged and we are 
currently piloting technology that cleans 
waste water for re-use in our fibre cement 
process. We also re-introduce sludge 
and dust back into our manufacturing 
process and are continuing with initiatives 
to reduce waste to landfill by partnering 
with other industries to beneficially use 
our reject materials.

In Australia we have successfully 
reduced the sizes of our timber spacers 
/gluts used in packaging our products. 
This has reduced our need for timber 
by approximately 700m3 per annum and 
our carbon footprint. Additionally, we 
construct pallets from reject product 
which also reduces our need for timber. 

The majority of our raw material inputs 
(such as cement, sand and water) are 
locally or regionally sourced (within 
200 kilometres), which enables the 
Company to minimise fuel costs, thereby 
maximising transport efficiency and 
reducing our impact on the environment.

MANUFACTURING 
Efficient manufacturing is critical to the 
Company’s success and we take pride 
in our continued development of new 
initiatives and sustainable practices to 
improve our manufacturing efficiency 
and to reduce our carbon footprint.

In the United States, our Peru 
(Illinois), Reno (Nevada), and Pulaski 
(Virginia) manufacturing facilities are 
ISO 14001 certified. ISO 14001 is 
a voluntary certification issued by 
a third-party certified auditor attesting 
that the Company has established 
the environmental management best 
practices as documented in the ISO 14001 
requirements framework. These best 
practices include a standardised approach 
to environmental training, internal auditing, 
record keeping and documentation, 
as well as continuous improvement 
processes from a resource conservation 
and energy reduction perspective. 

Two years ago we commenced the 
Manufacturing Advantage Program 
at our Rosehill (Sydney) plant. Due to 
the program’s success in maximising 
employee efficiency (in addition to reducing 
the volume of waste produced) the 
Company is now progressively rolling out 
the Program at our other manufacturing 
facilities in the Asia Pacific region. 

A benefit arising from the recent capacity 
expansion at Carole Park (Brisbane) 
is that the plant can now manufacture 
a wider range of products, including the 
Scyon™ advanced cement composite 
building product range. Queensland 
represents more than 30% of our 
Australian sales. By significantly reducing 
the distance required to transport our 
product to Queensland distributors, 
shipping distances and consequently 
fuel consumption are minimised, 
reducing the impact on the environment 
and providing us with a strong advantage 
over our competitors, particularly those 
from overseas.

Having a local manufacturing presence 
in the same countries in which we 
distribute our products allows us to 

SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW

shorten our supply chain and maximise 
efficiency. We are able to tailor our 
manufacturing to produce products 
demanded by the local market and 
deliver them in an efficient manner.

PRODUCTS
James Hardie promotes energy efficient 
and sustainable design. Our products 
have been manufactured with an 
emphasis on reducing their environmental 
impact, use sustainable, plantation-grown 
timber and low toxicity products and have 
low volatile organic compounds.

In the United States, the use of James 
Hardie products contribute points 
towards the United States Green Building 
Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy 
& Environmental Design (LEED) project 
certification, the National Association 
of Home Builders (NAHB) National 
Green Building Standard (NGBS) 
project certification, and many other 
green building rating systems. Factors 
contributing to the points awarded to 
projects using James Hardie products 
include regionally-sourced raw materials, 
multiple manufacturing facilities spread 
across the country, recycled content, 
and low-toxicity raw materials. 

HardieBacker® board manufactured 
in the United States is certified by 
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 
Environment to comply with both 
GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold 
certifications. GREENGUARD Certification 
is achieved when a product or material 
meets stringent emissions standards. 
GREENGUARD Gold Certification is 
achieved when a product or material 
meets even more stringent emissions 
standards than for GREENGUARD 
Certification and is specifically designed 
to ensure safe environments in schools 

and healthcare facilities. GREENGUARD 
and GREENGUARD Gold certified 
products can contribute to a project’s 
total points in numerous established 
green building rating systems (such as 
LEED, NGBS, and Green Globes) and 
can satisfy code and ordinance criteria.

For the second consecutive year, 
in April 2016, James Hardie was 
awarded the Greenest Siding Products 
Readers’ Choice Award from Green 
Builder Magazine.

James Hardie was the first Australian 
fibre cement manufacturer to have 
internal lining products certified by Good 
Environmental Choice Australia (GECA). 
GECA is Australia’s only independent, 
not-for-profit, multi sector ecolabelling 
program which certifies products 
and services for use in commercial 
applications. Standards are developed 
following ISO 14024 principles for global 
best practice in ecolabelling.

GECA’s scheme, which provides 
consumers with confidence that the 
products they choose have a lower impact 
on the environment and human health, is 
recognised by the Green Building Council 
of Australia and is preferred by many 
developers, architects and builders. 

BUILDING SOLUTIONS AND 
CONSTRUCTION
While reducing the environmental impact 
of product manufacturing is critical, the 
fact is that sustainable building solutions 
and construction involves far more than 
that. James Hardie heavily invests in 
the on-going development and design 
of composite cement products and 
building solutions that are recognised 
as being durable, low maintenance and 
energy efficient.

Our composite cement products are 
typically used in lightweight construction 
systems which are low in embodied 
energy (a timber-framed brick veneer 
wall has about two and a half times the 
embodied energy of a similar-sized, 
timber-framed fibre cement clad wall) 
and require lighter building frames (a 
timber-framed and elevated floor has 
less than half the embodied energy of 
a concrete slab), thereby reducing the 
impact on the topology and vegetation 
of a site. Our products are also lighter than 
many other building products, so they can 
be transported using less energy and can 
enable increased construction speeds.

COMMUNITIES
We continue to invest heavily in our 
plants, people and processes. Over 
the past 5 years we have invested 
over US$560 million across our global 
manufacturing network. We have 
expanded our manufacturing presence 
and employ many local people in the 
areas in which we operate as well 
as being strong supporters of local 
businesses and suppliers. 

James Hardie matches employee 
donations to charitable institutions 
and causes, as well as supporting 
and participating in community welfare 
programs. We have partnered with 
municipalities, educators and NGOs 
to improve the communities in which 
we operate by participating in various 
community improvement initiatives 
including contributing building materials 
to rebuild storm damaged homes in 
communities of need, donating school 
supplies, promoting safety initiatives 
at home and sponsoring various 
community food drives.

9

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND 
GOVERNANCE REVIEW CONTINUED

WORKPLACE SAFETY REVIEW

INCIDENT RATE

NORTH AMERICA & EUROPE

1.85

ASIA PACIFIC

1.58

SEVERITY RATE

USA & EUROPE

56

ASIA PACIFIC

14

James Hardie is committed to sustaining 
a safe working environment and has set 
safety objectives that focus on:

Looking forward to fiscal year 2017, 
we will:

 ƒ Align behavioural safety efforts across 

 ƒ Achieving within our plants an incident 
rate of less than 2 and a severity rate 
of less than 20 1

 ƒ Eliminating serious bodily harm

the global organisation

 ƒ Continue to focus on positive 
recognition for good safety 
performance

 ƒ Achieving zero fatalities

 ƒ Continue to focus on reducing 

Recognising its critical importance to 
the Company, James Hardie has made 
safety one of the scorecard measures 
that the Board uses to determine the 
performance of senior executives under 
the Company’s Long Term Incentive Plan. 

For fiscal year 2016, the Company’s 
global incident rate and severity rate 
was 1.8 and 42.4, respectively, for our 
manufacturing plants worldwide. The 
increase in the severity rate was directly 
attributed to two employees being on 
restricted duty for extended periods of 
time due to soft tissue injuries.

NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE 
FIBRE CEMENT SAFETY 
PERFORMANCE

In fiscal year 2016, the North American 
and Europe Fibre segment’s focus, from 
a safety perspective, was to:

 ƒ Broaden the safety culture beyond the 

manufacturing sector 

risk tolerance

 ƒ Concentrate on internalising risk 

reduction efforts through root cause 
identification and pro-active coaching

ASIA PACIFIC FIBRE CEMENT 
SAFETY PERFORMANCE 

The Asia Pacific Fibre Cement segment 
has now achieved six consecutive years 
of incident and severity rates below 
its safety goals of “2 and 20”. In fiscal 
year 2016 the focus, from a safety 
perspective, was to:

 ƒ Recognise good safety performance

 ƒ Empower our people to STOP for 

safety

 ƒ Build a risk intelligent culture

 ƒ Develop leadership capabilities

 ƒ

Focus on leading indicators

Looking forward to fiscal year 2017, we 
will focus on:

 ƒ Critical/high potential risk 

 ƒ Differentiate between inherent and 

management

accepted risks

 ƒ Situational leadership

 ƒ Continue to develop leadership 

 ƒ Promoting a behavioural based 

capabilities

safety focus

 ƒ

Focus on the quality and 
sustainability of existing systems

10

(1)  James Hardie’s incident and severity rates relate to factory employees and do not include 
our sales force, corporate or administrative employees. The “incident rate” is the number 
of recordable incidents that occur per 100 employee manhours and “severity rate” is the 
number of days lost or restricted duty from recordable incidents per 100 employee manhours.

DIVERSITY REVIEW

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 
DIVERSITY GOAL

>30%

WOMEN AS NON-EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTORS GOAL

>20%

The Board, with assistance 
from management, is responsible 
for approving and monitoring 
the policy and the measurable 
objectives in the context of the 
Company’s unique circumstances 
and industry. The Board assesses 
the policy and objectives annually 
and the organisation’s progress 
in achieving them.

Additional detail in regards to our 
diversity policy and practices can be 
found on our Investor Relations website 
(www.ir.jameshardie.com.au) and in the 
Corporate Governance Statement set 
forth in the Company’s Annual Report 
on Form 20-F filing. 

DIVERSITY COMPOSITION

Among non-executive directors, 
the Board has a goal to maintain:

(i)  diversity characteristics 
in excess of 30%; and

(ii)  women in excess of 20%.

DIVERSITY

James Hardie recognises the value 
of having a workforce that reflects the 
diverse communities and marketplaces 
in which we operate and serve. 
We believe that a skilled and diverse 
workforce, which encompasses a wealth 
of different viewpoints, skills, attributes, 
life experiences along with the unique 
strengths of each employee, contributes 
collectively to the performance of 
James Hardie.

DIVERSITY POLICY 

James Hardie has implemented 
a Workplace Diversity Policy that 
reflects a broader view of diversity than 
those covered by the ASX Corporate 
Governance Council’s Principles and 
Recommendations and supports 
certain of our core organisational values, 
including Operating with Respect and 
Building Organisational Advantage. 
The policy applies to all individuals 
recruited or employed by James Hardie 
and reflects the organisation’s inclusive 
view of diversity, which includes 
individual differences related to race, 
gender, age, national origin, religion, 
sexual orientation or disability.

11

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND 
GOVERNANCE REVIEW CONTINUED

ASBESTOS FUNDING REVIEW

During July 2016, James 
Hardie will contribute 
US$91.1 million to 
the Asbestos Injuries 
Compensation Fund (AICF).

During July 2016, James Hardie will contribute US$91.1 million to the 
Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (AICF). This amount represents 35% 
of James Hardie’s free cash flow for fiscal year 2016, which the Company 
is obliged to contribute as part of its commitment under the Amended and 
Restated Final Funding Agreement (AFFA). 

Including its July 2016 contribution, James Hardie has provided over 
A$1.1 billion towards asbestos compensation and medical research 
and education since 2001. 

James Hardie continues to contribute to medical research which focuses 
on the prevention, treatment and cure of asbestos related diseases. The 
Company has more recently provided additional amounts to support clinical 
trials to develop a new treatment for mesothelioma.

Additionally James Hardie is the primary supporter (and only commercial 
supporter) of Australia’s largest educational campaign regarding the dangers 
of asbestos. The educational campaign is aimed at educating home 
renovators about the risk of asbestos in the built environment. An example 
of the Asbestos Education Committee’s work can be found on their website 
(www.asbestosawareness.com.au). 

ANNUAL ACTUARIAL ASSESSMENT

KPMG Actuarial conducts an annual actuarial assessment of the liabilities 
of the AICF to enable projections to be regularly updated in line with actual 
claims experience and the claims outlook. 

James Hardie received an updated actuarial report from KPMG Actuarial 
at 31 March 2016, which showed the undiscounted and uninflated central 
estimate net of insurance recoveries decreased from A$1.566 billion at 31 
March 2015 to A$1.434 billion at 31 March 2016. 

James Hardie discloses summary information on claims numbers as part of 
its quarterly results releases. For additional information, please see the full 
2016 actuarial report of KPMG Actuarial, which is available on our Investor 
Relations website (www.ir.jameshardie.com.au). 

12

OTHER 
INFORMATION

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Second Floor, Europa House 
Harcourt Centre 
Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, Ireland 
Telephone +353 1 411 6924 
Facsimile +353 1 479 1128

KEY DATES
31 MARCH 
End of James Hardie Industries plc Fiscal Year 2016

19 MAY 
FY16 4th Quarter and Full Year results 
and management presentation

20 MAY 
Annual Review released

9 AUGUST 
Voting Instruction Forms close 10.00am Dublin time / 
7.00pm Sydney time for Annual General Meeting

11 AUGUST 
Annual General Meeting, Dublin

12 AUGUST 
FY16 Quarter 1 results announcement and 
management presentation

17 NOVEMBER 
FY16 Quarter 2 and Half Year results and 
management presentation

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The 2016 AGM of James Hardie Industries plc will be held 
in Dublin, Ireland, at 7:00am Dublin time, on Thursday, 
11 August 2016. The AGM will be broadcast via a teleconference 
at 4:00pm AEST. Further details will be set out in the Notice 
of Annual General Meeting 2016.

SHARE/CUFS REGISTRY
James Hardie Industries plc’s registry is managed by 
Computershare. All enquiries and correspondence regarding 
holdings should be directed to:

Computershare Investor Services Pty Ltd 
Level 5, 115 Grenfell Street 
Adelaide SA 5000

Or 

GPO Box 2975 
Melbourne VIC 3001

Telephone within Australia: 1300 556 161 
Telephone outside Australia: +61 (03) 9415 4000 
US Toll Free: 1855 298 3404 

Website: www.computershare.com

James Hardie Industries plc 
(ARBN 097 829 895)

Incorporated in Ireland with its registered office at Second Floor, 
Harcourt Centre, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, Ireland and registered 
number 485719. The liability of its members is limited.

™ or ® denotes a trademark or Registered mark 
owned by James Hardie Technology Ltd.

©2016. James Hardie Industries plc.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 
Certain statements in this Annual Review may constitute “forward-looking 
statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 
James Hardie uses such words as “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” 
“intend,” “target,”, “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “forecast,” “guideline,” “aim,” 
“will,” “should,” “likely,” “continue,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” and similar 
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the 
exclusive means of identifying such statements. Readers are cautioned not to 
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and all such forward-
looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the following 
cautionary statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on James Hardie’s current expectations, 
estimates and assumptions and because forward-looking statements address 
future results, events and conditions, they, by their very nature, involve inherent 
risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond the 
company’s control. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance 
or achievements of James Hardie to be materially different from those expressed 
or implied in this Annual Review, including, among others, the risks and 
uncertainties set forth in Section 3 “Risk Factors” in James Hardie’s Annual 
Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 March 2016; changes in general 
economic, political, governmental and business conditions globally and in the 
countries in which James Hardie does business; changes in interest rates, 
changes in inflation rates; changes in exchange rates; the level of construction 
generally; changes in cement demand and prices; changes in raw material and 
energy prices; changes in business strategy and various other factors. Should 
one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialise, or should underlying 
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those 
described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of 
this Annual Review and James Hardie does not assume any obligation to update 
them, except as required by law. Investors are encouraged to review James 
Hardie’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, and specifically the risk factors discussed 
therein, as it contains important disclosures regarding the risks attendant to 
investing in our securities.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This Annual Review contains financial measures that are not considered 
a measure of financial performance under US GAAP and should not be 
considered to be more meaningful than the equivalent US GAAP measure. 
Management has included such measures to provide investors with an 
alternative method for assessing its operating results in a manner that is focused 
on the performance of its ongoing operations. Additionally, management uses 
such non-GAAP financial measures for the same purposes. However, these 
non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with US GAAP, 
may not be reported by all of James Hardie’s competitors and may not be 
directly comparable to similarly titled measures of James Hardie’s competitors 
due to potential differences in the exact method of calculation. For additional 
information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this Annual 
Review, including a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to the 
equivalent US GAAP measure, see the sections titled “Definition and Other 
Terms” and “Non-US GAAP Financial Measures” included in James Hardie’s 
Management’s Analysis of Results for the fourth quarter and twelve months 
ended 31 March 2016.

FINANCIAL FOOTNOTES
(1)  Unless otherwise stated for fiscal years 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 
2012 and 2011 Adjusted Net Operating Profit graphs and editorial 
comments throughout this report refer to results from operations that 
may exclude asbestos, asset impairments, ASIC expenses, New Zealand 
weathertightness claims, non-recurring stamp duty and/or tax adjustments. 

(2)  Unless otherwise stated for fiscal years 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 
and 2011 Adjusted EBIT graphs and editorial comments throughout this 
report refer to EBIT that may exclude asbestos, asset impairments, ASIC 
expenses, non-recurring stamp duty and/or New Zealand weathertightness 
claims.

(3)  Excludes Australian Pipes business sold in the first quarter 

of fiscal year 2016.

W W W.JA M E S H A R D I E .C O M

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