Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Paper, Lumber & Forest Products / Mondi

Mondi

mndi · LSE Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker mndi
Exchange LSE
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Paper, Lumber & Forest Products
Employees 10,000+
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FY2016 Annual Report · Mondi
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Mondi Group  
Integrated report and  
financial statements 2016

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016

Welcome

We are Mondi:  
IN TOUCH EVERY DAY 

We want to delight you with our innovative 
and sustainable packaging and paper 
solutions. With over 100 products customised 
into more than 100,000 solutions, we offer 
more than you may expect.

You deserve the best from us, and that 
influences everything we do: from managing 
forests and producing pulp, paper and 
compound plastics, to developing effective 
and innovative industrial and consumer 
packaging solutions.

Collaborating with our customers and other 
strategic partners inspires us to develop 
quality products that prioritise the 
responsible use of resources.

Delivering value to our stakeholders is always 
top of mind. This integrated report provides 
an overview of how our strategy, governance, 
people and performance combine to generate 
this value in a sustainable way.

Front cover: Single-serve cat food pouches 
are displayed in an eye-catching shelf ready 
corrugated solution made from one of our  
high-performance kraftliners. 
Customers benefit from our integrated business  
and the complementary fit of our fibre and consumer 
packaging expertise, enabling us to offer a wide  
range of innovative and sustainable packaging 
solutions to them.

Forward-looking statements
This document includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts 
included herein, including, without limitation, those regarding Mondi’s financial position, business strategy, market 
growth and developments, expectations of growth and profitability and plans and objectives of management 
for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are sometimes identified 
by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘believe’, ‘expects’, ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘shall’, ‘risk’, 
‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘aims’, ‘plans’, ‘predicts’, ‘continues’, ‘assumes’, ‘positioned’ or ‘anticipates’ or the negative 
thereof, other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements involve known and 
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements 
of Mondi, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements 
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and other 
statements contained in this document regarding matters that are not historical facts involve predictions and are 
based on numerous assumptions regarding Mondi’s present and future business strategies and the environment 
in which Mondi will operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which 
they are made.

No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved; various factors could cause actual future 
results, performance or events to differ materially from those described in these statements. Such factors include 
in particular but without any limitation: (1) operating factors, such as continued success of manufacturing activities 
and the achievement of efficiencies therein, continued success of product development plans and targets, 
changes in the degree of protection created by Mondi’s patents and other intellectual property rights and the 
availability of capital on acceptable terms; (2) industry conditions, such as strength of product demand, intensity 
of competition, prevailing and future global market prices for Mondi’s products and raw materials and the pricing 
pressures thereto, financial condition of the customers, suppliers and the competitors of Mondi and potential 
introduction of competing products and technologies by competitors; and (3) general economic conditions, such 
as rates of economic growth in Mondi’s principal geographical markets or fluctuations of exchange rates and 
interest rates.

Mondi expressly disclaims a) any warranty or liability as to accuracy or completeness of the information provided 
herein; and b) any obligation or undertaking to review or confirm analysts’ expectations or estimates or to update 
any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in Mondi’s expectations or any events that occur or 
circumstances that arise after the date of making any forward-looking statements, unless required to do so by 
applicable law or any regulatory body applicable to Mondi, including the JSE Limited and the LSE.

Contents

Overview
2016 at a glance 
Joint chairmen’s statement 

Strategic report
Group strategy review 
Our key performance indicators 
Our business model 
Where we operate 
Our external context 
Our principal risks 
Sustainability performance 
Group financial performance 
Business reviews 

Governance
Introduction from joint chairmen 
Board of directors 
Corporate governance report   
DLC nominations committee 
DLC audit committee 
DLC sustainable development committee 
Mondi Limited social and ethics committee 
DLC executive committee 
Remuneration report 
Other statutory information 

Financial statements
Directors’ responsibility statement 
Independent auditors’ reports  
Financial statements 
Group financial record 
Production statistics 
Exchange rates 
Additional information for Mondi plc shareholders 
Shareholder information 
Glossary of terms 

For more information 
www.mondigroup.com

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217

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Overview
2-9

Strategic 
report
10-73

Governance
74-131

Financial  
statements
132-216

Scope
Mondi’s Integrated report and financial statements 
2016 is our primary report to shareholders. 
The scope of this report covers the Group’s main 
business and operations, and provides an overview 
of the performance of the Group for the year ended 
31 December 2016.
All significant items are reported on a like-for-like basis.
Our integrated report is prepared in accordance with 
the requirements of both the Listings Requirements 
of the JSE Limited and the Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency and Listing Rules of the United Kingdom 
Listing Authority.
We also prepare a detailed Sustainable development 
report, in accordance with the GRI G4 core 
requirements and externally assured, which is available 
at www.mondigroup.com/sd16.

Materiality
Mondi’s Integrated report and financial statements 
2016 aims to provide a fair, balanced and 
understandable assessment of our business model, 
strategy, performance and prospects in relation  
to material financial, economic, social, environmental 
and governance issues. 
The material focus areas were determined  
considering the following:
 e  Specific quantitative and qualitative criteria
 e  Matters critical in relation to achieving  

our strategic objectives

 e  Key risks identified through our risk 

management process

 e  Feedback from key stakeholders during  

the course of the year

1

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Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
Overview

2016 at a glance 

Our integrated packaging and paper Group 

Our businesses 

Joint chairmen’s statement 

4

6

8

“ We have chosen Mondi’s design  
paper PERGRAPHICA® for the  
Bolshoi programmes because it  
shares emotions, visualises images  
and promotes creativity. This is truly  
the paper for perfectionists!”

Yury Tikhonov 
Director, Bolshoi Theatre printing house

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements4  

2016 at a glance

Our integrated packaging 
and paper Group

Mondi is an integrated packaging and paper Group 
with a dual listed company structure – primary listing  
on the JSE Limited and premium listing on the  
London Stock Exchange.

Where we operate
With operations in Europe, Russia, 
North America, Middle East & 
North Africa, Asia, and South Africa; 
we’re more international than you 
may expect.

26

Our businesses

Countries

32

Operations

109

Capital expenditure

€465m

Four acquisitions completed

€185m

Number of employees

25,400

Packaging 
Paper 

Fibre 
Packaging

Consumer 
Packaging

Uncoated  
Fine Paper

South Africa 
Division

52

58

62

66

70

Financial highlights 2016

Revenue

Return on capital employed

€6,662m  t2%

20.3% 

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying earnings per share

€1,366m  q3%

137.8 euro 

cents 

q3%

 e Strong financial performance
 e Capital projects delivering  

growth
•  Completed major projects 

contributed around €50m to 
operating profit

•  Over €800m in major expansionary 
projects approved and in progress

 e   Four acquisitions totalling 
€185m, expanding our 
packaging interests

Underlying operating profit

€981m 

q3%

Dividend per share

57.0 euro 

cents   

q10%

12

217

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5

How we create value
Each part of the Mondi Way 
plays a key role in creating 
value by guiding the decisions 
we make and the way we 
work. Our integrated value 
chain helps us to delight our 
customers with innovative and 
sustainable packaging and 
paper solutions. Every day.

24

The Mondi Way

Our value chain

Purpose

Strategy

Operating framework

Culture and values

Pulp and paper mills

Raw materials
Wood fibre
Paper for recycling
Resins and film 

Packaging and 
paper solutions 
for our customers

Converting operations

Our strategy
We deliver sustainable value by providing high-quality packaging and paper solutions through:

Driving performance to  
optimise quality, productivity  
and efficiency

Investing in our high-quality,  
low-cost assets  
to keep us competitive

Partnering with our  
customers to develop  
innovative solutions

Growing responsibly  
and inspiring our people  
for long-term success

15

16

18

19

Our people
Our people and our culture really 
matter. We’re connected, guided and 
inspired by our cultural characteristics 
and values. Zero harm is at the heart 
of the way we operate, and we are 
fully committed to ensuring our people 
return home safely. Every day. 

Proactive risk management
Our risk and internal control 
management framework is designed 
to address all the significant 
strategic, financial, operational and 
compliance-related risks that could 
undermine our ability to achieve our 
business objectives.

42

32

Our commitment  
to growing responsibly
While growing responsibly has long been 
our philosophy, our Growing Responsibly 
model focuses our efforts on delivering 16 
clearly defined commitments to 2020 and 
beyond, across 10 action areas that span 
our entire value chain.

FSC® certified forests

100%

Electricity self-sufficiency

98%

Safety: Total recordable case rate

0.66

Best-practice governance
Our Boards strongly support 
adherence to the highest standards 
of corporate governance with a 
focus on transparency, integrity and 
accountability. Our directors are 
committed to ensuring that we reflect 
best practice and dedicate time to 
reviewing developments, assessing 
our performance and enhancing 
our approach.

40

74

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6  

2016 at a glance

Our 
businesses Packaging Paper

Group revenue

Segment revenue

Fibre Packaging

Consumer Packaging

Uncoated Fine Paper

South Africa Division

€6,662m

€2,056m €1,929m

€1,562m

€1,246m

€594m

Group underlying operating profit1

Segment underlying operating profit

 €981m

 €361m

 €123m

 €121m

 €264m

 €147m

1 Excludes special items of €38 million

Group return on capital employed

Return on capital employed (ROCE)

20.3%

Group operating profit

€943m

Underlying earnings per share

137.8  

euro 
cents

Basic earnings per share
euro 
cents

131.8  

22.4%

Products

13.5%

Our virgin and recycled 
containerboard is used to make  
corrugated packaging. 
Sack kraft paper is the main 
component of valve and open mouth 
industrial bags. Our speciality kraft 
paper is used to make retail shopping 
bags and attractive food packaging.

Our corrugated packaging products 
go well beyond traditional boxes to fully 
customised solutions. Our industrial 
bags are a sustainable packaging 
solution, optimised for high-speed filling. 
Extrusion coatings provide high-
quality barrier solutions ranging from food 
packaging to building insulation.

10.5%

36.0%

27.8%

Our consumer goods packaging 

Our extensive range of office papers is 

We sustainably manage plantation 

products extend shelf life and improve 

designed to achieve optimal print results 

forests that provide us with high-quality 

the end-user experience. Personal care 

on laser, inkjet and copy machines. 

components form part of diaper and 

Our high-performance professional 

fibre to produce pulp. Our virgin 

containerboard is used to make 

femcare products used around the world 

printing papers are perfect for offset 

corrugated packaging, and we offer a 

every day. Our release liners are used 

presses, high-speed inkjet presses and the 

range of multifunctional office paper. 

for labels, tapes and graphic arts; and our 

latest digital print technologies.

technical films provide solutions from 

high-quality laminating films to surface 

protection films. 

52

58

62

66

70

Sustainability highlights

Communities

Climate change

Sustainable products

Safety

Sustainable products

Safety

Forestry partnerships

Communities

Forestry partnerships

Water stewardship

€2m
invested 

15% 
reduction in CO2e 
(tonnes per tonne  
of saleable production  
against a 2014 baseline)

IceBox
launched 

14% 
improvement in 
TRCR  
(against a 2015 baseline)

PaperPack 

for frozen food 

launched

700 

people trained in 

behavioural safety  

Gronau (Germany) 

WWF Boreal 

Forest Platform

launched 

€2m 

invested  

25 year

anniversary of 

WWF-Mondi 

Wetlands 

Programme 

12%

freshwater reduction  

(against a 2015 baseline) 

The Group’s externally reportable operating segments reflect the 
internal reporting structure of the Group, which is based on the 
underlying nature of the products produced. Due to its unique 
characteristics in terms of geography, currency and underlying 
risks, the South Africa Division is managed and reported as  
a separate geographic segment.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
7

Our 

businesses Packaging Paper

Group revenue

Segment revenue

Fibre Packaging

Consumer Packaging

Uncoated Fine Paper

South Africa Division

€6,662m

€2,056m €1,929m

€1,562m

€1,246m

€594m

Group underlying operating profit1

Segment underlying operating profit

 €981m

 €361m

 €123m

 €121m

 €264m

 €147m

Group return on capital employed

Return on capital employed (ROCE)

22.4%

Products

13.5%

Our virgin and recycled 

Our corrugated packaging products 

containerboard is used to make  

go well beyond traditional boxes to fully 

corrugated packaging. 

Sack kraft paper is the main 

customised solutions. Our industrial 

bags are a sustainable packaging 

component of valve and open mouth 

solution, optimised for high-speed filling. 

industrial bags. Our speciality kraft 

Extrusion coatings provide high-

paper is used to make retail shopping 

quality barrier solutions ranging from food 

bags and attractive food packaging.

packaging to building insulation.

10.5%

36.0%

27.8%

Our consumer goods packaging 
products extend shelf life and improve 
the end-user experience. Personal care 
components form part of diaper and 
femcare products used around the world 
every day. Our release liners are used 
for labels, tapes and graphic arts; and our 
technical films provide solutions from 
high-quality laminating films to surface 
protection films. 

Our extensive range of office papers is 
designed to achieve optimal print results 
on laser, inkjet and copy machines. 
Our high-performance professional 
printing papers are perfect for offset 
presses, high-speed inkjet presses and the 
latest digital print technologies.

We sustainably manage plantation 
forests that provide us with high-quality 
fibre to produce pulp. Our virgin 
containerboard is used to make 
corrugated packaging, and we offer a 
range of multifunctional office paper. 

1 Excludes special items of €38 million

20.3%

Group operating profit

€943m

Underlying earnings per share

137.8  

Basic earnings per share

131.8  

52

58

62

66

70

Sustainability highlights

Communities

Climate change

Sustainable products

Safety

€2m

invested 

15% 

reduction in CO2e 

(tonnes per tonne  

of saleable production  

against a 2014 baseline)

IceBox

launched 

14% 

improvement in 

TRCR  

(against a 2015 baseline)

The Group’s externally reportable operating segments reflect the 

internal reporting structure of the Group, which is based on the 

underlying nature of the products produced. Due to its unique 

characteristics in terms of geography, currency and underlying 

risks, the South Africa Division is managed and reported as  

a separate geographic segment.

Sustainable products
PaperPack 
for frozen food 
launched

Safety

700 
people trained in 
behavioural safety  
Gronau (Germany) 

Forestry partnerships
WWF Boreal 
Forest Platform
launched 

Communities

Forestry partnerships

Water stewardship

€2m 
invested  

25 year
anniversary of 
WWF-Mondi 
Wetlands 
Programme 

12%
freshwater reduction  
(against a 2015 baseline) 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
8  

Joint chairmen’s statement

Creating long-term 
shareholder value

Over the past year the Mondi Group has 
continued to build on its track record of 
delivering value to stakeholders.

We are confident that our Integrated report 
and financial statements 2016 provides a 
balanced overview of performance and 
insight into the Group’s approach to strategy, 
governance and creating value in the short, 
medium and long term.

David Williams (left)  
Fred Phaswana (right)

Strong governance is fundamental to 
our ongoing success

The boards of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc 
strongly support adherence to the highest 
standards of corporate governance with 
a focus on transparency, integrity and 
accountability. Our directors are committed 
to ensuring that we reflect best practice as 
a board and we dedicate time to reviewing 
developments, assessing our performance 
and enhancing our approach.

74 Governance  

Creating lasting shareholder value is 
at the heart of Mondi’s strategy

The Boards continue to support Mondi’s 
strategy of delivering sustainable value 
by providing high-quality packaging and 
paper solutions. The Group’s success is 
closely linked to a highly disciplined and 
responsible approach to value-enhancing 
growth, continuous productivity and 
quality improvement, cost optimisation and 
customer-led innovation. This enables Mondi 
to maximise the potential of opportunities 
and limit the effects of negative impacts.

12 Group strategy  
review

Underlying earnings per share
euro cents

137.8

euro 
cents

133.7

137.8

107.3

95.0

69.2

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Total dividend per share
euro cents

57 

euro 
cents

571

52

42

36

28

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

1 

 Based on proposed final dividend of 38.19 euro cents per share

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
9

On behalf of the Boards, we extend our 
sincere thanks to each and every person 
who has contributed to making 2016 
another great year for Mondi. 

We have full confidence that in 2017 the 
Mondi team will continue to focus on 
value-enhancing growth opportunities, 
successfully completing capital expenditure 
projects, fully realising the potential of 
acquisitions, maintaining tight control 
of costs, satisfying our customers 
and embedding our 2020 sustainable 
development commitments.

Retirement of David Hathorn and 
appointment of Peter Oswald as 
Chief executive officer

On 31 January 2017, David Hathorn 
informed Mondi’s Boards of his decision 
to retire. Peter Oswald will succeed David 
as Chief executive officer, assuming full 
responsibility after the Annual General 
Meetings on 11 May 2017. David and Peter 
have worked closely together for over 25 
years and in order to ensure a smooth 
transition, following the three month 
handover, David will continue to support 
Peter until his retirement in February 2018. 

David has made an immense contribution 
to the growth and development of 
Mondi. He was instrumental in the 
Group’s international expansion and the 
development of the high-quality asset base 
that forms the foundation of the Group 
today. The Boards are extremely grateful to 
David for his contribution to the Group over 
the past 26 years of service and wish him 
all the best in his retirement.

We are delighted to have someone of 
Peter’s calibre and experience to succeed 
David. Peter has been with the Group in 
various roles since joining in 1992, serving 
as an executive director and Chief executive 
officer of the Europe & International Division 
since January 2008. Peter is a proven 
leader with an intimate knowledge of the 
business, having been involved in the 
development of much of what comprises 
the Group today. We are confident that 
Peter will offer strong continuity, while 
bringing his own dynamism to the role.

Fred Phaswana  
Joint chairman 

David Williams  
Joint chairman

Mondi is a high-quality and well-run 
business, with proven potential to continue 
delivering long-term value to shareholders. 
As directors we focus on ensuring that 
the guidance we provide prioritises 
shareholder value, while balancing 
the needs of all our stakeholders in a 
responsible way. We do this by managing 
risks appropriately, making decisions that 
build on Mondi’s inherent strengths and 
holding management accountable for the 
successful execution of our strategy.

Mondi delivered excellent results again this 
year, despite a largely unsupportive pricing 
environment and limited economic growth. 
Underlying operating profit of €981 million 
was up 3% on the prior year, and a ROCE 
of 20.3% attests to the validity of our 
strategic decisions.

Our customers are increasingly relying 
on us to take responsibility right the way 
through the supply chain. During the course 
of the year we implemented our new 
Growing Responsibly model with 10 action 
areas, each with specific commitments to 
2020 (2030 for climate change) identified 
and agreed.

Employee and contractor safety is one of 
these action areas and continues to be 
an area of unwavering focus across our 
operations. We are pleased to report that 
we had no fatalities or life-altering injuries in 
2016. However, we were deeply saddened 
by a fatality in our South African forestry 
operations in February 2017. Our goal of 
zero harm is an absolute imperative for the 
business, and we are fully committed to 
making it a reality. 

48 Group financial  
performance 

40 Sustainability  
performance 

Mondi’s strong financial metrics and share 
price performance in 2016 resulted in 
the Group continuing to outperform the 
peer average.

Given the Group’s solid performance 
in 2016, the boards of Mondi Limited 
and Mondi plc have recommended a 
final dividend of 38.19 euro cents per 
share (2015: 37.62 euro cents per share). 
Together with the interim dividend 
of 18.81 euro cents per share, this 
amounts to a total dividend for the year 
of 57.0 euro cents per share, an increase 
of 10% from 2015.

The Group continued to invest in its future, 
making good progress on major capital 
projects and completing a number of 
acquisitions during the year.

Sustainable development is a key 
component of our long-term profitable 
growth and the landscape is changing all 
the time.

Prioritising people as the key to 
Mondi’s future

It’s the passion and competence of Mondi’s 
people at all levels of the organisation 
that enables our plans to become reality 
in a profitable way. We promote a culture 
that allows our teams to be dynamic, 
entrepreneurial and empowered. 
We encourage honesty and transparency 
so that we can act decisively, knowing we 
have a true understanding of the issues 
being dealt with. By being respectful 
and responsible we build long-term 
partnerships with all our stakeholders.

Mondi’s people are committed to 
delivering excellence in our operations; 
building relationships with customers 
and communities; developing top-quality 
products; inspiring each other; managing 
our resources responsibly; and employing 
highly effective approaches to safety 
and health.

Five-year total shareholder return (TSR) 
(euro returns: indexed to 1 January 2012)

Mondi plc

Median of comparator group

Peer performance range

700

600

500

400

300

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I

n
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R

200

100

0

31 Dec
2011

31 Dec
2012

31 Dec
2013

31 Dec
2014

31 Dec
2015

31 Dec
2016

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
Strategic 
report

Group strategy review 

Our key performance  
indicators 

Our business model 

Where we operate 

Our external context 

Our principal risks 

12

22

24

26

28

32

Group financial  
performance 

Business reviews 

  Packaging Paper 

  Fibre Packaging 

  Consumer Packaging 

  Uncoated Fine Paper 

Sustainability performance  40

  South Africa Division 

48

52

58

62

66

70

The Strategic report was approved by the Boards  
on 22 February 2017 and is signed on their behalf by:

David Hathorn 
Chief executive officer 

Andrew King 
Chief financial officer

“ Mondi’s stretchy elastic laminates 

help to ensure that Pampers 
diapers fit comfortably and stay 
fastened no matter how active 
a child is. We combine soft 
nonwoven and high-stretch film 
to meet P&G’s requirements.”

Jürgen Schneider  
Managing Director Personal Care Components, Mondi 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements12  

Group strategy review

Prioritising  
value-enhancing  
growth

Our strong performance in 2016 builds  
on our track record of continuous  
improvement in profitability over the last  
five years. Our consistent and focused  
strategy, robust business model and firm  
focus on operational excellence all continued  
to contribute to our performance. 

David Hathorn (left) 
Chief executive officer

Andrew King (right) 
Chief financial officer

Our strategy

The Group’s clear and consistent long-
term strategy is to deliver sustainable value 
by providing high-quality packaging and 
paper solutions, and we achieve this by 
focusing on our four strategic value drivers. 
Mondi’s disciplined approach to using this 
as our strategic roadmap, while retaining 
flexibility around how we execute it, has 
positioned us as a leading international 
packaging and paper group with a strong 
platform for growth. We continue to grow 
our business, focusing on markets that offer 
us inherent advantages and products that 
are core to our portfolio or bring related 
development opportunities. 

Strategically, we are focused on broadening 
our reach in the packaging sector, with a 
bias towards consumer-related packaging 
where we see greater potential for growth. 
This will be achieved through value-
enhancing capital investments and strategic 
acquisitions to enhance our product 
offering, extend our geographic footprint 
and better serve our customers across our 
packaging segments.

Our Uncoated Fine Paper (UFP) business 
is highly competitive due to its low cost 
position and exposure to growing markets 
in central and eastern Europe and Russia.

Growth in packaging
% of capital employed

Packaging

UFP

Other

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Net operating assets by location 
%

64% 

emerging 
markets

Emerging

Mature

  Emerging Europe 

  Russia 

  South Africa 

  Other 

  Western Europe 

  North America 

36

12

13

3

30

6

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201613

Our financial performance in 2016

Group revenue
€ million

€6,662m

 6,476

6,402

6,819

6,662

5,790

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Group revenue of €6,662 million was down 
2% on 2015. Excluding the impact of 
currency movements, revenue was in line 
with the prior year.

It is pleasing to see the good contributions 
from all our businesses despite pricing 
headwinds in a number of our key 
paper grades. 

Underlying operating profit was up 3% 
to €981 million and our return on capital 
employed (ROCE) was 20.3%. 

Special items amounting to €38 million 
before tax were recognised for restructuring 
and closure costs, and related impairments. 

After taking special items into consideration, 
operating profit of €943 million was up 5% 
(2015: €900 million).

After taking the effect of special items into 
account, basic earnings of 131.8 euro cents 
per share were up 6% compared to 2015.

Our cash generation remained 
strong with cash generated from 
operations of €1,401 million up 10% 
on the prior year. Net debt reduced by 
€115 million to €1,383 million, or 1.0 times 
underlying EBITDA.

48 Group financial  
performance

We made considerable progress in driving 
growth through our capital investment 
programme, delivering incremental 
operating profit of around €50 million in 
2016 from recently completed capital 
projects, with a further €30 million 
anticipated in 2017. 

We completed four acquisitions totalling 
€185 million in 2016, enhancing our product 
offering and geographic reach in our Fibre 
and Consumer Packaging businesses.

Underlying earnings of 137.8 euro cents per 
share were up 3% compared to 2015.

Special items are those items of financial 
performance that we believe should 
be separately disclosed to assist in the 
understanding of our underlying financial 
performance. Special items are considered 
to be material either in nature or in amount. 

Group underlying operating profit
€ million

€981m

q3%

on 
2015

957

981

767

699

574

Return on capital employed (ROCE)
% (12-month rolling)

20.3%

20.5

20.3

17.2

15.3

13.6

  Packaging Paper 

  Fibre Packaging 

361

123

  Consumer Packaging  121

  Uncoated Fine Paper  264

  South Africa Division 

147

Excludes corporate costs of 
€35 million and special items 
of €38 million

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Operating profit development by Business Unit
€ million

957

(30)

3

13

52

(14)

981

(38)

943

Underlying 
operating 
profit 

2015

Packaging
Paper

Fibre
Packaging

Consumer
Packaging

Uncoated
Fine Paper

South Africa
Division

Underlying 
operating 
profit 

2016

Special
items

Operating 
profit 

2016

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
14  

Group strategy review

Creating 
sustainable value

Our strategy is to deliver sustainable value by 
providing high-quality packaging and paper solutions, 
and we achieve this by focusing on our four strategic 
value drivers. 

This approach enables us to make the most of the 
competitive advantages we enjoy today, and sets a 
clear framework for our investment and operational 
decisions so that we can continue to create value into 
the future. While all strategic value drivers are relevant 
to each of our businesses, priority levels may differ 
across the value chain.

Driving 
performance 

Innovating 
through 
customer 
partnerships 

We deliver 
sustainable value by 
providing high-quality 
packaging and 
paper solutions 
through:

Investing 
in our 
high-quality, 
low-cost 
assets

Growing 
responsibly 
and inspiring 
our people 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201615

Driving performance 
to optimise quality, 
productivity and efficiency

Our passion for performance will always 
be central to the way we run our business 
and is demonstrated through a continuous 
focus on quality, productivity and efficiency.

We have systems and processes in place 
to benchmark against our best performing 
operations, share lessons learnt, identify 
emerging issues, optimise productivity, 
minimise waste and deliver quality products 
to our customers on time.

This drive carries over into our approach to 
project management and the integration 
of new acquisitions. We aim to learn from 
each other by being open-minded about 
the approaches we take and focusing on 
areas that drive our performance.

We maintain a number of centralised 
functions where we believe we can benefit 
from a coordinated approach such as 
procurement, technical, sustainable 
development, information technology, 
treasury and tax.

The Mondi Way: Successfully integrating our acquisitions

Uralplastic (Russia)

We believe it’s important to involve employees right 
from the start whenever we acquire a new business. 
This helps to ensure a smooth transition with a 
focus on creating an inspiring working environment 
and prioritising our customers, while optimising 
performance and transferring knowledge.

The Mondi Way and our Inspire programme provide 
the basis for the cultural integration. It’s crucial that 
new employees understand Mondi’s strategy and 
their own business objectives. 

Our integration teams are made up of our people, 
primarily from existing operations in the relevant 
region together with representatives from centralised 
functions. This helps new teams to identify with 
Mondi’s culture and provides invaluable cross-
business unit interaction. The integration process 
focuses on sharing best practice, optimising 
operational excellence, realising synergies, and 
evaluating further investment opportunities.

We expect our integration teams to respect 
the Mondi values and to be as transparent and 
collaborative as possible. 

Even though a large number of people are involved 
in the integration process, everyone is kept informed 
of progress via a newsletter and encouraged to 
raise questions via the Q&A boxes on-site or the 
integration survey.

The first wave of the integration process for Mondi 
Uralplastic was finalised in November 2016. 
The structured internal integration process lasted 
around six months, in line with other similar-sized 
acquisitions. As usual it kicked off with a town 
hall meeting on ‘Day 1’ where all employees were 
welcomed to Mondi by the business unit leaders. 
During the first few weeks, all of our 14 internal 
integration teams started to meet with employees, 
analyse the required actions and determine an 
action plan. The aim is to find the right balance 
between focusing on daily business and progressing 
the integration plan. The process was overseen 
by the central E&I Post-merger integration (PMI) 
manager supported by the local PMI manager in 
Russia. The support from our team in Syktyvkar, 
and our local knowledge of the Russian market 
proved invaluable.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201616  

Group strategy review

Investing in our high-quality, 
low-cost assets to keep 
us competitive

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to maintain and enhance our 
competitive advantages is of particular 
importance in our pulp and paper assets 
where products are generally more 
commoditised and low-cost production 
is key. Our focus is on enhancing our 
cost competitiveness, improving energy 
efficiency, meeting the needs of our 
customers and delivering organic growth 
in our packaging businesses.

Vertical integration 
production in million tonnes

We use

We sell

0.2
4.0

3.8

1.7

1.4

0.2

0.4
0.8

0.1
0.5

Pulp

Virgin 
container-
board

Recycled 
container-
board

Kraft 
paper

Uncoated
fine
paper

Capital expenditure
€ million

€465m

562

595

465

405

294

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

We invest in our existing operations and, 
where appropriate, in strategic acquisitions 
to strengthen our cost advantages, 
generate synergies through integration and 
enhance our product and service offering 
and/or geographic reach to better serve 
our customers.

Our disciplined approach to investigating, 
approving and executing capital projects 
is one of our key strengths and plays an 
important role in successfully delivering the 
returns we require.

In January 2017, the Boards approved the 
modernisation and expansion of the Štĕtí 
mill for a total investment of €470 million, 
subject to obtaining approval for various 
tax incentives and necessary permitting. 
The project consists of the installation of a 
new recovery boiler, the rebuild of the fibre 
lines, the debottlenecking of the paper 
machines and an investment in a new 
90,000 tonnes per annum machine glazed 
speciality kraft paper machine to supply 
fast growing end-uses in flexible packaging 
and food service applications. The new 
recovery boiler and rebuilt fibre lines are 
expected to start up in late 2018, while the 
new paper machine is expected to start 
up in the first half of 2019. Based on the 
current timetable, capital expenditure on 
the project is expected to be incurred from 
2017 to 2019.

Given the approved project pipeline, our 
annual capital expenditure is expected to be 
in the range of €600-650 million in 2017 and 
€800-850 million in 2018 as expenditure on 
these large projects accelerates.

We have invested around €1.6 billion in 
acquisitions since 2012. This includes four 
strategic acquisitions in 2016 to enhance 
our cost position, generate synergies 
through integration and enhance our 
product offering and geographic reach. 
We successfully completed two Corrugated 
Packaging acquisitions, SIMET (Poland) 
and Lebedyan (Russia). Our Consumer 
Goods Packaging business acquired 
Kalenobel (Turkey) and Uralplastic (Russia).

In February 2017 we announced the 
acquisition of Excelsior Technologies 
Limited (UK), further supporting the 
development of our Consumer Goods 
Packaging business in high-growth 
product applications.

In our paper operations, our backward 
integration provides us security of supply 
and reduces our exposure to raw material 
price volatility. 

In recent years, we have invested 
significantly in the modernisation and 
growth of our Corrugated Packaging 
and Consumer Packaging businesses. 
Looking forward, while still considering 
capital investment opportunities in these 
businesses, we are focused on the 
optimisation of our existing operations 
and recent investments.

We committed around €770 million 
to major projects from 2013 to 2016. 
Projects completed include a recovery 
boiler at Frantschach (Austria) and 
Ružomberok (Slovakia); a bark boiler and 
pulp dryer at Syktyvkar (Russia); steam 
turbines at Stambolijski (Bulgaria) and 
Richards Bay (South Africa); a bleached 
kraft paper machine at Štĕtí (Czech 
Republic); a recovery boiler, turbine and 
biomass boiler at Świecie (Poland); a 
woodyard upgrade at Richards Bay, and 
a number of investments to modernise 
and improve our facilities in our Fibre and 
Consumer Packaging businesses. Over the 
last three years, our major capital projects 
have contributed around €150 million of 
incremental operating profit, including 
around €50 million in 2016, and we expect 
to generate a further €30 million in 2017. 

We are in the process of commissioning 
the second phase of our project at Świecie, 
which will provide an additional 100,000 
tonnes per annum of softwood pulp and 
80,000 tonnes per annum of lightweight 
kraftliner and we have a strong pipeline 
of large projects over the next few years. 
The Boards have approved a new  
300,000 tonne per annum kraft top white 
containerboard machine at Ružomberok 
(€310 million), subject to tax incentives 
and permitting, and a new woodyard 
and bleaching line modernisation at 
Štĕtí (€41 million). The Boards have also 
approved the rebuild of the Syktyvkar 
power plant, including a new bark 
boiler and turbine (€102 million), and the 
modernisation of the Syktyvkar waste water 
treatment plant (€42 million).

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201617

Major project pipeline delivering strongly

2013

€121m

 e €60m recovery boiler 
Frantschach (Austria)

 e €16m bark boiler 
Syktyvkar (Russia)
 e €13m steam turbine 
and economiser 
Stambolijski (Bulgaria)
 e €32m steam turbine 

Richards Bay 
(South Africa)

2014

€228m

 e €70m 155 ktpa 
bleached kraft 
machine Štĕtí 
(Czech Republic)
 e €128m recovery 

boiler Ružomberok 
(Slovakia)

 e €30m 100 ktpa  

pulp dryer  
Syktyvkar (Russia)

2015

2016

2017+

€296m

 e €166m phase I – 
recovery boiler, 
turbine and biomass 
boiler Świecie 
(Poland)

 e €106m Packaging  
Paper projects

 e €24m Fibre  

Packaging projects

€124m

 e  €94m phase II –  

100 ktpa increased 
softwood pulp 
and 80 ktpa 
lightweight kraftliner  
Świecie (Poland)
 e  €30m woodyard 

upgrade Richards 
Bay (South Africa)

€820m

 e  €310m 300 ktpa 
kraft top white 
containerboard 
machine Ružomberok 
(Slovakia)

 e  €510m woodyard 
and bleaching line 
modernisation, 
replacement of 
recovery boiler, and 
90 ktpa machine 
glazed speciality kraft 
paper machine Štĕtí 
(Czech Republic)

€100m

€50m

€30m

Incremental operating  
profit delivered from major  
projects in 2014-2015

Incremental operating  
profit delivered from major  
projects in 2016

Incremental operating 
profit benefit expected 
in 2017

Strong track record of acquisitions

2012

2014

 Nordenia (Europe & US)
 2 Duropack 
plants (Germany & 
Czech Republic)
 Świecie minorities and 
energy plant (Poland)

 Kutno plant (Poland)
 Intercell (Serbia)
 Pine Bluff mill (US)
 Bags plants (US)

2015

 Ascania 
(Germany)
 KSP  
(South 
Korea & 
Thailand)

2017

 Excelsior 
Technologies 
(UK)

2016

 SIMET 
(Poland)
 Kalenobel 
(Turkey)
 Uralplastic 
(Russia)
 Lebedyan 
(Russia)

€1.6 billion

invested in acquisitions since 2012

  Packaging Paper 

  Fibre Packaging 

  Consumer Packaging

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201618  

Group strategy review

 Partnering with our 
customers to develop 
innovative solutions

Working with our customers to create 
innovative solutions is key to our long-term  
success. In our upstream packaging and  
paper operations our focus is on producing 
lighter weight packaging materials without  
sacrificing strength, enhancing the printing  
quality of our products and achieving 
productivity and efficiency gains. Our  
downstream converting operations focus 
on product innovation, meeting evolving 
customer requirements and generating 
solutions that help our customers promote 
the products they produce and deliver on 
product requirements such as longevity, 
freshness and convenience.

Our packaging solutions are designed 
to meet the needs of our customers. 
Our integrated business model allows us 
to produce a broad range of solutions and 
draw on our experience to develop the 
appropriate products from our fibre and 
flexible-based packaging operations or a 
combination thereof.

Through our product development,  
we are able to carry developments in our 
upstream paper operations over to our  

Fibre Packaging products and, together with 
our Consumer Packaging businesses, are 
able to offer innovative solutions combining 
the best features of our paper and flexible 
packaging solutions.

We believe that the integrated nature of our 
business, and the complementary fit of our 
Fibre and Consumer Packaging businesses 
places us in an ideal position to deliver 
on our customers’ packaging and paper 
needs, growing our packaging interests.

Our products need to meet increasingly 
sophisticated and bespoke needs and 
this is best driven in our businesses by 
the people closest to our customers. 
We operate a number of research and 
development (R&D) centres to improve 
existing products and processes and to 
develop new solutions. We have made 
good progress this year, working on and 
launching a number of new products, 
improving our service offering and 
strengthening strategic partnerships.

In order to continue satisfying our 
customers’ ever increasing quality 
requirements, we continue to invest in 
further upgrading our quality processes 
and improving our quality culture.

Revenue by location of customer 
%

€6,662m

Emerging

Mature

  Emerging Europe 

  Russia 

  South Africa 

  Other 

  Western Europe 

  North America 

21

9

6

14

39

11

Product mix 
% of revenue 

72% packaging

  Consumer-related
  packaging 

Industrial packaging 

  Uncoated fine paper 

  Other 

49

23

18

10

We’re creators, pioneers and listeners – more innovative than you expect

You deserve the best from us, and that influences 
everything we do. So we are constantly looking for 
ways to improve our processes and product offering.

a more integrated Mondi approach to discussions 
with our biggest customers, such as IKEA, to ensure 
we offer them the full breadth of our product portfolio.

We work with strategic partners, customers, 
suppliers and research institutes to anticipate new 
technologies and offer cutting-edge solutions. 
We focus on developments in products and services, 
aiming to provide our customers with benefits in 
terms of total cost of ownership, smart features and 
environmental benefits. For example, our corrugated 
packaging and extrusion coatings teams created 
a combined solution for a German healthcare 
customer, which can also be used for packaging 
engine parts. Consumer Goods Packaging has 
collaborated with Mars on a candy bar wrapper 
made from waste potato starch, and we’re taking 

During 2016, we initiated an innovation project. 
In partnership with an external consultant, over 
1,000 of our people were involved in a series of 
online surveys, in-depth interviews and innovation 
workshops. We generated a number of ideas 
across a broad range of topics including the way our 
businesses connect internally; product performance; 
service delivery; production processes; and 
customer engagement. The project compelled us to 
think more strategically, taking a much broader view 
on innovation to ensure that ideas are not filtered out 
too early in the process.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
19

Value distribution  
%

€2,357m

  Employees 

  Providers 
  of equity capital 

  Providers 
  of loan capital 

  Direct taxes paid 

  Reinvested  
in the Group 

43

13

3

7

34

Total recordable case rate (TRCR)
per 200,000 hours worked

0.79

0.78

0.83

0.701

0.66

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

1  Excluding acquisitions

A number of our recent, ongoing and 
planned capital expenditure projects will 
help us to meet our new commitments, 
particularly those relating to green energy 
and emissions reduction.

Our 10 action areas apply to all our 
operations and reflect our overall material 
issues, but certain areas are of particular 
strategic relevance to specific business 
units. In our upstream businesses, forestry 
and ecosystems, sustainable fibre, 
communities, environmental emissions and 
climate change are of utmost importance, 
while our downstream businesses 
focus on minimising and managing 
waste, responsible procurement, and 
product innovation.

Our people are important to us, particularly 
when it comes to ensuring that everyone 
returns home safely to their families 
every day. It is very encouraging that the 
steps we have taken have resulted in an 
improved total recordable case rate in 
2016. With zero harm as our ultimate safety 
goal, we’ve been working hard to eliminate 
fatal and life-altering injuries. Our focus on 
the top risks at all operations has allowed 
us to better anticipate and manage our 
highest risk activities – which usually 
occur during annual maintenance shuts 
and project implementation. These efforts 
thankfully contributed to us experiencing 
no fatalities or life-altering injuries during 
the year. Regrettably, in February 2017 
we suffered a fatality in our South African 
forestry operations following a timber 
vehicle accident. We extend our deepest 
condolences to the family. We remain 
determined to focus on top risks so that 
fatalities and life-altering injuries are not a 
part of our future. 

Addressing our climate impact as 
we grow responsibly 

We believe we have a role to play in the transition to 
a low-carbon economy.

During our 2004 to 2014 commitment period we 
reduced our specific carbon emissions by 29%. 
Building on that success, we have now committed 
to reducing specific CO2e emissions from our 
pulp and paper mills by 15% by 2030, against the 
2014 baseline. We will continue to improve energy 
efficiency, reduce emissions and replace fossil 
fuels with renewable biomass-based energy where 
practically and economically possible.

Climate change is one of 10 action areas 
addressed in our Growing Responsibly model. 
Clean energy and climate action are also central to 
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 
with which our thinking is aligned.

To achieve our climate goals, we make targeted 
energy-related investments across our pulp and 
paper mills, mainly through recovery boilers 
that utilise the biomass residues from our pulp 
making process. These investments, totalling 
over €400 million since 2012, have also increased 
energy self-sufficiency at our pulp and paper mills 
from 93% in 2012 to 98% in 2016. The latest major 
investment was made at our Świecie mill (Poland) 
in 2015, and has reduced carbon emissions and 
increased energy self-sufficiency. In January 2017, 
the Boards approved the replacement of the 
recovery boiler at our Štĕtí mill (Czech Republic).

Growing responsibly and 
inspiring our people for  
long-term success

Our long-term success is dependent on our 
ability to integrate sustainability across the 
Group. This ensures that we can continue 
to address the risks and opportunities 
that arise from global environmental and 
societal trends, retain our competitive edge 
and generate value for our stakeholders. 
We believe that being part of the solution to 
global challenges will secure the long-term 
success of our business and the wellbeing 
of our communities and other stakeholders.

We have a strong track record of delivering 
on our sustainability commitments. At the 
end of 2015 we completed our previous 
commitment period and subsequently 
launched our Growing Responsibly model. 

While growing responsibly has long been 
part of our philosophy, the model provides 
the business with a formal framework to 
demonstrate, monitor and improve the way 
sustainability is embedded in the business. 
The model includes 16 clearly defined 2020 
commitments (climate commitment runs to 
2030) across 10 action areas:

 e Employee and contractor safety
 e A skilled and committed workforce
 e Fairness and diversity in the workplace
 e Sustainable fibre
 e Climate change
 e Constrained resources and 

environmental impacts

 e Biodiversity and ecosystems
 e Supplier conduct and 

responsible procurement

 e Relationships with communities
 e Solutions that create value for 

our customers

In 2016, we continued to engage with 
our businesses and leadership to further 
strengthen the model and its integration 
across the business. Our goal is to fine 
tune and advance the commitment 
metrics (particularly where no externally 
established, credible metrics are available) 
and make sure they are appropriate. 
With the resultant strong focus on a safe, 
fair and diverse workforce, working towards 
a more transparent and responsible supply 
chain, and continued commitment to 
minimising our climate footprint, we are able 
to address risks and opportunities across 
our business.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
20  

Group strategy review

Strategic financial priorities and 
returns to shareholders

Our free cash flow priorities remain 
unchanged. We are focused on maintaining 
investment grade credit metrics, 
undertaking selective capital investment 
opportunities, and supporting the 
ordinary dividend. Any surplus thereafter 
will be used, as appropriate, to pursue 
acquisition opportunities or to increase 
shareholder distributions.

We aim to manage our cost of capital by 
maintaining an appropriate capital structure 
with a balance between equity and net 
debt. The primary sources of our net debt 
include our €2.5 billion Guaranteed Euro 
Medium Term Note Programme and our 
€750 million syndicated revolving credit 
facility. On 14 April 2016 we issued a 1.5% 
€500 million Eurobond with an eight-year 
term under our European Medium Term 
Note Programme, thereby extending the 
Group’s maturity profile and ensuring 
ample liquidity.

We believe that a strong and stable financial 
position, supported by an investment grade 
credit rating, increases our flexibility and 
provides opportunities to access capital 
markets throughout the business cycle, 
allowing us to take advantage of strategic 
opportunities when they arise.

We pursue a dividend policy that reflects 
our strategy of disciplined and value-
creating investment and growth, with the 
aim of offering shareholders long-term 
dividend growth. We target a dividend 
cover range of two to three times underlying 
earnings on average over the cycle, 
although the payout ratio in each year will 
vary in accordance with the business cycle. 

Payment of dividends is subject to us 
having sufficient distributable reserves 
available, and, at present, the Group has a 
significant level of distributable reserves.

Our Boards have recommended payment 
of a final dividend of 38.19 euro cents 
per share, bringing the total dividend for 
the year to 57.0 euro cents per share, an 
increase of 10% on 2015.

Strategic risk management

The industries and geographies in which 
we operate expose us to specific risks, 
including:

 e Industry productive capacity
 e Product substitution
 e Fluctuations and variability in selling 

prices or gross margins

 e Country risk

These risks are long term in nature and 
accepted by the Boards as they are 
directly related to the Group’s strategy 
and operating footprint. The Boards 
continue to monitor our exposure to 
these risks and investment decisions are 
evaluated against our exposures and 
the established tolerance levels for any 
individual strategic risk. Our conservative 
funding model and low level of financial 
leverage provide some protection against 
high levels of operating leverage. Our focus 
is on continual monitoring of these trends 
and our management and mitigation 
activities are aligned with our long-term 
strategy. Our investments and acquisitions 
are designed to take advantage of the 
opportunities arising from our exposure to 
these risks.

32 Our principal  
risks

Five-year cumulative cash flow 
€ billion

4.2

(2.3)

(0.9)

(1.6)

(0.6)

Free 
cash flow

Invested in
asset base

Distributed to
shareholders

Spent on
acquisitions

Change in
net debt

Our people

Our success is driven by our people. 
The strength and depth of our leadership 
team and the calibre and commitment of 
our employees across the Group make it 
possible to deliver on our strategic priorities.

Our culture and values play a key role in 
ensuring that our people are inspired, 
involved and able to contribute in an 
effective way.

On behalf of the executive committee, 
we sincerely thank all our people for their 
contributions which are central to the 
success we have enjoyed in 2016.

24 Our business  
model

Employee survey: listening to 
our people

Our regular employee surveys help us to 
understand the areas in which our people feel we 
are doing well and where we need to improve. 
We have seen good progress in all areas since 
our 2013 survey and, following our 2015 survey, 
leaders and their teams have focused on analysing 
the survey feedback, maintaining improvements 
that have already been made and taking action 
where needed to strengthen our approach. 
Recognition, collaboration and communication 
have been common themes across the Group. 
Several actions have been implemented with more 
in progress. This includes initiatives driven centrally 
as well as extensive locally relevant activities at a 
plant level. Our leaders understand the importance 
of creating an environment where our people 
feel valued, motivated and included. By living our 
culture and values, we believe people will feel 
inspired to be the best they can be.

Dividends per share
euro cents 

57

euro 
cents

Interim dividend
Dividend cover (times) 

Final dividend

2.5

2.6

2.6

2.6

0
1
.
9
1

0
9
.
8

5
4
.
6
2

5
5
.
9

7
7
.
8
2

3
2
.
3
1

2
6
.
7
3

8
3
.
4
1

2.4

9
1
.
8
3

1
8
.
8
1

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
Near-term outlook

Looking ahead

Our priorities for the business in 2017 are 
to continue to evaluate both product and 
market opportunities, to make progress on 
our current capital expenditure projects, 
fully realise the potential of acquisitions 
completed over the last two years, maintain 
tight control of costs and further embed our 
Growing Responsibly model throughout 
our operations.

In the longer term we will continue to focus 
on our strategic priorities outlined above, 
evaluating opportunities for growth in our 
packaging businesses and investing in our 
asset base to maintain our competitiveness.

David Hathorn  
Chief executive officer  Chief financial officer

Andrew King  

Our outlook for the business is positive. 
We have implemented or announced 
price increases in containerboard, sack 
kraft and uncoated fine paper grades, 
supported by good demand. We expect 
some inflationary cost pressures across 
the Group and a lower forestry fair value 
gain. Furthermore, we anticipate a more 
challenging trading environment in certain 
uncoated fine paper markets following price 
erosion in Europe over the course of 2016, 
combined with emerging market currency 
volatility. However, we expect to continue to 
benefit from contributions from our recently 
completed capital projects and acquisitions, 
together with steady organic growth in our 
downstream converting businesses.  

Our consistent and focused strategy, 
robust business model and firm focus 
on operational excellence all continue to 
contribute to our performance. We remain 
confident of continuing to deliver industry-
leading returns. 

21

Retirement of David Hathorn

“ It has been a great privilege to 

have worked for the Mondi Group 
over the past 26 years, being 
involved in its development from 
a regional business to a truly 
international group delivering 
industry-leading returns. It gives 
me great confidence in the future 
success of the business to be able 
to hand over to Peter, who has 
been alongside me for much of 
this journey. I wish Peter and the 
team all the very best.”

David Hathorn 
Chief executive officer

Appointment of Peter Oswald

“ I am honoured to accept the 

appointment and look forward 
to working with the Boards and 
the rest of our team in continuing 
the successful development of 
the business. With our clear and 
consistent strategic focus, robust 
business model, world-class 
assets, rigorous and disciplined 
approach to capital allocation, 
and strong financial position, 
we are well-equipped to serve 
our growing customer base and 
deliver ongoing value for the 
benefit of all stakeholders.”

Peter Oswald 
Chief executive officer designate 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201622  

Our key performance indicators

Tracking  
our progress

We track our long-term performance against 
strategic, sustainable development, and financial 
key performance indicators. 
These key performance indicators (KPIs) are intended to provide a broad measure of 
Mondi’s performance. We set individual targets for each of our business units in support 
of these Group KPIs. 

52 Business  
reviews

Our remuneration report describes how our executive directors and senior management 
are remunerated in line with these KPIs. In particular, the executive directors are set 
specific targets relating to ROCE, underlying EBITDA and safety for purposes of the Bonus 
Share Plan incentive and on Total Shareholder Return and ROCE for the Long-Term 
Incentive Plan.

109 Remuneration 
report

Strategic

12 Group strategy  
review

Growth in packaging
% of capital employed

Packaging

UFP

Other

Total shareholder return (TSR)
%

1-year

10%

3-year

70%

5-year

314%

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Strategically, we are focused on broadening our reach 
in the packaging sector, with a bias towards consumer-
related packaging where we see greater potential 
for growth. 

Our strategic value drivers provide a framework for 
pursuing value-creating growth opportunities. 

TSR provides a market-related measure of the Group’s 
progress against our objective of delivering long-term 
value for our shareholders.

TSR measures the total return to Mondi’s shareholders, 
including both share price appreciation and 
dividends paid.

2016 performance
We invested €465 million in capital expenditure, of 
which 80% was allocated to packaging.

2016 performance
Mondi declared a dividend of 57.0 euro cents per share 
and realised a one-year TSR of 10%.

Our packaging interests represent 79% of the Group’s 
capital employed. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
23

Sustainable development

40 Sustainability  
performance

Total recordable case rate (TRCR)
per 200,000 hours worked

Sustainable fibre supply
% FSC or PEFC-certified wood procured

0.79

0.78

0.83

Wood (Internal and external)
2020 commitment: above 70% 

0.701

0.66

65

66

66

66

67

Total specific CO2e emissions1
tonnes per tonne of saleable production
2030 commitment against 2014 base: below 0.7t

0.87

0.81

0.82

0.822

0.76

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

1  Excluding acquisitions

The safety and health of all our employees and 
contractors is of paramount importance. Our goal is 
a zero harm workplace.

Securing a sustainable source of fibre for our integrated 
pulp and paper mills is critical to the long-term 
sustainable success of these operations.

2016 performance
We continued to experience a steady improvement in 
our TRCR, and there were no fatalities or life-altering 
injuries during the year. 

We are committed to maintaining 100% Forest 
Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified forests 
and at least 70% of procured wood from certified 
sources by 2020 according to FSC or Programme 
for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) 
standards.  

2016 performance
Our forests have maintained their FSC certification 
(see note 3 on page 43) and 67% of our wood is from 
credibly certified sources. 

1  From our pulp and paper mills
2  2015 restated to include Pine Bluff mill (US)

We have continually focused on making our business 
less carbon intensive to address climate impacts.

We are committed to a 15% reduction in specific CO2e 
emissions by 2030 against our 2014 baseline.

2016 performance
To date, we have achieved a 8.9% reduction in specific 
CO2e emissions against our 2014 baseline (excluding 
Raubling mill from 2014 baseline).

Financial

48 Group financial  
performance

Return on capital employed (ROCE)
% (12-month rolling)

Underlying EBIT/EBITDA 
€ million

20.5

20.3

EBIT

EBITDA

  1 4 . 3 %   E B I T ,

1,126

  C A G R 1 :
1,068

5 - y e a r

927

  1 0 . 2 %   E B I T D A

1,325

1,366

574

699

767

957

981

17.2

15.3

13.6

Investment grade credit rating

Standard & Poor’s
Non-investment grade

Moody’s Investors Service
Investment grade

BBB+

BBB

BBB-

BB+

BB

BB-

Baa1

Baa2

Baa3

Ba1

Ba2

Ba3

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

1  Compound annual growth rate

Dec
2011

Oct
2014

May
2015

Dec
2016

ROCE, defined as underlying EBIT divided by 
12-month rolling capital employed, provides a broad 
overview of the efficient and effective use of capital in 
our operations.

New investments are required to deliver returns 
in excess of our hurdle rate of 13% across the 
business cycle.

2016 performance
ROCE of 20.3% reflects an industry-leading  
performance.

By excluding special items (which impact year-by-year 
comparability), underlying EBIT provides a measure of 
the operating performance of the Group and absolute 
growth in profitability of the operations. We target 
improving profitability across our business.

EBITDA, underlying EBIT before deducting depreciation 
and amortisation, provides a measure of the absolute 
growth in the cash generating ability of the Group and 
is therefore used for incentive purposes. 

We aim to maintain investment grade credit ratings 
to ensure we have access to funding for investment 
opportunities through the business cycle.

2016 performance
Our investment grade credit ratings were reaffirmed 
during the year. Our credit rating from Standard & 
Poor’s is BBB (stable outlook) and from Moody’s 
Investors Service is Baa2 (stable outlook).

2016 performance
3% increase in underlying operating profit and 
in EBITDA.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
24  

Our business model

Creating value the Mondi Way

Purpose
What we do at Mondi and why we do it. 
Our purpose statement fuels our inspiration 
and provides the context for our strategy. 

We delight you with innovative 
and sustainable packaging and 
paper solutions. Every day. 

The 
Mondi 
Way

Purpose

Strategy

Operating framework

Culture and values

The Mondi Way provides a 
framework to explain how our 
business model creates value. 
We believe it’s the combination of the 
Mondi Way elements that makes us 
successful as each part plays a key 
role in guiding the decisions we make 
and the way we work.

Key inputs

 e  High-quality, well-invested,  

 e  Responsible procurement  

low-cost integrated 
production base

of raw materials and 
other inputs

 e  Engagement and  
collaboration with  
customers and suppliers

 e  Diverse and talented people 
with a broad range of skills  
and experience

Strategy
Our plan of action designed to deliver 
sustainable value. It is the roadmap we follow 
to secure competitive advantage in line with 
our purpose. 

We deliver sustainable value by 
providing high-quality packaging 
and paper solutions through:
 e  Driving performance 
 e  Investing in our high-quality,  

low-cost assets 

 e  Innovating through customer  

partnerships

 e  Growing responsibly and inspiring 

our people

Our value chain
Our integrated value chain shows how  
we convert raw materials into innovative  
and sustainable solutions in line with  
our strategic priorities.

Raw materials
Wood fibre
Paper for recycling
Resins and film

Packaging and

paper solutions

for our customers 

Pulp and

paper mills

Converting

operations

 e  Strong financial  

position and cash 
flow generation

 e  Constructive relationships  

with communities, 
governments, NGOs  
and other stakeholders

We sustainably manage forests  
and purchase wood from responsible  
sources to produce pulp. Along with  
paper for recycling, we then turn the  
pulp into containerboard, kraft paper  
and uncoated fine paper.

Our converting operations require paper and other 

raw materials such as resins, films and nonwovens 

(some of which we produce ourselves) to create 

a wide range of innovative and sustainable 

packaging solutions and advanced materials that 

contribute to our customers’ success.

Our competitive advantages
 e Superior returns on capital 

employed thanks to our disciplined 
approach to, and implementation of 
investment decisions

 e  Inherent and sustainable cost 
advantages because of our high-
quality, low-cost production base; 
footprint in emerging markets; and 
focus on driving performance

 e  Improved security of supply and 

reduced exposure to price volatility 
by being integrated through the 
value chain 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
25

Business Unit  
value chains

52

Packaging  
Paper

58

Fibre 
Packaging

62

Consumer 
Packaging

66

Uncoated  
Fine Paper

70

South Africa  
Division

The risks we manage

Strategic risks
 e  Industry productive  

capacity

 e Product substitution
 e  Variability in selling 
prices or margins

 e Country risk

Financial risks
 e Capital structure
 e Currency
 e Tax

Operational risks
 e  Cost and availability 
of raw materials
 e Energy security
 e  Technical integrity of 
operating assets
 e  Environmental  
impact of 
our operations
 e  Employee and 

contractor safety

Compliance risks
 e Reputational
 e  Information  
technology

32 Our principal  
risks

Operating framework
We use the Mondi Diamond to drive day-to-day 
performance by converting strategy into clear 
objectives at an operational level. All five areas 
contribute to our success and our operations 
decide how to get the balance right in line with 
their priorities.

Culture and values
We are connected, guided and inspired by our 
culture and values. Our cultural characteristics 
make Mondi unique and set out the behaviours 
required of each of us to be successful. Our values 
are just as important as they describe our shared 
core beliefs.

 e We are dynamic, 
entrepreneurial 
and empowered

  Value: Passion for performance 
 e We are respectful 
and responsible

  Value: Caring 
 e We encourage honesty 

and transparency 

  Value: Acting with integrity 

Key outputs in 2016

The Mondi Diamond:
 e Cutting-edge solutions
 e Inspired people
 e Operational excellence
 e Successful customers
 e Sustainable development

Pulp and
paper mills

Converting
operations

Packaging and
paper solutions
for our customers 

 e  High-performing  

operations

 e  Sustainably managed  

natural resources

20.3%
ROCE 

19 
production records on 
pulp/paper machines

67%
of wood FSC or  
PEFC certified 

100%
owned/managed forests 
FSC certified 

 e  Innovative products  

and solutions

€19m

spent on research & 
development

 e  Inspired and  
skilled people

6

innovation centres 

790,000

training hours  

90%

biennial employee survey 
participation (2015)

Our converting operations require paper and other 
raw materials such as resins, films and nonwovens 
(some of which we produce ourselves) to create 
a wide range of innovative and sustainable 
packaging solutions and advanced materials that 
contribute to our customers’ success.

 e  Capital appreciation and  
dividends to shareholders

 e  Support to regional economies 

and local communities

10%
increase in dividends

314%
Total Shareholder  
Return (5 years)

€173m
direct taxes paid  

€8m
community investment

 e  Consistently high level of service 
and innovation driven by our scale, 
global reach, diverse product range and 
strong market positions 

 e Integrated approach to sustainable 
development and risk management, 
safeguarding our long-term future 

 e Commitment to unlocking the 

potential of our people by promoting 
a safe, inspiring and productive 
working environment 

Our value chain

Our integrated value chain shows how  

we convert raw materials into innovative  

and sustainable solutions in line with  

our strategic priorities.

Raw materials

Wood fibre

Paper for recycling

Resins and film

We sustainably manage forests  

and purchase wood from responsible  

sources to produce pulp. Along with  

paper for recycling, we then turn the  

pulp into containerboard, kraft paper  

and uncoated fine paper.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
5

Europe

1

1

3

4

2

26  

Where we operate

Our global  
presence

Mondi has over 100 production sites across more  
than 30 countries, with key operations located in central 
Europe, Russia, North America and South Africa. 

We’re more international than you may expect.

North 
America

5

4

3

Asia

Key

 Packaging paper

 Fibre packaging

 Consumer packaging

 Uncoated fine paper

 Pulp

 Forestry

South 
America

Africa

2

Corporate offices

Production sites

Johannesburg 

London 

Vienna 

Austria 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

China 

Côte d’Ivoire 

Czech Republic 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Iraq 

Italy 

Jordan 

Lebanon 

Malaysia 

Mexico 

Morocco 

Netherlands 

Oman 

Poland 

Russia 

Serbia 

Slovakia 

South Africa 

South Korea 

Spain 

Sweden 

Thailand 

Turkey 

Ukraine 

UK 

US 

Australasia

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5

Europe

1

1

3

4

2

North 

America

5

4

3

Asia

South 

America

Africa

2

Australasia

Revenue by location 
of production 
%

€6,662m

Emerging

Mature

  Emerging Europe 

  Russia 

  South Africa 

  Other 

  Western Europe 

  North America 

Employees per region 
%

25,400 employees

Emerging

Mature

  Emerging Europe 

  Russia 

  South Africa 

  Other 

  Western Europe 

  North America 

27

 Capital investments

16

1. Świecie (Poland)

€260m

Recovery boiler, turbine, biomass boiler,  
100 ktpa pulp, 80 ktpa lightweight kraftliner  
(start-up in Q1 2017)

2. Richards Bay (South Africa)

€30m

Woodyard upgrade (completed)

3. Štětí (Czech Republic)

€470m

Recovery boiler, rebuild of fibre lines, 
debottlenecking and new 90 ktpa machine glazed 
speciality kraft paper machine (approved in  
Q1 2017, subject to incentives and permitting)

4. Ružomberok (Slovakia) 

€310m

300 ktpa kraft top white containerboard machine 
(approved, subject to incentives and permitting)

5. Syktyvkar (Russia)

€144m

Power plant rebuild and waste water treatment 
plant modernisation (approved)

32

12

9

1

37

9

31

22

7

3

28

9

 Acquisitions

16

1. SIMET S.A. (Poland)

€13m

Corrugated Packaging

2. Kalenobel (90%) (Turkey)

€90m

Consumer Goods Packaging

3. Uralplastic (Russia)

€41m

Consumer Goods Packaging

4. Lebedyan (Russia)

€41m

Corrugated Packaging

5. Excelsior Technologies (UK)

€38m

Consumer Goods Packaging (Q1 2017)

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
28  

Our external context

Global packaging 
market

We seek opportunity and manage risk by monitoring 
and leveraging the trends affecting the global 
packaging industry. By responding proactively, 
we can shape our own future.

Global packaging by product1
% total market

  Fibre based 

  Rigid plastic 

  Flexible 

  Metal 

  Glass 

  Other 

36

22

17

14

7

4

Global packaging by region1
% total market

  Europe 

  North America 

27

24

  Middle East and Africa 

5

  Asia-Pacific 

  Central and 
  South America 

39

5

1  Smithers Pira, The Future of Global Packaging 

to 2020

The global packaging market provides 
materials to wrap, store, protect and display  
a variety of goods. Packaging is expected 
to deliver more value every day. It needs 
to capture consumers’ attention, be 
convenient, communicate brand values, 
protect and preserve the product, be cost 
efficient and minimise both transport costs 
and environmental impacts. 

Various substrates are used in the 
production of packaging in order to achieve  
the optimal results our customers and end 
consumers are looking for. These include 
paper and board, plastic film, foil, rigid 
plastic, glass, metal, wood and textiles 
– either standalone or in combination, 
depending on requirements. 

Global annual demand for packaging 
is estimated to be approximately 
US$839 billion, with Europe and North 
America accounting for around half of the 
global market1.

Our packaging interests are centred around 
the fibre-based and flexible packaging 
markets, primarily in Europe, Russia, Middle 
East and North Africa, North America and 
South Africa. We are a leading supplier of 
fibre-based packaging including packaging 
papers (such as containerboard and kraft 
paper), converted packaging products 
(such as corrugated packaging and 
industrial bags), and speciality products. 
We are a leading provider of consumer 
flexible packaging such as pre-made bags 
and pouches, printed laminates and high-
barrier films.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
29

Fibre-based packaging

Mondi is the leading producer of 
containerboard in emerging Europe, and  
the second largest producer of virgin  
containerboard in Europe. European  
containerboard consumption was 
estimated at around 34 million tonnes 
in 2016, up 2.4%2 on the previous year. 
We are also a key producer of corrugated 
packaging in emerging Europe. 

We are the largest supplier of kraft 
paper in Europe and a leading global 
player. Kraft paper is used in a variety of 
applications from super-strong cement 
bags to food packaging applications. 
Consumption in Europe is estimated 
at around 4 million tonnes and grew 
moderately in 2016. We are a global leader 
in the production of industrial bags, used 
for packaging cement, building materials, 
chemical and agricultural products. 

2  RISI, European Paper Packaging Forecast, 

December 2016

Consumer flexible packaging

Consumer flexible packaging is used in 
the primary packaging of food, as well 
as for pet food, home care, hygiene and 
other products, where a combination of 
plastic films, foils and paper deliver the 
right packaging solutions to protect and 
promote products every day. The global 
consumer flexible packaging market 
continues to enjoy good growth as a 
result of positive substitution effects and 
organic growth. The global consumer 
flexible packaging market is estimated to 
be around US$83 billion with Europe and 
North America representing almost half of 
the global market3.

We are a leading European producer 
of consumer flexible packaging, with a 
small presence in Russia, North America 
and Asia.

3  PCI, The European Flexible Packaging market 

to 2020

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201630  

Our external context

Key  
market 
drivers

Key market drivers
Demand for packaging is closely 
linked to economic development. 
Growth in consumer spending  
and industrial production will 
continue to drive demand  
for packaging in the future. 

We believe there are distinct factors 
that will shape the packaging  
industry and impact demand for 
our products:

Demographics and 
economic development

 e Population growth and a rising 

middle class in emerging markets

 e Ageing population in 
developed markets

 e Urbanisation and changing 
lifestyles (women at work, 
smaller households)

Impacts on the 
packaging industry
Trends impacting demand for  
packaging are closely linked to the 
market drivers described above. 

Packaging is continually evolving 
to address factors such as:

 e More demand for packaged 

goods in emerging markets as 
populations grow, incomes rise 
and retail chains develop

 e Time-constrained consumers 

seeking fast and often healthier 
food options

 e Consumers requiring 

smaller portion sizes and 
convenience features

How we are responding
We see strong potential for 
growth in the packaging sectors 
in which we operate and we are 
focused on taking advantage of 
the opportunities associated with 
these market trends. 

40 Sustainability  
performance

Investments
Our acquisitions and capital investment 
projects are centred on expanding our  
product range and geographic reach,  
reducing our environmental impact,  
and providing innovative solutions.

Recent projects have delivered significant 
improvements in energy efficiency and  
emissions reductions (e.g. new recovery 
boilers); provided additional capacity to 
meet market demand (e.g. lightweight  
containerboard) and increased our design 
and printing capabilities.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
31

Digitalisation 
and interconnectedness 

Modern  
consumers

Focus on  
sustainability 

 e Reshaping the world we live in 
 e Growing online shopping culture
 e Increased complexity of 

supply chains

 e More legislation driven by 

stakeholder concerns about 
responsibility along the value chain

 e Engaged consumers, empowered 

 e Increased demand for limited 

by digitalisation, making 
informed choices

 e Packaging as an ambassador for 

brand owners who need to interact 
more with consumers
 e Increased competition and 

changing distribution channels 
requiring innovative multifunctional 
packaging solutions

resources driving the need to save 
food, reduce other waste, and use 
materials more efficiently

 e Heightened awareness of the 
impacts of climate change, 
degradation of ecosystems and 
industrial emissions 

 e Environmentally conscious end-

consumers

 e Increasing demand for 
e-commerce solutions

 e Multichannel brand 

communication impacting the 
required functionality of packaging

 e Complex and longer supply 

chains increasing the protection 
requirements of goods in transit 
and needing extended product 
shelf life 

 e Increased need for transparency in 
how we do business and how our 
products are made (including legal 
compliance, labelling, sourcing, 
certification, etc.)

 e Need for packaging to convey 
brand values and promote 
premium products 

 e Increased requirements for 
sophisticated printing and 
haptic properties to enhance 
consumer experience
 e Changing retail landscape 

with cost pressures along the 
value chain necessitating shelf-
ready packaging and point-of-
sale displays 

 e Stakeholders requiring the 

responsible use of natural and 
renewable resources, and reduced 
emissions and waste

 e Desire for light-weighting and right-
size packaging to reduce materials 
used in packaging 

 e Benefits of fibre-based packaging 

that is recyclable, biodegradable and/ 
or made from renewable sources 
 e Demand for flexible packaging driven 
by reduced materials; lower energy 
for production and transportation; 
and barriers to prevent food waste 
and enhance shelf life

Our latest acquisitions support the 
development of our Consumer Goods 
Packaging (Uralplastic, Kalenobel and 
Excelsior Technologies) and Corrugated 
Packaging (SIMET and Lebedyan) 
businesses, enhancing our product offering 
and geographic reach. 

Product innovation
Our wide portfolio of products gives us a 
unique opportunity to offer our customers 
innovative fibre-based and flexible 
packaging solutions. 

Our packaging solutions include: 

 e Reduced portions and convenience  
(e.g. easy opening, re-closable seals  
and smart storage)

 e e-Commerce (e.g. re-sealable boxes and 

tamper proof solutions) 

 e Advanced design and printing options 

to enhance brand appeal and customer 
experience (e.g. premium shelf-ready 
packaging, paper-touch solutions and 
shaped packaging)

 e Multi-barrier solutions to extend shelf 
life (e.g. sterilisation packaging and 
high-barrier films)

 e Light-weighting without sacrificing 

strength properties (e.g. lightweight  
recycled containerboard, single-
ply industrial bags and stand-
up pouches)

 e Environmental responsibility 
(e.g. biodegradable and 
recyclable packaging)

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201632  

Our principal risks

Proactive approach  
to risk management

In combination with the audit committee, the 
Boards have conducted a robust assessment of the 
principal risks to which Mondi is exposed and they 
are satisfied that the Group has effective systems 
and controls in place to manage its key risks within 
the risk tolerance levels established. 

Our risk and internal control management 
framework is designed to address all the  
significant strategic, financial, operational 
and compliance-related risks that could  
undermine our ability to achieve our business 
objectives in the future. The Boards are 
responsible for the effectiveness of the 
Group’s risk management activities and 
internal control processes. They have 
put procedures in place for identifying, 
evaluating, and managing the significant 
risks that the Group faces. 

The details of the review and the risk 
framework and processes on which 
the review is based are set out below. 
This report only addresses our most 
significant risks.

Our approach to risk management

The Boards have overall responsibility 
for setting the Group’s strategy and for 
managing related risks. They determine 
the Group’s risk appetite, using a matrix 
which takes into consideration both the 
likelihood and the magnitude of the impact 
in the event that the risk event occurs, and 
approve the Group’s risk management 
framework. The Boards have established 
specific risk tolerance levels for each 
category of risk.

The audit committee is responsible for 
reviewing the risk management policy and 
is required to monitor the effectiveness of 
the risk management processes and report 
to the Boards. Each of our significant risks 
is reviewed in detail by the audit committee 
through the course of the year: considering 
the detailed risk description; the controls 
and mitigating actions in place; and the 
resultant residual risk exposure.

Our risk management framework

Risk management is by nature a dynamic 
and ongoing process. Our well-defined 
approach is flexible to ensure that it remains 
relevant at all levels of the business, and 
dynamic to ensure we can be responsive 
to changing business conditions. This is 
particularly important given the diversity 
of the Group’s locations, markets and 
production processes. Our internal control 
environment is designed to safeguard 
the assets of the Group and to provide 
reasonable assurance that the Group’s 
business objectives will be achieved.

The Group’s risk rating matrix is based 
on the residual risk that the Group faces 
after taking into consideration the internal 
control environment and other mitigating 
factors. The risk rating matrix, with detailed 
descriptions of likelihood and impact 
criteria, serves as the basis on which each 
business unit is required to conduct an 
annual risk review.

In addition, risk management is embedded 
in all decision-making processes with 
ongoing review by the Boards and 
risk assessments forming part of all 
investment decisions.

In establishing the overall risk 
management framework:

 e The Boards and their committees have 

approved the Group’s financial, business 
conduct, operating, and administrative 
policies – including those relating to 
delegation of signing authorities and 
information security. The policies provide 
a framework for the Group’s internal 
control environment and outline required 
standards of behaviour. Business units 
are required to ensure that they adhere 
to approved Group policies and that 
they have implemented their own 
supporting policies.

 e In line with the approved delegation 

of authorities (such as the approval of 
major capital investments, acquisitions, 
and disposals), specific matters 
are reserved for board or executive 
committee approval.

 e The audit committee approves the 

annual internal audit plan and the Boards 
approve the annual budget and three-
year plan.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201633

Our internal control environment

Our internal control environment operates as follows:

Operational management
 e The organisational structure is regularly 
reviewed. Where circumstances dictate, 
changes to the organisational structure 
are recommended to the executive 
committee or Boards to ensure it 
remains relevant.

 e Key policies and procedures covering 
all main areas of business conduct 
are approved by the Boards and each 
business unit is required to adhere to 
these overall Group policies.

 e Management are responsible for 
continually reviewing their entity’s 
operating and financial performance 
and for preparing and reviewing monthly 
management accounts.

 e On a bi-annual basis, all financial 

managers are required to complete 
an internal control assessment 
and provide written confirmation of 
compliance with Group policies and 
procedures. This formal confirmation 
highlights any control weaknesses or 
deficiencies identified.

Management review and assurance
 e Management are responsible for 
continually reviewing the Group’s 
operating and financial performance, 
including monthly management 
accounts. The Group’s reporting 
cycle includes the monthly flash and 
management reports, a quarterly 
outlook, and the annual budget and 
three-year plan. Detailed monthly 
management reports and variance 
analyses comparing actual and planned 
results are prepared. These regular 
reviews assist in the early identification of 
potential issues and/or emerging risks.
 e A number of Group functions have been 
established to provide oversight, central 
coordination, and management of certain 
specialised risk areas. These include: 
information technology, sustainable 
development, safety and health, treasury, 
and tax. Each function has board-
approved policies in place against 
which conduct throughout the Group 
is assessed.

 e Regular reviews of financial and operating 

performance, progress of significant 
capital investment projects and plans, 
and a detailed assessment of current 
market conditions take place at Group 
level and, in more depth, at business 
unit level.

Independent assessment/assurance
 e The Group has a centrally coordinated 

internal audit function, which makes use 
of local competency, and reports directly 
to the audit committee.

 e Speakout provides a confidential 
reporting hotline for reporting 
irregularities. Follow up is coordinated by 
internal audit and reported on at each 
audit committee meeting.

 e External assurance is provided through 

external audit which is designed to detect 
material errors and irregularities.
 e The Group is registered with, and 

subject to regular audits by, a number of 
standard setting authorities, such as FSC 
and ISO.

 e Mondi is subject to regular review and 
vetting by external regulatory bodies 
as well as non-regulatory parties, 
including annual insurance assessments, 
sustainable development assurance, and 
information security penetration testing.

Through this structured approach, the 
control environment is subject to regular 
oversight and review to ensure that there 
are no significant deficiencies, that control 
weaknesses are identified and addressed, 
and that new or emerging risks are 
identified early and regularly monitored.

Our risk management process

The business units conduct an 
annual, detailed review of the 
risks in their business unit and 
compile a risk register which 
is reviewed and approved by 
the individual operating and 
executive committees. 

The most significant risks are  
reported to the Group executive  
committee and subsequently  
to the audit committee and Boards.

It is the responsibility of these committees to evaluate 
the risks facing the business, assess the controls and 
other mitigating actions that are in place and evaluate 
the residual risks. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201634  

Our principal risks

Our most significant risks

Over the course of the past year, the audit 
committee has reviewed each of the 
principal risks set out below. In evaluating 
the Group’s risk management and internal 
control processes, the committee has 
considered both internal and external audit 
reports and received confirmation from 
the finance heads of the business units 
that financial control frameworks have 
operated satisfactorily.

12

13

11

5

t
c
a
p
m

I

Likelihood

4

8

14

7

2

10

9

3

1

1. 

 Industry productive capacity

2.   Product substitution

3.   Fluctuations and variability in 
selling prices or gross margins

4.   Country risk

5.   Capital structure

6.   Currency risk

7. 

 Tax risk

8.   Cost and availability of 

raw materials

9.   Energy security and related 

6

input costs

10.  Technical integrity of our 

operating assets

11.  Environmental impact of 

our operations

12.  Employee and contractor safety

13.  Reputational risk

14.  Information technology risk

Strategic risks

Risk tolerance
High

Key person responsible
David Hathorn (Chief executive officer)

The industry and geographic locations in which we operate expose us to specific long-
term risks which are accepted by the Boards as a consequence of the Group’s chosen 
strategy and operating footprint.

While there have been no significant changes in our strategic risk exposure during the 
year, we continue to monitor recent capacity announcements and the developments in 
the process as the UK seeks to exit the European Union.

The executive committee and Boards monitor our exposure to these risks and evaluate 
investment decisions against our overall exposures so that our strategic capital 
investments and acquisitions take advantage of the opportunities arising from our 
deliberate exposure to such risks.

1   Industry productive capacity

Potential impact
Plant utilisation levels are the main driver of profitability in paper mills. New capacity 
additions are usually in large increments which, through their impact on the supply/
demand balance, influence market prices. Unless market growth exceeds capacity 
additions, excess capacity may lead to lower selling prices. In our converting 
operations newer technology may lower operating costs and provide increased 
product functionality impacting margins.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We monitor industry developments in terms of changes in capacity and utilisation 
levels, as well as trends and developments in our own product markets.

Our strategic focus on low-cost production and innovation activities to produce 
higher value-added products, combined with our focus on growing markets 
and consistent investment in our operating capacity, ensures that we can 
remain competitive.

2   Product substitution

Potential impact
Changing global socio-economic and demographic trends and consumption 
patterns and increased public awareness of sustainability challenges affect the 
demand for Mondi’s products.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
Our ability to meet changes in consumer demand depends on our capacity 
to anticipate change correctly and develop new products on a sustainable, 
competitive and cost-effective basis.

Customers’ needs and purchasing power are changing in emerging markets. 
Substitution may be to different products not produced by Mondi or to different 
solutions meeting the same customer requirement. 

Factors that impact the demand for our products include reduced weight of 
packaging materials, increased use of recycled materials, electronic substitution of 
paper products, increased demand for high-quality printed material, certified and 
responsibly produced goods, and specific material qualities.

Opportunities also exist for us to take market share from substitutes produced by 
our competitors. Our focus is on products enjoying positive substitution dynamics 
and growing regional markets as we work with our customers to develop new 
markets and new products. 

Our broad range of converting products provides some protection from the effects 
of substitution between paper and plastic-based packaging products.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201635

3   Fluctuations and variability in selling prices or gross margins

Potential impact
Our selling prices are determined by changes in capacity and demand for our 
products, which are, in turn, influenced by macroeconomic conditions, consumer 
spending preferences, and inventory levels maintained by our customers. 

Changes in prices differ between products and geographic regions and the timing 
and magnitude of such changes have varied significantly over time.

4   Country risk

Potential impact
We have production operations across more than 30 countries; some in 
jurisdictions where the political, economic, and legal systems are less predictable 
than in countries with more developed institutional structures. Political or economic 
upheaval, inflation, changes in laws, nationalisation, or expropriation of assets may 
have a material effect on our operations in those countries.

Despite improvements in certain segments of the global economy, uncertainties 
remain over slowing growth, political and economic structural weakness in the 
eurozone’s single currency framework, and uncertainty over the outcomes of the 
UK’s decision to exit from the European Union.  

Areas of weaker governance also present the challenge of addressing potential 
human rights issues in our operations and supply chain. The introduction of the 
UK Modern Slavery Act has further highlighted the need to identify and address 
potential risks of child labour, forced or bonded labour and human trafficking in 
our supply chain. 

From a human capital perspective, we face different demographic and social 
conditions in each country which affects the availability of skills and talent for 
the Group.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
Our strategic focus is on higher growth markets and products where we enjoy a 
competitive advantage through innovation, proximity or production cost.

We continue to invest in our high-quality, low-cost production assets to ensure we 
maintain our competitive cost position. 

We are committed to meeting service levels and product quality requirements. 

Our high levels of vertical integration reduce our exposure to price volatility of our 
key input costs. Our financial policies and structures take the inherent price volatility 
of the markets in which we operate into consideration.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We actively monitor all countries and environments in which we operate. 
Regular formal and informal interaction with government officials, local 
communities, and business partners assist us to remain abreast of changes 
and new developments.

The Boards have approved specific country risk premiums to be added to 
the required returns on investment projects in those countries where risks are 
deemed to be higher and new investments are subject to rigorous strategic and 
commercial evaluation. 

Where we have large operations in higher risk locations, we maintain a permanent 
internal audit presence and operate asset protection units. 

We are in the process of reviewing how we assess, monitor, and manage risks 
in our supply chain, including the use of country-based risk assessment tools 
and databases. 

We actively engage with our employees, communities and other stakeholders for a 
better understanding of local socio-economic conditions and development needs. 

Our geographic diversity and decentralised management structure, utilising 
local resources in countries in which we operate, reduces our exposure to any 
specific jurisdiction.

Financial risks

Risk tolerance
Medium to Low

Key person responsible
Andrew King (Chief financial officer)

5   Capital structure

Our approach to financial risk management is set out in more detail in the Group 
strategy and financial reviews. We aim to maintain an appropriate capital structure 
and to conservatively manage our financial risk exposures in compliance with all laws 
and regulations.

Despite ongoing short-term currency volatility and increased scrutiny of the tax affairs of 
multinational companies, our overall residual risk exposure remains similar to previous 
years, reflecting our conservative approach to financial risk management.

Potential impact
A strong and stable financial position increases our flexibility and provides us with 
the ability to take advantage of strategic opportunities as they arise.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We operate a central treasury function under a board-approved treasury policy. 
We provide regular reporting to the Boards on our treasury management policies.

Our ability to raise debt and/or equity financing is significantly influenced by general 
economic conditions, developments in credit markets, equity market volatility, and 
our credit rating. 

Failure to obtain financing at reasonable rates could prevent us from realising our 
strategy and have a negative impact on our competitive position.

We aim to maintain an investment grade credit rating and we have access to a 
variety of sources of funding with varying maturities. 

We only enter into contracts relating to financial instruments with counterparties 
that have investment grade credit ratings. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201636  

Our principal risks

Financial risks

6   Currency risk

Potential impact
We operate in more than 30 countries and are thus exposed to the effect of 
changes in foreign currency rates. The impact of currency fluctuations affects us 
because of mismatches between the currencies in which our operating costs are 
incurred and those in which revenues are received.

Key operating cost currencies that are not fully offset by local currency 
denominated revenues include the South African rand, Polish zloty, Swedish krona, 
and Czech koruna; while the revenues generated in US dollar, Russian rouble and 
UK pound sterling are greater than operating costs incurred in those currencies.

In addition, appreciation of the euro compared with the currencies of the other key 
paper producing regions or paper pricing currencies, notably the US dollar, would 
reduce the competitiveness of the products Mondi produces in Europe compared 
to imports from such key paper-producing regions which could potentially lead to 
lower revenues and earnings.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We fund our entities in their local currencies to minimise translation risk. 
This exposes us to interest rate risk from these currencies which we aim to 
manage through interest rate swaps and fixed rate borrowings.

Balance sheet exposure and material forecast future capital expenditure 
transactions are hedged. We do not permit speculative currency positions.

We do not hedge our exposure to projected future sales or purchases and 
our businesses respond to currency fluctuations through changes in selling 
prices or increasing the level of exports where competitiveness improves as 
currencies weaken.

Our strategic focus on low-cost production assets and operational 
efficiency provides inherent cost advantages, protecting us from adverse 
currency fluctuations.

7   Tax risks

Potential impact
We operate in a number of countries, all with different tax systems. We make 
significant intragroup charges, the basis for which is subject to review during 
tax audits.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
The Boards have approved the Group’s Tax Policy. We aim to manage our affairs 
conservatively and our operations are structured tax efficiently to take advantage of 
available incentives and exemptions.

In addition, the international tax environment is becoming more onerous, requiring 
increasing transparency and reporting and in-depth scrutiny of the tax affairs of 
multinational companies.

We have dedicated tax resources throughout the Group supported by a centralised 
Group tax team.

We obtain external advisory opinions for all major tax projects, such as acquisitions 
and restructuring activities, and make use of external benchmarks where possible.

Arm’s length principles are applied in the pricing of all intragroup transactions 
in accordance with Organisation for Economic Cooperation and 
Development guidelines.

Operational risks

Risk tolerance
Low

Key persons responsible
Peter Oswald (Chief executive officer: 
Europe & International Division),  
Ron Traill (Chief executive officer:  
South Africa Division),  
John Lindahl (Group technical director)

A low residual risk tolerance is demonstrated through our focus on operational 
excellence, investment in our people and commitment to the responsible use 
of resources.

Our investments to improve our energy efficiency, engineer out our most significant 
risks, improve operating efficiencies, and renew our equipment continue to reduce the 
likelihood of operational risk events. However, the potential impact of any such event 
remains unchanged.

8   Cost and availability of raw materials

Potential impact
Access to sustainable sources of raw materials is essential to our operations.

We have access to our own sources of wood in Russia and South Africa and we 
purchase wood, paper for recycling, pulp, and polymers for film production to meet 
our needs in the balance of our operations. 

Wood prices and availability may be adversely affected by reduced quantities of 
available wood supply that meet our standards for Chain-of-Custody certified 
or controlled wood and initiatives to promote the use of wood as a renewable 
energy source.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We are committed to acquiring our raw materials from sustainable, responsible 
sources and avoiding the use of any controversial or illegal supply. We are involved 
in multi-stakeholder processes to address challenges in meeting the global 
demand for sustainable, responsible fibre and we encourage legislation supporting 
the local collection of recycled materials.

The sustainable management of our forestry operations is key in managing our 
overall environmental impact, helping to protect ecosystems, and developing 
resilient landscapes. We have built strong forestry management resources in 
Russia and South Africa to actively monitor and manage our wood resources in 
those countries. 

We have multiple suppliers for each of our operations and our centralised 
procurement teams work closely with our operations in actively pursuing 
longer-term agreements with strategic suppliers. We have developed an 
internal monitoring and risk assessment system to understand and manage 
the performance of our suppliers and their adherence to our Suppliers’ Code 
of Conduct.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201637

9   Energy security and related input costs

Potential impact
Mondi is a significant consumer of electricity which is generated internally and 
purchased from external suppliers.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We monitor our electricity usage, carbon emission levels and use of renewable 
energy. Most of our larger operations have high levels of electricity self-sufficiency.

Where we do not generate electricity from biomass and by-products of our 
production processes, we are dependent on external suppliers for raw materials 
such as gas, oil and coal. 

We focus on improving the energy efficiency of our operations by investing in 
improvements to our energy profile and increased electricity self-sufficiency, while 
reducing ongoing operating costs and carbon emission levels. 

Increasing energy costs contribute significantly to increasing chemical, fuel, and 
transportation costs which are often difficult to pass on to customers. 

As an energy-intensive business, we face potential physical and regulatory risks 
related to climate change.

10   Technical integrity of our operating assets

Where we generate electricity surplus to our own requirements, we may sell such 
surplus externally. We also generate revenue from the sale of green energy credits 
in certain of our operations at prices determined in the open market.

Potential impact
We have five major mills which account for approximately 74% of our total pulp and 
paper production capacity, and a significant consumer packaging manufacturing 
facility in Germany.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
Our capital investment programme supports the replacement of older equipment 
to improve both reliability and integrity, and our proactive repair and maintenance 
strategy is designed to improve production reliability and minimise breakdown risks.

If operations at any of these key facilities are interrupted for any significant 
length of time, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position 
or performance. 

We conduct detailed risk assessments of our high-priority equipment and have 
specific processes and procedures in place for the ongoing management and 
maintenance of such equipment. 

Accidents or incidents such as fires, explosions, or large machinery breakdowns 
could result in property damage, loss of production, reputational damage, and/or 
safety incidents.

We actively monitor all incidents and have a formal process which allows us to 
share lessons learnt across our operations, identify emerging issues, conduct 
benchmarking, and evaluate the effectiveness of our risk reduction activities.

11   Environmental impact of our operations

Potential impact
We operate in a high-impact sector and need to manage the associated risks 
and responsibilities.

Our operations are water, carbon and energy intensive; consume materials such 
as fibre, polymers, metals and chemicals; and generate emissions to air, water and 
land. We are the custodian of more than two million hectares of forested land. 

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We ensure that we are complying with all applicable environmental, health 
and safety requirements where we operate. Our own policies and procedures, 
at or above local policy requirements, are embedded in all our operations 
and are supported through the use of externally accredited environmental 
management systems.

We are subject to a wide range of international, national and local environmental 
laws and regulations, as well as the requirements of our customers and 
expectations of our broader stakeholders. 

Costs of continuing compliance, potential restoration and clean-up activities, 
and increasing costs from the effects of emissions have an adverse impact on 
our profitability.

We focus on a clean production philosophy to address the impact from emissions, 
discharge, and waste. We focus on increasing the energy efficiency of our 
operations and using biomass-based fuels in order to reduce our use of fossil-
based energy sources. We have undertaken detailed compliance assessments 
regarding Industry Emissions and Energy Efficiency Directives to determine future 
investment requirements. 

We emphasise the responsible management of forests and associated ecosystems 
and protect high conservation value areas.

12   Employee and contractor safety

Potential impact
We operate large facilities, often in remote locations. Accidents/incidents cause 
injury to our employees or contractors, property damage, lost production time, 
and/or harm to our reputation.

Risks include: fatalities, serious injuries, illness, disease, and substance abuse.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We have a goal of zero harm. We continually monitor incidents and close calls and 
actively transfer learnings across our operations.

We apply an externally accredited safety management system and conduct regular 
audits of our operations to ensure our facilities remain fit-for-purpose. 

We have implemented a programme to engineer out the most significant risks 
in our operations supported by robust controls and procedures for operating 
those assets. 

We provide extensive training to ensure that performance standards and practice 
notes are communicated and understood and our incentives are impacted by the 
non-achievement of safety milestones.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201638  

Our principal risks

Compliance risks

Risk tolerance
Low

Key person responsible
Andrew King (Chief financial officer)

13   Reputational risk

We have a zero tolerance approach to compliance risks. Our strong culture and values, 
emphasised in every part of our business, with a focus on integrity, honesty, and 
transparency, underpin our approach.

Potential impact
Non-compliance with the legal and governance requirements and globally 
established responsible business conduct in any of the jurisdictions in which 
we operate and within our supply chain could expose us to significant risk if not 
actively managed.

These requirements include laws relating to the environment, exports, price 
controls, taxation, human rights, and labour. 

Fines imposed by authorities for non-compliance are severe and, in some cases, 
legislation can result in criminal sanction for entities and individuals found guilty.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We operate a comprehensive training and compliance programme, supported by 
self-certification and reporting, with personal sanction for failure to comply with 
Group policies.

Our legal and governance compliance is supported by a centralised legal 
compliance team and is subject to regular internal audit review. 

We operate a confidential reporting hotline, Speakout, enabling employees, 
customers, suppliers, managers and other stakeholders to raise concerns about 
conduct that may be contrary to our values. 

We increasingly work with our suppliers to promote responsible business conduct 
in the value chain.

14   Information technology risk

Potential impact
Many of our operations are dependent on the availability of IT services and an 
extended interruption of such services may result in plant shutdown and an inability 
to meet customer requirements.

Cyber crime continues to increase and attempts are increasingly sophisticated, 
with the consequences of successful attacks including compromised data, 
financial fraud, and system shutdowns.

Monitoring and mitigation activities
We have a comprehensive IT Security Policy approved by our Boards.

We conduct regular threat assessments and utilise external providers to evaluate 
and review our security policies and procedures. 

Where possible, we have redundancies in place, our system landscape is based on 
well-proven products, and we have cyber crime insurance. 

We operate an extensive training and awareness programme for all our users.

Recovery boiler safety 

Keeping our people safe is Mondi’s top priority. 
Technical integrity and process safety are key 
components of our approach. Our safety journey 
includes understanding our process risks and 
ensuring adequate controls to manage them. 

Over the past three years we have implemented a 
process safety management system in our recovery 
boiler operations to ensure they stay online without 
incident or product release. We have systematically 
identified, assessed and mitigated high-hazard 
areas and developed procedures governing the way 
residual process risks are managed. 

We conduct an annual global recovery boiler 
leadership meeting, internal technical audits, and 
numerous targeted workshops to ensure all levels 
of management understand their role in proactively 
preventing a process-related event at our operations.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201639

Viability statement

As part of the approval of this integrated 
report, the Boards have assessed the 
Group’s prospects and viability. The Boards 
believe that the three years to December 
2019 is an appropriate period over which 
a reasonable expectation of the Group’s 
longer-term viability can be evaluated.

In coming to this view, the Boards have 
considered the inherent volatility in 
commodity prices and exchange rates, the 
time taken for new investments in pulp and 
paper production capacity to be introduced 
into the market, typical new product 
development cycles, and the Group’s 
capital structure. Given the strategic risks 
described above, the Boards believe that 
the ability to assess the Group’s longer-
term viability beyond this period becomes 
increasingly difficult.

Mondi’s geographical spread, product 
diversity, and large customer base mitigate 
potential risks of customer or supplier 
liquidity issues. Ongoing initiatives by 
management in implementing profit 
improvement programmes, which include 
ongoing investment in its operations, plant 
optimisation, cost-cutting, and restructuring 
and rationalisation activities, have 
consolidated the Group’s leading positions 
in its chosen markets.

The Boards have considered the Group’s 
current financial position, strategy and 
plans for the next three years, marking 
the end of the Group’s formal planning 
horizon. The Group’s budget and plan 
has been tested for severe, but plausible, 
downside scenarios. These include lower 
packaging and uncoated fine paper prices 
and weaker demand. The potential impact 
of a weaker US dollar/euro exchange rate 
and stronger emerging market currencies 
has also been evaluated. Based on the 
results of these scenarios, the Boards 
are satisfied that the Group will be able to 
respond to such circumstances through 
various means which may include a 
reduction of capital expenditure and further 
rationalisation and/or restructuring, to 
ensure that the Group can continue to meet 
its ongoing obligations.

The Group meets its funding requirements 
from a variety of sources as more fully 
described in the financial statements. 
The Boards are satisfied that the Group will 
have sufficient liquidity to meet its needs 
over the planning horizon. In the scenarios 
evaluated, the Group remains within its key 
financial covenant ratio in terms of which its 
net debt to trailing 12-month EBITDA ratio 
must not exceed 3.5 times.

Taking into account the Group’s long-term 
strategy, the principal risks described 
above, and the results of the downside 
scenario assessments, the directors 
have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group remains viable over the period of 
the assessment.

Going concern

The directors have reviewed the Group’s 
budget, considered the assumptions 
contained in the budget, and reviewed 
the critical risks which may impact the 
Group’s performance in the near term. 
These include an evaluation of the 
current macroeconomic environment 
and reasonably possible changes in the 
Group’s trading performance.

The Group’s financial position, cash flows, 
liquidity position, and borrowing facilities 
are described in the annual financial 
statements. At 31 December 2016, Mondi 
had €812 million of undrawn, committed 
debt facilities. The Group’s debt facilities 
have maturity dates of between 1 and 9 
years, with a weighted average maturity of 
3.9 years.

Based on their evaluation, the Boards are 
satisfied that the Group remains solvent 
and has adequate liquidity to meet its 
obligations and continue in operational 
existence for the foreseeable future.

Accordingly, the Group continues to adopt 
the going concern basis in preparing 
the Integrated report and financial 
statements 2016.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201640  

Sustainability performance 

Growing responsibly

“ It’s a time of collaboration, collective action  
and holistic thinking, with an increased expectation  
for business to play a more active role. Our approach  
is well aligned with the current global sustainable 
development agenda and provides a strong 
foundation for future sustainable profitable growth.”

Stephen Harris 
Chairman of the DLC sustainable  
development committee

Online sustainable development 
report 2016

Our Growing Responsibly model

10 action areas:

Employee and 
contractor safety
Our goal is zero harm to 
employees and contractors, 
and a safe and healthy 
workplace. Overall, our safety 
performance has improved 
steadily over the past five years 
and we’re among the leaders 
in our industry1.

A skilled  
and committed 
workforce
We’re developing a  
culture that aims to inspire, 
engage and develop all our 
people to reach their full 
potential, while ensuring our 
business can continue to grow 
and succeed.

Fairness and 
diversity in  
the workplace
The diversity of our workforce is 
one of our greatest strengths.  
We promote fair working 
conditions for a better, more 
diverse workplace. 

Sustainable  
fibre
We’re promoting positive 
change to support credible 
certification systems that will 
meet increasing demand 
for sustainable fibre. 
We also manage our own 
forests sustainably.

Climate  
change
We consider climate change 
in our business decisions 
through sound investments to 
improve energy efficiency and 
responsible procurement  
of wood and fibre. 
Our sustainably managed 
forests also play an important 
role in storing carbon.

16 commitments2, by 20203:

 e  Engage with our people to 
create a better workplace

 e   Promote fair working 

conditions in the workplace

 e  Avoid work-related 
employee and  
contractor fatalities
 e  Prevent life-altering 
employee and  
contractor injuries
 e  Reduce TRCR by 5% 

compared to 2015 baseline, 
including new acquisitions

 e  Reduce specific  

CO2e emissions from  
our pulp and paper mills by 
15% by 2030 against  
a 2014 baseline

 e  Maintain 100% FSC 
certification of our 
owned and leased 
forestry operations and 
promote sustainable 
forest management 

 e  Procure a minimum of 70% 
of our wood from FSC or 
PEFC certified sources with 
the balance meeting our 
company minimum wood 
standard that complies 
with the standard for 
Controlled Wood  
(FSC-STD-40-005)

1  Based on total recordable case rate  2  Going forward, we will review and refine our commitment metrics as necessary to ensure they are appropriate and measurable  3  Climate commitment to 2030

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201641

The sustainability challenges we face as 
a business and as a society are ever-
changing and increasingly complex. 
To support our long-term strategy and to 
deliver on our local priorities, we rely on a 
robust framework that builds on what we 
have learned and achieved in the past. 
It also enables us to address current and 
future risks and opportunities in a holistic, 
inclusive way. This will help us to grow 
responsibly and to create value for our 
stakeholders, long into the future. 

Growing responsibly has long been 
part of our philosophy and our ‘Growing 
Responsibly’ model was implemented 
during 2016. 

The model provides us with a framework to 
demonstrate, monitor and improve the way 
sustainability is embedded in everything we 
do across our businesses and throughout 
the value chain. 

Our previous commitment period (2011-
2015) delivered significant achievements 
throughout the business in reducing our 
climate impact, emissions and waste; 
promoting responsible forestry; developing 
collaborative relationships critical to our 
future success; and strengthening our 
culture of safety and goal of zero harm. 

Now, building on a strong foundation, 
we are ready for 2020 and beyond. 
The model includes 16 clearly defined 2020 
commitments across 10 action areas (with 
the climate commitment running to 2030). 

Looking ahead, we will continue to entrench 
our Growing Responsibly model across our 
business and work hard towards delivering 
against our commitments. 

We support global initiatives such as the 
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 
which will drive collective action at a global 
level until 2030. Our Growing Responsibly 
action areas and commitments outlined 
below reflect our aligned thinking with 
the SDGs.

We have been included in the FTSE4Good 
Index Series since 2008 and the JSE’s 
Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index 
since 2007.

Biodiversity and 
ecosystems
We promote ecosystem 
stewardship to sustain 
services that our businesses 
and communities rely 
on through sharing best 
practices and continued, 
long-term collaboration with 
our stakeholders.

Supplier conduct  
and responsible 
procurement
We’re taking steps  
to encourage greater 
transparency and promote 
fair working conditions by 
developing a responsible, 
inclusive and sustainable 
supply chain.

Relationships with 
communities
We aim to enhance our 
social value to communities 
through effective stakeholder 
engagement and meaningful 
social investments, using global 
frameworks that enable us to 
address local priorities.

Solutions that  
create value  
for our customers
We encourage sustainable, 
responsibly manufactured 
products and closer 
collaboration with our 
customers and partners.

 e  Promote ecosystem 
stewardship in the 
landscapes where 
we operate through 
continued multi-
stakeholder collaboration

 e Encourage supply chain 

transparency and promote 
fair working conditions 
together with our  
key suppliers

 e  Enhance social value  
to our communities 
through effective 
stakeholder engagement 
and meaningful  
social investments

 e  Encourage sustainable, 

responsibly 
produced products

Constrained 
resources and 
environmental 
impacts
Our focus on operational 
excellence drives efficiency 
improvements to ensure 
responsible use of water, 
reduction of waste and 
emissions, the cascading use 
of wood and development of 
resource-efficient products.

 e  Reduce specific4 contact 

water consumption from our 
pulp and paper mills by 5% 
compared to a 2015 baseline

 e  Reduce specific4 waste to 

landfill by 7.5% compared to 
a 2015 baseline

 e  Reduce specific4 NOx 
emissions from our 
pulp and paper mills 
by 7.5% compared to a 
2015 baseline

 e  Reduce specific4 effluent load 
to the environment (measure 
COD) by 5% compared to  
a 2015 baseline

4  Figures reported in specific terms are normalised to saleable production tonnes

10 action areas:

16 commitments2, by 20203:

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201642  

Sustainability performance

Global thinking, local action

We have a zero tolerance policy towards 
discrimination and provide equal 
opportunities for all employees irrespective 
of origin, nationality, disability or gender. 
In 2016, 22% of employees were female 
(2015: 22%). Two of our nine board 
members were women and one of the 
three South African-based board members 
came from an historically-disadvantaged 
community (in January 2017 we appointed 
Tanya Fratto as an additional board 
member, so once Anne Quinn steps down 
after the AGMs, we will continue to have 
two women on our Boards). 47% of Mondi 
South Africa Division’s management team 
were previously disadvantaged individuals 
(2015: 45%). 

Gender diversity 2016*

Male % Female %

Directors

7 78

2 22

Senior managers

280 91

27

9

Employees

20,200 78

5,800 22

* As at 31 December 2016

We consider applications for employment 
in a fair and balanced way, seeking to cater 
for individual requirements, disabilities 
and needs. Group policy ensures training, 
career development and promotion is 
consistent and fair, including for people 
with disabilities as far as is possible. In the 
event of an employee suffering a life-
altering or life-threatening injury at work, 
we facilitate appropriate medical treatment 
and rehabilitation. Every effort is made 
to support their continued employment 
with Mondi.

In 2016, we devoted around 790,000 hours 
of employee and contractor time to training 
and development (2015: 827,000 hours), 
of which around 38% related to safety 
and health topics. In 2016, The Mondi 
Academy conducted over 100 seminars 
and programmes, attended by more than 
800 Mondi employees. 

The Group has a number of performance-
related pay schemes that reward 
employees for the pursuit and achievement 
of business objectives, and the majority of  
our employees participate in these schemes.

 1 A UN policy initiative that aligns businesses with 
10 universally accepted principles in the areas 
of human rights, labour, environment and anti-
corruption

2  Ensuring that wages paid for a standard working 

week shall at least meet legal or industry minimum 
standards and shall always be sufficient to meet 
the basic needs of our employees and to provide 
some discretionary income

Safety and health

Our ultimate safety goal is zero harm, 
with all employees and contractors 
returning home safely to their families 
every day. While we’re among the 
leading safety performers in our 
industry, we remain mindful that our 
operations involve many high-risk 
activities. In 2016, we continued to  
assess our risk management 
programme, in particular prioritising 
and addressing the top risks in all 
our operations.

In 2016, we had 237 recordable cases in 
our operations. This equates to a TRCR 
of 0.66, a 13% reduction against our 2015 
baseline of 0.76 (including acquisitions). 
We experienced no fatalities or life-altering 
injuries during the year. However, in February 
2017 a contractor lost his life in our South 
African forestry operations following a timber 
vehicle accident. A detailed investigation is 
underway, and we will continue to focus on 
the top risks at each site to ensure continuous 
improvement in our controls and safety 
programmes. All of our pulp and paper mills 
– with the exception of Pine Bluff mill (US) – 
and 79% of our converting operations have 
international safety management system 
OHSAS 18001 in place.

Building on the Top 5 Risks approach 
introduced in 2013 and 2014, we continued 
to focus on the top risks in all our 
operations. Safety training initiatives were 
a key component, particularly targeted at 
first line supervisors. The second phase of 
this work is currently underway, identifying 
and addressing the next set of high-priority 
risks at each operation.

Several of our operations have on-site 
health and wellbeing facilities, and we offer 
wellness programmes at many of our sites 
and offices. In 2016, 3,273 employees and 
contractors participated in the HIV/AIDS 
voluntary programme in our South African 
operations, with 2,047 opting for testing. 

Our people

We believe our diversity – not 
uniformity – is key to Mondi’s future. 
By openly engaging with our people, 
we work hard at ensuring their 
commitment to a business that acts 
quickly, empowers them and offers a 
range of development opportunities. 

In 2016, we employed on average 
around 25,400 people across more than 
30 countries. The Fundamental Rights 
Convention of the International Labour 
Organization and the United Nations Global 
Compact (UNGC)1 guide our approach 
to employment. Although labour and 
collective bargaining practices differ from 
country to country, basic rights and fair 
employment standards (including fair 
wages2) apply throughout the business, are 
managed locally, and are guided by Group 
policies and standards. 

Mondi has formal and informal processes 
to communicate with and engage 
employees across the Group. In addition 
to electronic communications and 
publications, regular local briefing sessions 
by managers focus on safety, operational 
objectives and performance, financial 
performance and the Group’s values 
and culture. We also regularly conduct 
performance and development reviews at 
a local level, alongside formal and informal 
engagement processes. Our Group-wide 
employee survey is designed to consult 
employees on specific issues and track 
our progress. 90% of employees took part 
in our most recent survey completed in 
November 2015 (2013: 89%) and, overall, 
there was a higher level of engagement 
compared to the previous survey. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201643

Communities

To our local communities, we are 
an industrial neighbour, employer, 
purchaser, energy generator, land 
user and manager of local resources. 
We have a significant positive 
socio-economic impact, including 
employment and generation of 
business, supporting infrastructure 
development and paying local and 
regional taxes. We aim to enhance 
our social value through effective 
stakeholder engagement and 
meaningful investments using global 
frameworks to address local priorities. 

As an active member of our communities, 
we work hard to maintain constructive and 
open relationships with local stakeholders. 
Our work is informed by our Socio-
Economic Assessment Toolbox (SEAT) 
process, which helps ensure open and 
transparent dialogue, and is facilitated by 
an independent third party. Our operations 
plan and deliver local engagement through 
formal Community Engagement Plans.

In the last five years, we’ve invested around 
€46 million in community projects that 
support health, education, infrastructure 
and enterprise in the communities where 
we operate. In 2016 we launched two 
pilot projects in Poland and South Africa 
that are exploring ways to develop a 
methodology with indicators to measure 
social and business value created by 
our community investments. Ultimately, 
we want to develop metrics that can be 
consolidated at Group-level to reflect 
our total community footprint. We’ll then 
be able to measure our impact more 
effectively and know that we are making a 
meaningful difference.

Forests and ecosystems

The global population is growing 
and demand for forest products 
increasing. We have a critical 
responsibility to ensure the forests 
we own, lease and source wood from 
are managed in a way that secures 
their long-term biological integrity, 
social value and productivity. Our aim 
is to optimise timber production 
while maintaining biodiversity and 
ecosystem services, ultimately 
contributing to more resilient 
production landscapes. 

We manage around 2 million hectares of 
natural boreal forest in Russia and around 
0.3 million hectares of plantation forests 
in South Africa, including the identification 
and protection of high conservation 
value (HCV) areas. FSC certification is 
an important part of our management 
approach, assuring stakeholders that 
we meet globally accepted standards for 
sustainable forest management and that 
HCV areas are identified and protected. 

We’re not party to any form of deforestation 
or illegal logging. 

In 2016, all of our owned and leased forests 
in Russia and South Africa maintained 
their FSC and ISO 14001 certification 
standards, and our forests in Russia 
also maintained their PEFC certification3. 
25% of our owned and leased land is set 
aside for conservation and we focus on 
protecting water resources and freshwater 
ecosystems on and next to our forests 
and mills. 

We continue to support WWF to expand 
the reach and influence of the 25-year-
old WWF-Mondi Wetlands Programme. 
In Russia, WWF Boreal Forest Platform, 
launched in 2015, is bringing stakeholders 
together across the boreal landscape, 
especially north-west Russia, to develop 
a shared understanding of responsible 
forest management. 

3  Lease exchange in 2016 in Russia resulted in a 

new lease of around 39,000 hectares which will be 
FSC certified during 2017

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201644  

Sustainability performance

Global thinking, local action

We report our GHG emissions according 
to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, 
published by the World Business Council 
for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
and the World Resources Institute, 
and have reported our scope 1 and 
2 GHG data in compliance with ISO 
14064:1-2006. ERM CVS has provided 
reasonable assurance on our scope 1 
and 2 GHG data in accordance with ISO 
14064:3-2006. See their full statement at 
www.mondigroup.com/sdassurance.

Specific CO2e emissions 
from our pulp and paper mills
tonnes per tonne of saleable production

Specific scope 1

Specific scope 2

Specific Total CO2e

0.87

0.81

0.82

0.82*

0.76

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

* 

 2015 restated to include Pine Bluff mill (US)

1  Specific: calculated in tonnes of CO2e per tonne of 

saleable production

2  GHGs are often compared on the basis of their 
estimated potential to cause global warming. 
CH4 and N2O emissions are the most relevant for 
the pulp and paper industry. Every gram of CH4 
is equivalent to 21 grams of CO2 and each N2O 
gram is equivalent to 310 grams of CO2. Total GHG 
emissions can be calculated as the sum of several 
GHGs expressed as the equivalent amount of 
CO2, abbreviated as CO2e

3  Excludes Raubling mill performance from 

2014 baseline

4  Scope 1 emissions: Total GHG emissions from 
sources owned or controlled by Mondi and its 
subsidiaries. This includes CO2e from fossil fuels and 
processes, Group leased/owned vehicles, waste and 
waste water treatment, from make-up chemicals, and 
from other GHG gases

5  Scope 2 emissions: Total GHG emissions 

from sources that are related to generation of 
purchased energy outside the Group boundaries

Energy and climate change

We believe business has an important 
role to play in reducing greenhouse 
gas emissions and tackling climate 
change. As an energy-intensive 
business, it’s critical we manage our 
climate footprint by optimising energy 
and process efficiencies and utilising 
renewable energy, supported by 
ongoing investments in low-carbon 
energy technologies. 

Our approach to reducing carbon 
emissions involves targeted energy-
related investments across our pulp 
and paper mills. Combined with good 
management and sharing best practice 
through our specialist network, we aim 
to improve energy efficiency, reduce 
emissions and replace fossil fuels with 
renewable biomass-based energy where 
practical and economically possible. 
Sustainably managed forests also play an 
important role in mitigating climate change. 
We contribute to this through credibly 
certifying and responsibly managing our 
forests and by procuring wood exclusively 
from certified and controlled sources.

In 2015, we committed to reduce specific1 
CO2e2 emissions from our pulp and 
paper mills by 15% by 2030, against a 
2014 baseline. In 2016, our specific CO2e 
emissions were 0.76 tonnes per tonne of 
saleable production, demonstrating a 8.9% 
reduction against the 2014 base year.3

In 2016, our pulp and paper mills’ scope 14 
GHG emissions were 4.1 million tonnes 
CO2e (2015: 4.5 million tonnes), while 
specific scope 1 emissions were 0.65 
tonnes per saleable tonne of production 
(2015: 0.7 tonnes). Additionally, our converting 
operations’ scope 1 emissions were 
0.1 million tonnes (2015: 0.1 million tonnes). 

Our pulp and paper mills’ scope 25 
emissions amounted to 0.7 million 
tonnes CO2e in 2016 (2015: 0.8 million 
tonnes), while specific scope 2 emissions 
were 0.11 tonnes per saleable tonne 
of production (2015: 0.12 tonnes). 
Additionally, our converting operations’ 
scope 2 emissions were 0.2 million tonnes 
(2015: 0.2 million tonnes). 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201645

Operational excellence

Using natural resources wisely 
and managing our impacts is vital 
for securing sustainable growth. 
We strive for operational excellence, 
drive efficiency improvements and 
invest in Best Available Techniques 
(BAT) and good management 
practices to ensure responsible 
use of water, to reduce waste and 
emissions, and to address our 
biodiversity impact. 

We contribute to the development of 
policies that can help us and other 
companies in our sector shift towards a 
circular economy6 by promoting greater 
resource productivity and minimising waste 
and emissions. This includes our work with 
the WBCSD, WWF and the Confederation 
of European Paper Industries (CEPI).

Water is vital to our business. We aim to 
use it wisely and efficiently, and manage it 
responsibly at all times. We reduce waste 
to landfill by avoiding waste where possible 
and by finding reuse or recycling solutions 
for our remaining waste streams. We focus 
on reducing emissions of Total Reduced 
Sulphur (TRS) compounds from kraft pulp 
mills, as they can create an odour nuisance 
and give rise to public complaints.

We made good progress in 2016 in the 
more efficient use of natural resources 
and in reducing our emissions and waste. 
We reduced specific contact water 
consumption by 1.3% against 2015 in our 
pulp and paper mills. We reduced our 
specific waste to landfill by 11% against 
2015. TRS emissions were reduced by 
27% against 2015. Specific effluent load 
(COD) was reduced by 5% against 2015. 

6  A circular economy, in contrast to a linear economy 
which follows a model of ‘take, make and dispose’, 
is one that is ‘restorative and regenerative by design, 
and which aims to keep products, components and 
materials at their highest utility and value at all times’ 
(Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2010)

Supply chain

In an increasingly globalised and 
connected economy, the business 
benefits of a transparent supply 
chain are clear – from reducing risks 
and realising efficiencies to driving 
performance and collaboration. 
We’re taking steps to improve 
supply chain transparency and 
promote fair working conditions for a 
responsible, inclusive and sustainable 
supply chain. 

All our businesses are guided by our 
Group-wide supply chain and procurement 
policies and standards. 

We focus on three main procurement 
areas: wood and fibre; resins, films and 
other raw materials; and transport and 
logistics. Fibre is one of our primary raw 
materials and we use forest certification 
as the best assurance that the fibre 
we source comes from sustainably 
managed forests. We maintain FSC and 
ISO14001 certification of all our owned and 
leased forests. 

For all wood that is not from our own 
forests, we source credibly certified fibre 
wherever possible and, where it’s not 
possible, we ensure all non-certified wood 
and fibre products we procure comply with 
the standard for Controlled Wood  
(FSC-STD-40-005) as a minimum. In 2016, 
67% of our total procured wood was FSC 
or PEFC certified (2015: 66%).

We will assess the sustainability aspects 
of our resins, films and other raw materials 
and services through our central supplier 
relationship management (SRM) system. 
SRM will provide a consistent framework 
across the Group for selecting, monitoring, 
assessing, managing and developing 
our supplier base. It is currently being 
rolled out to all our businesses in a 
phased approach.

Every company in our supply chain must 
adhere to our purchasing principles and 
Code of Conduct for Suppliers, which 
covers environmental management, safety 
issues, social metrics and governance. 

We support the UK government’s 
introduction of the Modern Slavery 
Act 2015, and we encourage more 
transparency in the supply chain to jointly 
address the risks and opportunities. 
We updated our sustainability policies 
in 2016, including our supply chain and 
responsible sourcing policy and our labour 
and human rights policy. We have engaged 
with our businesses and mapped our 
supply chain to better understand potential 
areas of human rights and other risks, 
and will develop measures to address 
and respond to these appropriately. 
Our statement on the UK Modern Slavery 
Act will be published in June 2017.

Online Sustainable development 
report 2016

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201646  

Sustainability performance

Working together 

By working together, we believe it is possible to 
achieve more impact, innovation, sustainability and 
scale than we can by working alone. This drives 
us to collaborate with others, building our shared 
understanding of sustainability issues and 
developing the best solutions, together.

Customers
With more and more people wanting 
to make the right choices, consumer 
interest in responsible products 
and services is greater than ever. 
This is driving demand for increased 
transparency across the whole 
value chain as well as opportunities 
to collaborate with our customers 
to deliver innovative, sustainable 
packaging solutions. 

 e Regular customer satisfaction surveys 
 e Close collaboration with customers 

on product innovation 
 e Participation in a wide 

range of benchmarking and 
transparency initiatives

 e Customer events and exhibitions
 e Disclosure of our sustainability 

performance to our customers via 
EcoVadis and other platforms

Suppliers
We engage with our suppliers to 
develop practical, risk-based solutions 
to the social and environmental 
challenges we all face in the value chain; 
to promote fair working conditions; 
and to deliver innovative, sustainable 
products and solutions. 

 e Regular assessments of key fibre and 

non-fibre suppliers

 e Engaging with certification systems 

such as FSC and PEFC to encourage 
sustainable forestry practices and 
secure long-term wood fibre supplies 

 e Monitoring and managing risks and 
opportunities in the supply chain 
through our central SRM system 

 e Supplier collaborations and 

partnerships to develop strategic, 
long-term relationships and 
improve performance

Investors
There’s wide and growing recognition 
among the investment community of the 
links between sustainable operations 
and long-term financial success. 
We’ve seen increasing interest in our 
sustainability performance by investors 
and ESG analysts in recent years. 
We regularly share our sustainability 
performance and take feedback from 
investors and analysts to inform our 
reporting and management practices. 

 e Annual reports 
 e Questionnaires
 e Ad hoc questions and requests
 e Telephone calls and meetings
 e Roadshows
 e Events including results presentations 

and capital markets days

 e Membership of the FTSE4Good and 

JSE SRI indices

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201647

Communities
Ongoing, transparent dialogue with 
our communities helps us to address 
challenges, understand and manage 
our risks, generate opportunities and 
improve our business performance. 
To understand where our impacts lie and 
what our stakeholders expect, we use 
several different approaches, notably our 
formal SEAT process. Introduced in 2016, 
we also carry out impact assessments 
of our voluntary community investments 
and programmes to determine the 
effectiveness, value and success of 
our interventions. 

 e SEAT process 
 e Community Engagement Plans (CEPs)
 e Open days and visits to our sites
 e  Partnerships with communities 

and other stakeholders in 
development initiatives

 e Social impact assessments to 

measure the value we create on 
the ground

Employees
Employees are the core of our business, 
and open and honest dialogue is crucial. 
Alongside day-to-day management 
contact, we engage in discussions and 
feedback about our values and culture 
– as expressed in the Mondi Way. 
Informal channels of communication 
and formal surveys give our employees 
a voice to help us understand their 
concerns and improve our performance, 
particularly around working conditions.

 e Group-wide employee survey
 e Regular local briefing sessions 

by managers

 e Electronic communications 

and publications

 e Divisional and local intranets
 e Local management and 
performance reviews
 e Internal conferences and 

leadership forums

Global partnerships 
and initiatives 
We believe in global partnerships that 
help bring about change, sustainability 
and scale. We work closely with others 
to maximise the shared value we 
create, contributing to multi-stakeholder 
collaborations that seek sustainable 
solutions along the entire value chain. 

Our collaborations and memberships 
include, among others: 

 e Global partnership with WWF
 e The UNGC
 e WBCSD’s forest solutions group
 e The Cambridge Institute for 

Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

 e CEPI 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201648  

Group financial performance

Robust financial  
position

Through our strong profitability, significant cash flow 
generation and robust financial position, we are well 
positioned to take advantage of new opportunities.

Our financial performance

€ million

Group revenue

Underlying EBITDA

% margin

Depreciation and amortisation

Underlying operating profit

% margin

Net underlying finance costs

Net profit from associates

Underlying profit before tax

Tax before special items

Total non-controlling interests

Underlying earnings

Special items (after tax and  
non-controlling interests)

Reported profit after tax and  
non-controlling interests

Basic earnings per share (euro cents)

Underlying earnings per share  
(euro cents)

ROCE %

Our financial position

€ million

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

Working capital

Other assets

Other liabilities

Net assets excluding net debt

Equity

Non-controlling interests in equity

Net debt

Capital employed

2016

6,662

1,366

20.5%

(385)

981

14.7%

 (101)

 1 

 881 

 (166)

 (48)

 667 

(29)

638 

131.8

137.8

20.3%

2016

3,788

681

799

532

(721)

5,079

3,392

304

1,383

5,079

2015

Change %

(2%)

3%

3%

3%

3%

6%

6%

3%

6,819

1,325

19.4%

(368)

957

14.0%

 (105)

 1 

 853 

 (161)

 (45)

 647 

(47)

600 

124.0

133.7

20.5%

2015

3,554

590

794

422

(675)

4,685

2,905

282

1,498

4,685

Group revenue of €6,662 million was down 
2% on the prior year. Excluding the impact 
of currency movements, revenue was 
in line with the prior year. Good volume 
growth in Packaging Paper and Consumer 
Packaging, and higher domestic selling 
prices in South Africa and Russia were 
offset by lower average selling prices in 
Packaging Paper and Fibre Packaging. 

Underlying operating profit of €981 million  
was up 3% on the prior year. Packaging  
Paper was negatively impacted by lower 
selling prices across most key grades 
and lower green energy prices, partially 
offset by like-for-like sales volume growth. 
Fibre Packaging continued its positive 
development, with volume growth in 
Corrugated Packaging and a good 
performance from the core European 
industrial bags business, partly offset by 
negative currency translation effects and 
ongoing challenges in the US industrial 
bags business. We continue to make 
good progress in Consumer Packaging 
with strong volume growth and improving 
margins. In Uncoated Fine Paper, Russian 
domestic price increases and a strong 
focus on productivity and efficiency more 
than offset negative currency effects 
from the weaker rouble and flat average 
European pricing. Our South Africa Division 
was negatively affected by sharply lower 
average export pulp selling prices and 
higher input costs, which were only partially 
offset by positive currency effects and a 
higher fair value gain on forestry assets.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Special items are those items of financial 
performance that we believe should 
be separately disclosed to improve the 
understanding of the underlying financial 
performance achieved by the Group. 
Such items are material in nature or 
amount and the quantitative threshold 
for recognition of special items incurred 
after 1 January 2016 is €10 million 
(2015: €5 million).

Subsequent adjustments to items 
previously reported as special items 
continue to be reflected as special items in 
future periods even if they do not exceed 
the reporting threshold.

In 2016, special items included:

 e Restructuring and closure costs of 
€17 million and related impairments 
of €15 million for the closure of an 
Industrial Bags (Fibre Packaging) plant 
in southern Belgium and restructuring of 
our US release liner business (Consumer 
Packaging), including the planned closure 
of one operation. 

 e In our South Africa Division, we have 

made the decision to restart our second 
uncoated fine paper machine to meet 
domestic demand for reels and, at 
the same time, reduce our production 
of newsprint in response to declining 
demand. This gave rise to a further 
impairment of the newsprint assets of 
€7 million, the reversal of impairment 
of the uncoated fine paper assets of 
€2 million, and restructuring costs of 
€1 million.

After taking the impact of special 
items of €38 million into consideration, 
operating profit of €943 million was up 5% 
(2015: €900 million).

The impact of maintenance shuts on 
operating profit in 2016 was around 
€75 million (2015: €90 million), slightly 
above expectation due to a longer than 
anticipated shut at our Richards Bay mill 
(South Africa). Based on prevailing market 
prices, we estimate that the impact of 
planned maintenance shuts on operating 
profit in 2017 will be around €80 million. 

Operating profit development
€ million

957

20

12

71

(43)

(31)

24

(20)

(9)

981

(38)

943

49

Input costs were generally lower across 
our European businesses. Wood costs 
were lower than the prior year with a 
stable supply and demand balance. 
Average benchmark costs for paper for 
recycling were up around 11% on 2015 
as prices increased in the second half 
of the year on strong export demand 
and increased European consumption. 
Energy costs were lower than the prior 
year due to lower average crude oil 
and gas prices. Looking forward, rising 
commodity input costs are expected to 
put some upward pressure on energy 
costs. Following the significant volatility in 
polyethylene prices in 2015, pricing was 
more stable during the year, but on average 
at similar levels to the prior year. In our 
South Africa Division, inflationary pressures 
and higher imported costs resulted in an 
increase in input costs.

Strong cash flow generation

Our cash generation remained strong. 
In 2016, the cash generated from our 
operations was €1,401 million, up 10%. 
On average over the last five years, our 
cash generated from operations has 
increased by 10.5% per year.

Working capital as a percentage of revenue 
was 12%, marginally up on the prior year 
(2015: 11.6%). The net cash inflow from 
movements in working capital during 
the year was €68 million (2015: inflow of 
€9 million).

We paid dividends of €274 million to 
shareholders (2015: €209 million). Interest  
paid of €82 million (2015: €93 million) was 
lower than the prior year, mainly due to the 
lower average net debt and composition of 
our borrowings.

Underlying
operating
profit

2015

Sales
volumes 

Sales
prices

Variable
costs

Fixed
costs

Currency
effects

Fair value 
gains on 
forestry 
assets

Green
energy

Acquisitions
and other

Underlying
operating
profit

2016

Special
items

Operating
profit

2016

Movement in net debt
€ million

1,498

(1,401)

Cash generated from operations
€ million

198

79

1,383

€1,401m

1,401

1,279

1,036

1,033

849

274

465

255

15

Cash generated 
from operations

Currency
effects

Tax and financing
costs paid

Capital
expenditure

Dividends 
paid to 
equity holders

Acquisitions

Other

Net debt

Dec 2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Net debt

Dec 2015

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201650  

Group financial performance

Managing our financial risks

Our capital structure

€ million

Net debt

Average net debt

Net interest expense  
(before capitalised interest)

Effective interest rate

Committed facilities

Of which undrawn

Net cash position

Net debt/12-month trailing EBITDA (times)

In 2016, we invested €465 million 
(2015: €595 million) in capital expenditure 
and completed four acquisitions with a total 
purchase price, on a debt and cash free 
basis, of €185 million.

Capital employed is managed on a basis 
that enables the Group to continue trading 
as a going concern, while delivering 
acceptable returns to shareholders. We are 
committed to managing our cost of capital 
by maintaining an appropriate capital 
structure, with a balance between equity 
and net debt.

Our capital employed is used to fund the 
growth of the business and to finance our 
liquidity needs. The primary sources of 
funding set out in the chart below provide 
us with access to diverse sources of 
funding with various debt maturities.

2016

1,383

1,476

92

6.2%

2,497

812

377

1.0

2015

Change %

8%

11%

11%

1,498

1,650

103

6.3%

2,002

598

36

1.1

Our short-term liquidity needs are met 
through our €750 million syndicated 
revolving credit facility and we aim to 
minimise the amount drawn on this facility.

At the end of the year, €812 million of 
our €2.5 billion committed debt facilities 
remained undrawn and we held net cash of 
€377 million. The weighted average maturity 
of our Eurobonds and committed debt 
facilities was 3.9 years at 31 December 
2016. Gearing at 31 December 2016 was 
27.2% and our net debt to 12-month trailing 
EBITDA ratio was 1.0 times, well within 
our key financial covenant requirement of 
3.5 times.

Our credit ratings were reaffirmed during 
the year. Our credit rating from Standard 
& Poor’s is BBB (stable outlook) and 
from Moody’s Investors Service is Baa2 
(stable outlook).

Net debt at 31 December 2016 was 
down €115 million at €1,383 million 
(2015: €1,498 million), reflecting our strong 
cash generating capacity, after taking our 
ongoing capital expenditure programme 
and €185 million spent on acquisitions 
into consideration. 

Net finance costs of €101 million were 
€4 million lower than the previous year and 
our net interest expense of €92 million was 
down 11% on the prior year. Average net 
debt of €1,476 million was 11% lower than 
the prior year and our effective interest rate 
was 6.2% (2015: 6.3%). 

Net finance costs are expected to reduce 
in 2017 due to the redemption of the April 
2017 5.5% €500 million Eurobond from 
available cash and committed undrawn 
debt facilities.

Maturity profile of net debt
€ million

€1,383m

Composition of debt 
€ million

Net debt and finance costs
€ million

  Within 1 year 

  1–2 years 

  2–5 years 

  >5 years 

264

39

542

538

  Bonds 

  Bank loans 

  Secured debt 

  Other loans 

1,495

260

3

12

Average net debt
Effective interest 

1,792

%
5
.
7

1,278

Net finance cost (underlying)

1,675

1,650

1,476

%
2
.
6

%
3
.
6

%
9
.
5

%
4
.
5

110

115

97

105

101

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
51

Our intention is to maintain a constructive 
dialogue with tax authorities and to work 
collaboratively with them to resolve any 
disputes. Where necessary, provision is 
made for known issues and the expected 
outcomes of any negotiations or litigation.

Based on our geographic profit mix and 
the applicable tax rates, we would expect 
our tax rate to be around 22%. However, 
we benefited from tax incentives related 
to our capital investments in Slovakia, 
Poland and Russia. In addition, we 
recognised deferred tax assets related to 
previously unrecognised tax losses which 
we now expect to be able to utilise in the 
coming years. As such, our underlying 
tax charge for 2016 of €166 million 
(2015: €161 million) reflects an effective tax 
rate of 19%, consistent with 2015. Tax relief 
on special items amounted to €9 million 
(2015: €10 million).

Tax paid in 2016 of €173 million 
(2015: €160 million) is higher than the 
2016 tax charge as a result of the timing 
of final tax payments for 2015 and earlier 
financial years.

Going forward, assuming a similar profit 
mix, we would anticipate marginal upward 
pressure on the tax rate over the next three 
years as it moves towards the expected tax 
rate of 22%. 

Currencies

Tax

Our multi-national presence results 
in exposure to foreign exchange risk 
in the ordinary course of business. 
Currency exposures arise from commercial 
transactions denominated in foreign 
currencies, financial assets and liabilities 
denominated in foreign currencies 
and translational exposure on our net 
investments in foreign operations.

Our policy is to fund subsidiaries in their 
local functional currency. External funding 
is obtained in a range of currencies 
and, where required, translated into the 
subsidiaries’ functional currencies through 
the swap market.

We hedge material net balance sheet 
exposures and forecast future capital 
expenditure. We do not hedge our 
exposures to projected future sales or 
purchases. We do not take speculative 
positions on derivative contracts and only 
enter into contractual arrangements relating 
to financial instruments with counterparties 
that have investment grade credit ratings.

Volatility in foreign exchange rates had a 
net negative impact on operating profit of 
€31 million. The weakening of a number of 
emerging market currencies, particularly 
the Russian rouble, Turkish lira, Polish 
zloty and Mexican peso, had a negative 
impact on translation of the profits of our 
Fibre Packaging and domestically-focused 
Russian uncoated fine paper operations, 
while our South Africa Division benefited 
from the weakening of the rand due to its 
significant export position.

We aim to manage our tax affairs 
conservatively, consistent with our 
approach to all aspects of financial 
risk management. Our objective is to 
structure our operations tax efficiently, 
taking advantage of available incentives 
and exemptions, while complying with 
all applicable laws and regulations. 
In accordance with Organisation for 
Economic Cooperation and Development 
guidelines, our policy is that all intra-group 
transactions are conducted on an arm’s 
length basis.

While ultimate responsibility for the tax 
affairs of the Group rests with the Boards, 
the executive committee ensures that the 
tax governance framework is aligned with 
the principles of financial management 
applied throughout the Group. We have 
dedicated internal tax resources throughout 
the organisation, supported by a centralised 
Group tax department who take day-to-
day responsibility for management of the 
Group’s tax affairs. We maintain a detailed 
set of operational guidelines aimed at 
ensuring a sound tax control environment. 
In addition, we seek regular professional 
advice to ensure that we remain up to date 
with changes in tax legislation, disclosure 
requirements and best practice.

Tax risks are monitored on a continuous 
basis and are more formally reviewed on a 
half-yearly basis by the audit committee as 
part of our half-yearly reporting process. 
As Mondi operates in a number of 
countries, each with a different tax system, 
the Group is regularly subject to routine 
tax audits and tax authority reviews which 
may take a considerable period of time 
to conclude.

Currency split of net debt 
%

  Euro 

  Polish zloty 

  Czech koruna 

  US dollar 

  Rand 

  Turkish lira 

  Other 

38

23

13

9

4

4

9

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
52  

Business reviews

Packaging Paper
Our Packaging Paper business manufactures 
and sells a wide range of virgin and recycled 
containerboard, and sack and speciality kraft paper. 
These products are converted by our Fibre and 
Consumer Packaging businesses, and are also 
used by external customers.

Wood fibre

Pulp mill

Paper for
recycling

Paper mill

To customers

To customers

To Fibre Packaging

To customers

To Fibre Packaging

To Consumer Packaging

Virgin and recycled
containerboard

Sack kraft and
speciality kraft paper

Revenue
€ million

€2,056m

2,073

2,043

2,156

2,056

1,896

Underlying operating profit
€ million

€361m

ROCE

391

361

342

308

%
7
.
1
2

%
7
.
3
2

%
5
.
5
2

%
4
.
2
2

236

%
8
.
7
1

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Operating sites

9 in 9 countries

Employees

5,000

Production capacity

Pulp: 2,435 ktpa1

Virgin and recycled containerboard: 2,155 ktpa1

Sack and speciality kraft paper: 1,291 ktpa

1  Including Świecie Green II (start up in 2017)

Key industries served

Automotive

Building and construction

Food and beverages

Paper and packaging converting

Shipping and transport

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Packaging Paper

53

We are a leading packaging paper 
producer in Europe with a well-invested, 
low-cost asset base.

Our virgin and recycled containerboard 
is used to make corrugated packaging, 
primarily designed to protect our 
customers’ products along the value chain 
and display them in-store. 

Sack kraft paper, which we offer in brown, 
white and polyethylene-coated grades, is 
the main component of valve and open 
mouth industrial bags. Our speciality kraft 
paper is used to make everything from 
industrial packaging, to retail shopping 
bags, and attractive food packaging for 
supermarket shelves. It is also used by 
our Consumer Packaging business for 
release liner.

Our broad product range is designed to 
meet specific customer needs including 
printability, strength and moisture 
resistance; the use of raw materials 
from sustainable sources; and products 
that are biodegradable and contain 
recycled content.

Delivering on our strategy

Strategic value drivers

2016 highlights

2017 objectives

Driving performance to optimise quality, 
productivity and efficiency

 e Good progress in optimising recently 

completed investments

 e Increase productivity and reliability of mills 
through focus on maintenance and asset 
management processes

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

 e Świecie mill (Poland) expansion to provide additional 
100,000 tonnes of softwood pulp and 80,000 tonnes 
of lightweight kraftliner nearing completion  
(start-up Q1 2017)

 e Ramp-up of new Świecie capacity 
 e Progress major capital investment projects 
at Štětí (Czech Republic) and Ružomberok 
(Slovakia) mills

Partnering with our customers to  
develop innovative solutions

 e High level of flexibility and stable service with 

Make2Stock approach

 e Focus on enhancing product quality and supply 
chain improvements to ensure reliable service for 
our customers

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

 e Successfully completed all shuts with no recordable 

safety incidents

 e Continue to focus on eliminating top risks, 
energy efficiency and waste reduction

 e Positive progress at Świecie mill in waste water 
treatment and reduction in waste to landfill

 e Enhance employee relationships through stronger 
two-way communication and effective leadership

Advantage Kraft White Print
This premium sack kraft paper is produced on our 
cutting-edge paper machine at Štětí. The unique 
combination of the outstanding printability and 
branding potential of calandered machine finished 
grades along with the strength properties of standard 
sack kraft paper make it perfect for the outer ply of 
high-end bags for food, animal feed and chemicals.

Advantage MF SpringPack Plus
This extremely strong, natural brown premium 
paper is designed for roll-packing and compressing 
goods. It can withstand the force exerted by 10 to 15 
compressed spring mattress units and is recognised 
as the strongest paper in the world1. Advantage MF 
SpringPack Plus provides an efficient, cost-effective 
and 100% recyclable packaging solution.

1   Swedish edition of the Guinness World Records Book 

2001: 13th edition, page 256

ProVantage Komiwhite
Thanks to the recent modernisation of our paper 
machine in Syktyvkar (Russia), this exclusive white-
top kraftliner is able to offer unprecedented quality 
in terms of printability, runnability, and whiteness. 
It also benefits from the strength of Nordic fibres. 
Produced from 100% FSC-certified virgin fibre, it 
is perfect for shelf-ready packaging solutions that 
seek to catch the eye with a bright appearance and 
enhanced branding.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201654  

Business reviews

Production information 

Containerboard

Kraft paper

Softwood pulp

Hardwood pulp

Financial performance

€ million

Segment revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying operating profit

Underlying operating profit margin

Special items

Capital expenditure

Net segment assets

ROCE

Sustainable development

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

% change 

(5%)

(4%)

(8%)

TRCR1

per 200,000 hours worked

Energy consumption

million GJ

Scope 1 and 2 GHG  
emissions

million tonnes CO2e

FSC or PEFC certified wood %

Environmental management 
certification

% operations certified to 
ISO 14001 standards

1  2015 figures now include Pine Bluff (US) 

2016

2,000

1,204

1,870

364

2016

2,056

483

361

17.6%

–

156

1,760

22.4%

2016

0.72

59.26

1.25

53

86

2015

2,138

1,162

1,759

322

2015

2,156

505

391

18.1%

(14)

259

1,753

25.5%

2015

0.72

58.37

1.58

50

86

Financial performance 

Profitability in Packaging Paper, down 8% 
on the prior year, was impacted by lower 
average selling prices across most key 
grades, lower green energy prices, and the 
loss of contribution from the Raubling mill 
(sold during 2015), partially offset by the 
benefits of completed capital investment 
projects. However, the business unit 
delivered a strong ROCE performance of 
22.4%. 

On a like-for-like basis, excluding the 
impact of the sale of the Raubling mill, sales 
volumes were marginally up across all 
containerboard grades. 

As anticipated, we saw some price erosion 
in the kraftliner grades in the first half of 
the year. 

While demand growth remains solid, the 
market came under some pressure from 
increased supply from new capacity in 
Europe and competition from importers 
benefiting from weak emerging market 
currencies. Average European benchmark 
selling prices for unbleached kraftliner were 
down 5% on the prior year and white-top 
kraftliner prices were down around 2%. 

Supported by sustained good demand and 
a strong order position, a price increase 
of €20 per tonne was implemented for 
unbleached kraftliner in August across all 
European markets, excluding southern 
Europe, partly offsetting the price erosion 
seen over the course of the first half of the 
year. In Russia, price increases for white-
top kraftliner were implemented at the 
beginning of 2016 and remained stable 
throughout the year. 

In response to strong demand, price 
increases of €50 per tonne were recently 
implemented on all unbleached kraftliner 
grades in Europe, effective from March 
2017. A price increase of €50 per tonne 
has also been announced for white-top 
kraftliner to take effect from the beginning 
of Q2 2017. In Russia, prices for white-top 
kraftliner were increased from the beginning 
of 2017. 

Average European benchmark selling 
prices for recycled containerboard 
were down 3% on the prior year period. 
Price increases of €40 per tonne were 
achieved from February 2017, and a further 
increase of €40 per tonne was announced 
to take effect from the beginning of 
Q2 2017.

Sales volumes for sack kraft paper 
increased compared to the prior year, 
benefiting from good demand, fewer 
planned maintenance shuts and 
productivity improvements. Average selling 
prices for sack kraft paper produced in 
Europe declined by 5-6% in the early 
part of 2016 and remained at those 
levels through the balance of the year. 
Given strong demand, selling prices were 
increased by 3-4% from the beginning of 
2017 in all markets.

We saw good demand across our range 
of speciality kraft papers, although sales 
volumes of certain grades were impacted 
by the closure of high cost production 
capacity in 2015. Selling prices were, 
on average, marginally lower than in the 
prior year.

Input costs were at a similar level to the 
prior year with the business benefiting from 
cost savings initiatives and generally lower 
raw material and energy costs which offset 
higher paper for recycling costs and other 
inflationary increases. Green energy prices 
were significantly lower in Poland due to 
legislative changes, resulting in a €20 million 
reduction in income from green energy 
credits compared to the prior year, including 
the impact of a write-down of €6 million in 
the carrying value of the inventory of green 
energy credits held at year end.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
55

Planned maintenance shuts at our 
Syktyvkar and Świecie mills were 
completed during the first half of the year, 
and a further planned maintenance shut 
at Świecie and the majority of our kraft 
paper mill shuts were completed in the 
second half of the year. A similar planned 
maintenance schedule is anticipated in 
2017 although the shuts at our Świecie  
and Štĕtí mills will be extended as we 
progress our major capital investments  
at those operations.

Driving performance to optimise 
quality, productivity and efficiency

Packaging Paper operates large and 
generally integrated production facilities. 
Our passion for performance drives us 
to continually improve the yields and 
efficiencies in our mills.

We have completed a number of 
investments across our mills in recent years 
and our focus in 2016 was on fully realising 
the benefits of these investments.

In our drive to increase the productivity 
and reliability of our mills we have 
invested in our asset management and 
maintenance processes. 

We are implementing software to 
significantly improve our data analytics 
capabilities and provide standardised data 
to benchmark performance across all our 
mills. This has enabled us to improve the 
consistency of our maintenance activities 
and encourage a more proactive approach 
to asset management.

Building on the success of our programme 
to engineer out our top safety risks at all 
our operations, we have defined our top 
five maintenance activities on a mill-by-
mill basis and prioritised these in our 
maintenance programme.

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

In 2015, we completed the construction 
of a new recovery boiler at our Świecie 
mill and converted the existing recovery 
boiler to a biofuel boiler to replace the coal 
fired boilers. In addition to the significant 
environmental benefits and operating 
efficiencies from this project, the new 
recovery boiler gave the opportunity to 
expand production at the mill. 

The €94 million second phase will provide 
an additional 100,000 tonnes per annum 
of softwood pulp and 80,000 tonnes per 
annum of lightweight kraftliner. We are well 
on track to start up this project in the first 
quarter of 2017.

We also finalised a number of smaller 
investments at our other mills, focused on 
improving asset reliability, safety standards, 
product quality and process stability, and 
generating opportunities for future growth 
at some sites.

At our Štĕtí mill, the ramp-up of our rebuilt 
paper and inline coating machine has 
been slower than anticipated. We have 
allocated additional capital to meet quality 
requirements that are higher than the 
original project specifications, and expect 
to ramp up production over the course of 
2017. We continue to improve our quality 
systems to ensure that we meet our 
customers’ expectations.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201656  

Business reviews

Our €310 million project at our Ružomberok 
mill will be able to produce 300,000 
tonnes of kraft top white per annum when 
completed in 2020. The new paper grade 
will consist of a white top layer which 
contains virgin pulp, and a bottom layer 
containing recycled fibre, thus retaining the 
functionality and printability of white virgin 
grades, and maintaining a competitive cost 
structure. The new kraft top white grade 
is targeted at the growing white topliner 
market. We expect growth to continue 
driven by the trend towards high-quality 
shelf-ready packaging solutions, and kraft 
top white allows for enhanced printability 
and better branding at point-of-sale.

The €470 million modernisation and 
expansion of our Štĕtí mill consists 
of the installation of a new recovery 
boiler, the rebuild of the fibre lines, the 
debottlenecking of the paper machines 
and an investment in a new 90,000 tonnes 
per annum machine glazed speciality kraft 
paper machine. 

Key benefits of the project are:

 e increased electricity self-sufficiency, lower 
energy costs and reduced environmental 
footprint of the mill;

 e increased pulp production of  

130,000 tonnes per annum and lower 
pulp production costs per tonne;

 e debottlenecking of existing packaging 

paper machines providing total 
incremental production of 55,000 tonnes 
per annum;

 e additional capacity to produce  

90,000 tonnes per annum of machine 
glazed speciality kraft paper to supply 
fast growing end-uses in flexible 
packaging and food service applications; 
and

 e avoidance of maintenance capital 

expenditure over the next five years of 
around €105 million.

The new recovery boiler and rebuilt fibre 
lines are expected to start up in late 2018, 
while the new paper machine is expected 
to start up in the first half of 2019.

Advantage MF EcoComp:  
Fuelling the journey from organic 
waste to biogas

Produced at: Mondi Dynäs (Sweden)

More sustainable than you expect. Every day.
Composting organic kitchen waste is good for 
the environment, but it can be a messy chore. 
With Advantage MF EcoComp, Mondi has 
developed a speciality kraft paper just for this 
purpose. Because the paper itself is certified as fully 
biodegradable and compostable, the whole waste 
bag can be thrown in the composting bin. Two of the 
many reasons why Svenco, one of Europe’s major 
manufacturers of paper bags, chose to develop a 
waste paper bag that makes a difference with Mondi.

This waste paper bag, called ‘Matavfallspåse’, 
is completely biodegradable, compostable and 
water-repellent, with the open-mouth ventilation 
system facilitating the aerobic digestion of food waste 
while allowing water to evaporate. Benefits include 
minimised odours, lighter weight for transportation 
and decreased risk of dry waste freezing in 
cold temperatures.

The bag’s journey is not over once it is filled with 
organic kitchen waste. Advantage MF EcoComp is 
still picking up speed when it gets to the recycling 
plant. The bag (including contents) goes straight to the 
biogas facility where it is converted into a fuel available 
at Swedish petrol stations. One full waste bag made 
from Advantage MF EcoComp can power a car for 
up to 4 km1. 

1 Biogas Syd 2014

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201657

Our community involvement is localised to 
each mill and focuses on where we can add 
value. All our mills are involved in formal and 
informal initiatives to identify and address 
community needs and concerns where 
appropriate. We work together with local 
authorities in identifying and assisting with 
specific needs, and work with local schools 
and universities in supporting education. 
In 2016, our Štĕtí mill received the ‘Social 
responsibility for the Ústí region’ award for 
their employee engagement, the Mondi 
for Life programme and their community 
support. We conducted one of our social 
impact assessment pilots at our Świecie 
mill, in partnership with Business in the 
Community, a UK-based, business led 
charity organisation. The pilot study resulted 
in a better understanding of the local value 
we have created, and provided us with 
insight into how we can improve the way we 
measure our social impact and community 
value across the Group.

Partnering with our customers to 
develop innovative solutions

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

Our ongoing innovation activities are 
focused on reducing the weight of our 
paper grades while still retaining the 
necessary strength and printability 
requirements. In sack kraft and speciality 
kraft paper, our product development is 
centred on meeting customers’ needs for 
runnability and filling speed.

Service delivery is a differentiator for us and 
we continue to improve our supply chain 
activities from planning and production to 
final delivery of our products to customers. 
Increasing flexibility, combined with stable 
services for our customers, was the key 
driver for our Make2Stock initiatives in 
recent years. For defined specifications of 
white and brown containerboard grades, 
we offer our customers in European 
markets quick call off services (up to 24 
hours) providing a high level of delivery 
capability, ensuring quality customer 
service at the right time.

In 2017, we will again host the seminar 
‘From Fibre to Corrugated Board’ at 
our Świecie mill addressing around 300 
customers. The seminar is intended to 
close the gap between paper makers’ and 
corrugated board makers’ understanding 
of the challenges they face and to share 
knowledge and best practices.

In 2016, we celebrated the milestone of 
200,000 tonnes of unbleached long-fibre 
kraft pulp delivered to Melitta, one of our 
customers at Frantschach (Austria).

The 2015 employee survey showed a clear 
improvement in sentiment across all our 
mills. We take this feedback seriously and, 
while it is pleasing to see our initiatives 
delivering results, we have identified a 
number of themes across our mills for 
further improvement. Our employees want 
to see stronger two-way communication, 
effective leadership, and to have an 
increased sense of pride in working 
for Mondi.

We are delighted to report that we had no 
fatalities or life-altering injuries in 2016, and 
completed all our major shuts without any 
recordable injuries. Our proactive approach 
– involving our contractors early in the shut 
planning process, extensive training of all 
our people, our strong management focus, 
and our caring culture – has contributed to 
our safety achievements. The success of 
our project to engineer out the top risks at 
all operations has encouraged us to make 
this an annual initiative.

At our Świecie mill, progress includes the 
modernisation of the waste water treatment 
plant. The project was completed in May 
2015 and is already delivering a 50% 
reduction in chemical oxygen demand load 
compared to 2015. In addition Świecie 
mill has further reduced its waste to 
landfill, down by almost 60% compared to 
2015 levels.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201658  

Business reviews

Fibre Packaging 
Our Fibre Packaging business manufactures  
and sells corrugated packaging products,  
industrial bags and extrusion coatings for a  
variety of consumer and industrial applications.

Recycled and
virgin containerboard

Converting
operations

Sack kraft and
speciality kraft paper

Corrugated
packaging

Industrial
bags

Extrusion
coatings

To customers

To customers

To customers

Operating sites

64 in 25 countries
5
43 
16 
Corrugated  
packaging  

Industrial 
bags

Extrusion  
coatings

Employees

7,700

Key industries served

Agriculture

Automotive and other manufacturing

Building and construction

Food and beverage

Retail and e-commerce

Shipping and transport

Revenue
€ million

€1,929m

1,860

1,852

1,690

2,031

1,929

Underlying operating profit
€ million

€123m

ROCE

120

123

102

%
4
.
3
1

%
9
.
3
1

%
5
.
3
1

93

%
9
.
3
1

86

%
8
.
1
1

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
Fibre Packaging 

59

Our comprehensive product portfolio, 
integration into paper and strong innovation 
capabilities help us meet our customers’ 
needs.

Innovation and design improvements 
extend the benefits of our corrugated 
packaging well beyond traditional boxes to 
fully customised trays and wraps, multi-
piece solutions, appealing point-of-sale 
corrugated solutions and heavy-duty 
shipping containers.

Industrial bags are a strong, lightweight 
and sustainable paper-based choice for 
cement and building materials, agricultural, 
chemical and food products. We boast 
the broadest range of industrial bags 
in the industry, available globally, and 
optimised for high-speed filling and easy 
handling, including open-mouth bags, 
pasted valve bags, water-repellent bags, 
bags suitable for food contact and heavy 
duty packaging.

Our extrusion coatings portfolio comprises 
high-quality barrier solutions used in a wide 
range of industries for applications such as 
food packaging, building insulation, foam 
papers, wrappers, case linings as well as 
automotive and protective clothing.

Delivering on our strategy

Strategic value drivers

2016 highlights

2017 objectives

Driving performance to optimise quality, 
productivity and efficiency

 e Further optimised our production network, including 
the start-up of our new Industrial Bags facility in 
Côte d’Ivoire

 e Zero defect project rolled out across our corrugated 

packaging network

 e Focus on product quality, while reducing waste 

and optimising production costs

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

 e Acquisitions of SIMET S.A. (Poland) and Lebedyan 
(Russia) increase our production network and 
geographic reach

 e Successfully integrate new acquisitions and 
fully realise benefits of recent investments in 
production capacity

 e Complete conversion of SIMET to high-efficiency, 

heavy-duty box plant

Partnering with our customers to  
develop innovative solutions

 e Successfully launched new products and expanded 

marketing of new products into US markets

 e Enhance service delivery through investment in IT 
systems and digitalisation of customer interfaces

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

 e Investment in training first-time leaders provides 

 e Emphasise the safety of our people in  

significant productivity, service and safety benefits

everything we do

 e Further train and upskill our people

Watermelon’s Dream
Antalya Tarim, one of our customers in Turkey, 
was eager to differentiate itself from competitors 
by finding a way of packaging watermelons as a 
premium product. Our innovative team developed 
Watermelon’s Dream offering excellent product 
display and branding opportunities; saving transport 
costs by allowing 50% more watermelons to be 
shipped in one truck; and making it convenient for 
consumers to carry their heavy watermelon home on 
a hot summer day.

SplashBag
This innovative rain-resistant bag, developed in 
cooperation with LafargeHolcim, is made with an 
outer ply of Mondi Advantage Protect sack kraft 
paper, has a water-repellent surface and is designed 
to absorb less moisture than conventional bags, 
while keeping high tensile strength even in wet or 
humid conditions. SplashBag is particularly suitable 
for packaging cement and our customers are 
launching it all over the world.

Paper-based food packaging
This brand new, cutting-edge product is the result of 
working together with Silbo, a customer who shared 
our vision of developing a packaging solution that 
combines the advantages of kraft paper and the 
barrier functions of polymers. Mondi provides the 
barrier coated paper and our customer converts it 
into an FSC-certified paper bag with a window so the 
end-user can see the contents.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201660  

Business reviews

Production information 

Corrugated board and boxes

Industrial bags

Extrusion coatings

Financial performance

€ million

Segment revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying operating profit

Underlying operating profit margin

Special items

Capital expenditure

Net segment assets

ROCE

Sustainable development

million m²

million units

million m²

% change 

(5%)

4%

3%

2016

1,448

4,881

1,249

2016

1,929

194

123

6.4%

(13)

107

1,006

13.5%

2015

1,350

4,925

1,389

2015

2,031

187

120

5.9%

(21)

118

935

13.9%

TRCR

CoC certification

per 200,000 hours worked

% operations certified to 
FSC or PEFC  
CoC standards

2016

0.97

2015

1.13

72

67

Financial review

In Fibre Packaging our underlying operating 
profit increased 3% to €123 million and 
ROCE was 13.5%, with volume growth 
in Corrugated Packaging, and a good 
performance from the core European 
industrial bags business partly offset by 
negative currency translation effects and 
ongoing challenges in the US and CIS 
industrial bags businesses.

Corrugated Packaging achieved good 
organic volume growth, particularly 
in the Czech Republic and Germany, 
supplemented by two acquisitions to 
expand our corrugated network. 

Sales volumes were negatively impacted in 
Turkey, due to ongoing political turbulence 
in the region, and Poland, where sales 
growth was tempered by the Russian 
embargo preventing the export of fresh 
fruit and vegetables to that market. 
Profitability was also negatively affected by 
the weaker Turkish lira and Polish zloty. 

Over the last two years, we have invested 
significantly in all our corrugated operations, 
helping us to better serve our customers 
and meet their more sophisticated product 
needs. The business benefited from lower 
paper input costs and productivity gains.

In Industrial Bags, while European 
markets remained robust, the business 
was negatively impacted by challenging 
market conditions in the US and CIS. 
Overall, sales volumes declined by 1%, 
with good growth in Europe and the 
Middle East, offset by declines in the 
US and CIS. Lower sales volumes were 
partly compensated by significant cost 
savings resulting from a strong focus on 
cost management and the benefits of the 
restructuring and rationalisation activities. 
The weaker Mexican peso had a negative 
impact on the translation of profits from our 
Mexican operations.

Driving performance to optimise 
quality, productivity and efficiency

The breadth and geographic reach of 
our Fibre Packaging operations gives 
us the unique ability to fully optimise 
our production network to better serve 
our customers. In 2016, we closed our 
facility at Sendenhorst (Germany), while 
continuing to serve our customers from 
other sites. We completed the closure of 
our Kansas City operation (US) and, in 
December 2016, announced the closure 
of our facility in southern Belgium. We have 
also significantly increased the level of 
exports from our Mexican operations into 
the US, and started production at our new 
operation in Côte d’Ivoire.

Quality is a top priority across our 
businesses. Our zero defect project, 
which has been implemented across 
our corrugated operations, has resulted 
in increased efficiencies and a reduction 
in overall solid waste, including waste 
to landfill. In our bags operations in the 
US, we have made quality the key focus 
and responsibility of local teams in order 
to improve performance to a level not 
previously seen in the industry.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201661

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

Partnering with our customers to 
develop innovative solutions

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

In 2016, we completed two acquisitions to 
expand our corrugated packaging network. 
Mondi SIMET S.A. complements our 
existing geographic footprint, allows 
for logistics optimisation, and provides 
increased production capacity in the 
growing Polish market. We started building 
work for the conversion of this plant to 
a high-efficiency, heavy-duty box plant 
early in 2017. Mondi Lebedyan provides 
us with excellent opportunities in the 
local agricultural market and increases 
our ability to serve our multinational 
customers. Building on the existing local 
knowledge and experience, we are sharing 
resources and best practice from our 
existing Turkish and Polish operations to 
ensure that we bring the Mondi Way to our 
new acquisitions.

Over the last two years, we have invested 
significantly in our corrugated operations 
in all regions. These investments have 
delivered a significant improvement in, 
for example, our printing capabilities, and 
helped us to better serve our customers 
and meet their more sophisticated 
product needs. We also completed an 
investment in our US bags operation to 
modernise production.

We have a strong culture of innovation 
which is supported by our long-term 
customer relationships and backward 
integration into paper production. 
We continue to promote the benefits 
of fibre-based solutions and, where 
appropriate, we have introduced synthetic-
based features, such as in our HYBRIDPRO 
and SplashBag, with their strong barrier 
properties. This year we expanded the 
marketing of these products, launched in 
Europe in 2015, to our US customers.

Product quality and service delivery are 
important to our customers. We have 
invested in our IT systems to enhance 
our ability to serve our customers and we 
will continue to focus on increasing the 
digitalisation of our customer interfaces 
and providing automated information 
flow. We are targeting initiatives to reduce 
the time between customer order and 
delivery. We are also involved in a number 
of projects, together with our customers, 
to improve their supply chain processes, 
reduce transportation costs, and 
deliver savings.

Fibre Packaging is Mondi’s most labour 
intensive business and we invest 
significantly in the training and development 
of our people. Our investment in the training 
of first time leaders provides improved 
productivity, customer service, and safety 
performance. In our US operations, 
we have implemented a systematic 
training initiative to upskill our people with 
individualised plans per person and on 
the job training. Our procurement team 
received due diligence training on the 
EU Timber Regulations. We also provide 
training on the optimal use of any new 
equipment we invest in, and encourage  
our operators to visit customers’ premises 
to see how our products work in their  
operations.

Our safety records continue to show 
improvement through our training 
initiatives and focus on the top risks. 
We are particularly pleased with the 
positive development in our US operations 
during the year. There are nevertheless 
always opportunities to improve our 
safety performance and we continue to 
emphasise this in everything we do.

Country Burger: Creating a unique 
fully customisable fast-food 
packaging solution

Produced at: Mondi Bupak 
(Czech Republic)

More innovative than you expect. Every day.
Our customer, Country Burger Services s.r.o., set 
us the challenge of designing a bespoke, functional, 
safe and 100% recyclable corrugated carry solution 
for a new fast-food chain called ‘Country Burger’.

Together we defined what success would look like, 
which included the solution being highly innovative 
and eye-catching to set it apart from competitors; 
multipurpose so that it can be set up differently 
depending on the order (hamburger, tortilla, chips 
etc.); easy for the server to construct; user-friendly for 
the end-user to carry multiple items including liquids; 
and made from recyclable corrugated board.

A brand new packaging concept was launched in 
October 2016. Our customer is delighted with the 
flexibility and branding potential of the ‘menu-box’ 
solution which includes a tray, handle, and place to 
secure a cup and straw. The menu-box can easily 
be folded into different sections to match the order 
and the design includes striking original artwork. 
It is of course also very comfortable to carry and 
fully recyclable!

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201662  

Business reviews

Consumer Packaging 
Our Consumer Packaging business develops, 
manufactures and sells innovative consumer goods 
packaging solutions, technical films, components 
for personal care products and release liners.

Resins

Films & other
raw materials

Sack kraft and
speciality kraft paper

Film extrusion and
nonwoven production

Technical
films

Converting
operations

Consumer goods packaging
Personal care components
Release liner

To customers

To customers

Operating sites

32 in 12 countries

Employees

5,300

Key industries served

Agriculture

Food and beverage

Home and personal care

Medical and pharmaceutical

Pet care

Revenue
€ million

€1,562m

1,414

1,379

1,469

1,562

502

Underlying operating profit
€ million

€121m

ROCE

79

%
7
.
8

37

%
0
.
9

96

%
4
.
0
1

121

108

%
7
.
0
1

%
5
.
0
1

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Consumer Packaging 

63

We operate a high-quality asset base, using 
proprietary processing technology with 
vertical integration along the value chain, 
producing products for some of the world’s  
biggest brands. Our leading market positions,  
combined with our product innovation 
culture provide a strong platform for growth.

Our consumer goods packaging 
products help brands communicate with 
customers, extend shelf life and improve 
end-user convenience. We produce  
high-quality laminates and barrier materials 
on reels, capable of handling a variety of 
printing techniques. 

Delivering on our strategy

We also offer a wide variety of tailor-made 
converted flexible packaging solutions 
such as stand-up pouches, re-closable 
plastic bags, paper-based bags, and ice 
cream packaging.

We produce highly developed technical 
films and film-based solutions for a variety 
of uses and industries. Products include 
high-quality label films; laminating and high-
barrier films for sophisticated packaging 
solutions; as well as films for demanding 
surfaces or technical components in 
automotive and lightweight design.

Our personal care components include 
soft nonwovens and technically demanding 
stretchy elastic films and laminates, 
mechanical fastening components, and 
wrapping films developed for diapers, adult 
incontinence and femcare products.

In addition, consumer packaging also 
offers a wide range of high-quality 
paper and film-based release liners and 
advanced functional coatings for various 
applications including labels, tapes, 
graphic arts, medical, fibre composites, 
bakery and many more.

Strategic value drivers

2016 highlights

2017 objectives

Driving performance to optimise quality, 
productivity and efficiency

 e Good progress in optimising operations through 

debottlenecking and site specialisation

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

Partnering with our customers to  
develop innovative solutions

 e Acquisitions of Kalenobel (Turkey) and Uralplastic 
(Russia) in 2016; and Excelsior Technologies (UK)  
in 2017 enhance our product portfolio and 
geographic reach

 e Chief innovation officer appointed and  

reorganised R&D

 e New products launched include roomskin® 

and Glassliner

 e Expanded range of spouted pouches

 e Focus on improving machine running time 
and lowering maintenance costs, using 
dedicated specialists

 e Optimise our recent investments and fully 

integrate our recent acquisitions

 e Further expand our product range, working with 
our customers to deliver cost savings, technical 
improvements and develop new solutions

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

 e New management structure establishes clear lines 
of authority and positions us for further growth
 e Safety record continues to improve as we entrench 

 e Improve and streamline decision-making 
processes and procedures and enhance 
internal communication

our safety culture

 e Strong focus on safety, with particular attention 

to recent acquisitions

roomskin®
roomskin®, developed in cooperation with Egger 
headquarters in Austria, is an innovative elastic, 
high-transparency and extremely robust overlay 
which can be combined with a wide variety of flooring 
and decorative elements. As it is free from PVC 
and plasticiser it offers a more sustainable solution. 
Its reduced thickness in comparison to standard 
flooring overlay means less resources and waste. 
It is also self-healing, providing a unique surface layer 
that provides high scratch and abrasion resistance, 
potentially increasing the final product’s total lifespan.

Consumer Barrier Films
Barrier films ensure outstanding aroma protection 
and longer shelf life. We produce high-barrier 
films with up to 14 layers, depending on use and 
specifications. Our thermoforming films fit the 
shape of the product perfectly, and their gloss and 
transparency also make the packaging visually 
appealing. Our films are suitable for pasteurisation, 
sterilisation and microwave applications.

SquareBag
We’ve developed a flexible yet durable box-shaped 
solution that is light-weight and cost-effective. All six 
panels are available for graphics making this bag 
ideal for individual branding. The square design 
enables the packaging to stand upright at the 
point-of-sale, ensuring it is even more eye-catching. 
SquareBags also offer convenient features like 
reclosable zippers, spouts and handles.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201664  

Business reviews

Production information 

Consumer packaging

million m²

2016

7,156

2015

6,594

Financial performance

€ million

Segment revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying operating profit

Underlying operating profit margin

% change 

6%

12%

12%

2016

1,562

198

121

7.7%

(19)

91

1,270

10.5%

2015

1,469

177

108

7.4%

(22)

92

1,146

10.7%

Special items

Capital expenditure

Net segment assets

ROCE

Sustainable development

TRCR

Hygiene certification

per 200,000 hours worked

% food contact operations 
certified to recognised 
food hygiene standards

2016

1.19

2015

1.14

100

100

Financial review

Consumer Packaging made good progress 
with strong volume growth and improving 
margins. Underlying operating profit 
increased 12% to €121 million with a ROCE 
of 10.5%.

Good progress was made in our ongoing 
initiatives to improve the product mix. 
Strong volume growth was achieved 
in our higher value-added segments of 
personal care components, consumer 
laminates, technical films, and release 
liners. The favourable product mix and 
focus on value-added segments resulted 
in an improvement in our gross margin. 
On a like-for-like basis, excluding the 
impact of acquisitions and disposals, sales 
volumes grew around 4%. We remain well 
positioned for further growth.

The integration of the businesses acquired 
during 2015 is progressing well and we 
are realising the synergies from these 
acquisitions. Two further acquisitions were 
completed in 2016. A small net charge to 
underlying operating profit was incurred 
from these acquisitions in the second half 
of the year due to the effects of acquisition 
accounting and transaction costs.

Fixed costs were higher, in line with 
our increased focus on innovation and 
customer service, partially offset by one-off 
gains in the first half of the year.

Driving performance to optimise 
quality, productivity and efficiency

We are making good progress in our drive 
to optimise our operations. During 2016, 
we further debottlenecked some of our 
plants and reallocated production between 
our sites to allow for site specialisation, 
optimised production activities, cost 
savings, productivity improvements, and 
reduced waste. We completed the closure 
of operations in Italy and Spain, announced 
in 2015, while retaining the ability to 
continue to serve customers from our sites 
in central and eastern Europe.

In the US, we announced the restructuring 
of our release liner operations, including the 
planned closure of one site.

We employed machine specialists to work 
across our operations leading to significant 
improvements in machine running times, 
while lowering maintenance costs.

Good progress is being made in integrating 
the businesses acquired during 2015 
and realising the synergies from these 
acquisitions, including savings in the 
procurement of shared raw materials. 
As part of the integration, a number of 
people from our Mondi TSP operation 
in Thailand attended training at Mondi 
Gronau, our largest production facility 
in Germany.

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

In recent years, we have invested 
significantly in the modernisation and 
growth of our Consumer Packaging 
business. Looking forward, while 
still considering capital investment 
opportunities, we are focused on the 
optimisation of our existing operations and 
recent investments.

Over time, we aim to increase the level 
of standardisation and harmonise our 
portfolio of assets across our production 
sites in order to realise production and 
maintenance cost efficiencies and further 
economies of scale. Our approach is to 
systematically replace older equipment; 
bringing in equipment, processes 
and procedures that result in higher 
productivity and quality, and offer 
greater energy efficiency and waste 
reduction opportunities.

The acquisitions completed in 2016 grow 
our product offering and geographic 
reach. Mondi Kalenobel produces flexible 
consumer packaging for ice cream and 
other applications, as well as aseptic 
cartons, and serves both international 
FMCG companies and regional food 
and beverage producers. The company 
exports approximately half of its production 
– mainly to western Europe, the Middle 
East, and North Africa. Mondi Uralplastic 
manufactures a range of consumer flexible 
packaging products for food, personal 
care, homecare, and other applications for 
both local and international customers. 

In February 2017, we announced the 
acquisition of Excelsior Technologies 
Limited, further supporting the 
development of consumer packaging 
in high-growth product applications. 
Excelsior is a vertically-integrated producer 
of innovative, flexible packaging solutions, 
mainly for food applications, with a unique 
packaging technology for microwave steam 
cooking, complementing and enhancing 
our global food packaging offering.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Partnering with our customers to 
develop innovative solutions

Flexible packaging can provide 
considerable advantages over rigid 
packaging alternatives, saving packaging 
material and reducing their carbon footprint 
and water usage. Through our customer-
focused innovation activities, we aim to 
develop products that offer the same, or 
better, properties and features as their rigid 
packaging alternatives, resulting in savings 
for our customers and reducing the impact 
of packaging materials on the environment. 
We have appointed a chief innovation 
officer and reorganised our research and 
development activities to further strengthen 
our capabilities in this area.

We are pleased to be one of P&G’s 
innovation partners and are working 
closely with them in a number of areas 
to deliver cost savings through technical 
improvements to existing products; as 
well as developing innovative, sustainable 
new solutions.

In addition to the development of new 
products, our innovation activities are 
also focused on providing incremental 
improvements to existing products. 

In particular, we have focused on improving 
the convenience of our products through 
design innovations and enhancements to 
product look and feel. Recent innovations 
include an expansion of our spouted pouch 
range to provide a number of new features 
such as paper touch, and the development 
of a flexible, reclosable, box-shaped bag 
that provides large, attractive, and high-
quality printed display surfaces.

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

The outcomes of the latest Group-wide 
employee survey confirmed the need for 
improved communication and information 
sharing. Our employees have asked us to 
streamline our decision-making processes 
and procedures, keep them up to date on 
our business performance and plans, and 
involve them more in the identification of 
new opportunities. We recently announced 
a new management structure with clear 
lines of authority which, combined with a 
new chief innovation officer, should facilitate 
improved communication and position us 
for further growth.

65

Our TRCR moved up slightly during 2016 
and we are working hard to entrench a 
strong safety culture with a preventative 
and proactive mindset through our focus 
on the top risks, training, and investment. 
At Gronau, our largest and most complex 
site, we trained around 700 of our shop-
floor team (including shift managers) in 
behavioural safety to help improve our 
approach to identifying and eliminating risk 
and unsafe behaviour. Safety remains a key 
focus and we continue to put the necessary 
training and procedures in place to ensure 
all our new entities meet the Mondi safety 
standards as quickly as possible.

SpoutedPouch: Expanding our no 
mess, no hassle solution into Europe

Produced at: Mondi Jackson (US),  
Mondi KSP (South Korea), and now 
Mondi Solec (Poland)

More customer-focused than you expect. 
Every day.
We are determined to help our customers become 
even more successful. Our SpoutedPouch solution 
offers all the benefits of stand-up pouches and also 
provides easy-to-open, easy-to-use and easy-to-
reclose spouts. It is most often used for fruit juices, 
purées and condiments such as mayonnaise.

One of the key advantages for our customers and 
their customers is the significantly extended shelf 
life and reduced risk of contamination, due to its 
reclosable nature, and the barrier properties of the 
films used to produce the pouch. This innovative 
packaging solution prioritises convenience for 
the end-user, minimises waste, simplifies portion 
control, reduces transportation costs, and enhances 
shelf-appeal.

The global market for stand-up pouches is growing 
considerably and is set to hit some 38 million units 
by 20201. We are excited to have recently expanded 
our spouted flexible pouch operations into Poland, 
which provides the perfect central location to meet 
the needs of our customers in Europe.

1  Research by Schönwald Consulting; Report on Retortable 

Stand-Up Pouches and Stand-Up Pouches with Spouts, 2016

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201666  

Business reviews

Uncoated Fine Paper 
Our Uncoated Fine Paper (UFP) business 
manufactures and sells an extensive 
range of quality papers for use in offices  
and professional printing houses.

Wood fibre

Pulp mill

Paper mill

Office paper
Professional 
printing paper

To customers

To customers

Operating sites

4 in 3 countries

Employees

5,600

Production capacity

Pulp: 1,185 ktpa

Uncoated fine paper: 1,421 ktpa

Key industries served

Graphic and photographic 

Office and professional printing

Revenue
€ million

€1,246m

1,466

1,335

1,240

1,233

1,246

Underlying operating profit
€ million

€264m

ROCE

264

%
0
.
6
3

212

%
6
.
5
2

186

%
7
.
6
1

164

%
0
.
6
1

148

%
1
.
6
1

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Uncoated Fine Paper 

67

We’re a European market-leader, with a 
focus on emerging Europe and Russia. 
We operate a vertically integrated, high-
quality, low-cost asset base, and we are 
continually looking for ways to improve 
efficiency and productivity. 

We continually strive to transform 
responsibly sourced raw materials 
into innovative paper solutions to meet 
customer needs in a responsible, cost-
effective and sustainable way. 

Our extensive range of office papers is 
designed to achieve optimal print results  
on laser, inkjet and copy machines. 

High-performance professional printing 
papers are dedicated for offset presses, 
high-speed inkjet presses and the latest 
digital print technologies. We aim to 
provide customers a one-stop-shop 
solution for their needs.

All our uncoated fine papers belong to the 
Green Range, Mondi’s umbrella trademark 
for sustainable paper and packaging 
solutions. They are produced from FSC 
or PEFC-certified wood from sustainably 
managed forests or 100% recycled paper, 
or are produced totally chlorine free. 

Delivering on our strategy

Strategic value drivers

2016 highlights

2017 objectives

Driving performance to optimise quality, 
productivity and efficiency

 e Productivity and cost improvements through 

 e Optimise product mix in line with customer 

procurement activities, headcount optimisation and 
efficiency improvements

demand, and focus on energy efficiency, waste 
reduction and efficient use of raw materials

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

 e Systematic renewal of transport fleet in Russian 

forestry operations and investment in infrastructure 
to optimise costs

 e Execution of power plant modernisation and 
waste water treatment projects at Syktyvkar 
(Russia)

Partnering with our customers to  
develop innovative solutions

 e Further improved quality and delivery performance

 e Work with Packaging Paper on Ružomberok mill 

(Slovakia) expansion

 e Mondi4Me initiative to provide customers with 
a single interface for product information, order 
processing and query management

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

 e Talent development programme in Russia yielding 

significant benefits

 e No recordable safety incidents during our 

maintenance shuts

 e SEAT report published for Syktyvkar logging  

operations

 e Improve communication, providing regular 
feedback to employees on plans and 
performance

 e Continue community investment activities, with 
a focus on education and local community 
empowerment

Sticky notes
Our coloured papers are used by converters to 
create specialised products such as release liners, 
envelopes, labels and stationery including sticky 
notes. Sticky notes are used in offices and homes 
across the world to encourage productivity and 
creativity. Mondi has a long history of innovative 
product development and can also (co-)develop 
custom-made products from our assortment of 
paper grades.

MAESTRO® PRINT
This reliable and flexible uncoated wood-free paper 
has been specifically designed for offset printing and 
has excellent surface properties for perfect print runs. 
Additional benefits include exceptional runnability so 
that printing machines can operate at full speed and 
high dimensional stability for sharp, multi-coloured 
print results. We have chosen to print our integrated 
report on MAESTRO® PRINT.

Color Copy
Color Copy has been Europe’s leading colour laser 
paper for over 25 years. It is specifically designed 
for digital printing to deliver brilliant, true to life colour 
copies and perfect print results every time. As a fully 
CO2 neutral product that is EU Ecolabel and FSC 
certified, Color Copy offers customers an exceptional 
environmental advantage.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201668  

Business reviews

Production information 

Uncoated fine paper

Hardwood pulp

Softwood pulp

Newsprint

Financial performance

€ million

Segment revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying operating profit

Underlying operating profit margin

Capital expenditure

Net segment assets

ROCE

Sustainable development

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

% change 

1%

18%

25%

TRCR

per 200,000 hours worked

Energy consumption

million GJ

Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions million tonnes CO2e

Forest certification

% managed land certified 
to FSC and PEFC 
standards

FSC or PEFC certified wood %

Environmental management 
certification

% of pulp and paper mills 
and forestry operations 
certified to ISO 14001 
standards

2016

1,408

853

334

202

2016

1,246

343

264

21.2%

53

851

2015

1,379

839

349

197

2015

1,233

291

212

17.2%

65

821

36.0%

25.6%

2016

0.27

65.19

2.13

1001

79

2015

0.29

65.79

2.32

100

79

100

100

1  Lease exchange in 2016 in Russia resulted in a new lease of around 39,000 hectares which will be  

FSC certified during 2017

Financial review 

Our Uncoated Fine Paper business 
delivered an exceptional performance, 
generating underlying operating profit of 
€264 million, up 25% on the prior year, with 
a ROCE of 36%. Domestic price increases 
in the CIS markets and a strong focus on 
productivity and efficiency more than offset 
negative currency effects from the weaker 
rouble and flat European pricing.

Uncoated fine paper sales volumes 
increased 1% over the prior year, reflecting 
a strong performance in an overall declining 
market. European market demand is 
estimated to have contracted in 2016 by 
3-4%, following stable demand in 2015, 
bringing the average demand contraction 
over the past two years to 1-2% per year, in 
line with the longer-term trend. Demand in 
the CIS remained stable. 

Benchmark average selling prices in 
Europe were similar to the prior year, but 
2% down in the second half of the year 
compared to the first half. Selling price 
increases were implemented at the 
beginning of the year but came under 
pressure early in the second half due to 
weak European demand and pressure from 
imports offsetting the benefits of industry 
capacity rationalisation in the prior year. 
Demand improved towards the end of the 
year and a price increase of 5-7% has been 
announced across all uncoated fine paper 
grades in Europe from February 2017.

Selling prices were increased in Russia at 
the beginning of 2016, offsetting the effects 
of domestic cost inflation. Prices remain 
stable going into 2017.

The business benefited from generally 
lower input costs, particularly energy costs. 

In Russia, wood costs were lower in 
rouble terms, while in Europe wood costs 
increased marginally. Our commercial 
excellence programmes, focused on 
purchased material, operating efficiencies 
and productivity improvements, contributed 
to good cost control, offsetting inflationary 
cost pressures, most notably in Russia. 
Hardwood pulp prices were 11% lower in 
euro terms providing a benefit to our semi-
integrated Neusiedler (Austria) operations.

Planned maintenance shuts were completed 
at Syktyvkar in the first half of the year, at 
Ružomberok in both the first and second 
half, and at Neusiedler in the second half 
of the year. In 2017, our Syktyvkar shut is 
planned for the first half of the year and our 
Ružomberok and Neusiedler mill shuts are 
scheduled for the second half.

Driving performance to optimise 
quality, productivity and efficiency

We have a strong culture of driving 
optimisation and efficiency at all our sites. 
This includes improving productivity, 
improving the use of raw materials, 
increasing energy efficiency, and reducing 
waste. In 2016 we made good progress 
through our procurement activities; 
meeting productivity targets; and focus on 
optimising efficiency, leading to a reduction 
in the consumption of process materials.

Our incremental improvements enabled 
us to increase total production by around 
30,000 tonnes during the year, enabled 
by production records at two of our pulp 
mills and four of our paper machines. 
We continue to refine our product mix in line 
with customer demand and have increased 
our capacity for reels and folio products, 
while reducing our cut-size production.

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

The Boards have approved the rebuild of the 
power plant at Syktyvkar. The existing plant 
is more than 50 years old and we will replace 
three bark boilers and four turbines with a 
single new bark boiler and turbine. This will 
provide significant process simplification, 
improved reliability, reduced maintenance 
costs, and a reduction in maintenance and 
operating personnel. We will also realise 
the benefits of a reduction in natural gas 
consumption and an increase in the use of 
biomass for energy.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201669

In 2016 we published the report on 
our standard, third party facilitated, 
socio-economic assessment process 
of stakeholder dialogue (SEAT) for the 
Syktyvkar logging operations. We provide 
support for local infrastructure improvements 
and continue to offer the services of our 
Syktyvkar medical centre. In Austria we 
are working with Volkshilfe, a charitable 
organisation that supports social institutions 
and projects in Austria and internationally, 
hosting refugees from Afghanistan and 
providing them with financial support.

We are committed to making a real and 
lasting contribution to the communities 
in which we operate, with education 
being a key focus. At all our operations 
we support local educational institutions 
from kindergartens through to universities 
by providing donations of paper and 
financial support. At university level, we 
sponsor bursaries, research activities and 
postgraduate theses, and provide summer 
work opportunities.

PERGRAPHICA®: Partnering with 
the Bolshoi Theatre in the pursuit 
of perfection

Produced at: Mondi Neusiedler (Austria)

More performance-driven than you expect. 
Every day.
Our first collection of design papers combines 
unique printing properties and brilliant colour 
reproduction. This EU Ecolabel and FSC-
certified paper was created specifically for the 
exacting needs of the creative and commercial 
print industries. The name, derived from Latin, 
means the most exquisite and it is Mondi’s ‘Paper 
for Perfectionists’.

It therefore just felt right when the Bolshoi Theatre 
of Russia chose PERGRAPHICA® design paper for 
all its printing needs. Yury Tikhonov, Director of the 
Bolshoi Theatre printing house explained that the 
paper reflects the way they interact with the audience, 
“PERGRAPHICA® shares emotions, visualises images 
and promotes creativity and inspiration.”

For Mondi it is a great honour to cooperate with the 
Bolshoi Theatre. We are proud that PERGRAPHICA® 
incorporates professionalism and sophistication. It is 
optimised for hybrid printing that combines offset 
and digital dry toner printing. Its distinctive shades 
and surfaces add to its unique appeal.

In 2016, as part of the latest phase of our 
ongoing investment into our waste water 
treatment plant at Syktyvkar, we installed 
new buffer tanks and mixing chambers to 
allow for the improved mixing of municipal 
and industrial waste water. This has improved 
operating efficiency. The Boards have also 
approved the next phase of investment, 
which will significantly improve waste water 
quality, reducing chemical oxygen demand 
and total suspended solids.

Our forests in Russia are critical to our 
success. We continue to invest in sustainably 
managed forestry operations and improved 
transportation safety and efficiency. We have 
systematically renewed our harvesting and 
transport fleet over the last few years and 
continue to invest in the modernisation of our 
forestry assets and infrastructure.

Partnering with our customers to 
develop innovative solutions

We continue to deliver excellent customer 
service, and have commenced our 
Mondi4Me initiative – a web-based solution 
designed to provide our customers with 
improved service and a single interface 
where they can obtain detailed product 
information, place orders, log queries, and 
manage and track their orders and queries 
online. In addition to information about 
the sustainability of our fibre sources, our 
customers require extensive information 
on social sustainability, human rights 
in our supply chain, and environmental 
performance. This 24/7 service is essential 
to enhancing the experience of our 
customers. The first phase will be launched 
in the second quarter of 2017 and further 
functionality will be added over time.

In delivering service excellence, we 
have targeted improvements in quality 
and delivery performance, and we have 
reworked our complaint management 
process. We have negotiated customer 
specific service level agreements with a 
number of our key customers, including joint 
target setting and forecasting and a focus 
on collaborative value creation projects.

At our Neusiedler mill we are focused 
on improving our paper quality and have 
also installed new equipment to meet 
the increasing demand for folio products 
and reels.

The uncoated fine paper market is in 
structural decline, with a downgrade in quality  
for everyday printing use but increasing 
demand for high-quality printing papers for  
use in the latest printing technologies – digital  
and high-speed inkjet printing. 

Our hybrid printing papers provide flexibility 
in the printing technology used – from 
offset printing and pre-printed forms to 
laser printing. 

NEUJET® is our high speed inkjet paper, 
designed to close the gap to offset coated 
printing technology, for use in medium to 
heavy-colour direct mail applications, graphic 
arts, and book printing. PERGRAPHICA® 
is our design paper range for sophisticated 
and elegant printed documents, targeting the 
creative industry.

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

We take the outcomes of our Group-wide 
employee surveys very seriously and were 
extremely pleased with the significant 
improvement in our latest survey results 
following the actions implemented after 
the 2013 survey. Our employees want 
us to continue to improve our levels of 
communication and provide regular 
feedback on our performance and plans.

The training, development, and retention 
of our people is critical to our long-
term success. Our talent development 
programme in Russia is yielding significant 
benefits. In 2016, we had 50 internal 
promotions, 12 new appointments, and 
provided more than 230,000 hours of 
training. We have expanded this programme 
to our Ružomberok mill as we gear up for the 
Packaging Paper kraft top white investment 
and make provision for a number of 
employees approaching retirement age.

We are very pleased with our safety record, 
with no fatalities or life-altering injuries 
during the year and our maintenance shuts 
carried out without a recordable incident. 
We have continued with our focus on the 
top fatal risks, with a special focus on nip 
points and working at heights. In response 
to previous incidents at Syktyvkar, we 
have tightened our controls on the type of 
scaffolding used and implemented internal 
training that includes the supervision of 
work, allocation of responsibilities, and 
requirements in scaffold design. 

We work closely with the local authorities 
and communities in the areas where we 
operate. We seek to identify and, where 
appropriate, assist with their local needs. 
In Russia we are actively managing around 
90 community and development projects in 
our forestry operations. Our focus includes: 
the development of small businesses to 
empower the local community; providing 
support for independence and livelihoods; 
and strengthening our wood supply chain. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201670  

Business reviews

South Africa Division
Our South Africa Division sustainably manages 
plantation forests and manufactures and  
sells pulp, virgin containerboard and uncoated 
fine paper.

Wood fibre

Pulp mill

Paper mill

Office paper
Professional 
printing paper

Virgin 
containerboard

Revenue
€ million

€594m

702

624

596

652

594

To customers

To customers

To customers

Underlying operating profit
€ million

€147m

ROCE

161

%
1
.
0
3

147

%
8
.
7
2

112

%
9
.
1
2

93

%
0
.
6
1

69

%
6
.
9

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Operating sites

2 in South Africa

Production capacity

Pulp: 900 ktpa

Uncoated fine paper: 270 ktpa

Containerboard: 270 ktpa

Employees

1,700

Key industries served

Office and professional printing

Shipping and transport

Packaging and paper converting

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016South Africa Division

71

We are focused on leveraging our strong 
domestic market position and the global 
competitiveness of our Richards Bay mill. 
With a history spanning 50 years, we 
understand the value of being efficient, 
cost-competitive and customer-focused.

We manage about 250,000 hectares 
of plantation forests in South Africa and 
maintain 100% FSC certification of our 
forests – including the identification and 
protection of high conservation value areas.

In addition to certification and sustainable 
procurement practices, we focus on the 
proactive and responsible stewardship 
of forests and freshwater ecosystems, 
and the maintenance of biodiversity and 
important habitats.

Delivering on our strategy

Strategic value drivers

2016 highlights

2017 objectives

Driving performance to optimise quality, 
productivity and efficiency

 e Forestry modernisation programme improves all 

aspects of our forestry operations

 e Continue to improve stability and reliability 
of Richards Bay mill through equipment 
replacement, process optimisation and use 
of experts

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

 e Upgraded our woodyard at Richards Bay providing a 

 e Optimise recently completed capital investments

significant improvement in overall efficiency

 e Completed project to produce unbleached kraftliner, 

expanding our product range

Partnering with our customers to  
develop innovative solutions

 e Customer survey shows that we remain supplier of 

choice, with long-term relationships and high-quality 
products

 e Progress plans for restarting second uncoated 
fine paper machine and reducing newsprint 
production in line with customer demand

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

 e Improved safety record, with no recordable cases 

during our annual maintenance shut or fire season in 
our forests

 e WWF-Mondi Wetlands programme (WWF-MWP)

celebrates 25 years

 e Implement plans to further reduce water 
consumption in response to drought

 e Provide ongoing support to local communities 

through education and assisting with 
sustainable infrastructure

Rotatrim
This multifunctional office paper is South Africa’s 
iconic office paper brand. It is made from elemental 
chlorine free pulp and runs smoothly through 
photocopiers, laser and inkjet printers. Over the past 
30-plus years, Rotatrim has achieved a number 
of milestones including ISO accreditation in 
environment, quality and safety; and FSC Chain-Of-
Custody certification.

Baycel
This 100% elemental chlorine free bleached 
Eucalyptus pulp, made from FSC-certified wood, 
is used in the production of coated and uncoated 
fine paper grades, tissue, kraftliner and speciality 
papers. Our innovative clonal propagation technology 
enhances the desirable properties of this premium 
quality pulp.

ProVantage Baywhite
Our premium quality uncoated white top kraftliner 
is produced from 100% virgin kraft fibre, ensuring 
excellent strength and high-quality printing. 
ProVantage Baywhite offers customers a wide range 
of solutions for packaging fruit, beverages and luxury 
goods. Further applications are point-of-sale displays, 
promotional corrugated, and shelf-ready packaging.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
72  

Business reviews

Production information 

Containerboard

Uncoated fine paper

Hardwood pulp

Internal consumption

  Market pulp

Newsprint

Softwood pulp – internal consumption

Financial performance

€ million

Segment revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying operating profit

Underlying operating profit margin

Special items

Capital expenditure

Net segment assets

ROCE

Sustainable development

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

% change 

(9%)

(9%)

(9%)

TRCR

per 200,000 hours worked

Energy consumption

million GJ

Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions million tonnes CO2e

Forest certification

% managed land certified 
to FSC standards

FSC certified wood

%

Environmental management 
certification

% of pulp and paper mills 
and forestry operations 
certified to ISO 14001 
standards

2016

253

258

322

280

111

148

2016

594 

182

147

2015

247

240

305

314

113

138

2015

652

199

161

24.7%

24.7%

(6)

58

731

27.8%

2016

0.39

28.66

1.36

100

79

–

61

563

30.1%

2015

0.49

28.53

1.35

100

77

100

100

Financial review

Our South Africa Division was negatively 
affected by sharply lower average pulp 
export selling prices and higher input costs, 
which were only partially offset by positive 
currency effects, a higher fair value gain 
on forestry assets, and domestic price 
increases. Underlying operating profit of 
€147 million was down 9% on a very strong 
performance in the prior year, and ROCE 
was 27.8%.

Strong domestic demand for uncoated fine 
paper and white-top kraftliner was met by 
reducing exports of these products and 
increasing the amount of pulp converted to 
these paper grades. Domestic demand for 
pulp decreased, compensated by a higher 
level of exports. Overall, sales volumes were 
marginally lower than in the prior year.

Domestic selling prices were higher across 
all our grades. Export prices for white-top 
kraftliner were broadly in line with the prior 
year and average benchmark US dollar 
pulp prices were around 11% lower than 
the previous year. Lower export prices were 
partially compensated by the weaker rand.

Forestry gains are dependent on a variety 
of factors over which we have limited 
control. In 2016, selling prices of timber 
increased significantly and a fair value 
gain of €64 million (2015: €40 million) was 
recognised, of which €48 million was 
recognised in the first half of the year. 
The increase in the fair value gain was 
offset by the consequent impact of higher 
felling costs.

Inflationary price increases in labour and 
electricity, higher wood costs mainly due to 
the forestry revaluation, and the impact of 
the weaker South African rand on imported 
materials put pressure on input costs. 
These impacts were partially mitigated 
by our focus on cost optimisation, driving 
efficiencies and reducing waste.

An extended planned maintenance shut at 
Richards Bay, which included the tie-in of our 
recent capital investments, took place during 
the second half of 2016 and a much shorter 
shut is planned for the second half of 2017.

Driving performance to optimise 
quality, productivity and efficiency

We benefit from low-cost timber from our 
sustainably managed forestry plantations. 
Our forestry modernisation programme has 
been completed, and we have improved 
all aspects of our forestry operations from 
our nurseries to our harvesting activities. 
We have significantly improved our timber 
yield and delivered sustainable cost 
improvements. Increased utilisation of 
residual raw materials from our forests for 
use in our biomass boiler has increased 
energy self-sufficiency and reduced our 
reliance on fossil fuels.

In our efforts to improve the stability and 
reliability of our Richards Bay mill, we 
have continued with a programme of 
replacing old equipment, reorganised 
our maintenance activities, increased our 
engineering complement, and redesigned 
our process control parameters. The work 
we have done towards optimising fibre 
recovery on our paper machines has led to 
a significant reduction in odour complaints 
resulting from sulphur-based emissions 
from our pulp operations, although this 
remains a key area of focus.

Investing in our high-quality, low-cost 
assets to keep us competitive

Towards the end of 2016 we completed 
the investment project to upgrade our 
woodyard at our Richards Bay mill, allowing 
for improved efficiencies in wood handling 
processes in our forests and providing 
higher-quality fibre. Additional benefits 
include reduced maintenance costs, 
improved reliability, and some 
energy savings.

Our investment to expand our product 
range by producing unbleached kraftliner 
in addition to white-top kraftliner at our 
Richards Bay mill gives us the opportunity 
to supply our customers with this 
specialised product.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
73

Partnering with our customers to 
develop innovative solutions

At our Merebank operation, we have made 
the decision to restart our second uncoated 
fine paper machine to meet domestic 
demand for reels and, at the same time, 
reduce our production of newsprint in 
response to declining demand.

We conducted a customer survey during 
the year, and we remain the supplier of 
choice to our domestic customers who 
appreciate our reliable products, long-term 
relationships, and the value we add to their 
businesses. We have worked closely with 
our newsprint customers to enhance the 
quality of our product.

Growing responsibly and inspiring our 
people for long-term success

The extended drought in South Africa 
remains a significant challenge, with the 
primary supply dam for our Richards Bay 
mill at only 18% of capacity at the end of 
the year, compared to 33% at the same 
time in the previous year. We are working 
with government and other industries in 
the region to find potential solutions to 
this challenge. Plans include reducing 
total water consumption, the municipality 
increasing the volume of water piped from 
the Tugela River to the supply dam, and 
investigating further recycling of water. 

We continue to focus on the efficient use 
of water at all our operations, and have 
reduced freshwater consumption by 12% 
compared to 2015. In our forests, as a 
result of the drought, we have reduced our 
replanting activities, the growth of our trees 
has been affected, and their resistance to 
disease and insects has declined.

Our latest Group-wide employee survey 
results show good all round improvement 
but our employees still want us to 
further improve our communication and 
recognition. We have extended our 360° 
management reviews to foreman level and 
introduced a development course for our 
first line supervisors.

We initiated a revised training programme for 
first line managers’ safety and health training, 
which will continue in 2017. We are pleased 
that we experienced no serious safety 
incidents during our planned maintenance 
shuts or during the fire season in our 
forests in 2016. However, it is with heartfelt 
sadness that we report the fatality of one of 
our contractors in February 2017, following 
a timber vehicle accident in our forestry 
operations. We will intensify our focus on 
top risks and continue to identify appropriate 
actions to engineer out these risks. We focus 
the majority of our community involvement 
around our forestry operations due to the 
scale and nature of these operations. 

In 2016, we added a sixth mobile clinic and, 
through Mondi Zimele, we have funded 
over 100 small businesses which to date 
have provided employment to more than 
2,800 people. We have also sponsored the 
construction of two science laboratories 
at local schools. We continue to support 
educational programmes such as bursaries; 
provide HIV-AIDS counselling and treatment 
for employees and contractors; contribute 
to sustainable infrastructure such as agri-
villages; and empower local enterprises to 
support local livelihoods. A pilot social impact 
assessment of our Isibindi project, which 
targets support for orphans and vulnerable 
children on and around our forestry land, 
reflected significant development value from 
our initiatives as perceived by local partners 
and stakeholders. The lessons from this 
assessment will enable us to further improve 
our community investments throughout 
the Group.

In 2016, we celebrated 25 years of the 
WWF-MWP, with Mondi as the primary 
funder of this programme since 2001. We are 
extremely proud of this collaboration which 
has brought the important role that wetlands 
play to the forefront of conservation efforts, 
and driven change in the way that wetlands 
are identified, delineated, restored and 
protected across sectors in South Africa 
and beyond.

WWF-Mondi Wetlands Programme: 
Celebrating 25 years and a global 
conservation partnership

In cooperation with: WWF International

More international than you expect. Every day.
The 25 year history of the WWF-MWP embodies 
the qualities that make a partnership successful. It is 
about people believing in the value of the work being 
done – backed up by insightful leadership, enduring 
relationships, strong technical input and consistent 
corporate funding to develop and maintain a core 
team of experts.

The WWF-MWP work done in South Africa built trust 
between Mondi and WWF and led to discussions 
about how to develop a wider partnership. There was 
already a good working relationship in Russia, with 
a focus on identifying and protecting the remaining 
large, intact boreal forests.

In 2014 the WWF-Mondi Global Partnership was 
launched and WWF-MWP is now part of a global 
conservation partnership working in South Africa, 
Europe and Russia to make an impact at a greater 
scale. It has also stretched its focus beyond 
wetlands and is, through an integrated cross-
sectoral approach, piloting new and exciting water 
stewardship approaches in some of South Africa’s 
key catchments.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Governance

Introduction from  
joint chairmen 

Board of directors 

Corporate governance  
report 

DLC nominations  
committee 

DLC audit committee 

76

78

DLC sustainable  
development committee 

Mondi Limited social  
and ethics committee 

102

104

80

DLC executive committee  105

Remuneration report 

109

90

93

Other statutory  
information 

130

“ Thanks to its water-repellent 

qualities, Mondi’s fully 
biodegradable and compostable 
speciality kraft paper Advantage 
MF EcoComp is the perfect material 
for our organic waste bag.”

Christer Hansson  
Managing Director, Svenco

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements76  

Introduction from joint chairmen

Dear fellow shareholder

You would have seen our introduction to 
the Integrated report and read the Strategic 
report on pages 10 to 73. Here we wish 
to provide some further detail on how the 
Boards have operated during the year and 
the key areas of focus for us.

Strategy

Our strategy continues to support the 
delivery of industry-leading returns. 
Following our annual detailed review of 
strategy, we see no reason to make material 
adjustments at this time. We continue 
to focus on delivering sustainable value 
by optimising quality, productivity and 
efficiency; investing in our high-quality, low-
cost assets; developing innovative solutions 
and growing responsibly. We benefit from 
an emerging market asset base, particularly 
in our upstream pulp and paper operations, 
which deliver both cost competitiveness 
and access to higher growth markets. 
We have sought to leverage our cost 
leadership position by ensuring that 
we invest throughout the cycle while 
proactively restructuring non-core and 
underperforming assets. 

During the year we have considered a 
number of potential acquisitions and 
capital expenditure projects. In particular, 
we approved the acquisition of Uralplastic 
(Russia) and Kalenobel (Turkey), both 
contributing to the continued growth of 
our Consumer Packaging business, and 
in our Fibre Packaging business SIMET 
S.A. (Poland) and Lebedyan (Russia) 
were acquired. In February 2017, we 
acquired Excelsior Technologies Limited 
(UK), supporting the development of our 
Consumer Goods Packaging business 
in high-growth product applications. 
In addition, we continue to pursue strategic 
capital expenditure opportunities and 
have agreed, subject to tax incentives 
and permitting, a new 300,000 tonne 
per annum kraft top white machine 
at Ružomberok (Slovakia) and a new 
woodyard and bleaching line modernisation 
at Štětí (Czech Republic), among others. 
Towards the end of the year we approved 
significant capital investment in the power 
plant and waste water treatment plant at 
Syktyvkar (Russia) and in January 2017 
the Boards approved an investment of 
€470 million to modernise and expand 
the Štětí mill, subject to tax incentives 
and permitting. 

With customer quality requirements 
continuing to increase, the Boards were 
keen to ensure the Group’s quality culture 

“ Our strategy continues  
to support the delivery  
of industry-leading returns.”
Fred Phaswana 
David Williams 
Joint chairmen

was reviewed and improved. We received 
detailed presentations on the new 
structure and procedures being introduced 
in the Group’s quality and innovation 
teams designed to improve the focus on 
customer needs.

Board composition

During the year we have continued to 
consider any potential skills gaps on the 
Boards that will need to be addressed in 
order for us to continue to deliver on our 
stated strategic aims. In December we 
announced the appointment, with effect 
from 1 January 2017, of Tanya Fratto, a US 
national. She brings wide experience in 
product innovation, sales and marketing 
and engineering in a range of sectors. 

It is with some sadness that, after 10 years 
on the Boards, Anne Quinn will be retiring 
at the conclusion of the AGMs in May 
2017. She leaves with our thanks and best 
wishes for the future. Anne’s departure 
will result in some further changes, with 
John Nicholas taking on the role of senior 
independent director; Tanya taking over as 
chair of the remuneration committee and 
as a member of the audit committee; and 
Dominique Reiniche joining the sustainable 
development committee. These changes 
will be effective after Anne steps down in 
May 2017.

In February 2017 we announced that David 
Hathorn will be retiring as Group Chief 
executive officer and will stand down as 
Chief executive officer and as an executive 
director at the conclusion of the AGMs in 
May 2017. David joined the Group in 1991 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201677

As a board we reviewed the results of the 
employee survey undertaken at the end 
of 2015. While one can be sceptical of the 
results of such surveys, the fact that there 
had been a 90% response rate gave the 
Boards confidence that the results we 
were reviewing were truly representative 
of the views of our employees across all 
the businesses. The management actions 
taken and positive improvements achieved 
since the last survey in 2013 have sent 
clear messages to all our employees how 
seriously their views are taken. There are 
always areas in which to improve and 
management shared their plans with us. 

It is important that we remain conscious of 
our responsibility to create an environment 
where our employees feel valued, motivated 
and included and return home safely 
every day.

Ensuring there is open and honest 
debate engendered through mutual 
trust and respect, not only between the 
executives and non-executives but also 
among the non-executives is important 
to us. Through good communication and 
interaction with the executive team we are 
able to understand what is going on in 
the business and this aids the debate and 
challenge of the appropriate future strategic 
direction. Constructive challenge is seen as 
positive, it is necessary to ‘kick the tyres’ 
and test the logic behind every proposal. 
That way we hope to continue to achieve 
the outstanding results we have seen in 
recent years.

It is not just an internal focus, we also 
satisfy ourselves that the Group’s values 
are reflected in our relationships with 
external stakeholders, in particular with 
our shareholders.

Conclusion

The following report provides more detail 
on how our governance framework is 
working in practice. We hope that, together 
with the Strategic report and Financial 
statements, this will provide you with an 
overview of how we are managing the 
Group and looking after the interests of you, 
our shareholders.

Fred Phaswana 
Joint chairman 

David Williams 
Joint chairman

and has served as Chief executive officer 
since 2000. During that time, David has led 
Mondi through major change, most notably 
during the demerger from Anglo American 
in 2007 and the establishment of Mondi as 
an independently listed Group. We would 
like to thank David for his significant 
contribution and service to Mondi and offer 
him our best wishes for the future.

We are delighted that Peter Oswald, 
currently Chief executive officer of Mondi’s 
Europe & International Division, will succeed 
David. Peter brings significant experience 
to the role and has worked alongside 
David throughout much of the Group’s 
development, ensuring strong continuity. 
We look forward to working with Peter as 
he takes up his new role.

Governance

The governance environment continues to 
evolve and we endeavour to ensure that 
our governance framework, described 
in more detail in this report, keeps pace 
with that change. While it is easy to treat 
governance as a tick box exercise, this is 
not the case at Mondi. We agree that many 
of the requirements make good business 
sense and have embedded them into our 
organisation so that they form part of the 
way we work every day. New challenges 
lie ahead with the recently published South 
African King IV Code, while in the UK the 
government is reviewing a number of areas 
including ethnic diversity and remuneration 
practices. Your Boards are reviewing 
the new proposals and, where we are 
not already meeting the requirements, 
will consider adjusting our practices 
as appropriate.

Each of our committees has had much 
to occupy them this year: the audit 
committee has reviewed and agreed new 
procedures and practices in response to 
new regulation regarding external auditors 
and the committee’s own responsibilities; 
the remuneration committee has reviewed 
and updated the remuneration policy (see 
pages 111 to 117 for more information); the  
nominations committee has considered  
the succession plans and recruited a  
new non-executive director; and the  
sustainable development committee  
has been embedding the new 2020  
commitments and policies. The Boards  
also spent time understanding the new  
EU Market Abuse Regulation and 
approving the implementation of new 
procedures and practices. 

Risk management

Our approach to risk management is 
explained in more detail on pages 32 to 
38. We recognise that there are risks with 
every aspect of business and we take a 
measured approach when considering all 
matters. In addition to the annual review 
of the top Group risks, taking particular 
account of the assessment of those risks, 
we undertake in-depth reviews of each of 
those individual risks throughout the year. 

Safety remains a key priority for us. 
We have continued to monitor the work 
being undertaken to identify and engineer 
out the top risks in each of our operations, 
continuing the elimination of fatal and 
life-altering injuries and strengthening our 
safety culture. We are pleased that in 2016, 
we did not experience any fatalities or life 
altering injuries. However, we were deeply 
saddened by a fatality in our South African 
forestry operations in February 2017. 
The Boards continue to receive regular 
reports on progress with the investments 
being made, training initiatives and changes 
to working practices, and we will ensure 
that the safety of all Mondi’s people is at the 
top of our agenda.

Culture and values

Mondi operates in more than 30 countries 
and is culturally diverse. We aim to 
empower our employees with a set of 
common values, cultural characteristics 
and goals which help define Mondi’s 
success, while still valuing local customs 
and input. The Mondi Way provides a 
framework to explain what we need to 
focus on to create value, with our culture 
and values as the foundation. We have 
a relatively flat management structure 
that means communication flows are 
straightforward, our Chief executive officer 
maintains regular contact with the top 
200 leaders around the Group, starting 
with their attendance at our leadership 
forums and following through with regular 
newsletter style communications on all key 
matters affecting the Group. 

We recognise that culture is not something 
we should look at in isolation. It is 
embedded in all our discussions and is an 
inherent part of everything we do. We have 
a strong governance framework supported 
by Group policies that set the tone and 
drive the behaviours and ethical standards 
throughout all our operations. There have 
been a number of businesses joining the 
Group this year and a material part of the 
integration of these businesses involves 
instilling the Mondi culture. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201678  

Board of directors

Fred Phaswana
72
Joint chairman

Appointed
June 2013
Independent
Yes (on appointment)
Committee memberships
Nominations, social and ethics 
Qualifications
MA (Unisa),  
BCom (Hons) (RAU),  
BA (Philosophy, Politics and 
Economics) (Unisa)

Experience
Fred has a wealth of experience in African and global businesses with well developed strategic and commercial skills 
having previously been regional president of BP Africa, a non-executive director of Anglo American plc and chairman of 
Anglo American South Africa, Anglo Platinum, Transnet, Ethos Private Equity, the South African Energy Association and 
the Advisory Board of the Cape Town Graduate School of Business. Fred was chairman of Standard Bank group and The 
Standard Bank of South Africa between 2010 and 2015. He was also the former vice chairman of WWF South Africa and 
Business Leadership of South Africa and was the honorary president of the Cape Town Press Club.

External appointments
Chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs and non-executive director of Naspers Limited.

David Williams
71
Joint chairman

Appointed
May 2007 and as joint chairman 
in August 2009
Independent
Yes (on appointment)
Committee memberships
Nominations (chairman), 
remuneration
Qualifications
Graduated in economics 
from Manchester University, 
chartered accountant (UK)

Experience
David has significant experience in senior financial roles held across a range of multinational companies, with board 
experience as both an executive and non-executive director. He retired as finance director of Bunzl plc in January 
2006, having served on the board for 14 years. He was previously a member of the Tootal management board and 
finance director of Tootal plc. David has also held senior independent director and committee chair roles at a number of 
companies. Formerly a non-executive director of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, Dewhirst Group 
plc, Medeva plc, George Wimpey plc, Taylor Wimpey plc, Tullow Oil plc, Meggitt plc and Dubai-based DP World Limited. 

External appointments
None. 

David Hathorn
54
Chief executive officer

Appointed
May 2007
Independent
No
Committee memberships
Executive (chairman), 
sustainable development, 
social and ethics
Qualifications
Graduated in commerce from 
the University of Natal, chartered 
accountant (South Africa)

Experience
David has more than 25 years’ experience in the packaging and paper industry with strong financial and commercial 
experience of the sector. He completed articles with Deloitte & Touche in Johannesburg in 1987. He joined Anglo 
American plc in 1989 as a divisional finance manager, moving to Mondi in 1991 and going on to serve as finance director 
and then general manager of Mondi Europe until 2000, when he was appointed Chief executive officer of the Mondi 
Group. He has led Mondi through major change, especially the demerger from Anglo in 2007, and has evolved Mondi’s 
strategic direction, growing it into a packaging focused business.
At Anglo American plc, David was a member of the executive committee from 2003 and an executive director from 2005 
and served on the boards of a number of group companies. 

External appointments
Chairman of Kore Potash Limited.

Andrew King
47
Chief financial officer

Appointed
October 2008
Independent
No
Committee membership
Executive
Qualifications
Graduated in commerce 
from the University of Cape 
Town, chartered accountant 
(South Africa)

Experience
Andrew has more than 14 years’ experience with Mondi in various strategy, business development and finance roles. 
He has played a key role in defining the Group’s strategic direction and re-shaping the capital structure since listing.
Andrew completed articles with Deloitte & Touche in Johannesburg in 1994. In 1995 he joined Minorco, part of Anglo 
American, as a financial analyst, before assuming responsibility for the group’s investment management activities, and 
transferring to their corporate finance department in 1998. He worked on a number of group M&A activities before being 
appointed a vice president of Anglo American Corporate Finance in 1999. He was appointed Mondi’s vice president of 
business development in 2002 and corporate development director in 2004. He served as chief financial officer of Mondi 
from June 2005 to May 2006. He was then appointed as Group strategy and business development director before 
becoming the Chief financial officer of the Mondi Group in 2008. 

External appointments
None.

Peter Oswald
54
Chief executive officer:  
Europe & International  
Division

Appointed
January 2008
Independent
No
Committee membership
Executive
Qualifications
Graduated in law from the 
University of Vienna and in 
business administration from  
WU-Vienna Business School

Experience
Peter has over 25 years’ experience of the sector with detailed knowledge of operations and extensive experience of the 
acquisition, disposal, restructuring, turnaround and organic growth of businesses. He began his career with Deutsche 
Bank and automotive company KTM. He joined the Frantschach Group in 1992 as the head of internal audit, later 
becoming corporate controller.
After serving as chief executive of the bag and flexibles business from 1995 to 2001, he was appointed chief executive of 
Mondi Packaging Europe in 2002, leading its subsequent integration with Frantschach into the new Mondi packaging division. 
Having held a number of senior executive roles within Mondi, Peter was appointed Chief executive officer of the Europe & 
International Division in January 2008. He was a non-executive director of Telekom Austria AG between 2008 and 2014 and of 
MIBA AG between 2014 and 2015 and chairman of the supervisory board of OMV AG between 2015 and 2016.
On 1 February 2017, it was announced that Peter will be appointed as Chief executive officer of the Mondi Group with 
effect from the conclusion of the AGMs on 11 May 2017. At the same time, Peter will be appointed as a member of the 
sustainable development committee and the social and ethics committee.

External appointments 
None.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
79

Anne Quinn CBE
65
Senior independent  
director

John Nicholas
60
Non-executive director

Appointed
May 2007 and as senior 
independent director in 
August 2009
Independent
Yes
Committee memberships
Audit, nominations, 
remuneration (chairman), 
sustainable development
Qualifications
BCom from Auckland University 
and MSc in management 
science from the Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology. 
Awarded a CBE for services 
to the natural gas industry

Appointed
October 2009
Independent
Yes
Committee memberships
Audit (chairman), nominations
Qualifications
Master’s degree in business 
administration from Kingston 
University, chartered accountant 
(UK)

Experience
Anne has extensive experience in the natural resources sector and of capital intensive manufacturing companies. 
She spent her early career with NZ Forest Products Limited and the US management consulting company Resource 
Planning Associates. She has wide-ranging oil and gas global experience having joined Standard Oil of Ohio, which was 
subsequently acquired by BP plc, following which she went on to work for BP in the US, Belgium, Colombia and the UK 
and held a number of executive positions, including group vice president. Previously a managing director of Riverstone 
Holdings (Europe), a private equity investment firm specialising in the renewable and conventional energy and power 
industries and a former non-executive director of The BOC Group plc from 2004 to 2006.

External appointments
Non-executive director of Smiths Group plc. 

Experience
John has business and commercial experience, in particular experience of capital intensive manufacturing companies. 
John spent his early career in technology-focused international manufacturing and service companies involved in 
analytical instruments, fire protection and food processing. He became group finance director of Kidde plc on its 
demerger from Williams Holdings and was group finance director at Tate & Lyle plc from 2006 to 2008. He was a non-
executive director of Ceres Power Holdings plc until December 2012, chairing the audit committee.
John served six years until April 2015 as a member of the UK Financial Reporting Review Panel, which seeks 
to ensure that the provision of financial information by public and large private companies complies with relevant 
reporting requirements. 

External appointments
Non-executive director of Hunting PLC where he chairs the audit committee and of Rotork p.l.c. where he is the senior 
independent director and chairman of Diploma PLC where he was previously the senior independent director and chair of 
the remuneration committee. 

Dominique  
Reiniche
61
Non-executive director

Appointed
October 2015
Independent
Yes
Committee memberships
Nominations, remuneration 
Qualifications
MBA from ESSEC Business 
School in Paris

Experience
Dominique has extensive business understanding of operating in Europe and has international consumer marketing and 
innovation experience. She started her career with Procter & Gamble before moving to Kraft Jacobs Suchard as director 
of marketing and strategy where she was also a member of their executive committee. After helping Jacobs Suchard 
through its acquisition by Kraft, Dominique joined The Coca-Cola System in 1992, starting in sales and marketing and 
then holding various roles of increasing responsibility up to general manager France. From 2002 to early 2005 she was 
president Europe for Coca-Cola Enterprises and from 2005 on she was president Europe for the Coca-Cola Company 
and then chairman from 2013 until stepping down in 2014. 
Dominique was a non-executive director of Peugeot-Citroen SA between 2012 and 2015.

External appointments
Non-executive director of AXA SA, Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Paypal (Europe) and Severn Trent Plc.

Stephen Harris
58
Non-executive director

Appointed
March 2011
Independent
Yes
Committee memberships
Audit, nominations, 
remuneration, sustainable 
development (chairman), social 
and ethics (chairman) 
Qualifications
Chartered engineer, graduated 
in engineering from Cambridge 
University, master’s degree in 
business administration from 
the University of Chicago, Booth 
School of Business

Experience
Stephen has extensive experience in engineering and manufacturing having spent his early career with Courtaulds plc 
and then moved to the USA to join APV Inc from 1984 until 1995, where he held several senior management positions. 
He was appointed to the board of Powell Duffryn plc as an executive director in 1995 and then went on to join Spectris 
plc as an executive director from 2003 until 2008. He was also a non-executive director of Brixton plc from 2006 to 2009.

External appointments
Chief executive officer of Bodycote plc.

Tanya Fratto
56
Non-executive director

Appointed
January 2017
Independent
Yes
Committee memberships
Nominations, remuneration 
Qualifications
BSc in electrical engineering

Experience
Tanya has wide experience in product innovation, profit and loss, sales and marketing and engineering in a range of 
sectors. Tanya also has extensive knowledge of operating in the US. She was CEO of Diamond Innovations, Inc., a 
world-leading manufacturer of super-abrasive products, until 2010. Before that she enjoyed a successful 20-year career 
with General Electric where she ran a number of businesses and built an experience base in product management, 
operations, Six Sigma and supply chain management. 

External appointments
Non-executive director of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., Smiths Group plc and Ashtead Group plc.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201680  

Corporate governance report

Composition of the Boards

  Joint chairmen 

  Executive directors 

2

3

  Non-executive directors  5

Diversity of the Boards
%

  Female 

  Male 

30%

70%

Compliance statement

Mondi’s dual listed company structure 
requires us to comply with the principles 
contained in the South African King III 
Code of Corporate Governance Principles 
(available at www.iodsa.co.za) and 
the September 2014 edition of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code issued by 
the Financial Reporting Council (available 
at www.frc.org.uk). It is the view of the 
Boards that, except as referred to below, 
Mondi has complied throughout the year 
with all the provisions of these codes.

The Boards determined that the DLC 
sustainable development committee 
provided the appropriate oversight for the 
sustainability reporting in the Integrated 
report and financial statements 2016 
rather than the DLC audit committee, 
as recommended under King III. Due to 
the nature of Mondi’s business the DLC 
sustainable development committee 
regularly reviews all key sustainability 
issues for the Group, meeting six times 
a year and reporting directly to the 
Boards. Therefore, it is considered to 
be better placed to review the integrity 
of the sustainability reporting. The DLC 
sustainable development committee 

has therefore provided the assurance 
on sustainability issues in the Integrated 
report and financial statements 2016.

A more detailed analysis of Mondi’s 
compliance with King III is available 
on the Mondi Group website at 
www.mondigroup.com.

The Boards note that the King IV 
Report on Corporate Governance for 
South Africa 2016 was published on 
1 November 2016. The King IV Code 
replaces King III and disclosure of the 
application of the new code provisions is 
effective for financial years starting on or 
after 1 April 2017. We are in the process of 
undertaking a review of the new principles 
and recommended practices. 

Also, in April 2016, a revised UK 
Corporate Governance Code was 
published, applying to accounting 
periods beginning on or after 17 June 
2016. The new and revised provisions, 
that related to the responsibilities of the 
audit committee, were reviewed, our 
procedures updated and are reported on 
later in this governance report ahead of 
the required implementation.

Composition of the Boards

The directors holding office during the 
year ended 31 December 2016 are listed 
opposite, together with their attendance 
at board meetings. As at 31 December 
2016 there were nine directors: the joint 
chairmen, four non-executive directors, 
each considered by the Boards to be 
independent, and three executive directors. 
On 1 January 2017 Tanya Fratto was 
appointed to the Boards as an independent 
non-executive director (see page 76 for 
details of resultant changes). 

The size and composition of the Boards 
and its committees are kept under 
review by the nominations committee. 
Recent changes to the Boards have added 
additional knowledge and expertise in 
consumer-oriented businesses, supporting 
development of our more consumer 
exposed packaging businesses and 
in innovation and sales and marketing. 
We are of the view that collectively there 
is an appropriate balance of capabilities, 
business experience, independence and 
diversity on the Boards to meet the Group’s 
current business needs. The directors 
have experience gained from a range of 
international organisations.

Those in office as at the date of this report, 
together with their biographical details, can 
be found on pages 78 and 79.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
81

Non-executive director tenure

Nationalities represented 
on the Boards

  0–3 years 

  3–6 years 

  6–9 years 

  9+ years 

2

1

1

1

  South African 

  British 

  Austrian 

  French 

  New Zealander 

  American 

3

3

1

1

1

1

Directors1

Fred Phaswana

David Williams

Stephen Harris

David Hathorn

Andrew King

John Nicholas

Peter Oswald

Anne Quinn

Dominique Reiniche

Mondi Limited 
board (one 
meeting)

Mondi plc  
board (one 
meeting)

DLC board  
(six meetings)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

1  Tanya Fratto was appointed on 1 January 2017 and therefore did not attend any meetings during 2016

Professional advice

D&O insurance

A policy is in place pursuant to which 
each director may obtain independent 
professional advice at Mondi’s expense 
in the furtherance of their duties as a 
director of either Mondi Limited or Mondi 
plc. No requests were received during 
the year.

In addition, each of the committees 
are empowered, through their terms 
of reference, to seek independent 
professional advice at Mondi’s expense in 
the furtherance of their duties.

Throughout the year to 31 December 
2016, in line with market practice, Mondi 
maintained directors’ and officers’ 
liability insurance.

Procedure for conflicts of interest

Company law, the memorandum of 
incorporation of Mondi Limited and 
the articles of association of Mondi plc 
allow directors to manage potential 
conflicts. A formal procedure is in place 
for the reporting and review of any 
potential conflicts of interest involving the 
Boards with support from the company 
secretaries, with authorisations reviewed 
on an annual basis.

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82  

Corporate governance report

Board structure

Mondi Limited
 – African operations

 – Board of directors

 – Registered in South Africa

 – Primary listing on the JSE

DLC  
Board

Mondi plc
 – Non-African operations

 – Board of directors

 – Registered in the UK

 – Premium listing on the LSE

 – Secondary listing on the JSE

Single unified economic enterprise

Mondi comprises Mondi Limited, registered 
and listed in South Africa, and Mondi plc, 
registered and listed in the UK. Each entity 
has its own board of directors comprising 
the same individuals. This enables the 
effective management of the DLC structure 
as a single unified economic enterprise 
with due consideration being given to the 
interests of the ordinary shareholders of 
both Mondi Limited and Mondi plc. 

Leadership of the Boards comes from the 
joint chairmen. Having joint chairmen brings 
to the Boards a diversity of knowledge and 
experience and shared values. They have 
agreed a rolling agenda to ensure that all 
key matters reserved for the consideration 
of the Boards are covered in the annual 
cycle of meetings. Agendas for each 
meeting are agreed with the chairmen to 
ensure that, in addition to regular items, 
consideration is being given to matters 
that may impact the Group’s operations 
from the wider economic or business 
environment. Examples of additional 
agenda items during 2016 were the views 
of an economist on the macroeconomic 
environment in Europe, considering the 
feedback from the employee survey, 
a presentation on managing technical 
integrity and reviewing the implementation 
of the new EU Market Abuse Regulation. 

Responding appropriately to the changing 
environment in which the Group operates is 
vital for the long-term success of Mondi.

The Boards meet six times a year as a 
DLC board plus at least once each year as 
separate legal entity boards. Each board 
programme is held over two days enabling 
the directors to spend more time together 
and form a greater understanding of 
each other’s characters which in turn aids 
discussion and challenge in the board room 
and creates a positive dynamic. 

Fred Phaswana chairs those meetings held 
in South Africa and David Williams those 
held in Europe. Together they oversee the 
distribution of appropriate, accurate and 
well-presented materials, with meeting 
packs being circulated electronically a week 
before each meeting. They also ensure 
there is sufficient debate and consultation 
with management and advisers as well as 
between the directors themselves during 
meetings in order that effective decisions 
are reached. As appropriate, other 
senior executives below board level and 
advisers are invited to attend and present 
at meetings, providing the non-executive 
directors with a broader perspective on 
matters under consideration. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201683

Mondi  
Limited

Mondi  
plc

The  
Boards

DLC  
nominations 
committee
Oversees the 
composition of 
the Boards and 
committees and 
considers succession 
planning, making 
recommendations 
to the Boards

DLC  
audit 
committee
Oversees the 
Group’s corporate 
financial reporting, 
the internal control  
system, risk  
management and  
the relationship  
with the external 
auditor

DLC  
remuneration 
committee
Responsibility for 
recommending 
overall remuneration 
policy and the setting  
of executive and  
senior management  
remuneration

DLC  
sustainable  
development  
committee
Oversees the Group’s 
strategy, commitments, 
targets and 
performance relating 
to safety,  
the environment  
and other sustainable  
development matters

Mondi Limited 
social 
and ethics 
committee
Oversees South 
African social and 
ethical issues

104

90

93

109

102

DLC executive 
committee
Day-to-day  
management  
of the Group

105

The committees meet prior to meetings of 
the Boards to enable the committee chairs 
to report to the Boards. This facilitates the 
communication between directors and 
ensures that all aspects of the Boards’ 
mandate have been addressed and 
enables any necessary recommendations 
or advice relevant for deliberations to 
be provided.

Only committee members are entitled to 
attend committee meetings, although the 
chairmen of each committee can invite, as 
they consider appropriate, management 
and advisers to meetings to provide 
information and insights, answer questions 
and generally to assist the committees in 
carrying out their duties. 

The Boards are supported by the 
committees that have been established 
in line with governance practice and to 
which the Boards have delegated specific 
areas of responsibility. The role of each 
committee is described in more detail later 
in this report. Each committee has the 
authority to make decisions according to 
its terms of reference. Work programmes 
are agreed by each committee that are 
designed around the annual business 
calendar and their respective terms of 
reference. The matters reserved for the 
Boards together with the terms of reference 
of each of the committees are reviewed 
on an annual basis and also when there 
have been changes in circumstances, 
governance or regulation. These are 
available on the Mondi Group website. 
During 2016 certain of the committee terms 
of reference were updated, in particular 
those of the audit committee in response 
to changes in regulation.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
 
84  

Corporate governance report

How the Boards spent their time

The chairmen agree an annual work programme for the Boards that ensures all matters reserved for review by the Boards are covered. 
Additional matters are added to each meeting agenda as the need arises throughout the year, usually in connection with strategic 
opportunities that have presented themselves or where operational performance discussions trigger a request for a more in-depth review, 
for example the review of managing technical integrity.

Each meeting includes a report from the Chief executive officer providing an operational update; a report from the Chief financial officer 
on the Group’s financial performance; an update on safety performance and any serious incidents and close calls; country assessments 
for key geographic locations where the Group operates; and a report from the company secretaries on recent governance and 
regulatory matters.

Other matters addressed by the Boards included:

Financial performance

 e Reviewed and approved the full and half-yearly 
results and associated announcements and the 
trading updates and considered the feedback 
from investors and analysts following the 
results roadshows.

 e Reviewed and approved the Mondi Group 
Integrated report and financial statements, 
ensuring they are fair, balanced and 
understandable (see page 98 for more information).

Strategy formulation and monitoring

 e Held a strategy review session and considered 

where Mondi is today, its strategic focus, options 
for future growth and detailed business by 
business strategic initiatives, resulting in continued 
support for Mondi’s strategic direction (see page 
12 for more information).

Operational performance

 e Received regular reports on trends in the Europe 
& International Division and South Africa Division, 
providing more detailed insights into each 
business unit, in particular the markets, pricing 
and performance.

 e Received regular reports on each material capital 
investment project, enabling oversight of the 
robustness of the project planning and budgeting.

Governance and risk management

 e Dividend recommendations and declarations 
were considered in light of the Group’s stated 
dividend policy, financial performance and strong 
cash generation.

 e Reviewed and approved material corporate 

transactions and commitments, including the 
launch of a new €500 million eight-year Eurobond 
and the renewal of the EMTN programme. 

 e Reviewed and approved the Group business 
plan for 2017 to 2019 and the budget for 
2017, considering assumptions made and the 
reasonableness of the plan and focusing on the 
operational overviews, cash flow management and 
capital allocation. 

 e Annual reviews of the Group treasury position and 

Group tax strategy. 

 e Considered a number of large capital projects, 
particularly in Ružomberok, Štětí and Syktyvkar.

 e Received a presentation from an external party on 

the broader economic environment.

 e Considered a number of investment and 

 e Regularly reviewed potential growth opportunities 

acquisition proposals, including SIMET, Uralplastic, 
Kalenobel and Lebedyan.

identified by management.

 e Regularly reviewed competitor analyses.
 e Regularly reviewed shareholder analysis reports.

 e Considered the potential implications of the 

drought situation in South Africa on our operations 
in Richards Bay.

 e Received presentations on quality systems and 
innovation and the new management structure 
within these teams.

 e Received a presentation on how technical integrity 

 e Reviewed the sustainability framework in the 

is managed.

context of the Group’s Growing Responsibly model 
and 2020 commitments.

 e Received regular reports from the chairmen of 

 e Undertook a review of the Group’s risk 

 e Considered governance and regulatory 

each committee.

 e Reviewed the Group’s corporate 

governance framework.

 e Reviewed and approved the renewal of 

Anne Quinn’s term of office (see page 86 for 
more information).

 e Considered and approved the appointment of 
Tanya Fratto (see page 91 for more information).

 e Reviewed the output from the external board 

evaluation process and agreed an action plan (see 
page 89 for more information).

management processes, plan and risk tolerance 
levels and internal controls, with consideration of 
risk monitoring and mitigation activities.

 e Received bi-annual presentations on IT risks and 
cyber security (see page 95 for more information).

 e Reviewed the Group insurances, ensuring an 

appropriate balance of risk between the Group and 
our insurers.

 e Reviewed and approved directors’ declarations 

related to potential conflicts of interest.

developments, in particular the implementation of 
the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

 e Reviewed principal Group policies and, in 

particular, agreed changes to the share dealing 
code and also the non-audit services policy.
 e Reviewed arrangements for the Annual General 
Meetings, in particular feedback received from 
shareholders and voting indications.

Other

 e Discussed the feedback from the employee survey 

 e Considered succession and talent 

and managements’ response.

management plans.

 e Considered a number of regular matters that are 
reserved for the Boards (see schedule on the 
Mondi Group website).

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201685

Role

Joint chairmen

Fred Phaswana

David Williams

78

See  
biographies

Principal responsibilities
 e lead and manage the Boards, setting the agenda, providing 
direction and focus, ensuring effectiveness and open and 
transparent debate

 e ensure there is a constructive relationship between the 

executive directors and non-executive directors

 e ensure high standards of corporate governance and ethical 

behaviour and oversee the culture of the Group

 e oversee the induction, training and development of directors 

and the consideration of succession

 e ensure effective communication with shareholders and 

other stakeholders

 e ensure the Boards receive accurate, timely and clear information 

to support discussion and decision making

Chief executive  
officer

David Hathorn

78

See  
biographies

 e leads and manages the business with day-to-day responsibility 
for running the operations and, in particular, the execution of 
strategy within the delegated authority from the Boards and 
communicating Mondi’s common values and goals throughout 
the organisation

 e chairs the DLC executive committee and leads and motivates 

the management team

 e ensures the Group has effective processes, controls and risk 

management systems

 e develops and implements Group policies, including with regard 

to safety and sustainability 

 e together with the Chief financial officer, leads the relationship 

with institutional shareholders 

 e manage the operations of the Group within their respective 
areas of management responsibility in accordance with the 
authority delegated by the Boards 

Executive  
directors

Andrew King

Peter Oswald

78

See  
biographies

Board responsibilities

Mondi has joint chairmen, Fred Phaswana 
and David Williams, with the chief executive 
officer role held separately by David 
Hathorn. The division of responsibilities 
between the joint chairmen and the Chief 
executive officer has been clearly defined 
and approved by the Boards. They do 
however work closely on matters such as 
the relationships with major shareholders 
and other external parties. The joint 
chairmen provide support and advice while 
respecting the executive responsibility of 
the Chief executive officer. They maintain 
an effective relationship and have regular 
interaction through meetings and telephone 
calls outside the formal board meeting 
cycle. This provides opportunities for 
regular updates on business objectives 
and priorities.

Having joint chairmen ensures the Group 
and its stakeholders benefit from an 
extensive knowledge and experience of 
the jurisdictions relating specifically to its 
dual listed company structure. The joint 
chairmen maintain a regular dialogue 
with each other and manage the Boards 
through mutual agreement. 

The main positions held by each of the 
joint chairmen outside the Mondi Group 
are detailed in their biographies set out on 
page 78. There have been no changes to 
the commitments of either chairman during 
the year. Both chairmen were independent 
upon appointment. 

With the joint chairmen having minimal 
commitments external to Mondi, the 
Boards continue to consider that they 
each devote sufficient time to their duties 
to Mondi, with both having attended all 
meetings and made themselves available 
to management and other directors 
when required. 

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Corporate governance report

Non-executive directors

Company secretaries

The non-executive directors provide a 
valuable level of independent oversight 
of the Group’s activities and constructive 
challenge of management. Their varied 
business backgrounds enable them to apply 
diverse knowledge and experience to issues 
raised with the Boards, particularly when 
considering strategic growth opportunities. 
They each actively participate in the decision 
making, discussing and tackling issues 
with a frankness and openness of mind, 
and dedicate sufficient time to effectively 
discharge their duties to Mondi.

Non-executive director meetings

Non-executive director meetings are held 
twice a year. These meetings focus particularly 
on the performance of the executives although 
the agendas are driven by the non-executive 
directors themselves and cover a variety of 
topics. One of these meetings is attended 
by the Chief executive officer in order to 
provide input to the discussions on executive 
performance and succession.

The company secretary of Mondi Limited 
and of Mondi plc work together on the 
co-ordination of Mondi’s DLC structure. 
They are appointed and removed by the 
Boards and are accountable to the Boards 
as a whole. 

Pursuant to the Listings Requirements of 
the JSE, the Boards confirm that they have 
reviewed and are satisfied that each of the 
company secretaries is competent and has 
the relevant qualifications and experience. 
Their biographies are on page 105.

In assessing their competence the Boards 
have considered the expected role and 
duties pursuant to the requirements of both 
the South African and UK Companies’ 
Acts, governance codes and continuing 
obligations of the stock exchanges on 
which Mondi is listed, and considered 
their respective compliance with each of 
these. The Boards have reviewed their 
performance not only during the last year 
but since joining Mondi. 

The Boards concluded that the company 
secretaries have each complied with 
all the requirements of the Companies 
Acts, governance codes and continuing 
obligations of the relevant stock exchanges.

While all directors have access to the advice 
and services of the company secretaries, 
the company secretaries maintain an 
arm’s length relationship with the Boards. 
They do not take part in board deliberations 
and only advise on matters of governance, 
form or procedure. Throughout the year 
they have not only ensured compliance 
with board procedures, but have provided 
independent advice to the Boards, in 
particular the chairmen and non-executive 
directors, on a range of governance and 
compliance matters and best practice. 

Role

Senior 
independent 
director (SID)

Anne Quinn

79

See  
biographies

Independent  
non-executive 
directors 

Tanya Fratto

Stephen Harris

John Nicholas

Dominique 
Reiniche

79

See  
biographies

Company  
secretaries

Philip Laubscher

Jenny Hampshire

105 See  

biographies

Principal responsibilities
 e provides support to, and acts as a sounding board for, the joint 

chairmen and other non-executive directors
 e available as a point of contact for shareholders
 e available as a trusted intermediary for the other directors, 

as necessary

 e chairs a meeting of the non-executive directors at which the 

performance of the joint chairmen is considered

 e provide independent oversight of the Group’s activities
 e offer an external perspective to, and constructively challenge, 

management

 e monitor management performance and the development of the 

organisational culture

 e review and agree strategic priorities and monitor the delivery of 

the Group’s strategy

 e ensure the integrity of financial reporting and the effectiveness of 

internal controls and risk management
 e determine executive director remuneration 

 e support the joint chairmen in the delivery of accurate and timely 

information ahead of each meeting

 e ensure compliance with board and committee procedures
 e key point of contact for joint chairmen and non-executive directors
 e provide support to the Boards and committees, and advise on 
governance, statutory and regulatory requirements, including 
presenting a report at each board meeting highlighting any 
areas of development or change

 e provide advice on legal, governance and listing requirements in 
both South Africa and the UK, in particular relating to continuing 
obligations and directors’ duties

Anne Quinn –  
review of term of office

During 2016 Anne Quinn completed her nine-year 
term in office. Since her appointment to the Boards 
in 2007 Anne has chaired the remuneration 
committee and been a member of both the audit 
and nominations committees. Since August 2009 
Anne has been the senior independent director. 
A more detailed review of her performance, 
including consideration of the governance codes’ 
requirements, evaluation feedback and shareholder 
opinion, was considered against the time she 
devotes to her duties at Mondi and her other 
business commitments.

Feedback from her fellow directors and her 
contribution to the board debate was also taken into 
account. Since her appointment Anne has attended 
all meetings. Positive feedback has been received 
on her performance both as a director and as chair 
of the remuneration committee. She continues to 
take an active interest in Mondi and demonstrate a 
willingness to challenge management when required. 
Following this review the nominations committee 
concluded that Anne remained independent and 
able to contribute effectively to Mondi in the best 
interests of shareholders. The committee made a 
recommendation to the Boards that Anne remain in 
office for a further period. The Boards, being satisfied 
that Anne remained independent, accepted the 
recommendation to extend her appointment for a 
further year. In January 2017 it was announced that 
she will step down from the Boards at the conclusion 
of the Annual General Meetings in May 2017.

Having concluded our search for a new non-
executive director, Tanya Fratto was appointed on 
1 January 2017. She will replace Anne as chair of 
the remuneration committee after the conclusion 
of the Annual General Meetings. John Nicholas will 
take over as senior independent director. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201687

Company secretaries
Her induction started with a briefing from one of the 
company secretaries to explain the DLC structure 
and its implications for the operation of the Boards. 
The governance framework within which we operate 
was discussed and access provided to an online 
director handbook, containing all key documents 
of reference for directors including guidance on the 
duties and obligations for listed company directors.

Joint chairmen and non-executive directors
Meetings with her board colleagues were arranged. 
As far as was possible these meetings were held 
around the time of her first board programme but will 
continue over the coming weeks.

Executive committee members and 
senior management
Meetings with each member of the executive 
committee have been held in order to provide an 
understanding of the Group’s business, markets, 
operations and material projects as well as risk areas. 
In addition, meetings with the Group heads of tax, 
treasury, health and safety and sustainability are 
being arranged, providing the opportunity to engage 
with senior management on a one-on-one basis.

Advisers
A meeting has been held with the UK audit 
engagement partner and other sessions, particularly 
with the remuneration committee consultants, are 
being arranged in order to provide an independent 
view of key areas of focus for the Group. 

Site visits
Arrangements are being made for visits to key 
operational sites, primarily our forestry operations in 
South Africa and our Świecie mill (Poland) following 
the major capital investment at this site.

Training and development

When new directors join the Boards they 
undertake an induction. While there is an 
outline induction programme in place, 
this is discussed with each new director 
and is tailored to meet any specific 
requirements, in particular any committee 
responsibilities. The programme generally 
includes meetings with each member of the 
executive committee and key advisers in 
addition to site visits. The aim is to provide 
a new director with sufficient background 
and information about the Group and its 
performance and to highlight any specific 
areas of risk or concern. The induction 
programme for Tanya Fratto is ongoing.

Each director can discuss any development 
needs with one of the joint chairmen at any 
time but more formally during the annual 
review process when discussions regarding 
individual performance are held. In addition, 
all directors are encouraged to strengthen 
and refresh their knowledge by attending 
workshops, seminars and courses relevant 
to their respective roles, and details of the 
availability of these are provided regularly. 
During the year directors have attended 
programmes providing updates on 
governance developments and the duties 
of directors. Also, presentations and reports 
are provided regularly to the Boards that 
give information on the broader context 
of the Group’s activities and position in 
the market. Regular feedback is provided 
through the sharing of analyst and broker 
reports and briefings.

Tanya Fratto – 
Induction programme 

When new directors join the Boards they undertake 
an induction that is managed over the first few 
months after appointment. The primary purpose 
is to familiarise a new director with the nature of 
the Group’s business and operations, highlighting 
the key challenges and opportunities as well as 
the regulatory environment within which Mondi 
must operate. 

While there is an outline induction programme in 
place, this is discussed with each new director and is 
tailored to meet any specific requirements they may 
have. In particular, the programme will take account 
of any committee responsibilities that they will be 
taking on. With the appointment of Tanya Fratto 
on 1 January 2017 we have initiated her induction 
programme with particular focus on the remuneration 
committee responsibilities as she will be taking over 
the chair of the committee from Anne Quinn after the 
Annual General Meetings in May 2017. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201688  

Corporate governance report

Site visits

Świecie (Poland)

Although the whole board have not had the 
opportunity to undertake a site visit this year, 
individual directors have made visits to some of 
our key assets and operations, providing them 
with the opportunity for more in-depth reviews and 
discussions with local management and staff.

In particular, Dominique Reiniche, as part of her 
induction programme, visited our mill in Świecie 
(Poland) in April and was able to see first-hand the 
€166 million capital investment project to install 
a new recovery boiler and replace the coal-fired 
boilers with a biofuel boiler. The final phase of the 
project, to provide an additional 100,000 tonnes 
per annum of softwood pulp and 80,000 tonnes 
per annum of lightweight kraftliner, remains 
on track to start up in early 2017. In addition to 
reviewing the site operations Dominique received 
presentations from the management teams of 
our local containerboard, industrial bags and 
corrugated packaging businesses. 

David Hathorn was appointed chairman of 
Kore Potash Limited (formerly Elemental 
Minerals Limited) in December 2015, 
an advanced stage mineral exploration 
and development company listed on the 
Australian stock exchange with a primary 
asset in the Republic of Congo and with its 
head office in Johannesburg. 

The Boards were mindful that David is 
chairman but were satisfied that the nature 
of the business, its location and the time 
commitment expected, would not interfere 
with David’s role and commitments at 
Mondi. The Boards keep this under 
review but to date have concluded that 
the commitment required at this stage in 
the company’s development would be no 
greater than that of a regular non-executive 
role. During 2016 no fees were paid 
to David. 

After a year in office Peter Oswald resigned 
his chairmanship of the supervisory board 
of OMV AG in May 2016. The Boards 
of Mondi had given Peter permission 
to take on the role on the basis that the 
workload was reasonable and would not 
compromise his responsibilities to Mondi. 
The Boards kept the time commitment 
under review and, as the months went on, 
it became clear that the responsibilities at 
OMV were more time consuming than had 
been anticipated. It was ultimately agreed 
that Peter would step down from OMV 
in order to focus on his work at Mondi. 
During 2016 Peter received fees totalling 
€50,269 representing fees owed from this 
prior appointment.

Part of the Boards’ annual rolling agenda is 
focused on updating skills and knowledge. 
Periodically Mondi’s South African and UK 
advisers facilitate sessions on the duties 
and responsibilities of directors and on 
corporate governance developments. 
Management also provide updates on 
issues affecting the packaging and paper 
industry as a whole. Examples during 2016 
were the provision of training on the EU 
Market Abuse Regulation and presentations 
on managing technical integrity and on the 
impacts of the drought in areas of South 
Africa where Mondi operates.

To ensure the directors are aware of 
developing trends and future changes 
in governance and regulation and the 
likely impact on the Group, the company 
secretaries report to the Boards at each 
meeting. They also brief the directors on 
government and regulatory consultations 
for information and to assist the directors 
with context for their decision-making 
during board and committee deliberations. 
Other corporate function specialists, 
for example from Group tax and Group 
treasury, report to the Boards to enable 
the directors to gain a greater insight into 
the way Mondi is managed and controlled. 
This provides opportunities to question 
processes, resources and key risks as 
well as providing context on the wider 
economic environment.

Although it is recognised that valuable 
experience can be gained from executive 
directors accepting appointments as non-
executive directors on other boards, it is 
important to ensure the appropriateness 
and number of such commitments. 
There is a policy in place setting out the 
parameters regarding such appointments. 
A director will retain any fee paid to them in 
respect of directorships external to Mondi. 
One executive director holds a directorship 
external to Mondi, something the Boards 
consider provides broader business 
experience and skills that benefits them 
as individuals and also the Group. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201689

Performance evaluation

Below are the key actions reported last year and details of the progress we have made against those actions:

Action agreed from 2015 evaluation

Progress achieved

To continue to focus on succession planning, 
in particular to consider the need for directors 
with relevant skills and experience to provide 
support for the Group’s future strategic 
growth.

The nominations committee has had this on its agenda throughout the year, regularly 
reviewing the composition of the Boards and the availability of additional skills and 
experience that would complement the current composition. This culminated in the 
appointment of Tanya Fratto as an independent non-executive director (see page 91 
for more information).

To oversee, through the audit committee, the 
transition to the Group’s new external auditor.

The audit committee have, throughout the year, monitored the transition plans and 
progress against the plan (see page 99 for more information).

To continue to evaluate growth opportunities 
in line with the agreed strategy.

The Boards have reviewed and considered a number of acquisition proposals 
presented by management resulting in several growth opportunities being agreed 
including the acquisitions of SIMET S.A., Uralplastic, Kalenobel and Lebedyan. 

To receive a bi-annual presentation on the 
Group’s cyber security measures.

Bi-annual cyber security presentations were made to the Boards (see page 95 
for more information).

To monitor changes in governance and 
regulation anticipated to be effective in 2016 
(e.g. the EU Market Abuse Regulation) and 
ensure appropriate implementation and 
changes to procedures and policies.

Several material pieces of new regulation and governance changes became effective 
during the year. As appropriate, either the Boards or a committee reviewed the new 
requirements and agreed implementation throughout the Group through changes 
to policies and procedures. Where changes have been required the Boards have 
ensured that appropriate training has been provided.

2016 external board evaluation process

In line with best practice, we have conducted external evaluations at least once every three years. With the last external review having 
been in 2013, in 2016 the Boards again conducted an external review. The review was undertaken by Independent Audit Limited, 
which has no other connection with Mondi. The process followed is illustrated below:

Decision to engage 
Independent Audit Limited 
to conduct the evaluation

One-on-one interviews 
conducted with each director, 
executive committee member 
and both company secretaries

Detailed report issued and 
reviewed with the chairmen

Action plan agreed by 
the Boards

Review of programmes, agendas and 
papers for each board and committee 
meeting over a 12-month period

Observation of board and 
committee meetings in progress

Report considered by the nominations 
committee and recommendations for 
an action plan made to the Boards

The 2016 evaluation report confirmed that 
the Boards continue to operate well and to 
a high standard, demonstrating a culture of 
transparency and accountability. The report 
highlighted in particular the level of support 
and trust between the non-executive and 
executive directors and the time given 
during and alongside formal meetings to full 
and open discussion. The strong strategic 
focus of the Boards and openness to 
change was of particular note.

The review of the performance of the 
joint chairmen, led by Anne Quinn as the 
senior independent director, incorporated 
feedback from the external evaluation, the 
non-executive and executive directors. 

Consideration was given to the effective 
leadership of the Boards, how they 
worked together, their time commitment 
and the management of the meetings. 
The positive working relationship between 
the joint chairmen and the way in which 
they effectively manage their joint role 
was noted.

The key actions agreed by the Boards 
following the 2016 evaluation are:

 e To consider the need for further site 
visits by the Boards in light of recent 
developments in the business and its 
strategic direction and changes to the 
composition of the Boards

 e To review and refine the format of the 
safety reports presented to the Boards

 e To continue to focus on innovation and 
quality, ensuring that the Boards receive 
relevant updates and presentations in 
this regard

 e To include in acquisition proposals 

presented to the Boards sufficient insight 
into the due diligence undertaken in 
relation to the management and culture 
of the business to be acquired

The Boards consider that they continue 
to benefit from the annual review process, 
the results from which help guide the future 
focus of meeting agendas and behaviours.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201690  

Corporate governance report

DLC nominations 
committee

“ The composition of the Boards 

and the skill set required in 
order to deliver Mondi’s stated 
strategy remained a key focus 
for the committee’s discussions 
throughout the year. We have 
also noted the increasing focus 
of stakeholders on diversity in all 
its forms and will be reviewing 
Mondi’s policies and practices in 
this regard during the next year.”

David Williams 
Chairman of the DLC nominations committee

Composition

Members  
throughout  
the year1

Stephen  
Harris

John  
Nicholas

Fred  
Phaswana

Anne  
Quinn

Dominique  
Reiniche

Committee  
member  
since

March 2011

October 2009

June 2013

May 2007

October 2015

David Williams, 
chairman

May 2007

Meeting 
attendance  
(six meetings  
in the year)

6

6

6

6

6

6

How the committee spent its time

With one non-executive director having 
reached their nine-year term this provided 
a potential opportunity to bring onto the 
Boards additional experience in the key 
areas identified in line with the Group’s 
strategy. A number of discussions 
were held and consideration given to 
the availability of appropriate talent. 
This culminated in the appointment of 
Tanya Fratto on 1 January 2017 who 
will replace Anne Quinn as chair of the 
remuneration committee when she steps 
down from the Boards at the conclusion of 
the Annual General Meetings. 

In January 2017, David Hathorn notified the 
committee and the Boards of his intention 
to retire as Chief executive officer, also 
at the conclusion of the Annual General 

Meetings. The committee, following 
consideration of the skills and experience 
required to fulfil the role of chief executive 
officer, and on the basis of previous 
succession planning, which forms a regular 
part of the committee’s discussions, was 
confident that Peter Oswald is well placed 
to succeed David and will provide strong 
continuity to the Group. The committee 
also recommended to the Boards, and 
the Boards agreed, that Peter will replace 
David as a member of the sustainable 
development committee and the Mondi 
Limited social and ethics committee. 

Diversity, in all its forms, remains top of 
many stakeholder agendas and is regularly 
reviewed by the committee in the context of 
not only the board composition but that of 
the executive and senior management. 

Other matters addressed by the committee included:

Board and committee composition

 e Reviewed the composition of the Boards and 
made recommendations regarding the skills 
and experience that would both maintain an 
appropriate balance of skills and experience and 
support the future growth strategy.

 e Conducted a review as Anne Quinn had reached 
her nine-year term in office (see page 86 for 
more information). 

 e Oversaw the recruitment process for a new 
non-executive director (see page 91 for 
more information).

Succession planning

 e Received a report and presentation on talent 
management practices within the Group.

 e Received a report and presentation on diversity 
within the Group and reviewed measures being 
taken to improve this.

 e Reviewed and confirmed the composition of 

each of the committees and committee chairs, 
recommending changes to the Boards.

 e Reviewed the continued independence of each 
non-executive director, including consideration 
of their term in office and any potential conflicts 
of interest.

 e Reviewed the time commitment required of 
each non-executive director, concluding that 
all non-executive directors continued to devote 
appropriate time to address their duties to Mondi. 

 e Reviewed the succession plans for the executive 
committee members and senior management 
within the Group, discussing any potential gaps 
and actions to address them.

1  Tanya Fratto was appointed a member of the 

committee on 1 January 2017 and therefore did 
not attend any meetings during 2016

Board evaluation

Other regular attendees
 e Chief executive officer

 e Monitored progress against the agreed action plan 
from the prior year’s evaluation process (see page 
89 for more information).

 e Considered and agreed the process for the 2016 
external evaluation of the Boards, committees 

and individual directors (see page 89 for 
more information).

 e Reviewed the output from the 2016 evaluation 

process and recommended an action plan to the 
Boards (see page 89 for more information).

Corporate governance and other matters

 e  Considered the time commitment that was 

required from each of the executive directors 
holding external appointments.

 e Reviewed and recommended to the Boards 
the re-election of all directors at the Annual 
General Meetings.

 e Considered a request from a non-executive 

 e Reviewed the committee’s terms of reference, 

director to take on the directorship of another 
company, confirming that the time commitment 
would not interfere with their duties to Mondi.

performance and work programme.

 e Considered and agreed the committee’s report 
for inclusion in the Group’s Integrated report and 
financial statements. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Mondi has many challenges in this area 
below board level, in part due to the 
nature of the business and geographies 
in which we operate. This does not 
however constrain our discussions or 
how the Group is looking to tackle this 
issue. Our HR function has implemented 
a number of initiatives from recruitment 
and development to the approach to talent 
management. Mondi is very much on a 
journey with diversity and as a committee 
we monitor what is being done and what 
progress is being made (see page 92 for 
more information).

Terms of appointment

On appointment each non-executive 
director receives letters of appointment 
setting out, among other things, their 
term of appointment, the expected time 
commitment for their duties to Mondi and 
details of any committees of which they will 
be a member. Non-executive directors are 
initially appointed for a three-year term, after 
which a review is undertaken to consider 
renewal of the term for a further three 
years. However, Mondi follows governance 
best practice with all directors standing for 
re-election by shareholders at each Annual 
General Meeting.

91

Process

Agreed key business 
experience and skills 
required and drew  
up a candidate  
specification

Agent conducted a market 
search and provided a long 
list of potential candidates 
for consideration

Reduced the short 
list to three candidates 
for interview by other 
executive and non-
executive directors 

Boards considered 
the recommendation 
and proceeded with 
the appointment

Engaged external 
independent search 
agent, The Zygos 
Partnership, to assist with 
the selection process

Short list chosen from 
long list for interview 
by one of the joint 
chairmen and SID

Nominations committee 
considered the preferred 
candidates and made 
a recommendation to 
the Boards

Appointment process

Although there were no changes to the 
Boards during the year, an appointment 
was made on 1 January 2017 in order to 
prepare for the departure of Anne Quinn 
following over nine years of service on 
the Boards. Anne is stepping down at 
the conclusion of the Annual General 
Meetings in May 2017. There is an agreed 
appointment process that we followed. 
This process is outlined below. 

Having reviewed all the profiles, initial 
interviews were undertaken with a 
number of the candidates before 
drawing up a shortlist of three candidates 
who were then interviewed by other 
Mondi executives and non-executives. 
Detailed references were also taken 
before the shortlisted candidates were 
considered at a full meeting of the 
nominations committee.

The process for the recruitment was 
led by David Williams, joint chairman, 
and Anne Quinn, senior independent 
director, on behalf of the nominations 
committee. The Zygos Partnership 
(Zygos)1, an external search agency, was 
engaged to assist with the selection 
process. Zygos helped produce a 
detailed candidate specification based on 
the criteria provided by the committee. 
They conducted a market search and 
benchmarked candidates for the role 
before providing detailed profiles for a 
longlist of candidates. 

The candidates were from a variety of 
backgrounds, with a mix of executives 
and portfolio non-executives, all having 
business backgrounds with a particular 
focus on remuneration committee 
experience and were from a number of 
different nationalities.

Conclusion

Following a rigorous selection process, 
the committee, having considered the 
relative merits and fit of each candidate, 
made a recommendation to the Boards, 
which was accepted, to appoint Tanya 
Fratto as an independent non-executive 
director with effect from 1 January 2017.

Tanya Fratto was the preferred candidate 
as she has recent and relevant experience 
of remuneration issues, having served 
on the remuneration committees of other 
FTSE100 companies, and understands 
the US business environment which 
is relevant for Mondi having in recent 
times acquired new business operations 
in America (see page 79 for her full 
biography). Her background is also in 
innovation, sales and marketing and 
engineering across a variety of sectors.

1  The Zygos Partnership does not provide any 

other services to the Mondi Group. The Zygos 
Partnership is a signatory to the Voluntary Code 
of Conduct for Executive Search Firms

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201692  

Corporate governance report

The Boards have adopted a formal 
diversity policy for the Group which 
sets out guidelines for such matters as 
recruitment, the use of search firms, 
succession and annual reviews. A number 
of initiatives continue to be moved forward 
including a diversity focused external direct 
search policy. 

Diversity is also an essential part of Mondi’s 
leadership development programme 
with the inclusion of a number of talent 
management and development initiatives 
through the Mondi Academy, including the 
implementation of training modules such 
as ‘Intercultural Diversity & International 
Business Competence’ to enhance the 
understanding and appreciation of the 
benefits of diversity within the business. 
Employee exchanges where individuals 
spend time working in different business 
units and locations around the Group 
enables them to gain experience of different 
working practices and skills as well as 
having exposure to different cultures. 

The Mondi cultural characteristics 
incorporate our aim to hire and work 
effectively with people who differ in race, 
gender, culture, age or background. 
We measure our progress through the 
use of tools such as our global employee 
surveys and 360° feedback. 

In 2016, Mondi joined an LGBT+ network 
and consultancy in order to support 
diversity and employee integration for these 
colleagues across the business world.

While it is recognised that there are 
many challenges and there is more work 
to do, Mondi believes that continually 
sharing best practice, networking and 
sharing experiences both internally and 
externally helps us to make good progress. 
More details can be found on page 42.

Diversity

In line with our philosophy of encouraging 
diversity and excluding discrimination, 
we provide equal opportunities within 
the Group. The Group’s gender diversity 
statistics can be found in the Strategic 
report on page 42. At the end of 2016 we 
had two female directors representing 
22% of the composition of the Boards. 
Subsequently we have appointed Tanya 
Fratto such that we currently have 30% 
female representation on the Boards. 
After the Annual General Meetings in May 
2017 this will change to 25% when David 
Hathorn and Anne Quinn step down from 
the Boards. While we are committed 
to always considering gender diversity 
when making appointments, it remains 
important to ensure diversity is seen in a 
broader context and that we have the right 
mix of backgrounds, skills, knowledge 
and experience on our Boards to meet 
our business needs and future strategy. 
At present the diversity on the Boards is 
appropriate for our current and anticipated 
future requirements and we constantly 
review the skills required to meet our 
strategic objectives.

As a global organisation operating in 
over 30 countries, diversity forms an 
integral part of the way we do business 
and is encouraged. We are committed to 
creating a culture that embraces diversity 
and provides a working environment that 
is flexible and non-discriminatory from 
recruitment and people development 
to reward and our talent management 
approach. We strive for an inclusive 
environment where differences are 
respected and valued. We employ, 
empower and develop competent people 
with the necessary potential required to 
meet our business needs and maintain a 
competitive business advantage. 

In South Africa we are committed to making 
a positive contribution to the process of 
transformation. We have taken active steps 
to meet the requirements of broad-based 
black economic empowerment (BBBEE), 
including establishing transformation 
forums in our South African operations to 
allow our employees to discuss equity and 
training-related issues and ideas.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201693

Composition

The membership of the committee during 
the year was unchanged. John Nicholas 
remained chair of the committee and, 
being an accountant and having, until 
recently, been a member of the UK 
Financial Reporting Review Panel, he is 
considered to have specific recent and 
relevant financial experience. All committee 
members have been on the Boards for 
between five and nine years and have 
gained a familiarity and understanding 
of the sector in which Mondi operates. 
In addition, they all have appropriate 
knowledge and understanding of financial 
matters and have commercial expertise 
gained from industries with similar capital 
intensive manufacturing, engineering, 
natural resources and technology-focused 
international operations. The full biographies 
detailing the experience of each member 
of the committee can be found on page 
79. Tanya Fratto, who was appointed to 
the Boards on 1 January 2017, will join the 
committee in place of Anne Quinn who will 
step down at the conclusion of the Annual 
General Meetings in May 2017. Tanya’s 
engineering background and experience 
in product innovation and sales and 
marketing, having held positions in product 
management, operations, Six Sigma and 
supply chain management, mean that she 
is well placed to understand the sector in 
which Mondi operates.

In accordance with the Listings 
Requirements of the JSE, the committee 
has considered and satisfied itself that 
Andrew King, Mondi’s Chief financial officer, 
has appropriate expertise and experience. 
Andrew is a chartered accountant and 
throughout his career has held various 
finance and business development roles. 
The committee has also considered and 
satisfied itself of the appropriateness of the 
expertise and adequacy of resources of 
the finance function and expertise of the 
senior management responsible for the 
finance function.

Role of the committee

The committee operates under formal 
terms of reference. The committee agenda 
included the regular matters reserved for its 
review during the annual financial reporting 
cycle and ensured it has appropriately 
discharged its responsibilities during 
the year, having operated in compliance 
with relevant legal, regulatory and 
other responsibilities. 

The committee chairman regularly reports 
to the Boards on the work and output from 
meetings and provides any necessary 
recommendations or advice on matters 
of direct relevance to the deliberations of 
the Boards. 

The evaluation of the committee 
was carried out as part of the 2016 
external evaluation (see page 89 for 
more information).

Approach to regular 
financial reporting 

The committee continually reviews its approach 
to financial reporting, being aware of the need 
for transparency and maintaining a focus on 
long-term value creation. This has included, in 
particular, consideration of the continued practice of 
publishing a quarterly update on trading conditions. 
Having considered the cyclical nature of our 
business, our competitor reporting cycles and our 
desire to keep the market informed, we are of the 
view that we should continue with this practice. 

We also took into account feedback received from 
some of the Group’s largest shareholders who have 
indicated their support of this approach as they find 
that it bridges the gap between the full reporting 
periods and provides an update on important 
market dynamics that affect the sector in which 
Mondi operates.

DLC audit committee

“ During the year the committee has 
worked closely with both Deloitte 
and PricewaterhouseCoopers 
(PwC) to facilitate an orderly 
and efficient transition of the 
external audit.

  In addition, we have undertaken 
detailed reviews of the Group’s 
principal risks including an in 
depth review of cyber security 
arrangements which have been 
enhanced during the year.”

John Nicholas 
Chairman of the audit committee

Composition

Members  
throughout  
the year

Stephen  
Harris1

Committee  
member  
since

March 2011

John Nicholas, 
chairman

October 2009

Anne  
Quinn

May 2007

Meeting 
attendance  
(four meetings  

in the year)

3

4

4

1  Stephen Harris was unable to attend one 

meeting due to illness

Other regular attendees
 e Chief executive officer
 e Chief financial officer
 e Group financial controller
 e Heads of internal audit
 e South African and UK representatives 

from Deloitte

The committee is constituted as a 
statutory committee in respect of the 
duties set out in the South African 
Companies Act 2008 and a DLC 
committee of the Boards in respect 
of other duties assigned to it by 
the Boards.

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Corporate governance report

How the committee spent its time

Other matters addressed by the committee included:

While the work programme largely covered 
the regular cycle of financial and risk related 
matters, a material focus for the committee 
during the year was monitoring progress 
with the audit transition from Deloitte to 
PwC. The committee has received regular 
reports both directly from the PwC audit 
partners and from the chairman of the 
committee who has been monitoring 
the arrangements (see page 99 for 
further information).

The other material area of review and 
consideration for the committee was the 
implementation of new regulation and 
governance relating to audit rotation and 
tendering, the rules on audit committees 
and the provision of non-audit services. 
The committee’s terms of reference 
together with Mondi’s policies and 
procedures in these areas have all been 
updated in line with the new regulation and 
the spirit of revised governance principles.

With four business combinations (SIMET, 
Uralplastic, Kalenobel and Lebedyan) 
during the year the committee has also 
focused on the accounting treatment of 
these acquisitions (see note 23 to the 
Financial statements for more information).

Financial reporting

 e Reviewed integrity of all financial announcements 

 e Reviewed accounting policies to be applied for the 

with input provided by the Group financial 
controller and Deloitte.

 e Reviewed the Mondi Group Integrated report and 
financial statements for tone and consistency and 
considered whether the report as a whole was fair, 
balanced and understandable (see page 98 for 
more information).

year ending 31 December 2016.

 e Reviewed new accounting pronouncements 
and any potential impact for the Group’s 
financial reporting.

 e Reviewed the going concern basis of accounting 
and the longer-term viability statement (see page 
39 for more information). 

 e Reviewed and discussed the audit 

management letter.

External audit matters

 e Monitored the implementation of the transition 

from Deloitte to PwC (see page 99 for 
more information).

 e Reviewed the independence, objectivity and 
effectiveness of Deloitte (see page 100 for 
more information).

 e Reviewed and approved the external audit plan, 

taking account of the scope, materiality and audit 
risks and considered and agreed the audit fees.

 e Undertook a thorough review of the Group’s policy 
and procedures for the provision of non-audit 
services and implemented changes in response to 
new regulation.

 e Received a report at each meeting of any non-

audit services covering both Deloitte and PwC in 
order to monitor auditor independence. 

 e Reviewed and agreed the engagement letters and 

representation letters.

 e Recommended to the Boards the appointment of 
PwC for the 2017 audit to be put to shareholders 
at the Annual General Meetings.

 e Held a meeting with Deloitte without management 

present, the committee chair also engaged 
regularly with the audit partners.

Risk management and internal controls

 e Undertook a detailed review of the Group’s risk 

 e At each committee meeting undertook a more in-

management policy, plan and tolerance levels and 
of the process to assess the risks (see page 32 to 
38 for more information).

 e Reviewed the effectiveness of the risk and internal 
control management systems (see page 32 to 38 
for more information).

depth review of three or four of the most significant 
Group risks.

 e Biannual presentations received on IT risk 

management and cyber security (see page 95 for 
more information).

Internal audit matters

 e Reviewed and agreed the internal audit plan, 
confirming the focus on key risk areas and 
adequate cover of all material operations.

 e Received reports from the head of internal audit at 
each meeting (see page 101 for more information).

 e Reviewed the effectiveness of the internal 
audit team and the implementation of 
recommendations from the 2015 Ernst & Young 
LLP report on the function.

 e Held a meeting with the heads of internal audit 

without management present.

Governance and other

 e For JSE purposes, reviewed the appropriateness 
and expertise of the Chief financial officer and the 
effectiveness of the finance function (see page 93 
for more information).

 e Monitored and reviewed the continued 

implementation of those elements of the Group’s 
Code of Business Ethics reserved for review 
by the committee, as well as the supporting 
framework of the Business Integrity Policy.

 e Reviewed and responded to the South African 
Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors 
(IRBA) proposals for mandatory audit firm rotation 
and the potential implications for the Group 
if introduced. 

 e Reviewed the Group’s competition compliance 

programme and work of the divisional 
compliance committees.

 e Reviewed the committee’s terms of reference, 

performance and work programme.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201695

Interaction with regulators 

UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Audit 
Quality Review 
The FRC’s Audit Quality Review team selected to 
review the audit of the 2015 Mondi plc financial 
statements as part of their 2015 annual inspection of 
audit firms. The focus of the review and their reporting 
is on identifying areas where improvements are 
required rather than highlighting areas performed to 
or above the expected level. The chairman of the audit 
committee received a full copy of the findings of the 
Audit Quality Review team and has discussed these 
with Deloitte. The audit committee confirms that there 
were no significant areas for improvement identified 
within the report. The audit committee is also satisfied 
that there is nothing within the report which might 
have a bearing on the audit appointment.

UK FRC Thematic Review of Tax Disclosures
During the year the FRC conducted a thematic review 
of companies’ tax reporting. Mondi was advised that 
the tax disclosures in its December 2015 accounts 
would be included in the sample. Subsequently the 
FRC advised Mondi that, having completed their 
review, they had no substantive issues to raise 
with us. 

UK FRC Corporate Reporting Review
The last review by the FRC Corporate Reporting 
Review team of the Mondi Group Integrated report 
and financial statements was for the year ended 
31 December 2013. Following their review and 
Mondi’s responses the FRC advised in January 2015 
that they had closed their enquiries. 

JSE Limited
Periodically the JSE undertakes reviews of company 
reports in a similar manner to that of the FRC. 
The last review undertaken was of Mondi’s 2013 
report. During 2016 the committee reviewed a 
communication from the JSE outlining its proactive 
monitoring process.

Information technology risk

The committee now undertakes, on a biannual 
basis, a detailed review of the information 
technology risk and mitigation actions. The Group’s 
IT risk management framework has been 
explained with comfort obtained that it is holistic 
and robust, having been audited by independent 
third parties. The committee reviewed the IT risk 
register confirming that all aspects had been 
covered (security, compliance and availability) and 
noting that the top five risks were all in the area 
of cyber security. It was further noted that cyber 
security was driving the main mitigation activities, 
particularly in the areas of network design and 
security architecture.

The committee was encouraged by the level of 
focus being given to cyber security within the 
organisation, especially with the increase being 
seen in fraud attempts. The emphasis being placed 
on employee awareness, education and testing was 
welcomed by the committee. Overall the committee 
concluded that the Group’s IT risk management 
was effective and that management ensured 
that it was subject to continuous monitoring and 
improvement (see page 38 for more information).

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Corporate governance report

Internal control

The Group’s risk and internal control management framework, embedded in all key operations, is designed to address all the significant 
strategic, financial, operational and compliance-related risks that could undermine our ability to achieve our business objectives in the 
future and is managed within risk tolerance levels defined by the Boards. Full details of Mondi’s risk and internal control management 
framework can be found in the Strategic report on pages 32 to 38.

The committee has reviewed the risk management process and the Group’s system of internal controls. The committee considers that 
the system of internal controls operated effectively throughout the financial year and up to the date on which the financial statements 
were signed. 

Significant issues related to the financial statements

The committee has considered each of the following items based on discussions with, and submissions by, management and satisfied 
itself as to the accounting treatment and presentation thereof. The most significant items were discussed with the external auditors during 
the planning stage and on completion of the audit. These issues are broadly similar to those addressed by the committee during 2015.

The key considerations in relation to the 2016 financial statements were:

Matter considered

Action

Special items are those financial items which the Group believes 
should be separately disclosed on the face of the income 
statement to assist in the understanding of the underlying financial 
performance achieved by the Group. The classification of an item 
as special is based on judgement and generally must exceed 
€10 million and/or be material in the context of the current year’s 
financial performance. Subsequent adjustments to items previously 
reported as special items continue to be reflected as special items 
in future periods even if they do not exceed the reporting threshold.

The net special item charge of €38 million before tax included 
restructuring and closure costs and related impairments for 
the closure of an industrial bags plant in southern Belgium; the 
restructuring of the release liner operations in the US, including 
the planned closure of one plant; and the impairment of newsprint 
assets, partial reversal of the impairment of the uncoated fine paper 
machine and related restructuring charges in South Africa. 

Details of the special items are included in the Strategic report on 
page 49 and in note 3 of the Financial statements.

The Group’s operations are capital-intensive and, in 2016, the 
Group incurred €465 million in capital expenditure.

Significant progress was made on a number of the Group’s major 
capital projects, including the completion of two projects in South 
Africa to upgrade the woodyard and enable the production of 
unbleached kraftliner.

These projects are more fully described in the Strategic report on 
pages 16 and 17 and details of the Group’s tangible fixed assets 
are provided in note 10 of the financial statements.

The committee has critically reviewed each item presented by 
management as being special to ensure that the items are in line 
with the Group’s accounting policy. 

The committee considered both the quantification and 
presentation of special items.

The committee has reviewed the adequacy of the descriptions 
of the special items in the Financial statements and the Strategic 
report.

The committee has also considered whether any significant 
transactions that were not classified as special were 
appropriately classified in the Financial statements and 
appropriately described in the Strategic report.

At the time of approval of significant capital projects, the Boards 
approve the underlying assumptions including the estimated 
useful lives of these investments. 

The committee has interrogated management and satisfied 
itself of the appropriateness of the assumptions made, the 
consistency of those assumptions compared to the initial 
approval and the basis on which any changes were made. 

The committee has also considered the internal audit reports 
completed in respect of the Group’s procurement and capital 
expenditure processes, in which there were no significant 
weaknesses identified.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201697

Matter considered

Action

In addition to property, plant and equipment of €3,788 million, 
goodwill of €681 million is included as an asset in the statement of 
financial position.

The committee considered a report from management 
describing potential impairment indicators of tangible and 
intangible assets and the outcomes of related impairment tests. 

As set out in the accounting policies, the Group performs an 
impairment review at least annually and whenever there is any 
indication that certain of its assets may be impaired.

See notes 10 and 11 of the Financial statements.

The Group has operations in a number of countries each with a 
different tax system.

The Group is regularly subject to routine tax audits and provisions 
are made based on the tax laws in the relevant country and the 
expected outcomes of any negotiations or settlements.

The Group’s recognition of deferred tax assets, relating to future 
utilisation of accumulated tax losses, is dependent on the future 
profitability and performance of the underlying businesses. 

See note 7 of the Financial statements.

Significant judgement is required in determining the assumptions 
to be applied for the valuation of the Group’s forestry assets and 
retirement benefit obligations. Such assumptions are based, as 
far as possible, on observable market data and, in the case of the 
retirement benefit obligations, the input and advice of actuaries.

The most significant assumptions and sensitivities are disclosed 
in note 13 for forestry assets and 22 for retirement benefits in 
the Financial statements.

During 2016, the Group concluded a number of business 
combinations, as described in the Strategic report and note 23 
of the Financial statements.

On acquisition, the Group determined the fair value of assets 
acquired and liabilities assumed, based on its own experience 
in the industry and the input of experts.

The committee also considered a report from management on 
the outcomes of the annual goodwill impairment test.

The critical underlying assumptions applied were reviewed by 
the committee and compared to the Group’s budget and the 
current macroeconomic environment.

The committee considered the sensitivities underlying the 
primary assumptions to determine the consequences that 
reasonably possible changes in such assumptions may have on 
the recognised value of the underlying assets.

The committee has satisfied itself that, except for the 
impairments related to closures and restructuring of operations, 
there was no impairment of property, plant and equipment, 
goodwill or other intangible assets. 

The committee receives regular reports from management 
about new legislative developments that may impact the 
Group’s tax positions.

The committee has considered reports from management 
outlining the Group’s most significant tax exposures, including 
ongoing tax audits and litigation, and has reviewed the related 
tax provisions recognised by management, satisfying itself 
that these are appropriate and the risk of new unexpected 
exposures arising is low.

The committee has considered a report from management 
outlining the key judgements relating to the recognition of 
deferred tax assets and satisfied itself that the assumptions 
made are reasonable and consistent from year to year.

The assumptions applied in the valuation of the forestry assets 
and retirement benefits were reviewed by the committee. 

The committee considered the basis on which these 
assumptions were determined, and evaluated the assumptions 
by comparing them to prior years and considering market 
developments during 2016. 

The committee satisfied itself that the assumptions, and the 
changes to those assumptions when compared to the year 
ended 31 December 2015, were appropriate.

The committee considered a report from management 
describing the process taken in conducting the identification 
and valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in 
business combinations.

The committee satisfied itself that the fair values were 
appropriate and that the resulting goodwill recognised in 
these transactions was appropriate and did not include any 
unrecorded assets or liabilities.

The committee also considered a report on changes to the initial 
fair values recognised on acquisitions completed during 2015 
and satisfied itself as to the appropriateness of the adjustments 
made.

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Corporate governance report

Fair, balanced and understandable 

A key role of the committee is to ensure 
that the interests of shareholders are 
protected, in particular that there is 
robust financial reporting with good 
internal controls in place and appropriate 
accounting practices and policies 
combined with sound judgement.

Although oversight and review of material 
financial reporting matters are considered 
throughout the year, at the request of 
the Boards, the committee assessed the 
integrity of the Group’s Integrated report 
and financial statements 2016 and the 
clarity, completeness and consistency 
of disclosures.

Process

Oversight through the year
 e Review of applicable 

accounting policies and 
pronouncements and 
their application

 e Review of regular financial 

results and announcements
 e Reports from Group financial 

controller and Deloitte
 e Reports from internal audit

Recommendation
 e The committee 

reported its findings 
and conclusion to 
the Boards

Review confirmed
 e Well documented planning and 

procedures for the preparation of 
the report

 e Collaborative approach between 

all parties required to contribute to 
the report

 e Basis of preparation consistent with 

financial reporting throughout the year
 e All significant issues had been considered
 e Messaging was consistent particularly 
the narrative reflecting the financials

Review included
 e Provision of an outline plan including content 
and structure, design concepts and timetable
 e Consideration of regulatory and governance 

requirements for reporting

 e Review of detailed reports from the Group 

financial controller and Deloitte providing the 
opportunity for debate and challenge
 e Summaries of areas where management 

judgements had been made 

 e Consideration of going concern and longer-

term viability

 e Separate meeting with Deloitte without 

management present

 e Sufficient opportunity to review drafts 

Conclusion
 e After completion of the detailed review 
the committee was satisfied that, taken 
as a whole, the Group’s Integrated report 
and financial statements 2016 were fair, 
balanced and understandable

 e That the report accurately reflected the 

information shareholders would require in 
order to assess the Group’s performance, 
business model and strategy

 e That the use of any alternative performance 

measures contained in our report 
assist in presenting a fair review of the 
Group’s business

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
99

External audit

Audit firm: Deloitte & Touche in South 
Africa and Deloitte LLP in the UK (together 
‘Deloitte’)

Tenure: 9½ years, appointed in July 2007, 
although Deloitte audited Mondi prior to 
this when Mondi was part of the Anglo 
American Group

UK audit partner and term: Nicola 
Mitchell, the 2016 audit is her fifth

South African audit partner and term: 
Shelly Nelson, the 2016 audit is her second

Audit tender: as reported in 2015, a 
full tender process was undertaken 
culminating in the decision to recommend 
the appointment of PwC as auditors after 
the conclusion of the 2016 audit, with Andy 
Kemp to be appointed as the UK audit 
partner and Michal Kotzé as the South 
African audit partner.

The committee confirms its compliance 
for the financial year ending 31 December 
2016 with the provisions of The Statutory 
Audit Services for Large Companies 
Market Investigation (Mandatory Use of 
Competitive Tender Processes and Audit 
Committee Responsibilities) Order 2014.

The committee also confirmed that Deloitte 
& Touche is included in the JSE list of 
accredited auditors. 

External audit transition

Background

The audit tender process undertaken 
by the committee was explained in 
detail in our 2015 report. A key priority 
for the committee during 2016 has 
been monitoring progress with the 
transition plan in the lead up to the 
legal appointment of PwC as the 
Group’s auditor.

As a committee we have appreciated the 
considerable time and effort that both the 
management teams and PwC have put 
in to the transition process together with 
the support provided by the Deloitte team. 
We believe that to date the transition has 
been thorough and effective. 

Planning

A detailed transition plan was put in 
place highlighting key milestones for the 
process. A material part of the planning 
has been building up a knowledge and 
understanding of Mondi. This is being 
achieved in a number of ways but 
primarily includes meetings with key 
personnel at a Group and divisional 
level. PwC are also creating ‘The PwC 
Academy for Mondi’ which is a platform 
for PwC to share key information about 
the Group across the global PwC team in 
the year of appointment. The committee 
is monitoring progress against the plan.

Workshop

In September 2016 a two-day workshop 
was attended by 40 people from both the 
Mondi and PwC teams and representing 
six key Mondi operating locations in 

addition to divisional and functional 
personnel. The workshop was a critical 
step in developing relationships across 
the teams and focused on the transition 
activities and key actions.

Shadowing

PwC shadowed Deloitte during both the 
half-yearly review and year-end audit. 
They have also attended some audit 
committee meetings as observers.

Communication

Effective communication is key to a 
smooth transition and a major part 
of the planning has involved regular 
engagement between the PwC teams 
and key Mondi personnel across the 
Group. PwC has also implemented their 
own internal information sharing via a 
monthly newsletter. It is also planned that, 
before their appointment, PwC will meet 
individually with each of the non-executive 
directors in order to understand their 
perspectives on the Group and their 
expectations of the external audit.

Independence

PwC confirmed that they had taken 
appropriate actions to meet all external 
independence requirements by 30 June 
2016. A small number of allowable 
services continued after June but were 
completed prior to the year end to enable 
these to transition to new providers. 
A clear procedure has been agreed 
regarding the review of any proposed 
non-audit services going forward.

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Corporate governance report

External audit independence, objectivity and effectiveness

A formal framework for the assessment 
of the effectiveness of the external audit 
process and quality of the audit has been 
adopted by the committee, covering all 
aspects of the audit service provided by 
Deloitte. While part of the assessment 
is managed annually, it is treated as an 
ongoing review throughout the cycle.

Evaluation focus
 e Robustness of audit process
 e Audit quality, including quality controls
 e Audit partners and team, including skills, 

character and knowledge
 e Independence and objectivity
 e Formal reporting

Inputs

Audit committee
 e Continual monitoring of audit 

performance throughout the year
 e Reviewed and agreed the audit plan
 e Reviewed the quality of reporting to 
the committee, the level of challenge 
and professional scepticism and the 
understanding demonstrated by Deloitte 
of the business of the Group

 e Reviewed the coordination between the 
South African and UK audit partners, 
the quality of the audit team, technical 
skills and experience and the allocation 
of resources during the audit
 e Considered the interaction with 

management and the level of challenge

 e Regular meetings held between the 
chairman of the committee and the 
audit engagement partners

 e Reviewed feedback from committee 
members including views on how 
Deloitte has supported the work of the 
committee and their communication 
with the committee

 e Considered the effectiveness of Mondi’s 
policies and procedures for maintaining 
auditor independence

Management
 e Feedback from engagement with the 
Chief financial officer, Group financial 
controller and heads of internal audit
 e Feedback from questionnaires issued at 
corporate, divisional and business unit 
level to those personnel involved with 
the audit

Deloitte
 e Provided the committee with 

confirmation that they operate in 
accordance with the ethical standards 
required of audit firms

 e Confirmed the policies and procedures 

they have in place to maintain 
their independence

Regulators
 e The UK Financial Reporting Council’s 
(FRC) 2015/16 report on Audit Quality 
Inspections included a review of audits 
carried out by Deloitte. A specific review 
of Deloitte’s audit of the Mondi Group 
was undertaken by the FRC (see page 
95 for more information)

Key outputs
 e The quality of the audit partners and 

team were confirmed with no material 
issues raised in the feedback received
 e The audit had been well planned and 
delivered with work completed on 
schedule and management comfortable 
that any key findings had been raised 
sufficiently early in the process, active 
engagement on misstatements and 
appropriate judgements on materiality
 e Deloitte continued to demonstrate a 

strong understanding of the Group and 
had identified and focused on the areas 
of greatest risk 

 e Deloitte’s reporting to the committee 

was clear, open and thorough, including 
explanations of the rationale for 
particular conclusions as appropriate 
 e It was confirmed that there had been an 

appropriate level of challenge

 e Matters identified for improvement in the 

prior year had been addressed

Conclusion

The committee, having considered all 
relevant matters, has concluded that it 
is satisfied that auditor independence, 
objectivity and effectiveness have 
been maintained. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016The breakdown of the fees paid to Deloitte, 
including the split between audit and 
non-audit fees, is included in note 4 to 
the financial statements on page 156. 
The non-audit fees for 2016 represent 14% 
of the audit fee paid.

Internal audit

The audit committee has primary 
responsibility for monitoring and reviewing 
the scope and effectiveness of the Group’s 
internal audit function and appoints and 
discharges the heads of internal audit (the 
equivalent of the chief audit executive as 
envisaged by the King Code). The heads 
of internal audit have direct access to, 
and responsibility to, the committee and 
work closely with the committee in liaison 
with Deloitte. 

Each year the committee considers and 
approves the internal audit plan which is 
designed to focus on the Group’s key risks 
to ensure that they are managed effectively 
within the context of our business 
objectives and that appropriate internal 
controls are in place. The committee 
ensures that all material operations are 
covered and that there is an appropriate 
degree of financial and geographical 
coverage. Every Mondi operation is visited 
at least once every five years with all major 
plants audited annually. Reports are given 
at each committee meeting providing an 
update on activities, progress against 
plan, results from audits carried out and 
management’s response to address 
any areas highlighted for improvement. 
The committee will consider deviations 
from plan as the need arises during the 
year, usually in response to a material 
acquisition or change in the Group’s risk 
profile highlighted through audit reports and 
through matters raised via the confidential 
reporting hotline, Speakout. The committee 
regularly challenges the nature and speed 
of management’s response to issues 
raised in audits and to Speakout messages 
in order to be satisfied that this has 
been appropriate to the circumstances. 
Maintaining sound oversight and control of 
activities through the use of internal audit 
reviews is considered by the committee to 
be a key element of its work. 

Non-audit services

One of the key pieces of work undertaken 
by the committee during the year was 
a detailed review of the policy and 
procedures relating to the provision of 
non-audit services by the external auditor. 
The committee considered not only the 
new audit framework regulations from the 
EU but also governance requirements 
and guidance issued by the UK regulator. 
This resulted in a new, more restrictive, 
non-audit services policy being adopted, 
revised approval processes for any 
non-audit services being put in place, 
requiring all such requests to be approved 
by the chairman of the committee, and 
the updating of the committee’s terms of 
reference. In order to limit the non-audit 
services provided by the external auditor, 
the policy restricts those services by type 
and monetary limit. 

Where pre-approval is required the 
business must submit a formal request 
setting out the objectives, scope of work, 
likely fee level and the rationale for requiring 
the work to be carried out by the Group’s 
external auditor rather than another service 
provider. Each request is reviewed, and 
where appropriate challenged, before being 
passed for pre-approval. 

The committee monitors compliance 
with the policy, receiving reports at each 
meeting detailing all approved non-audit 
services. This enables regular consideration 
and oversight of a key threat to auditor 
independence and objectivity. During 2016 
the committee not only monitored any 
non-audit services provided by Deloitte 
but also those services provided by 
PwC. Where those services would be 
categorised as non-audit services at the 
time of PwC’s appointment as auditors, the 
committee has been closely monitoring the 
transition and ensuring that any outstanding 
service would be completed by the end of 
the year.

The majority of non-audit services are audit-
related assurance and tax compliance 
services. During 2016 examples were 
the provision of an audit comfort letter 
for the EMTN programme, certification 
requirement of electricity usage for the 
Bulgarian government (local requirement 
that this be carried out by the statutory 
auditor), advice in connection with 
applications for government grants in 
South Africa relating to capital expenditure 
and assistance with tax submissions for 
expatriate employees. 

101

The committee also monitors the staffing 
and resources available to the internal 
audit function and the quality of those 
resources. In 2015 an external review of 
the internal audit function was undertaken 
by Ernst & Young LLP with a full report 
presented to the committee. The review 
concluded that the internal audit function is 
fit for purpose and meeting its mandate to 
provide assurance primarily in the financial 
and operational areas. Of particular 
note was the clear affirmation that the 
function is independent and objective. 
Some recommendations were put forward 
mainly in the areas of knowledge sharing 
and the greater use of technology by the 
team. The way in which the team have 
been addressing the recommendations 
in the report has been monitored and 
reviewed by the committee. The committee 
has concluded that the heads of internal 
audit provide appropriate leadership of 
the internal audit function which remains 
effective in carrying out its remit. 

Speakout

The Group has a confidential reporting hotline 
called ‘Speakout’ operated by an independent 
third party. Speakout, monitored by the audit 
committee, is a simple, accessible and confidential 
channel through which our employees, customers, 
suppliers, managers or other stakeholders can 
raise concerns about conduct that seems contrary 
to Mondi’s values. It makes communication 
channels available to any person in the world who 
has information about unethical practices in the 
Group’s operations. During 2016, we received 
335 Speakout messages (2015: 133) relating to 
76 cases (2015: 88) These covered a number of 
topics; in particular the reporting of HR-related 
concerns, potential business irregularities and 
perceived fraudulent activities. Although the 
number of messages increased significantly, this 
was due to multiple messages for some cases 
with total cases down compared to the previous 
year. The committee receives a report at each 
meeting of Speakout messages received in the 
period since the prior meeting and ensures that 
appropriate investigation into each message 
has been undertaken and responses given with 
actions taken where any allegation proves to have 
some foundation. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016102  

Corporate governance report

DLC sustainable 
development 
committee

“ It’s a time of collaboration, 

collective action and holistic 
thinking, with an increased 
expectation for business to play 
a more active role. Our approach 
is well aligned with the current 
global sustainable development 
agenda and provides a strong 
foundation for future sustainable 
profitable growth.”

Stephen Harris 
Chairman of the DLC sustainable 
development committee

Composition

Members  
throughout  
the year

Stephen Harris 
chairman1

Committee  
member  
since

March 2011

David  
Hathorn

Anne  
Quinn

May 2007

August 2009

Meeting 
attendance  
(six meetings  
in the year)

5

6

6

1  Stephen Harris was unable to attend one 
meeting due to illness. In his absence the 
meeting was chaired by Anne Quinn

Other regular attendees
 e Group technical director
 e Group head of sustainable  

development

 e Group head of safety and health 

How the committee spent its time

The committee oversees and monitors the 
progress of our sustainable development 
(SD) approach, commitments, targets 
and performance within a global context. 
The committee provides guidance in 
relation to sustainability matters generally, 
reviewing and updating the Group’s 
framework of sustainability policies and 
strategies, ensuring they are aligned with 
global best practice.

A key focus for the committee during the 
early part of the year was finalising the 
Group’s Growing Responsibly model and 
2020 commitments. A more streamlined 
and focused approach has been taken with 
16 commitments across 10 action areas. 
The committee also spent time reviewing 
the revised SD policies and their alignment 
with the new SD framework. More detail 
on the commitments and policies and a full 
review of Mondi’s sustainability activities 
and progress can be found on the Mondi 
Group website. 

The safety and health of our employees and 
contractors remains high on our agenda 
and the safety performance is reviewed at 
each meeting. The detail provided helps 
us to identify and address any developing 
trends. The committee has monitored the 
continuing efforts on safety culture within 
the Group and has been encouraged by 
the results of the continued focus on the 
top fatal risks in our operations. During the 
year all the major maintenance shuts 
were completed without serious incident. 
The focus on the top fatal risks, revision 
of the risk assessment methodology 
and engagement of our employees and 
contractors has helped us to deliver 
industry leading results.

The committee works together with 
the Mondi Limited social and ethics 
committee in addressing social and ethical 
values. The Group heads of sustainable 
development and safety and health 
attend all meetings of the committee and 
provide the link between the committee, 
management and the operations.

A summary report from the directors on the 
Group’s sustainability practices is set out on 
pages 40 to 47.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016103

Other matters addressed by the committee included:

Safety performance and serious incidents

 e Received detailed reports of selected incidents, for 
example those having a high risk potential or major 
close calls and reviewed management’s response.

 e Received regular reports on safety performance 
by Group, division and business unit, including 

individual mill performance, classification of 
incidents and peer comparisons.

 e Considered the safety milestones and leading and 
lagging indicators for the next reporting period.

SD governance and risks

 e Reviewed those elements of the Group’s Code 

 e Reviewed and approved the annual report on 

of Business Ethics reserved for review by 
the committee.

payments to governments by companies in the 
extractive and logging industries.

 e Reviewed the material SD risks and opportunities.

 e Reviewed the committee’s terms of reference 

 e Reviewed and approved the annual SD reporting.

and performance.

 e Considered and agreed the committee’s annual 

work programme.

Environmental performance

 e Received regular reviews on performance against 

 e Received information on any relevant 

each of the environmental key performance 
indicators and commitments, noting the 
improvements achieved resulting from major 
capital investment projects.

environmental incidents and considered 
management’s response.

Policies and commitments

 e Reviewed the achievements against the 

2015 commitments.

 e Considered and agreed the approach for the 

2020 commitments and the implementation of the 
Growing Responsibly model.

 e Reviewed and approved updated SD policies that 
underpin our approach to managing sustainable 
development across our operations. 

 e Received an update on and monitored progress 

with the implementation of the SD policies 
and commitments.

Forestry

 e Received and reviewed an update on the forestry 

 e Received and reviewed an update on the forestry 

operations in Russia.

operations in South Africa.

Community and other relationships

 e Reviewed the Group’s relationships with 

governments, NGOs and other stakeholders.

 e Reviewed the on-going WWF global partnership 

and initiatives.

 e Reviewed our social and community engagement, 
including Community Engagement Programmes, 
outcomes from our SEAT’s (Socio-economic 
assessment toolbox) and impact effectiveness of 
investments and initiatives.

Product stewardship

 e  Received a review on the Group’s product 

 e Reviewed the updated Green Range that 

stewardship practices.

 e Considered the increased focus on supply chain 
management, including the Group’s proposed 
implementation of the requirements of the UK 
Modern Slavery Act.

includes seven criteria important to consider 
when delivering resource-efficient, sustainable 
packaging and paper products that meet high 
environmental and social standards.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016104  

Corporate governance report

Mondi Limited social 
and ethics committee

“ It is pleasing to report a high level 

of compliance with statutory 
requirements and good progress 
on the many community-focused 
initiatives undertaken during the 
period under review.”

Stephen Harris 
Chairman of the Mondi Limited social and 
ethics committee

Composition

Members  
throughout  
the year

Committee  
member  
since

Meeting 
attendance  
(two meetings  

in the year)

Stephen Harris 
chairman

David  
Hathorn

Fred  
Phaswana

February 2012, 
chairman since 
October 2015

February 2012

October 2015

2

2

2

The composition of the committee is 
in accordance with the requirements 
of section 72(8) of the South African 
Companies Act 2008 and its 
associated regulations.

Other regular attendees
 e Non-executive directors (who are not 

members of the committee)

How the committee spent its time

The committee focused on the functions 
set out in Regulation 43(5) made under 
the South African Companies Act 2008, 
monitoring compliance by Mondi Limited 
with the activities listed therein, having 
regard to relevant legislation, other legal 
requirements or prevailing codes of best 
practice as it relates to its operations in 
South Africa.

The committee is very conscious of 
possible overlap between its remit and 
that of the DLC audit committee and the 
DLC sustainable development committee. 
The committee therefore considers reports 
from these two committees as they relate 
to the environment, labour, human rights, 
product responsibility, risk management, 
whistle blowing, fraud and business 
integrity and monitors compliance by Mondi 
Limited on those matters as they pertain to 
the responsibility of the committee.

Other matters addressed by the committee included:

Corporate citizenship

 e Considered community development and 
corporate social investment initiatives. 

Approximately 2,800 jobs have been created 
through Mondi Zimele to date.

Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE)

 e Reviewed progress made against the employment 

equity targets set for the period 2013 to 2017.

 e Monitored the BBBEE status. The Forestry 

Sector Code, which Mondi Limited would be 
measured against, had not yet been finalised 

with the result that Mondi Limited was, during the 
review period, measured against the previous 
Generic Codes. In October 2016 Mondi Limited 
had an independent assessment performed 
which confirmed its status as a level 3 contributor. 
This status will apply for a period of 12 months.

Labour and employment matters

 e Reviewed compliance by Mondi Limited with 

 e Considered training and development. 

South African labour legislation which incorporates 
the decent work requirements prescribed by 
the International Labour Organization (ILO). 
The committee noted specifically the various areas 
of employer/employee interface and the progress 
made in addressing focus areas arising from the 
last employee survey. 

The committee noted the approximately 1,600 
training initiatives embarked on during 2016, 87.1% 
of employees received training during the year 
under consideration.

 e Considered various initiatives and procedures in 
place to achieve Mondi Limited’s transformation 
and diversity management objectives.

 e Executive management who present 

Consumer relations

on relevant topics

 e Reviewed Mondi Limited’s customer relations 

 e Reviewed Mondi Limited’s advertising policy 

initiatives as well as the levels of certification of its 
products used for food packaging.

aimed at ensuring compliance with the Code of 
Advertising Standards enforced by the Advertising 
Standards Authority of South Africa.

Environment, health and public safety

 e Reviewed Mondi Limited’s environmental 

 e Reviewed Mondi Limited’s performance relating 

performance, including Effluent Load COD, 
Malodorous Gas TRS, Specific Contact Water and 
Waste to Landfill.

to CO2e emissions, carbon-based energy 
consumption, use of renewable resources for 
primary energy and electrical self-sufficiency.

Anti-corruption

 e Reviewed the requirements of the King III Code 
of Good Practice with regard to the principles 
relating to ethical leadership, and Mondi Limited’s 

activities relating to the eradication of corruption 
with specific reference to the UN Global Compact 
and the OECD Recommendations.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016105

DLC executive committee and company secretaries

David Hathorn
54
Chief executive officer

78

See full  
biography

Andrew King
47
Chief financial officer

78

See full  
biography

Peter Oswald
54
Chief executive 
officer: Europe & 
International Division

78

See full  
biography

Ron Traill
62
Chief executive officer: 
South Africa Division

Appointed
January 2008
Committee membership
Executive
Qualifications
Graduated in mechanical 
engineering and management 
from Dundee Colleges in 
Scotland in 1980

Experience
Ron has over 36 years’ experience in the paper industry. He began his career as an industrial engineer with DRG 
Packaging Group, working in its Scottish paper mill. He went on to hold a succession of posts within the company, 
leading ultimately to his appointment as general manager. Following DRG’s acquisition by Sappi in 1990, he worked for 10 
years in a number of general management roles.
He has also held senior operational positions with Fletcher Challenge and with Tullis Russell.
Ron joined Mondi in 2003 as managing director of the Štětí pulp and paper mill in the Czech Republic, also assuming 
responsibility for the Mondi packaging paper business in Ružomberok, Slovakia. He then relocated to South Africa, being 
appointed Chief executive officer of the South Africa Division in January 2008. 
External appointments
None. 

John Lindahl
57
Group 
technical director

Appointed
August 2011
Committee membership
Executive
Qualifications
Graduated in pulp and paper 
engineering from the Technical 
University of Helsinki in 1985 
and an MBA from Jyvaskyla 
University in 1996

Experience
Between 1985 and 2000 John had an extensive career in the forest industry, working in different operational managerial 
positions in Finland, the US and France in companies including M-real, Myllykoski and UPM. At UPM he then moved on to 
roles within corporate technology and investment coordination. 
From the industry he moved on to consulting and engineering company Pöyry, where he held a number of executive 
positions in the forest industry business group, being involved in advisory services, pre-engineering studies and major 
implementation projects for the global Pulp and Paper Industry until 2011 when he joined Mondi. 
External appointments
None.

Philip  
Laubscher
61
Company secretary 
Mondi Limited

Experience
Philip Laubscher, who holds BProc and LLB degrees and is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa, was in-
house counsel with national power utility Eskom for 15 years before joining Mondi in 1999 as head of legal services. 
He was appointed company secretary of Mondi Limited in January 2001.

Jenny  
Hampshire
33
Company secretary 
Mondi plc

Experience
Jenny Hampshire, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators, joined Mondi in May 2007 and 
has held various roles in the company secretariat, the last four years as assistant company secretary. She was formally 
appointed company secretary of Mondi plc in December 2016. Prior to joining Mondi Jenny worked for The BOC Group 
plc in its company secretariat. 
Philip and Jenny work together on the coordination of Mondi’s DLC structure.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
106  

Corporate governance report

DLC executive 
committee

“ With continued macroeconomic 
and geopolitical uncertainties, 
2016 has been another challenging 
year for us. We have maintained 
our disciplined approach to 
allocating resources and have 
considered a variety of potential 
acquisitions and capital projects, 
investing wisely and monitoring 
our implementation to ensure 
that we continue to deliver strong 
growth in line with our stated 
strategic objectives.”

David Hathorn 
Chairman of the DLC executive committee

Composition

Members  
throughout  
the year

David Hathorn, 
chairman

Committee  
member  
since

May 2007

Andrew  
King

John  
Lindahl

Peter  
Oswald1

Ron  
Traill

May 2007

August 2011

May 2007

June 2008

Meeting 
attendance  
(nine meetings  

in the year)

9

9

9

8

9

1  When the date for one meeting was changed 

Peter Oswald was unable to attend due 
to a prior business commitment with a 
major customer

Other regular attendees
 e Business unit managers

 e Representatives from corporate 

functions, each of whom present on 
relevant topics

Key responsibilities
 e Day-to-day management of the 
Group within the limits set by the 
Boards, including implementation of 
operational decisions

 e Strategy implementation, including 

annual strategy session with the heads of 
each business unit

 e Risk identification and the management 

of mitigation of those risks

 e Monitoring financial, operational and 
safety performance, in particular 
monitoring the achievement of budgets, 
forecasts and targets
 e Policy implementation

Shareholder engagement

While the joint chairmen maintain 
responsibility for ensuring there is effective 
communication with shareholders, it 
is the Chief executive officer and Chief 
financial officer who undertake an active 
investor programme, engaging mainly with 
Mondi’s largest shareholders, analysts and 
fund managers. The senior independent 
director is always available to meet with 
shareholders as required should any issues 
not be capable of resolution through the 
more regular channels.

We work hard to establish and maintain an 
open and constructive dialogue with our 
shareholders and prospective investors. 
It is important to us that our strategic 
priorities are understood and we share 
regular updates on the Group’s financial 
performance and business imperatives. 

Investor events

Month

February

March

Event
 e Preliminary results announcement
 e Investor roadshow in Europe (Edinburgh)
 e Investor roadshow in Europe (London)
 e Investor roadshows in South Africa (Johannesburg, Pretoria and 

Cape Town)

April

 e Sun City Merrill Lynch conference
 e Bond roadshow – London, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam 

and Paris

 e Investor roadshow in Frankfurt 
 e Discussions with investors and advisory bodies prior to Annual 

General Meetings

 e Trading update
 e Annual General Meetings
 e Half-yearly results
 e Investor roadshows in South Africa (Johannesburg, Pretoria and 

Cape Town)

 e Investor roadshows in Europe (London and Edinburgh)
 e New York Credit Suisse conference
 e Trading update
 e Avior investor lunch (South Africa)
 e London UBS conference
 e Consultation with major shareholders and advisory bodies 

regarding proposed changes to remuneration policy

May

August

September

October

November

December

 e Vienna HSBC Conference

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016107

The Annual General Meetings of Mondi 
Limited and Mondi plc are scheduled to 
be held on 11 May 2017 in Johannesburg 
and London respectively, presenting an 
opportunity for shareholders to question 
the directors about our activities and 
prospects. Directors are available to meet 
informally with shareholders immediately 
before and after the meetings. It is expected 
that all directors and, in particular, the 
chairmen of the committees will be present. 

Separate resolutions will be proposed for 
each item of business to be considered at 
the meetings, with the voting conducted by 
polls. It is confirmed that each director will 
be standing for re-election by shareholders 
at the meetings. While all resolutions to 
be presented to shareholders represent 
regular business, following the external 
audit tender process and our decision to 
change auditors, Deloitte will not be seeking 
re-election and we will be proposing the 
appointment of PwC (see page 99 for 
more information). The voting results will be 
announced on the JSE and LSE and made 
available on the Mondi Group website as 
soon as practicable following the close of 
both meetings.

The notices, which include explanations 
of each resolution, are contained in 
separate circulars which will be sent to all 
shareholders in advance of the meetings, in 
accordance with the corporate governance 
codes of South Africa and the UK.

We accept that not all our shareholders will 
always be completely aligned with our plans 
for the future of the business but through 
being transparent we hope to reach a 
mutual understanding and welcome all 
feedback. On page 106 are details of the 
key investor events that have taken place 
during 2016, including meetings, investor 
roadshows and participation in investor 
conferences. In addition, the executive 
management make themselves available 
to investors in order to maintain an open 
dialogue, resulting in a number of meetings 
and calls taking place throughout the year. 
As Mondi continues to grow, our investor 
programme has adapted and we have 
extended the geographical reach in order to 
target new investors. 

In addition, we don’t overlook our debt 
providers and the Chief financial officer and 
Group treasurer have held regular meetings 
with the credit rating agencies, relationship 
banks and debt investors.

The remuneration committee chair 
undertook a consultation with major 
shareholders on proposed changes 
to the Group’s remuneration policy, 
communicating with holders representing 
approximately 60% of the Group’s total 
voting rights.

The company secretary’s office is 
the focus for private shareholder 
communications, responding to individual 
shareholder correspondence, and co-
ordinating our engagement on corporate 
governance matters. 

As we move forward with our Growing 
Responsibly agenda, our Group head of 
sustainable development continues to 
maintain a dialogue on socially responsible 
investment through focused briefings with 
interested investors and stakeholders.

All directors are kept informed of 
shareholder views and feedback, 
particularly from the full and half year 
investor roadshows, which are presented 
and discussed at board meetings. 
Analyst reports are shared regularly with the 
board and consideration given to any views 
both positive and negative regarding the 
Group’s performance, future direction and 
the perceptions of the management team.

The Mondi Group website – 
www.mondigroup.com – contains a wealth 
of information including the latest news from 
around the Group, announcements, share 
price, general shareholder information as 
well as more in-depth reports regarding our 
sustainability commitments and progress. 
In December 2016 we re-launched our 
website with improved digital design and 
functionality and improved navigability.

No requests for access to records under 
the South African Promotion of Access 
to Information Act 2000 were received 
during 2016.

Annual General Meetings

At the 2016 Annual General Meetings all  
resolutions were passed. Overall in excess 
of 76% of the total Group shares were 
voted. The directors did however note that 
the votes against five of the resolutions 
were higher than for other resolutions. 
These resolutions all related to the authority 
to be given to directors to allot and issue 
shares of Mondi Limited and of Mondi plc. 
The voting was in line with the pattern 
Mondi has seen at previous Annual 
General Meetings. Having engaged with 
shareholders in this regard over recent 
years the directors are aware that South 
African shareholders in particular have 
concerns about these types of resolution. 
We understand from our engagement with 
shareholders that this is not specific to 
Mondi and they routinely vote against such 
resolutions as a matter of policy.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016108  

Corporate governance report

Dealing in securities

Business ethics

During the year the EU Market Abuse 
Regulation came into force. The Boards 
undertook a detailed review of all current 
policies and procedures relating to dealing 
in the securities of Mondi Limited and 
Mondi plc. Pursuant to the DLC structure, 
it was also necessary to consider the 
governance and regulatory requirements 
in South Africa. This review culminated in 
a new share dealing code and procedures 
being adopted and guidelines issued. 
The Boards received training on the 
new requirements from the Group’s 
legal advisers and have ensured that a 
programme of training for all key personnel 
has been carried out. The code sets out 
the restrictions placed on directors, senior 
management and other key employees 
with regard to their share dealing to ensure 
that they do not abuse their access to 
information about the Group pending 
its public release and availability to 
shareholders and other interested parties. 

All dealings by directors and persons 
discharging managerial responsibilities 
and their closely associated persons are 
announced to the JSE and the LSE when 
they occur. Details of the directors’ interests 
in the shares of both Mondi Limited and 
Mondi plc can be found on page 123.

Mondi continues to have a stated 
policy of zero tolerance of bribery and 
corruption. The Boards have adopted 
a Code of Business Ethics that governs 
our corporate conduct and which applies 
throughout the Group. The code sets 
out five fundamental principles that 
govern the way in which Mondi and its 
employees conduct business. Three of 
the principles are monitored and reviewed 
by the DLC sustainable development 
committee (human rights, stakeholders and 
sustainability) and two by the DLC audit 
committee (legal compliance and honesty 
and integrity). 

The code incorporates the requirement for 
the Group to comply with all applicable laws 
and regulations. Our legal and governance 
compliance is managed at business unit 
level, supported by a central team of 
relevant professionals who have oversight 
of compliance, including consideration 
of the application of non-binding rules, 
codes and standards. Regular reports 
are presented to the Boards, or relevant 
committees, on compliance matters. 

The detailed application of the principles of 
the code is documented in Mondi’s policies 
and procedures, in particular the Business 
Integrity Policy and the Sustainable 
Development Policy. These policies have 
been rolled out across the Group and 
regular training is provided to all relevant 
employees. Our internal audit team tests 
the implementation of these policies and 
reports to the audit committee on their 
findings. The directors believe that the 
Group has robust compliance systems and 
procedures in place in relation to the code. 
The directors are not aware of any material 
non-compliance with the code. The code is 
available on the Mondi Group website.

Mondi has not been the subject of any 
legal actions against it for anti-competitive 
behaviour, anti-trust or monopoly practices 
during the year. Mondi has not received 
any material fines or non-monetary 
sanctions for non-compliance with laws 
and regulations. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Remuneration report
Introduction from the DLC remuneration committee chairman

109

Anne C Quinn
Chairman of the DLC remuneration committee

I am pleased to present the committee’s 
report on directors’ remuneration.

Due to Mondi’s DLC structure we are 
required to comply with both UK and 
South African regulations. Under UK rules, 
the Directors’ Remuneration Policy (DRP) 
must be put to a binding shareholder 
resolution every three years. As Mondi’s 
DRP was last put to a shareholder vote 
in 2014, shareholders are being asked 
to support Mondi’s DRP at the 2017 
AGMs. In preparation for this vote the 
committee has thoroughly reviewed the 
remuneration structures in place for the 
executive directors. With the Group’s 
strong growth over a number of years, it is 
now significantly larger and is positioned 
close to the median market capitalisation 
of the FTSE100. It has expanded its 
operations and made a number of 
strategic acquisitions, increasing the scale, 
complexity and profitability of the business 
and delivering one of the highest levels of 
Return on Capital in its sector.

Amendments to the DRP
 e The maximum variable pay levels in the 
policy of 150% of base salary (bonus) 
and 200% of base salary (LTIP) have not 
changed since listing some 10 years ago, 
when Mondi was very much smaller. 
They are substantially below the market 
median for a group of Mondi’s size and 
scope. The committee considered 
whether these should be brought up to 
the market competitive levels of 200% of 
base salary (bonus) and 250% of base 
salary (LTIP). However, after consultation 
with major shareholders, and conscious 
of the need for restraint in executive 
pay, the committee has decided to 
propose more modest changes, to bring 
the policy maximums to 175% of base 
salary (bonus) and 225% of base salary 
(LTIP), which are both below market 
median for a group of Mondi’s size and 
international complexity.

 e Moreover, the committee has decided 

that changes to the actual levels awarded 
should be brought in gradually, and that 
awards in 2017 should be set below the 
new policy maximums. This approach 
is consistent with the committee’s 
conservative and prudent approach to 
setting variable pay levels. The proposed 
maximum bonuses for 2017 are 165% of 
base salary for the Group Chief executive 
officer role and 135% of base salary 
for other executive directors. The LTIP 
awards will be accompanied by a more 
stretching financial performance target 
(see below).

 e It is also proposed that the maximum 
company pension contribution for 
executive directors should be reduced 
to 25% of salary from the previous 30%. 
The exception to this is David Hathorn 
whose 30% contribution will subsist for 
as long as he remains an employee.

The committee is proposing three other 
important changes to accompany the 
increase in variable pay maximums. 
These changes increase alignment 
with shareholders’ interests and help to 
drive performance.

 e First, for LTIP awards made in 2017 and 
subsequently, a two-year post-vesting 
holding period will apply to the shares 
awarded to executive directors. 

 e Second, the executive directors’ normal 

shareholding requirement will also 
increase to 200% of base salary, from the 
current levels of 150% (Chief executive 
officer) and 100% (other directors) of 
base salary.

 e Third, for the 2017 LTIP awards, the 
committee proposes to increase the 
return on capital employed (ROCE) 
performance required for vesting of 
100% of this portion of the award from 
the current 16% to a new level of 18%.

 e The committee’s approach, for both 
annual bonus and LTIP, will be to 
set target ranges that are: aligned to 
Mondi’s strategy; suitably stretching; and 
disclosed in the remuneration report.

Performance and remuneration 
for 2016

As described in the Strategic report, 
Mondi’s performance in the year under 
review was strong. ROCE performance was 
20.3% and EBITDA1 was €1,366 million. 
Bonus performance outcomes against the 
targets that were set are outlined in the 
annual report on remuneration. As was 
done in last year’s report we have, with due 
regard to commercial sensitivity, disclosed 
EBITDA and ROCE requirements on a prior 
year retrospective basis. Disclosure of the 
safety and personal objectives elements 
are for the year under review in accordance 
with the standard that was set last year. 

1  EBITDA as used in the remuneration report refers to underlying EBITDA as defined in the glossary to the Integrated report and financial statements 2016

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016110  

Remuneration report
Introduction from the DLC remuneration committee chairman

Performance outcomes are reflected in 
the remuneration received by directors:

 e Annual bonuses of approximately 
69% to 70% of the maximum 
have been awarded in respect of 
performance in 2016. This recognises 
the Group’s financial performance 
and excellent safety performance, as 
well as performance against personal, 
operational and strategic objectives that 
were set at the start of the year.

 e The performance period for the 2014 
LTIP ended on 31 December 2016. 
Half of the award was based on ROCE 
performance and the other half on 
relative total shareholder return (TSR) 
performance. ROCE for the three-year 
performance period was 19.5%, above 
the applicable performance range of 10% 
to 16%. The Group’s TSR over the period 
was 77.5% for Mondi plc and 78.6% for 
Mondi Limited, which placed it just below 
the top 25% of the comparator group. 
As a result of this performance 100% 
of the ROCE element, and 85% of the 
TSR element, and therefore 92.5% of the 
overall LTIP award, vested.

Changes to the executive team

As we announced on 1 February 2017, 
our existing Group Chief executive officer, 
David Hathorn, is retiring from the Boards 
at the AGMs after some 17 years as Group 
Chief executive. He will, on conclusion of 
the AGMs on 11 May 2017, be succeeded 
as Group Chief executive officer by Peter 
Oswald, our long-standing and highly 
successful Chief executive officer of 
Mondi’s Europe & International Division. 
David will continue to serve Mondi in an 
executive capacity during his contractual 
notice period to February 2018 to ensure 
a smooth transition. While David continues 
to work in an executive capacity, he 
will receive salary and benefits, and be 
eligible for a 2017 annual bonus subject 
to the normal performance conditions. 
His LTIP awards will be pro-rated down 
for time served in accordance with 
shareholder guidelines, at the date he 
retires, and remain subject to the normal 
performance conditions and vesting dates. 
The committee has also decided that any 
performance-based bonus awarded for 
2017 performance, and any LTIP award 
that is made in 2017, should be subject to 
the limits that applied to him in 2016 and 
not the new opportunities proposed for the 
Chief executive officer role that are referred 
to in the policy proposals above.

Peter Oswald’s base salary as Group Chief 
executive officer will be set at €1,050,000, 
which is a 9.8% increase for the promotion 
to this role, and the salary is less than 
that of his predecessor David Hathorn 
(at an exchange rate of £1 = €1.16). Peter’s 
company pension contribution percentage 
will not increase on promotion to Group 
Chief executive officer and will be below 
the level that applied to David Hathorn as 
Group Chief executive officer.

The proposed remuneration policy will 
continue to motivate our senior team to 
achieve the Group’s objectives and deliver 
sustained returns for our shareholders. 
We also believe that the remuneration 
of executives during 2016 reflects our 
successes to date in the delivery of 
our strategy.

I trust that you will feel able to support the 
remuneration resolutions at this year’s 
Annual General Meetings.

Anne C Quinn 
Chairman of the DLC 
remuneration committee

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Directors’ remuneration policy

111

The report

The report has been prepared by the 
DLC remuneration committee and 
approved by the boards of Mondi Limited 
and Mondi plc (together ‘the Boards’). 
Deloitte & Touche and Deloitte LLP have 
independently audited the items stipulated 
in the regulations:

 e executive directors’ and non-executive 
directors’ remuneration and associated 
footnotes on page 118;

 e the table of share awards granted to 
executive directors and associated 
footnotes on pages 125 and 126; and
 e the statement of directors’ shareholdings 

and share interests on page 123.

Directors’ remuneration policy

This part of the directors’ remuneration 
report sets out the remuneration policy 
for the Group and has been prepared in 
accordance with The Large and Medium-
sized Companies and Groups (Accounts 
and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 
2013. The policy has been developed 
taking into account the principles of 
the governance codes in South Africa 
and the UK and the views of our major 
shareholders. The policy was last put to 
a binding shareholder vote at the 2014 
Annual General Meetings. The policy, 
with proposed areas of change identified 
below, is therefore being put to a binding 
shareholder vote at the 2017 Annual 
General Meetings in accordance with the 
requirements of the UK Enterprise and 
Regulatory Reform Act 2013.

The Group’s remuneration policy 
has been set with the objective of 
attracting, motivating and retaining 
high-calibre directors, in a manner that 
promotes the long-term success of the 
Group, is consistent with best practice 
and aligned with the interests of the 
Group’s shareholders.

Remuneration policy for executive 
directors is framed around the following 
key principles:

 e remuneration packages should be 

set at levels that are competitive in the 
relevant market;

 e the structure of remuneration packages 

and, in particular, the design of 
performance-based remuneration 
schemes, should be aligned with 
shareholders’ interests and should 
support the achievement of the Group’s 
business strategy and the management 
of risk;

 e a significant proportion of the 

remuneration of executive directors 
should be performance-based;
 e the performance-based element of 

remuneration should be appropriately 
balanced between the achievement of 
short-term objectives and longer-term 
objectives; and

 e the remuneration of executive directors 

should be set taking appropriate account 
of remuneration and employment 
conditions elsewhere in the Group.

Key changes to the policy

The maximum variable pay levels of 150% 
of base salary (bonus) and 200% of base 
salary (LTIP) in the DRP have not changed 
since listing in 2007, and are relatively low 
for a group of Mondi’s size. The committee 
proposes to increase the bonus maximum 
level to 175% and the LTIP maximum level 
to 225% of base salary to bring them to 
a more competitive level. However, as in 
the past, the committee will use the bonus 
and LTIP capacity prudently: for 2017, the 
maximum annual bonus and LTIP grant 
levels will be set below the proposed new 
maximums. The maximum bonus for the 
Chief executive officer will be 165% of base 
salary, and the maximum LTIP award will 
be 210% of base salary in 2017. For other 
executive directors, the maximum bonus 
will be 135% of base salary, and the 
maximum LTIP award will be 175% of base 
salary in 2017.

The committee is proposing other 
important changes to accompany the 
increase in variable pay maximums. 
For LTIP awards made in 2017 and 
subsequently, a two-year post-vesting 
holding period will apply to the shares 
awarded to executive directors. 

The committee will continue to set a 
minimum shareholding requirement 
for executive directors. Details of this 
are provided in the annual report on 
remuneration. From 2017, the normal 
shareholding requirement will increase 
to 200% of base salary, from the current 
level of 150% (Chief executive officer) and 
100% (other directors) of base salary. 
LTIP shares that have vested and that 
are in the two-year post-vesting holding 
period will count towards the shareholding 
requirement. The committee will retain 
discretion within the policy to set or vary the 
holding requirements. 

The committee will set appropriate 
performance metrics and targets for 
variable pay awards. For LTIP awards in 
2017, the committee proposes to increase 
the ROCE performance required for 100% 
vesting of this portion of the award from 
the current 16% to a new level of 18%. 
The committee’s continuing approach will 
be to set target ranges that are aligned to 
Mondi’s strategy and are suitably stretching, 
and will retain discretion to determine those 
metrics and targets.

The maximum company pension 
contribution for executive directors is 
reducing to 25% of base salary from 
the current 30% level. David Hathorn’s 
contribution level of 30% will continue until 
he leaves service in 2018.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016112  

Directors’ remuneration policy

Executive directors’ remuneration policy table

The following table summarises key elements of the remuneration of executive directors in accordance with reporting regulations:

Base salary

Benefits

Pension

Bonus Share Plan (BSP)

To provide incentive and reward for 
annual performance achievements. 
To also provide sustained alignment 
with shareholders through a deferred 
component.

Awards are based on annual 
performance against a balanced 
scorecard of metrics as determined 
by the committee from time to time 
such as EBITDA and percentage 
ROCE and safety. These have the 
highest weighting (currently 70% of the 
total). Individual performance is also 
assessed against suitable objectives, 
and currently has a 30% weighting.

The policy gives the committee 
the authority to select suitable 
performance metrics, aligned to 
Mondi’s strategy and shareholders’ 
interests, and to assess the 
performance outcome.

Half of the award is delivered in cash 
and half in deferred shares which 
normally vest after three years (subject 
to service conditions), and with no 
matching element. On vesting of 
deferred shares, participants receive 
a bonus of equivalent value to the 
dividends that would have been 
payable on those shares between the 
date when the awards were granted 
and when they vest.

Malus and clawback provisions apply 
to awards made since January 2011.

The maximum annual bonus is 175% 
of salary.

The committee will apply a limit of 
165% for the Chief executive officer 
and 135% for other executive directors 
for the 2017 performance year (i.e. 
below the policy maximum).

Purpose 
and link to 
strategy

To recruit and reward 
executives of a suitable 
calibre for the role and 
duties required.

To provide market 
competitive benefits.

To provide market 
competitive pension 
contributions.

Defined contribution 
to pension, or cash 
allowance of equivalent 
value. Only base salary 
is pensionable.

Operation

Reviewed annually by the 
committee, taking account 
of Group performance, 
individual performance, 
changes in responsibility 
and levels of increase for 
the broader employee 
population.

The Group typically 
provides:

 e car allowance or 
company car;
 e medical insurance;
 e death and 

disability insurance;

Reference is also made 
to market median levels in 
companies of similar size 
and complexity.

The committee considers 
the impact of any base 
salary increase on the total 
remuneration package.

Salaries (and other 
elements of the 
remuneration package) 
may be paid in 
different currencies as 
appropriate to reflect their 
geographic location.

 e limited personal taxation 
and financial advice; 
and

 e other ancillary benefits, 
including relocation 
and assistance with 
expatriate expenses 
(as required).

The policy authorises 
the committee to make 
minor changes to 
benefits provision from 
time to time, including if 
appropriate implementing 
all-employee share plans 
up to the limits approved 
by tax authorities.

Maximum values are 
determined by reference 
to market practice, 
avoiding paying more 
than is necessary.

The maximum company 
pension contribution 
for executive directors 
is 25% of salary, 
with the exception of 
David Hathorn whose 
contribution will remain 
30% of salary.

Maximum 
opportunity

There is no prescribed 
maximum salary or 
annual increase. However, 
increases will normally 
be no more than the 
general level of increase 
in the UK market or the 
market against which 
the executive’s salary is 
determined. On occasions 
a larger increase may be 
needed to recognise, for 
example, development 
in role or change in 
responsibility.

Details of the outcome of 
the most recent review 
are provided in the annual 
report on remuneration.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016113

Purpose 
and link to 
strategy

Operation

Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)

Share ownership policy

To align the interests of executive directors with those 
of shareholders.

Executive directors are required to acquire and maintain 
shareholdings in Mondi Limited or Mondi plc to a minimum 
of 200% of base salary.

The requirement is to be met within no more than five years 
from the date of appointment. 

While the executive director is building to the required 
shareholding level, deferred bonus awards under the BSP, 
net of the expected tax liability that will apply on vesting, 
will count towards the requirement. Once the required 
shareholding has been met, such shares will not count 
unless the committee at its sole discretion determines 
that a number of deferred shares may count towards the 
entitlement of a director. 

Unvested LTIP awards (i.e. those awards where 
performance targets and/or a service requirement must 
still be met for awards to vest) will not count towards the 
entitlement. LTIP shares that have vested and on which tax 
has been paid and that are within the two-year post-vesting 
holding period will count towards the entitlement.

Previously compliant directors who do not meet the 
minimum requirements on annual assessment are to 
achieve compliance by 31 December of the same year.

In order to allow the committee to deal with unexpected 
circumstances, the committee retains discretion on how 
to operate the Policy and may make exceptions and 
allowances if it sees fit.

To provide incentive and reward for the delivery of 
the Group’s strategic objectives, and provide further 
alignment with shareholders through the use of shares.

Individuals are considered each year for an award of 
shares that normally vest after three years to the extent 
that performance conditions are met and in accordance 
with the terms of the plan approved by shareholders.

Under the plan rules, the committee has the ability 
to cash-settle awards, if necessary, in exceptional 
circumstances. There is no current intention for awards 
to the executive directors to be delivered in this way. 

Awards are granted subject to continued employment 
and satisfaction of challenging performance conditions 
measured over three years, which are set by the 
committee before each grant.

For awards to be granted in 2017, metrics comprise TSR 
against a suitable peer group, and percentage ROCE, each 
with a 50% weighting. The vesting outcome can also be 
reduced, if necessary, to reflect the underlying or general 
performance of the Group. Performance is measured over 
three calendar years, starting with the year of grant.

For awards granted from 2013 onwards, an amount 
equivalent to dividends that would have been payable 
on the unvested share awards are rolled up and paid 
out (in cash and/or additional shares) at the end of the 
vesting period based on the proportion of the award 
that actually vests.

Malus and clawback provisions apply to awards made 
since January 2011.

A post-vesting holding period will apply to executive 
directors for awards made from 2017 onwards. Executive 
directors are required to retain the LTIP shares that vest 
(net of tax) for a period of two years. The two-year holding 
requirement will continue if they leave employment during 
the holding period. The shares held will count towards the 
executive director’s normal holding requirement.

Maximum 
opportunity

The maximum grant limit is 225% of base salary (face value 
of shares at grant), to any individual in a single year. 

Not applicable.

For the awards to be made in 2017, the committee intends 
to make awards below the policy maximum, of 210% to 
the Chief executive officer and 175% to other executive 
directors.

25% of the grant is available for threshold performance, 
rising on a straight-line scale to 100% of the grant for 
performance at the ‘stretch’ level.

Individual awards, up to the policy limit, are determined 
each year by the committee. The Committee’s practice 
has historically been to make grants below the policy 
maximum as detailed in the annual report on remuneration.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016114  

Directors’ remuneration policy

Choice of performance measures and approach to target setting

Bonus Share Plan (BSP)

The table below shows the metrics for 2017, why they were chosen and how targets are set.

Metric

EBITDA

Why chosen?

How targets are set

A key indicator of the underlying profit 
performance of the Group, reflecting both 
revenues and costs.

Targets and ranges are set each year by 
the committee taking account of required 
progress towards strategic goals, and the 
prevailing market conditions.

ROCE (%) 

A key indicator of the effective use of capital. Targets and ranges are set each year by the 

Safety

Personal performance

committee taking account of the required 
progress towards strategic goals, and the 
prevailing market conditions.

One of the key indicators of whether the 
business is meeting its sustainability goal of 
zero harm. 

The committee considers input from the 
DLC sustainable development committee, 
and sets appropriate standards and goals.

An indicator of the contribution each 
executive director is making to the overall 
success of the management team.

Targets are set each year by the committee, 
based on the specific priorities, and areas of 
responsibility of the role.

The policy gives the committee the authority to select suitable performance metrics, aligned to Mondi’s strategy and shareholders’ 
interests.

Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)

The table below shows the metrics for 2017 grants, why they were chosen and how targets are set.

Metric

Why chosen?

How targets are set

TSR, relative to a peer group of competitors TSR measures the total returns to Mondi’s 
shareholders, so provides close alignment 
with shareholder interests.

The committee sets the performance 
requirements for each grant. A peer group 
of packaging and paper sector companies 
is used. Nothing vests below median. 25% 
vests for median performance; 100% vests 
for upper quartile performance, with a 
straight-line scale between these two points.

ROCE (%) 

A key indicator of the effective use of capital. The committee sets threshold and stretch 

levels, aligned to the Group’s strategic 
targets for ROCE.

Nothing vests below threshold. 25% vests 
for threshold performance; 100% vests for 
stretch performance, with a straight-line 
scale between these two points.

The policy gives the committee the authority to select suitable performance metrics, aligned to Mondi’s strategy and shareholders’ 
interests.

Differences in remuneration policy for executive directors compared to other employees

There are differences in the structure of the remuneration policy for the executive directors and employees, which are necessary to reflect 
the different levels of responsibility and market practices. The key difference is the increased emphasis on performance -related pay in 
senior roles. Lower maximum incentive pay opportunities apply below executive level, driven by market benchmarks and the relative 
impact of the role. Only the most senior executives in the Group participate in the LTIP and the BSP as these plans are targeted on those 
individuals who have the greatest responsibility for Group performance.

Executive directors’ existing service contracts, and policy on loss of office

The service contracts for David Hathorn and Andrew King provide for one year’s notice by either party. They include pay in lieu of notice 
provisions which may be invoked at the discretion of the Group. The payment in lieu of notice would comprise base salary, benefits and 
pension contributions for the notice period and an amount in compensation for annual bonus only for that part of the financial year the 
individual has worked.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016115

Peter Oswald was recruited, and is based, in Austria. His service contract is required under Austrian law to be for a fixed period, which 
renewable fixed period expires on 30 April 2019. However, the contract has also been structured as far as possible to conform to the 
accepted practice for directors in the UK, and can be terminated on one year’s notice by either party. Prior to 2008, he did not have a 
notice period, and was entitled to receive compensation on termination equivalent to remuneration for the unexpired term of the five-
year fixed term contract. The committee re-negotiated this contract in 2008 to substantially reduce the Group’s potential liabilities, and 
introduced a standard 12-month notice period, together with an accompanying lump sum payment on termination, which was necessary 
to facilitate the transition from the previous contract. In the event of termination by Mondi, other than for ‘cause’, the current contract 
provides for payment of base salary, benefits and pension contribution in respect of the 12-month notice period and eligibility for annual 
bonus in respect of the period he has worked. He would also be eligible for a lump sum amount calculated as €908,800 plus interest on 
this amount accrued at the Euribor interest rate for the period since 1 January 2008.

Any share-based entitlements granted to an executive director under the Group’s share plans will be determined based on the relevant 
plan rules. The default treatment is that any outstanding awards lapse on cessation of employment. However, in certain prescribed 
circumstances, such as death, disability, retirement or other circumstances at the discretion of the committee (taking into account the 
individual’s performance and the reasons for their departure) ‘good Ieaver’ status can be applied. For good leavers, vesting of BSP 
awards that are not subject to performance conditions is accelerated to as soon as practical after employment termination. LTIP awards 
remain subject to performance conditions (measured over the original time period) and are reduced pro-rata to reflect the proportion of 
the performance period actually served. The committee has the discretion to disapply the application of performance conditions and/or 
time pro-rating if it considers it appropriate to do so. However, it is envisaged that this would only be applied in exceptional circumstances. 
In determining whether an executive should be treated as a good Ieaver or not, the committee will take into account the performance of 
the individual and the reasons for their departure.

Details of the service contracts of the executive directors who served during the period under review are as follows. These contracts were 
all signed prior to 27 June 2012.

Executive director

David Hathorn

Andrew King

Peter Oswald

Effective date of contract

Unexpired term/notice period

3 July 2007

23 October 2008

1 January 2008

Terminable on 12 months’ notice

Terminable on 12 months’ notice

A fixed term expiring on 30 April 2019 but 
terminable at any time on 12 months’ notice

A director’s service contract may be terminated without notice and without any further payment or compensation, except for sums 
accrued up to the date of termination, on the occurrence of certain events such as gross misconduct.

Service contracts for new appointments

Normally, for any new executive director appointments, the Group’s policy is that the service contracts should provide for one year’s notice 
by either party. The contract would provide that, in the event of termination by the company, other than for ‘cause’, the executive would be 
eligible for:

 e payment of the base salary, pension contribution and benefits in respect of the unexpired portion of the 12-month notice period;
 e annual bonus only in respect of the period they have served, payable following the relevant performance year-end and subject to the 

normal performance conditions for annual bonus; and

 e share-based awards they hold, subject to the plan rules, which include arrangements for pro-ration of LTIP awards and continued 

application of performance conditions.

The Group would seek to apply the principle of mitigation to the termination payment by, for example, making payments in instalments 
that can be reduced or ended if the former executive wishes to commence alternative employment during the payment period.

In exceptional circumstances, such as to secure for the Group the appointment of a highly talented and experienced executive in a market 
such as Germany or Austria where it is common for the most senior executives to have three-year or five-year fixed term contracts, 
the committee may need to offer a longer initial notice period that reduces progressively to one year over a set time period. In such 
exceptional circumstances, the committee would seek to ensure that any special contract provisions are not more generous than is 
absolutely necessary to secure the appointment of such a highly talented individual. The committee would also take account of the 
remuneration and contract features that the executive may be foregoing or relinquishing in order to join Mondi, in comparison with the 
overall remuneration package that Mondi is able to offer.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016116  

Directors’ remuneration policy

Approach to remuneration for new executive director appointments

The remuneration package for a newly appointed executive director would be set in accordance with the terms of the Group’s approved 
remuneration policy in force at the time of appointment. The variable remuneration for a new executive director would be determined in 
the same way as for existing executive directors, and would be subject to the maximum limits on variable pay referred to in the policy table 
on pages 112 and 113.

For an internal appointment, any legacy pay elements awarded in respect of the prior role would be allowed to pay out according to 
their terms.

For internal and external appointments, the Group may meet certain relocation expenses, as appropriate.

For external appointments, the committee may also offer additional cash and/or share-based elements when it considers these to be in 
the best interests of Mondi and shareholders, to replace variable remuneration awards or arrangements that an individual has foregone in 
order to join the Group. This includes the use of awards made under section 9.4.2 of the UK Listing Rules. Any such payments would take 
account of the details of the remuneration foregone including the nature, vesting dates and any performance requirements attached to 
that remuneration.

Remuneration scenarios at different performance levels1

The charts below illustrate the total potential remuneration for each executive director at three performance levels.

CEO

CFO

Fixed pay

BSP cash

BSP shares

LTIP

Fixed pay

BSP cash

BSP shares

LTIP

€6,000,000

€5,000,000

€4,000,000

€3,000,000

€2,000,000

€1,000,000

8.9

€0

31%

16%
16%
37%

100%

42%

16%

16%

26%

€3,500,000

€3,000,000

€2,500,000

€2,000,000

€1,500,000

€1,000,000

€500,000

€0

28%

15%
15%
42%

100%

40%

15%

15%

30%

Minimum

Target

Maximum

Minimum

Target

Maximum

1  Assumptions:

  Minimum = fixed pay only (salary + benefits + pension)

  On-target = 70% vesting of the annual bonus and 50% for LTIP awards

  Maximum = 100% vesting of the annual bonus and LTIP awards

  Salary levels on which the elements of the package are calculated on are, for the Chief financial officer, based on the 1 January 2017 salary and for the Chief executive 

officer the salary on appointment after the AGMs in 2017

Remuneration policy for non-executive directors

Element 

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Maximum opportunity

Non-executive 
chairmen fees

Other non-
executive fees

To attract and retain high-calibre 
chairmen, with the necessary 
experience and skills. To provide 
fees which take account of the time 
commitment and responsibilities of 
the role.

To attract and retain high-calibre 
non-executives, with the necessary 
experience and skills. To provide 
fees which take account of the time 
commitment and responsibilities of 
the role.

The joint chairmen each receive an 
all-inclusive fee.

The joint chairmen’s fees are reviewed 
periodically by the committee.

While there is not a maximum fee level, 
fees are set by reference to market 
median data for companies of similar 
size and complexity to Mondi.

Non-executive directors’ fees are 
reviewed periodically by the joint 
chairmen and executive directors.

While there is not a maximum fee level, 
fees are set by reference to market 
median data for companies of similar 
size and complexity to Mondi.

The non-executives are paid a 
basic fee.

Attendance fees are also paid to reflect 
the requirement for non-executive 
directors to attend meetings in various 
international locations. 

The chairmen of the main board 
committees and the senior 
independent director are paid additional 
fees to reflect their extra responsibilities.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
117

The Group may reimburse the reasonable expenses of board directors that relate to their duties on behalf of Mondi (including tax thereon 
if applicable). The Group may also provide advice and assistance with board directors’ tax returns where these are impacted by the duties 
they undertake on behalf of Mondi.

All non-executive directors have letters of appointment with Mondi Limited and Mondi plc for an initial period of three years. In accordance 
with best practice, non-executive directors are subject to annual re-election at the Annual General Meetings. Appointments may be 
terminated by Mondi with six months’ notice. No compensation is payable on termination, other than accrued fees and expenses.

Statement of consideration of employment conditions elsewhere in the Group

The Group’s remuneration policy for the remuneration of executive directors and other senior executives is set taking appropriate account 
of remuneration and employment conditions of other colleagues in the Group.

The committee annually receives a report from management on pay practices across the Group, including salary levels and trends, 
collective bargaining outcomes and bonus participation. At the time that salary increases are considered the Committee additionally 
receives a report on the approach management proposes to adopt for general staff increases. Both these reports are taken into account 
in the committee’s decisions about the remuneration of executive directors and other senior executives.

The Group does not engage in formal consultation with employees on directors’ remuneration policy. However, employees of the Group 
are encouraged to provide feedback on the Group’s general employment policies. In some countries where the Group operates, more 
formal consultation arrangements with employee representatives are in place relating to employment terms and conditions, in accordance 
with local custom and practice. The Group also conducts periodic employee engagement surveys which gauge employees’ satisfaction 
with their working conditions. The Mondi Boards are given feedback on these survey results.

Shareholder context

The committee considers the views of shareholders in its deliberations about the remuneration of executive directors and other senior 
executives, and consults directly with major shareholders when any material changes to policy are being considered.

Legacy arrangements

For the avoidance of doubt, in approving this policy report, authority is given to the Group to honour any commitments entered into with 
current or former directors that have been disclosed to shareholders in previous remuneration reports. Details of any payments to former 
directors will be set out in the annual report on remuneration as they arise.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016118  

Annual report on remuneration

2016 remuneration of directors

This table reports executive and non-executive directors’ remuneration in accordance with UK reporting regulations applicable to financial 
reporting periods ending on or after 1 October 2013.

Base salary/
NED fees1

Benefits

Pension 
contribution

Annual 
bonus 
including 
grant value 
of BSP 
award

Value of LTIP 
vesting in the 
performance
year2

Value of LTIP 
vesting at 
date of
grant3

Share price 
gain on 
vesting 
LTIP award 
between 
grant and
vest dates4

Other5

Total

2016 €1,114,401 

€48,959 

€332,187 €1,146,190 €2,531,643 €1,948,184

€583,459

€253,196 €5,426,576

2015 €1,234,121 

€54,323  €368,889  €1,652,794  €3,624,552  €1,808,590  €1,815,962 

€82,106  €7,016,785 

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

€660,567 

€39,787 

€165,142

€551,440

€1,051,423

€809,105

€242,318

€106,965 €2,575,324

€729,693 

€43,192 

€182,423 

€790,518  €1,505,317 

€751,127 

€754,190 

€37,895  €3,289,038 

€939,000 

€40,634 

€234,750

€785,380 €1,508,243 €1,163,507

€344,736

€174,288 €3,682,295

€921,000 

€39,557  €230,250  €990,260  €2,004,818  €1,133,609 

€871,209 

€53,226  €4,239,111

€339,689

€378,995

€339,689

€378,995

€107,973

€119,712

€104,528

€119,710

€111,352

€127,312

€102,058

€30,578

€339,689

€378,995

€339,689

€378,995

€107,973

€119,712

€104,528

€119,710

€111,352

€127,312

€102,058

€30,578

David 
Hathorn

Andrew 
King

Peter 
Oswald

Fred 
Phaswana

David 
Williams

Stephen 
Harris

John 
Nicholas

Anne 
Quinn

Dominique 
Reiniche6

1  David Hathorn’s and Andrew King’s salaries are denominated in pounds sterling and their 2016 salaries were £911,000 and £540,000 respectively.

  The non-executive directors’ fees are also denominated in pounds sterling. Euro amounts are reported based on exchange rates on the dates actual payments were 
made. Non-executive director fees were increased by circa 2% with effect from 12 May 2016 following the passing of a resolution at the Annual General Meetings of 
Mondi Limited and Mondi plc. See the table on page 122 for current fee levels

2  For 2016, the three-year performance cycle of the 2014 LTIP award ended on 31 December 2016. The award value shown has been based on the average share price 
over the last three months of the performance cycle. For 2015, the three-year performance cycle of the 2013 LTIP award ended on 31 December 2015. The award 
value shown in the 2015 remuneration report was an estimate based on the average share price over the last three months of the performance cycle which was £14.43 
for Mondi plc LTIP awards and ZAR310.44 for Mondi Limited LTIP awards. The actual award price on vesting was £13.41 for Mondi plc LTIP awards and ZAR292.76 for 
Mondi Limited LTIP awards. The award values for 2015 have been restated on this basis 

3  For 2016, the value is shown of the 2014 LTIP award made at the start of the three-year performance cycle, and for 2015, the value of the 2013 LTIP award made at the 

start of the three-year performance cycle

4  For 2016, the enhanced value is shown of the 2014 LTIP based on the share price gain between grant and the average share price over the last three months of the 

performance cycle. The value of Mondi plc’s shares increased from £10.88 to £16.06, and the value of Mondi Limited shares from ZAR194.35 to ZAR276.73 during this 
time. For 2015, the enhanced value is shown of the 2013 LTIP that vested based on share price appreciation during the holding period. The value of Mondi plc’s shares 
increased from £8.51 to £13.41, and the value of Mondi Limited shares from ZAR114.64 to ZAR292.76

5  Includes cash amounts of equivalent value to dividends on vested BSP and LTIP shares during the year. See table of share awards granted to executive directors on 

pages 125 and 126

6  Dominique Reiniche’s fee covers the period from her appointment on 1 October 2015

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
 
 
 
 
 
119

Annual bonus

Approach to disclosure of bonus targets

Since its 2012 report, Mondi has disclosed the performance measures used for the annual bonus as well as outcomes against 
these measures. 

In the 2015 report we went substantially further in providing details of the performance against safety objectives that were set for the year 
under review. In the case of executives’ personal objectives we described the achievements of our executives against key 2015 focus 
areas, together with the ratings awarded to each executive.

In the case of financial performance, we provided retrospective disclosure of the financial bonus ranges and outcomes for the year 
prior to the year under review. We additionally provided outline disclosure of financial bonus outcomes for the year under review. 
The retrospective approach was adopted for reasons of commercial sensitivity. Few of Mondi’s competitors are subject to the same 
disclosure obligations as Mondi and disclosure of the detailed financial bonus ranges for the year under review would place Mondi at a 
competitive disadvantage. 

For its 2016 report Mondi has therefore again adopted this approach to bonus disclosure. 

2016 bonus outcomes

For the annual bonus in respect of 2016 performance, the performance measures and achievement levels were:

Weight

Outcomes:

David Hathorn

Andrew King

Peter Oswald

BSP performance measures

EBITDA

30

18.1

18.1

18.1

ROCE

30

16.6

16.6

16.6

Safety

Personal

10

10

10

10

30

24

25

25

Total

100

68.7

69.7

69.7

Retrospective disclosure of 2015 financial bonus ranges

Financial performance was assessed against the EBITDA and ROCE ranges that were set for 2015. The 2015 ranges and outcomes were:

Entry level

Target

Ceiling

Outcome

EBITDA (€m)

Bonus outcome 
(points)

ROCE (%)

Bonus outcome 
(points)

985

1,159 

1,332 

1,325 

 7.5

18.75

30.00

29.60

13.9%

16.4%

18.8%

20.5%

7.5

18.75

30.00

30.00

Full disclosure of the 2016 bonus ranges and outcomes will be included in the 2017 report.

Safety element of 2016 bonus

Five points of the 10-point safety element was payable on the achievement of total recordable case rate (TRCR) targets. If the achieved 
TRCR rate was 0.75 or better, then the entire 5 points would be earned. One point would be earned for a TRCR of 0.83, with straight-line 
interpolation for TRCR performance between 0.75 and 0.83. The other 5 points were payable if there were no fatalities within the Mondi 
Group. If there is one fatality then these 5 points are forfeited. If there are two fatalities during the year then the entire 10 points attributable 
to safety are forfeited.

Mondi continued to achieve an industry-leading TRCR performance. The TRCR that was achieved for 2016 was 0.66 and there were no 
fatalities of employees or contractors. 10 points attributable to this element were therefore earned. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016120  

Annual report on remuneration

Personal objectives of executives for 2016 bonus

Key objectives and achievements

The executive directors share many key objectives and also have individual objectives that are specific to their roles. Key objectives, and 
achievements against these objectives during 2016, included:

Strategy development 
and execution

 e All committed major projects on track and on budget with the exception of the rebuilt paper and inline 

coating machine at our Štĕtí mill where progress has been slower than anticipated.

Organisational  
performance

Financial efficiency 
and financing

Organisational structure 
and resourcing

Organisational culture

Stakeholder relationships

 e A large number of potential acquisitions considered.
 e Four acquisitions completed, two in Corrugated Packaging (SIMET (Poland) and Lebedyan (Russia)) and 

two in Consumer Goods Packaging (Kalenobel (Turkey) and Uralplastic (Russia)).

 e Growth pipeline assured with over €800 million in major projects approved.
 e Rationalisations continued: Industrial Bags plant in southern Belgium and Release Liner plant in the US.
 e Successful commissioning of major expansionary projects including at Świecie (Poland) and Richards Bay 

(South Africa).

 e Substantial cost reductions as part of our ongoing “Profit Improvement Initiative”.
 e Quality initiative launched to improve margins.
 e Successful launch of €500 million Eurobond, ensuring strong liquidity position.
 e Self-financing of major capital projects and acquisitions due to strong cash generation.
 e Significant work on tax optimisation, risk mitigation and external reporting.
 e Succession plans for key roles.

 e Safety focus on major risks continued. TRCR improved 5.7% on prior year.
 e Comprehensive actions taken based on employee survey at the end of 2015.
 e Management style and leadership assessed via 360 degree surveys.
 e Extensive roadshows, individual meetings and phone calls with existing and potential shareholders.
 e Government and NGO engagement on a wide variety of issues e.g. forestry, employees, communities, 

industry groups.

 e Implemented Growing Responsibly model, defining our sustainability commitments to 2020.

The ratings of the three 
executive directors were:

David Hathorn 24/30  
Andrew King 25/30  
Peter Oswald 25/30

Detail of annual bonus awarded in the year

Name 

David Hathorn 

Andrew King 

Peter Oswald

Malus and clawback

Awarded in cash  Awarded in shares

€573,095

€275,720

€392,690

€573,095

€275,720

€392,690

Total

€1,146,190

€551,440

€785,380

The committee considered whether there were any circumstances in the year that would have required clawback and agreed that 
such circumstances did not exist. Under Mondi’s LTIP and BSP rules malus and clawback can be applied to awards made on or after 
1 January 2011 if there has been a misstatement of financial results, or performance conditions that are relevant to the Plans, that had the 
effect that awards were larger than they would have been had such errors not been made. Malus and clawback may at the committee’s 
discretion take the form of a demand for the participant to repay amounts to Mondi, a reduction of future bonus payments to the 
participant, and a reduction in the number of conditional share awards held by a participant. Malus and clawback apply to misstatement 
of results or miscalculation of relevant performance conditions. In the case of employment termination Mondi is able to cancel subsisting 
but unvested share awards, withhold payments that would otherwise be due to the participant, and where appropriate initiate legal 
proceedings to recover funds to which the Group is legally entitled.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016121

Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)

Vesting of the 2014 awards

The LTIP awards that were made in 2014, with a three-year performance period that ended on 31 December 2016, were reviewed by the 
committee in February 2017 against the (equally weighted) relative TSR and ROCE performance conditions. Maximum performance was 
achieved against the ROCE target and 85% against the TSR target.

92.5% of the shares under award therefore vested in March 2017.

Awards granted in 2016

The maximum award that can be made to any LTIP participant in any year under the existing policy is equal to two times salary. For 2016, 
the award made to David Hathorn was 185% of salary and the awards made to Andrew King and Peter Oswald were 150% of salary.

For the LTIP awards made in 2016, the performance conditions are based on two performance measures of equal weight – relative 
TSR and ROCE – measured over a three-year performance period ending on 31 December 2018. The committee believes that this 
combination of metrics provides an appropriate means of aligning the operation of the LTIP with shareholders’ interests and the Group’s 
business strategy.

The TSR performance condition is based on the Group’s TSR relative to a group of competitor companies. For the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 
2016 LTIP awards, the following companies were selected:

Amcor (2013)1

Bemis (2013)1

Billerud

Domtar

DSSmith

Holmen

International Paper

Mayr-Melnhof

MeadWestvaco2

Metsä Board

Sappi

Smurfit Kappa

Stora Enso

The Navigator Company3

UPM

West Rock4

1  As previously reported, Amcor and Bemis were added to the peer group for 2013 and subsequent awards

2  MeadWestvaco was included in LTIP awards until its merger with Rock Tenn in 2015 when it was, in accordance with committee practice, removed from the peer 

group for all subsisting awards

3  Portucel Soporcel Group rebranded in February 2016 as The Navigator Company

4  WestRock, the company that was formed by the merger of MeadWestvaco and Rock Tenn, has been included in the peer group for 2016 and subsequent awards

For the 50% of awards attributable to TSR: If the Group’s TSR is below the median when ranked against the comparator group, this part 
of the award will lapse in full. For TSR at the median, 25% of this part of the award (i.e. 12.5% of the total award) will vest, with a straight-
line progression to the upper quartile, at which point 100% of this part of the award (i.e. 50% of the total award) will vest.

For the 50% of awards attributable to ROCE: This part will lapse in full if ROCE is below 10%. 25% of this part of the award (i.e. 12.5% 
of the total award) will vest for achievement of ROCE of 10%, with a straight-line progression to full vesting of this part of the award for 
achievement of ROCE of 16% (i.e. 50% of the total award).

For the 2017 and subsequent LTIP awards, the committee intends to expand the peer group to include Huhtamaki and RPC.

Mondi’s TSR performance over the last eight years

The following graphs set out the comparative TSR of Mondi Limited relative to the JSE All-Share Index, and Mondi plc relative to the FTSE 
All-Share Index, for the period between 31 December 2008 and 31 December 2016. Those indices were chosen because they are broad 
equity market indices of which Mondi Limited and Mondi plc, respectively, are members.

JSE All-Share Index
Total shareholder return 
Source: Thomson Reuters (Datastream)

FTSE All-Share Index
Total shareholder return 
Source: Thomson Reuters (Datastream)

Mondi Limited

JSE All-Share

Mondi plc

FTSE All-Share

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

0

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

0

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

This graph shows the value, by 31 December 2016 of R100 invested in Mondi Limited on 
31 December 2009 compared with the value of R100 invested in the JSE All-Share Index. 
The other points plotted are the values at intervening financial year ends.
.

This graph shows the value, by 31 December 2016 of £100 invested in Mondi plc on 
31 December 2009 compared with the value of £100 invested in the FTSE All-Share Index. 
The other points plotted are the values at intervening financial year ends.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
122  

Annual report on remuneration

CEO remuneration from 2009

Year

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

Total remuneration

% of maximum bonus earned

% of LTI vested

€5,426,576

€7,013,835¹

€7,763,908

€5,900,140

€6,305,794 

€12,824,1122

€3,160,318

€2,627,196

68.7

89.6

91.6

73

80

78

89

83

92.5

100

100

100

100

92

33

12

1  In 2015, the three-year performance cycle of the 2013 LTIP award ended on 31 December 2015. The award value shown in the 2015 Remuneration report was an 

estimate based on the average share price over the last three months of the performance cycle which was £14.43 for Mondi plc LTIP awards and ZAR310.44 for Mondi 
Limited LTIP awards. The actual share price on vesting was £13.41 for Mondi plc LTIP awards and ZAR292.76 for Mondi Limited LTIP awards. The total remuneration 
for 2015 has been restated on this basis

2  David Hathorn’s remuneration in 2011 included €3.9 million from the proceeds of a one-off, shareholder approved, share award under a Co-Investment Plan he 

participated in at the time of the Group’s demerger from Anglo American plc in 2007. Under this plan, he invested £1 million from his own funds in Mondi plc shares 
in August 2007. He was eligible to receive a match of up to 250% of the number of investment shares based on a relative TSR performance measure over a four-year 
period. As the TSR achieved by Mondi plc was better than the upper quintile – Mondi was the top-performing company in the comparator group – the committee 
approved the maximum vesting in accordance with the Plan rules

Comparison of 2016 and 2015 remuneration of CEO versus other employees

CEO1

Mondi Group2

Percentage change in remuneration elements from 2015 to 2016

Salary

2.0%

2.9%

Benefits 

1.8%

N/A3

Bonus

-21.8%

-2%4

1  CEO remuneration is reported in euros, but denominated in pounds sterling. See the table on page 118. Change percentages shown are for pounds sterling values

2  Includes salaries and bonuses (where applicable) for all employees of Mondi Group excluding the CEO with year-on-year movements reported in per capita terms 

3  In most of the Group the majority of benefits are provided through social security. Additional benefits represent less than 5% of the salary bill 

4  Aggregate bonuses paid during 2016 are compared with those paid in 2015. This includes annual bonuses that are paid in arrears and periodic bonuses that are paid 
more frequently. Each year’s numbers therefore include some payments attributable to that year and some that reflect performance in the previous year. Bonuses are 
often based on specific objectives that are set at the level of local operations that do not necessarily correlate with Group-wide metrics that underpin the CEO’s bonus

Relative importance of spend on pay

€ million

Dividends

Overall remuneration expenditure1

1  Remuneration expenditure for all Mondi Group employees

Non-executive directors’ remuneration

Current fee levels are as follows:

Role 

Joint chairman fee1

Non-executive base fee

Additional fees:

Senior independent director and DLC remuneration committee chairman fee

DLC audit committee chairman fee

DLC sustainable development committee chairman fee

Mondi Limited social and ethics committee chairman fee

Attendance fee per meeting (outside country of residence)

Attendance fee per day (inside country of residence)

1  No supplement is payable for additional commitments in relation to this role

2016

274

996

2015

209

1003

% change

31.6%

-0.7%

Annual fee2

£283,600

£45,300

£17,020

£11,320

£9,050 

£9,050

£5,675

£1,695

2  Fees are determined in pounds sterling. In the remuneration table on page 118, euro amounts are reported based on exchange rates on the dates actual payments 

were made

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016123

The joint chairmen and the other non-executive directors are appointed by Mondi Limited and Mondi plc. The terms of their appointment 
provide for the appointment to be terminable on six months’ notice.

Statement of directors’ shareholdings and share interests

Under the current requirements the Chief executive officer is required to build a shareholding equivalent to 150% of base salary, and other 
executive directors a shareholding equivalent to at least 100% of base salary. As at 31 December 2016, all executive directors had met 
the shareholding requirements. From 2017, the requirement will be for all executive directors to build a holding of 200% of base salary, 
normally over a period of not less than five years from joining the Boards.

The beneficial and non-beneficial share interests of the directors and their connected persons as at 1 January 2016 or, if later, on 
appointment, and as at 31 December 2016, or as at their date of resignation if earlier, were as follows:

Executive directors

David Hathorn

  Mondi plc

  Mondi Limited

  Total

Andrew King

  Mondi plc

  Mondi Limited

  Total

Peter Oswald

  Mondi plc

Shareholding  
at 1 Jan  
2016

Shareholding  
at 31 Dec  
2016

Total  
shareholding  
as multiple of 
salary (%)

Deferred 
BSP shares 
outstanding  
at 31 Dec 
20161

Deferred 
BSP shares 
as multiple of 
salary (%)

Deferred 
LTIP shares 
outstanding  
at 31 Dec 
20162

Deferred 
LTIP shares as 
multiple of salary 
(%)

193,969

128,969

–

–

193,969

128,969

218%

78,330

208

78,538

78,330

208

78,538

224%

93,760

40,525

134,285

44,834

19,378

64,212

281,861

121,837

403,698

128,615

55,591

184,206

226%

183%

682%

525%

100,000

100,000

201%

86,580

174%

250,130

502%

1  BSP shares subject to service condition

2  LTIP shares subject to service and performance conditions

Non-executive directors

Mondi plc

Fred Phaswana

David Williams

Stephen Harris

John Nicholas

Anne Quinn

Dominique Reiniche

Shareholding at 
1 Jan 2016

Shareholding at 
31 Dec 2016

5,230

5,000 

1,000

6,000

11,882

–

5,366

5,000

1,000

6,000

11,882

1,000

There has been no change in the interests of the directors and their connected persons between 31 December 2016 and the date of 
this report.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016124  

Annual report on remuneration

Remuneration committee governance

The DLC remuneration committee

The DLC remuneration committee is a formal committee of the Boards. Its remit is set out in terms of reference adopted by the Boards. 
A copy of the terms of reference is available on the Group’s website at www.mondigroup.com. The primary purposes of the committee, 
as set out in its terms of reference, are:

 e to make recommendations to the Boards on the Group’s framework of executive remuneration;
 e to determine individual remuneration packages within that framework for the executive directors and certain senior executives;
 e to determine the remuneration of the joint chairmen; and
 e to oversee the operation of the Group’s share schemes. 

Composition

Members throughout the year:1

Stephen Harris

Anne Quinn, chairman

Dominique Reiniche

David Williams

Committee 
member since:

March 2011

May 2007

October 2015

May 2007

Meeting 
attendance (five 
meetings in the 
year):

5

5

5

5

1  Tanya Fratto was appointed a member of the committee on 1 January 2017 and therefore did not attend any meetings during 2016

Other regular attendees

 e Chief executive officer
 e Joint chairman who is not a member of the committee (Fred Phaswana)
 e Group head of reward
 e External remuneration consultant
The committee is authorised to seek information from any director and employee of the Group and to obtain external advice. 
The committee is solely responsible for the appointment of external remuneration advisers and for the approval of their fees and other 
terms. No director or other attendee takes part in any discussion regarding his or her personal remuneration.

In the year to 31 December 2016, New Bridge Street (NBS) provided remuneration advice and benchmarking data to the committee. 
NBS do not undertake any other work for the Group. Total fees paid to NBS in respect of the year under review were £58,810.

Sums paid to third parties in respect of a director’s services

No consideration was paid or became receivable by third parties for making available the services of any person as a director of 
Mondi Limited or Mondi plc (‘the Companies’), or while a director of the Companies, as a director of any of the Companies’ subsidiary 
undertakings, or as a director of any other undertaking of which he/she was (while a director of the Companies) a director by virtue of 
the Companies’ nomination, or otherwise in connection with the management of the Companies or any undertaking during the year to 
31 December 2016.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016125

Share awards granted to executive directors

The following tables set out the share awards granted to the executive directors.

Mondi Limited 

David Hathorn

Andrew King

Awards held 
at beginning 
of year or on 
appointment 
to the 
Boards

17,506

12,883

13,542

55,233

44,723

37,516

7,790

6,091

6,543

22,939

18,574

17,985

Type of
award1

BSP

BSP 

BSP

BSP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

BSP

BSP

BSP

BSP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

Awards 
granted 
during year

Shares 
lapsed

Awards 
exercised 
during year

17,506

14,100

39,598

6,744

19,032

55,233

7,790

22,939

Award price 
basis (ZAc)

11464

19435

23444

28200

11464

19435

23444

28200

11464

19435

23444

28200

11464

19435

23444

28200

Date of 
award

Mar 13

Mar 14 

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Awards 
held as at 
31 December 
2016

12,883

13,542

14,100

44,723

37,516

39,598

6,091

6,543

6,744

18,574

17,985

19,032

Release 
date 

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

1  For note 1 please refer to the table on page 126

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016126  

Annual report on remuneration

Mondi plc

David Hathorn

Andrew King

Peter Oswald

Awards held 
at beginning 
of year or on 
appointment 
to the 
Boards

Type of
award1

40,803

29,760

31,386

128,740

103,315

86,950

18,158

14,071

15,164

53,467

42,908

41,685

41,064

 29,293

27,029

115,276

88,147

75,910

BSP

BSP

BSP

BSP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

BSP

BSP

BSP

BSP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

BSP

BSP

BSP

BSP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

LTIP

Awards 
granted 
during year

Shares 
lapsed

Awards 
exercised 
during year

40,803

32,614

91,596

15,599

 44,022

30,258

 86,073

128,740

18,158

53,467

41,064

115,276

Award price 
basis (GBp)

Date of 
award

Awards 
held as at 
31 December 
2016

851

1088

1330

1288

851

1088

1330

1288

851

1088

1330

1288

851

1088

1330

1288

851

1088 

1330

1288

851

1088

1330

1288

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

Mar 13

Mar 14

Mar 15

Mar 16

29,760

31,386

32,614

103,315

 86,950

91,596

14,071

15,164

15,599

42,908

41,685

44,022

29,293

27,029

30,258

88,147

75,910

86,073

Release 
date 

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

Mar 16

Mar 17

Mar 18

Mar 19

1  The value on award of the BSP awards set out in this table is included in the table of executive directors’ remuneration on page 118

2  In addition to the number of shares that vested as shown in the table above in respect of the BSP and in respect of the LTIP awards that vested in 2016, the executive 

directors also received the following cash amounts of equivalent value to dividends on vested shares over the vesting period, in accordance with the plan rules:  

  Name 

Amount

  David Hathorn 

€253,196 (£199,711)

  Andrew King 

€106,965 (£84,369)

  Peter Oswald 

€174,288

All-employee share plans

The Group currently operates one HM Revenue & Customs approved all-employee share plan in the UK:

Share Incentive Plan (SIP)

Employees resident in the UK are eligible to participate in the SIP. Contributions of up to £150 are taken from participants’ gross salary and 
used to purchase ordinary shares in Mondi plc each month. Participants receive one matching Mondi plc ordinary share free of charge 
for each share purchased. The shares are placed in trust and the matching shares are forfeited if participants resign from the Group’s 
employment within three years. If the shares are left in trust for at least five years, they can be removed free of UK income tax and National 
Insurance contributions. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
127

SIP

Details of shares purchased and awarded to executive directors in accordance with the terms of the SIP:

David Hathorn

Andrew King

Shares held at 
beginning of year 
or on appointment 
to the Boards

4,686

5,130

Partnership shares 
acquired during 
the year

Matching shares 
awarded during 
the year

Shares released 
during year

Total shares held 
as at 31 December 
2016

128

128

128

128

–

–

4,942

5,386

Since 1 January 2016 up to the date of this report, David Hathorn has acquired 18 partnership shares and was awarded 18 matching shares. Andrew King acquired  
17 partnership shares and was awarded 17 matching shares.

Mondi Limited and Mondi plc share prices

The closing price of a Mondi Limited ordinary share on the JSE Limited on 31 December 2016 was ZAR279.99 and the range during the 
period between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016 was ZAR260.00 (low) and ZAR311.53 (high).

The closing price of a Mondi plc ordinary share on the London Stock Exchange on 31 December 2016 was £16.66 and the range during 
the period between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016 was £11.24 (low) to £16.92 (high).

Statement of voting at Annual General Meetings

The Annual General Meetings of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc were both held on 12 May 2016. As required by the dual listed company 
structure, all resolutions were treated as joint electorate actions and were decided on a poll. All resolutions at both meetings were passed. 
The voting results of the joint electorate actions are identical and are given below. Overall in excess of 76% of the total Group shares 
were voted.

Resolution

Mondi Limited business

Votes for

% Votes against

%

Votes total

Votes 
withheld 

14.  To endorse the remuneration policy

343,062,824 94.32

20,649,980

5.68

363,712,804

9,920,130

15.  To authorise a maximum increase of 2.1% 

in non-executive director fees1

24.  To approve the Mondi Limited 2016 Long-Term 

371,478,693 99.82

657,438

0.18

372,136,131

1,496,804

Incentive Plan

345,063,631 93.97

22,157,516

25.  To approve the Mondi Limited 2016 Bonus Share Plan

361,732,417 98.36

6,027,771

6.03

1.64

367,221,147

6,411,787

367,760,188

5,872,746

Mondi plc business

27.  To approve the remuneration report (other than the policy)

339,522,104 94.03

21,554,976

5.97

361,077,080 12,555,854

34.  To approve the Mondi plc 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan

344,308,490 92.87

26,437,451

7.13

370,745,941

2,886,993

35.  To approve the Mondi plc 2016 Bonus Share Plan

361,852,111 98.13

6,901,566

1.87 368,753,677

4,879,256

1  Special resolution

Statement of implementation of directors’ remuneration policy in 2017

Current salary levels, and increases awarded in January 2017, are as follows:

Name

David Hathorn

Andrew King

Peter Oswald

Base salary 
effective 1 Jan 2017

Previous base 
salary

% change

£928,000

£565,000

€956,000

£911,000

£540,000

€939,000

1.9

4.6

1.8

The executive directors’ base salaries were reviewed at the normal 1 January 2017 review date. Base salaries for David Hathorn (Group 
Chief executive officer) and Peter Oswald (Chief executive officer Europe & International) were increased by 1.9% and 1.8% respectively, 
which is less than the average percentage increase for Mondi’s wider workforce. The remuneration committee awarded an increase 
of 4.6% to Andrew King, which is within the range of increases for the wider Mondi workforce. This increase recognises his continued 
development in the role, and is also in the context of his outstanding sustained performance.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016128  

Annual report on remuneration

Changes to the executive team
David Hathorn’s retirement

We announced on 1 February 2017 that our existing Group Chief executive officer, David Hathorn, is retiring from the Boards at the AGMs 
on 11 May after some 17 years as Group Chief executive officer. He will be succeeded as Group Chief executive officer by Peter Oswald, 
who has been with Mondi since 1992 and successfully led Mondi’s Europe & International Division since 2008. David will continue to serve 
Mondi in an executive capacity during his contractual notice period to February 2018 to ensure a smooth transition. While David continues 
to work in an executive capacity he will receive his existing salary and benefits, be eligible for a 2017 annual bonus subject to the normal 
performance conditions, and will receive a 2017 LTIP grant. His LTIP awards will be pro-rated down for time served in accordance with 
shareholder guidelines, at the date he retires, and remain subject to the normal performance conditions and vesting dates. The committee 
has also decided that any bonus awarded for 2017 performance, and the LTIP granted in 2017, should be subject to the limits that applied 
to David in 2016 and not the new higher opportunity for the Chief executive officer role referred to in the policy proposals. David will not be 
eligible for an annual bonus in respect of the small portion of 2018 that he works, and will not be eligible for a 2018 LTIP grant. If approved 
by shareholders as part of the new Directors’ Remuneration Policy (DRP), the two-year post-vesting holding period on the LTIP for awards 
from 2017 onwards will continue to apply to David’s 2017 LTIP award after he has retired. David will continue to receive a company 
pension contribution of 30% of salary for as long as he remains employed.

Peter Oswald’s appointment as Group Chief executive officer

Peter Oswald’s base salary as Group Chief executive officer will be set at €1,050,000, which, for promotion to this top leadership role, is a 
9.8% increase from his current salary of €956,000. The new salary is less than that of his predecessor David Hathorn (at an exchange rate 
of £1 = €1.16). Peter’s pension allowance will remain at the percentage that applies in his current role of 25% of base salary, rather than 
increasing to the 30% level that applies to David Hathorn.

Peter’s maximum annual bonus for 2017 will be apportioned pro-rata to the period he was Chief executive officer Europe & International, 
and the period he is Group Chief executive officer. For the period 1 January 2017 to 11 May 2017, as Chief executive officer Europe & 
International, his maximum annual bonus is 135% of salary and will be determined with reference to his base salary in that role. For the 
period from 12 May 2017 to 31 December 2017, if the new DRP is approved by shareholders his maximum annual bonus will be 165% of 
base salary, which is the level the remuneration committee has already proposed to shareholders for the Chief executive officer role for 
2017. Peter’s 2017 LTIP award, to be made after the 2017 AGMs, will be 210% of base salary if the new DRP is approved by shareholders; 
this is the level already proposed to shareholders for the Chief executive officer role for 2017.

Relocation of Andrew King (Group Chief financial officer) to the UK

Mondi has asked Andrew King to relocate to the UK from South Africa, to be based closer to the Group’s principal centre of operations 
in Europe. In accordance with the DRP, Andrew will be eligible for assistance with relocation expenses. These will be reported in the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report for 2017.

Andrew’s maximum annual bonus for 2017 will be 135% of base salary, and his 2017 LTIP award size will be 175% of base salary, subject 
to approval of the new DRP by shareholders. Andrew’s pension contribution will remain 25% of base salary in accordance with the 
approved policy.

Bonus and LTIP structure for 2017

Half of any bonus earned in respect of 2017 performance will be paid out in cash and the other half will be deferred for three years in 
conditional Mondi shares. The bonus structure for 2017 will remain as it was for 2016, i.e. a maximum of 60 points on financial objectives 
(30 on EBITDA and 30 on ROCE), 10 points on safety and 30 points on personal objectives. 

LTIP awards that are made in 2017 will continue to have two performance conditions of equal weight – TSR and ROCE, measured over a 
three-year performance period commencing on 1 January 2017.

For the 50% of the awards attributable to TSR: If the Group’s TSR is below the median when ranked against the comparator group on 
page 121, this part of the award will lapse in full. For TSR at the median, 25% of this part of the award (i.e. 12.5% of the total award) will 
vest, with a straight-line progression to the upper quartile, at which point 100% of this part of the award (i.e. 50% of the total award) 
will vest.

For the 50% of the awards attributable to ROCE: This part will lapse in full if ROCE is below 10%. 25% of this part of the award (i.e. 12.5% 
of the total award) will vest for achievement of ROCE of 10%, with a straight-line progression to full vesting of this part of the award for 
achievement of ROCE of 18% (i.e. 50% of the total award).

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016129

Current non-executive directors’ fees, and increases proposed for implementation with effect from the date of the Annual General 
Meetings of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc to be held on 11 May 2017, are:

Role

Joint chairman fee1 

Non-executive base fee 

Additional fees:

Annual fee 

£283,600 

£45,300

Proposed with 
effect from 
11 May 2017

 £289,300

 £46,200

Senior independent director and DLC remuneration committee chairman fee 

£17,020 

Supplement for DLC remuneration committee chair

Supplement for senior independent director role if held by a non-executive who 
already chairs a committee 

DLC audit committee chairman fee

DLC sustainable development committee chairman fee

Mondi Limited social and ethics committee chairman fee

Attendance fee per meeting (outside country of residence)

Attendance fee per day (inside country of residence)

N/A 

N/A 

 £11,320 

£9,050

£9,050

£5,675

£1,695

1  No supplement is payable for additional commitments in relation to this role

This report was approved by the Boards on 22 February 2017 and is signed on their behalf.

Anne C Quinn
Senior independent director and chairman of the DLC remuneration committee

 £17,360

 £11,000

 £6,000

 £11,550

£9,230

£9,230

£5,780

£1,730

Percentage 
increase 
 proposed

2.0

2.0

2.0

N/A

N/A

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.9

2.1

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016130  

Other statutory information

For the purposes of the UK Companies Act, the disclosures below, including those incorporated by reference, together with the 
Corporate governance report set out on pages 74 to 108, form the Directors’ report.

In addition, disclosures relating to the following items, which also form part of the Directors’ report, have been included in the Strategic 
report which can be found on pages 10 to 73:

 e Dividends
 e Financial risk management objectives and policies
 e Principal risks
 e Likely future developments in the business
 e Research and development activities
 e Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
 e Employees

Information required to be disclosed under UK Listing Rule 9.8.4 R

The UK Listing Authority listing rules require the disclosure of certain specified information in the annual financial report of Mondi plc. 

The information required under rule 9.8.4 (1) in relation to interest capitalised and related tax relief can be found on page 161. 
The information required under rules 9.8.4 (12) and (13) in relation to dividend waivers can be found on page 170. This information is 
incorporated by reference into this Directors’ report. 

Besides the above, the information required to be disclosed under rule 9.8.4 R is not applicable to Mondi plc and therefore no disclosures 
have been made in this regard. 

Share capital

Full details of the Group’s share capital can be found in note 20 to the financial statements.

Substantial interests

Mondi Limited

Based on the Mondi Limited share register as at 31 December 2016, the directors are aware of the following shareholders holding directly 
5% or more of the issued share capital of Mondi Limited:

Shareholder

Government Employees Pension Fund (Public Investment Corporation Limited)

Citiclient Nominees No 8 HK GW

Shares

14,328,616

6,748,827

%

12.11

5.70

Save as indicated above, the directors have not been advised of and have no certainty whether any of the shareholders could be 
beneficially interested in 5% or more of the issued share capital of Mondi Limited.

Mondi plc

As at 31 December 2016, the Group had received notifications from the following parties in the voting rights of Mondi plc. The number of 
voting rights and percentage interests shown are as disclosed at the date on which the holding was notified. 

Shareholder

Coronation Asset Management Proprietary Limited

Public Investment Corporation Limited

BlackRock, Inc

Investec Asset Management Limited

AXA S.A.

Standard Life Investments Limited

Norges Bank

Old Mutual Plc

Sanlam Investment Management Proprietary Limited

Number of voting 
rights

25,333,651

21,970,591

21,530,677

18,352,708

17,210,471

16,476,021

14,698,943

11,978,984

10,936,128

%

6.90

5.98

5.86

4.99

4.69

4.49

4.00

3.26

3.00

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016The following changes in interests have been notified between 1 January 2017 and the date of this report:

Date

2 January 2017

6 January 2017

30 January 2017

10 February 2017

13 February 2017

Shareholder

Norges Bank

Norges Bank

Coronation Asset Management Proprietary Limited

Coronation Asset Management Proprietary Limited

Coronation Asset Management Proprietary Limited

Number of 
voting rights

14,698,943

14,424,171

21,340,428

18,368,889

17,924,690

131

%

4.00

3.93

5.81

5.00

4.88

Additional information for Mondi plc shareholders

The information for Mondi plc shareholders required pursuant to the UK Companies Act can be found on pages 209 to 211 of this report.

Political donations

No political donations were made during 2016 and it is Mondi’s policy not to make such donations.

Auditors

Each of the directors of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc at the date when this report was approved confirms that:

 e so far as each of the directors is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Group’s auditors are unaware; and
 e each director has taken all the steps that he or she ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself or herself aware of any 

relevant audit information and to establish that the Group’s auditors are aware of that information.

The Boards have decided that resolutions to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (together ‘PwC’) 
as auditors of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc respectively will be proposed at the Annual General Meetings of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc 
scheduled to be held on 11 May 2017. This follows the conclusion of a formal audit tender process in October 2015. 

The appointment of PwC has the support of the DLC audit committee, which will be responsible for determining their audit fee on behalf 
of the directors (see page 99 for more information). 

Note 4 to the financial statements sets out the auditors’ fees both for audit and non-audit work.

Events occurring after 31 December 2016

With the exception of the proposed final dividend for 2016, included in note 9 to the financial statements, and the acquisition of 
Excelsior Technologies Limited, included in note 33 to the financial statements, there have been no material reportable events since 
31 December 2016. 

Annual General Meetings

The Annual General Meeting of Mondi Limited will be held at 11:30 (SA time) on Thursday 11 May 2017 at the Hyatt Regency, 191 Oxford 
Road, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2132, Republic of South Africa and the Annual General Meeting of Mondi plc will be held at 10:30 (UK 
time) on Thursday 11 May 2017 at Haberdashers’ Hall, 18 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9HQ, UK. The notices convening each meeting, 
which are sent separately to shareholders, detail the business to be considered and include explanatory notes for each resolution. 
The notices are available on the Mondi Group website at: www.mondigroup.com. 

This Directors’ report was approved by the Boards on 22 February 2017 and is signed on their behalf. 

Philip Laubscher 
Company secretary 

Mondi Limited 
4th Floor, No. 3 Melrose Boulevard 
Melrose Arch 2196 
PostNet Suite #444 
Private Bag X1 
Melrose Arch 2076 
Gauteng 
Republic of South Africa 

Registration No. 1967/013038/06 

22 February 2017 

Jenny Hampshire 
Company secretary

Mondi plc 
Building 1, 1st Floor 
Aviator Park 
Station Road 
Addlestone 
Surrey 
KT15 2PG 
UK

Registered No. 6209386

22 February 2017

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Financial 
statements

Directors’ responsibility 
statement 

Independent auditors’ 
reports 

Financial statements 

Group financial record 

135

136

146

206

Production statistics 

Exchange rates 

Additional information for  
Mondi plc shareholders 

Shareholder information 

Glossary of terms 

208

208

209

212

217

“ Mondi’s HYBRIDPRO bags offer 
our customers the advantages 
of a plastic bag, while still being 
fillable on our conventional 
systems. This gives us a real 
advantage over our competitors, 
and has enabled us to double  
our product guarantee period.”

Fabien Rencurosi 
Plant Manager, Knauf Belgium

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements134  

Financial statements 

Directors’ responsibility statement

Independent auditor’s report to the shareholders of Mondi Limited

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Mondi plc

Combined and consolidated income statement

Combined and consolidated statement of comprehensive income

Combined and consolidated statement of financial position

Combined and consolidated statement of changes in equity

Combined and consolidated statement of cash flows

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements:

Note 1 

Note 2

Notes 3–7

Basis of preparation

Operating segments

Notes to the combined and consolidated  
income statement

Notes 8–9

Per share measures

Notes 10–17 Notes to the combined and consolidated statement of 

financial position

Notes 18–21 Capital management

Note 22

Retirement benefits

Notes 23–26 Notes to the combined and consolidated statement of 

cash flows

Notes 27–33 Other disclosures

Note 34

Accounting policies

Independent auditor’s report on the summary financial statements to the 
shareholders of Mondi Limited

Mondi Limited parent company statement of financial position

Mondi Limited parent company statement of changes in equity

Notes to the Mondi Limited parent company summary financial statements

Mondi plc parent company balance sheet

Mondi plc parent company statement of changes in equity

Notes to the Mondi plc parent company financial statements

135

136

140

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

155

160

161

167

171

175

180

188

195

196

197

198

200

200

201

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Directors’ responsibility statement

135

The directors are responsible for preparing the Integrated report, Remuneration report and Financial statements in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations.

South African and UK company law require the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year.

 e Under the Companies Act of South Africa 2008, the directors are required to prepare financial statements in accordance with 

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the requirements of the Act for each financial year, giving a true and fair view 
of the Mondi Limited parent company’s and the Group’s state of affairs at the end of the year and profit or loss for the year.

 e Under the UK Companies Act 2006, the directors are required to prepare the Group financial statements in accordance with IFRS as 
adopted by the European Union (EU) and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation, and have elected to prepare the Mondi plc parent company 
financial statements in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101, ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’ (FRS 101). Furthermore, 
under UK company law, the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair 
view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.

In preparing the Group’s financial statements and the Mondi Limited parent company financial statements, International Accounting 
Standard 1, ‘Presentation of Financial Statements’, requires that the directors:

 e properly select and apply accounting policies;
 e present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and 

understandable information;

 e provide additional disclosure when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRS are insufficient to enable users to understand 
the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and financial performance; and

 e make an assessment of the Group’s and company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

In preparing the Mondi plc parent company financial statements, the directors are required to:

 e select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
 e make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
 e state whether FRS 101 has been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
 e prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue 

in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Group’s and parent 
companies’ transactions; disclose with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position of the Group and parent companies; and 
enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008 and the UK 
Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Group and parent companies 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.

Report on the financial statements
These financial statements have been prepared under the supervision of the Chief financial officer, Andrew King CA (SA), and have been 
audited in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008 and the UK Companies Act 2006.

The Boards confirm that to the best of their knowledge:

 e the financial statements of the Group and Mondi Limited, prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the EU, and Mondi plc, 
prepared in accordance with FRS 101, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of Mondi 
Limited, Mondi plc and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole;

 e the Strategic report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of Mondi Limited, 

Mondi plc and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and 
uncertainties that they face; and

 e the Integrated report and financial statements 2016, 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.

The Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements, and related notes 1 to 34, were approved by the Boards and authorised 
for issue on 22 February 2017, and were signed on their behalf by:

David Hathorn 
Director 

Andrew King 
Director

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements 
 
136  

Independent auditor’s report to the shareholders of Mondi Limited 

Report on the audit of the financial statements

Opinion
We have audited the combined and consolidated financial statements of Mondi Limited and its subsidiaries (Group) set out on pages 146 
to 194, which comprise the combined and consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 December 2016, and the combined and 
consolidated income statement, the combined and consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the combined and consolidated 
statement of changes in equity and the combined and consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and the notes to the 
combined and consolidated financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.

In our opinion, the combined and consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the combined and consolidated 
financial position of the Group as at 31 December 2016, and its combined and consolidated financial performance and its combined 
and consolidated cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) and the 
requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008.

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). Our responsibilities under those standards are 
further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the combined and consolidated financial statements section of our report. 
We are independent of the Group in accordance with the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors Code of Professional Conduct 
for Registered Auditors (IRBA Code) and other independence requirements applicable to performing audits of financial statements in 
South Africa. We have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the IRBA Code and in accordance with other ethical 
requirements applicable to performing audits in South Africa. The IRBA Code is consistent with the International Ethics Standards Board 
for Accountants Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (Parts A and B). We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is 
sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the combined and 
consolidated financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the combined 
and consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on 
these matters.

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Impairment of goodwill and property, plant and equipment

As disclosed in note 11, goodwill of €681 million (2015: €590 million) 
is assessed annually for impairment using a value-in-use basis, while 
property, plant and equipment of €3,788 million (2015: €3,554 million), 
as disclosed in note 10, are assessed for impairment where possible 
impairment indicators are identified.

The Group’s assessment of the carrying value of goodwill and property, 
plant and equipment requires significant judgement, as described in 
note 1 to the Group financial statements, in particular forecast future 
cash flows, future growth rates, the discount rates applied and the 
determination of the level at which impairments should be assessed.  
As such this has been noted as a key audit matter.

Our audit work included evaluating key controls around the impairment 
review process, and challenging the director’s key assumptions used 
in the cash flow forecasts included within the impairment models for 
goodwill and property, plant and equipment with reference to historical 
trading performance, market expectations and our understanding of the 
future utilisation of assets by the Group. Particular focus was given to 
the incorporation of country risk within the Group’s forecasts. 

In performing our audit procedures, we used internal valuation 
specialists to assess the discount rates applied by benchmarking 
against independent data. 

Key assumptions challenged include those related to the level at which 
impairment is assessed, being for property, plant and equipment the 
lowest level at which largely independent cash inflows can be identified 
and for goodwill the businesses that are expected to benefit from the 
acquisition, forecast future cash flows, future growth rates and the 
discount rates applied.

We also evaluated the directors’ assessment of the sensitivity of the 
Group’s impairment models to reasonably possible changes in the key 
assumptions and considered the disclosures provided by the Group in 
relation to its impairment reviews.

We concluded that the levels at which impairments were assessed 
were appropriate and that the directors have an appropriate process for 
determining the assumptions used in the respective models. In the context 
of the inherent uncertainties disclosed, the calculated recoverable values of 
the respective assets (or group of assets), determined with reference to the 
forecast future cash flows, future growth rates and discount rates applied, 
are considered collectively to be within a reasonable range of the possible 
outcomes. The disclosure in relation to the impairment reviews and the 
assumptions applied is considered comprehensive. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016137

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Capitalisation of property, plant and equipment

The Group continues to invest in significant capital projects with capital 
expenditure of €446 million during the year ended 31 December 2016, 
as detailed in note 10, of which €99 million related to the Group’s major 
capital projects, including those in Świecie (Poland) and South Africa.

Our audit work included assessing the nature of property, plant and 
equipment capitalised by the Group to test the validity of amounts 
capitalised and evaluating whether assets capitalised meet the 
recognition criteria set out in IAS 16. 

The significant level of capital expenditure requires consideration of 
the nature of costs incurred to ensure that capitalisation of property, 
plant and equipment meets the specific recognition criteria in IAS 16, 
‘Property, Plant and Equipment’ (IAS 16), specifically in relation to 
assets constructed by the Group, and the application of the directors’ 
judgement in assigning appropriate useful economic lives. As a result, 
this was noted as a key audit matter, with the risk focused on certain 
key projects, where the risk of material misstatement was deemed 
higher as a result of the complexity of the specific project.

Taxation

The Group has operations in a number of geographical locations and as 
such is subject to multiple tax jurisdictions, giving rise to complexity in 
accounting for the Group’s taxation.

In particular, as detailed in note 7, the existence of tax incentives 
available to the Group and historical tax losses give rise to judgement 
in determining the appropriate tax charge for the Group and the 
recognition of deferred tax assets. There are also cross-border 
transactions which give rise to transfer pricing related risks.

Due to the level of complexity in assessing the relevant tax incentives 
available to the Group and the level of directors’ judgement required to 
determine the appropriate Group tax charge, this has been identified as 
a key audit matter.

Our audit work considered whether capitalisation of assets ceased 
when the asset is in the location and condition necessary for it to be 
capable of operating in the manner intended by the Group and that a 
consistent approach was applied by the Group across all significant 
operations. 

Furthermore, we challenged the useful economic lives assigned with 
reference to the Group’s historical experience, our understanding of 
the future utilisation of assets by the Group and by reference to the 
depreciation policies applied by third parties operating similar assets.

The capitalisation of assets in the year, and the useful economic lives 
assigned, were assessed to be appropriate based on the evidence 
obtained. We did not identify any assets capitalised in prior years where 
we considered the useful economic lives originally assigned needed 
revision in the year.

Our audit work, which involved taxation audit specialists within 
specific locations where local tax knowledge was required, included 
the assessment of taxation assets and liabilities, with particular 
consideration and challenge given to the judgements taken in relation 
to accounting for tax incentives, corporate tax provisions and the 
recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities. 

In addition, we involved transfer pricing specialists to assess the 
appropriateness of the Group’s assessment of their exposure to transfer 
pricing related risks. 

Our assessment included the review of applicable third-party evidence 
and correspondence with tax authorities. 

In relation to deferred tax assets, we challenged the appropriateness of 
the directors’ judgements of the availability of future appropriate taxable 
profits in assessing whether to recognise deferred tax assets.

Based on the procedures performed, the tax balances recorded have 
been calculated on an appropriate basis, with an adequate allowance 
being made for uncertainty in the recovery of deferred tax assets and 
transfer pricing risks.

Other information 
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the Directors’ report included in the Governance 
section of the Integrated report, the DLC audit committee’s report and the Integrated report, which we obtained prior to the date of 
this auditor’s report. The other information does not include the combined and consolidated financial statements and our auditor’s 
report thereon.

Our opinion on the combined and consolidated financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form 
of assurance or conclusion thereon. 

In connection with our audit of the combined and consolidated financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, 
in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in 
the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If, based on the work we have performed on the other information that we obtained prior to the date of this auditor’s report, 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.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements138  

Independent auditor’s report to the shareholders of Mondi Limited

Responsibilities of the directors for the combined and consolidated financial statements
The directors are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the combined and consolidated financial statements in 
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008, and for 
such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of combined and consolidated financial statements 
that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the combined and consolidated financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the Group’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 to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the combined and consolidated financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the combined and consolidated 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 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 combined 
and consolidated financial statements.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the 
audit. We also:

 e Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the combined and consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud 
or error, design and perform audit procedures in response to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate 
to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting 
from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
 e Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the 

circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Group’s internal control.

 e Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures 

made by the directors.

 e Conclude on the appropriateness of the directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence 

obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s ability to 
continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report 
to the related disclosures in the combined and consolidated financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our 
opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditors’ report. However, future events or 
conditions may cause the Group to cease to continue as a going concern.

 e Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the combined and consolidated financial statements, including the 

disclosures, and whether the combined and consolidated financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a 
manner that achieves fair presentation.

 e Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entities or business activities within the Group 
to express an opinion on the combined and consolidated financial statements. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and 
performance of the Group audit. We remain solely responsible for our audit opinion.

We communicate with the DLC audit committee regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and 
significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit. 

We also provide the DLC audit committee with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding 
independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our 
independence, and where applicable, related safeguards. 

From the matters communicated with the DLC audit committee, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the 
audit of the combined and consolidated financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe 
these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare 
circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so 
would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016139

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements
In terms of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) Rule published in Government Gazette Number 39475 dated 
4 December 2015, we report that Deloitte & Touche has been the auditor of Mondi Limited for 49 years.

Deloitte & Touche
Registered Auditors 
Per Shelly Nelson 
Partner

22 February 2017

Building 1 and 2, Deloitte Place, The Woodlands 
Woodlands Drive, Woodmead, Sandton,  
Republic of South Africa 

Riverwalk Office Park, Block B 
41 Matroosberg Road, Ashlea Gardens X6, Pretoria, 
Republic of South Africa

National Executive: *LL Bam Chief Executive Officer *TMM Jordan Deputy Chief Executive Officer *MJ Jarvis Chief Operating Officer *GM Pinnock Audit *N Sing Risk 
Advisory *NB Kader Tax TP Pillay Consulting S Gwala BPaaS *K Black Clients & Industries *JK Mazzocco Talent & Transformation *MJ Comber Reputation & Risk 
*TJ Brown Chairman of the Board

A full list of partners and directors is available on request 
B-BBEE rating: Level 2 contributor in terms of the Chartered Accountancy Profession Sector Code 
Associate of Deloitte Africa, a member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

*Partner and Registered Auditor

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements 
 
 
 
 
 
 
140  

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Mondi plc 

Opinion on financial statements of Mondi plc 
In our opinion:

 e the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of the Mondi plc parent company’s affairs as at 

31 December 2016 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

 e the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) 

as adopted by the European Union;

 e the Mondi plc 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

 e the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the UK Companies Act 2006 and, as regards 

the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

The financial statements comprise the combined and consolidated income statement, the combined and consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income, the combined and consolidated and Mondi plc parent company statements of financial position, the combined 
and consolidated statement of cash flows, the combined and consolidated and Mondi plc parent company statements of changes in 
equity and the related notes 1 to 34 of the combined and consolidated financial statements and notes 1 to 9 of the Mondi plc parent 
company financial statements. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group financial 
statements is applicable law and IFRSs as adopted by the European Union. The financial reporting framework that has been applied 
in the preparation of the Mondi plc parent company financial statements is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards 
(United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 101, ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’.

Summary of our audit approach

Key risks

The key risks that we identified in the current year were:

 e impairment of goodwill and property, plant and equipment;
 e capitalisation of property, plant and equipment; and
 e taxation.

Materiality

Scoping

The risks identified have remained consistent with our prior year audit report.

The materiality that we used in the current year was €44 million which was determined on the basis 
of 5% of profit before tax and special items.

17 locations were subject to full scope audit, and a further 29 were subject to specified audit 
procedures. In aggregate the locations subject to audit procedures represents 85% of the 
Group’s revenue. 

Significant changes in 
our approach

Based on our risk assessment procedures and consideration of the composition of the Group and its 
underlying operations, there were no significant changes to our audit approach, basis for materiality 
or scope.

Separate opinion in relation to IFRSs as issued by the IASB
As explained in note 1 to the Group financial statements, in addition to complying with its legal obligation to apply IFRSs as adopted by the 
European Union, the Group has also applied IFRSs as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

In our opinion the Group financial statements comply with IFRSs as issued by the IASB.

Independence

We are required to comply with the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standards for 
Auditors and we confirm that we are independent of the Group and we have fulfilled our 
other ethical responsibilities in accordance with those standards.

We confirm that we are 
independent of the Group and 
we have fulfilled our other ethical 
responsibilities in accordance with 
those standards. We also confirm 
we have not provided any of the 
prohibited non-audit services 
referred to in those standards.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016141

Going concern and the directors’ assessment of the principal risks that would  
threaten the solvency or liquidity of the Group

As required by the Listing Rules we have reviewed the directors’ statement regarding the 
appropriateness of the going concern basis of accounting contained within note 1 to the 
financial statements and the directors’ statement on the longer-term viability of the Group, both 
contained within the Strategic report on page 39.

We confirm that we have 
nothing material to add or 
draw attention to in respect of 
these matters.

We are required to state whether we have anything material to add or draw attention to in 
relation to:
 e the directors’ confirmation on page 32 that they have carried out a robust assessment of the 
principal risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, future 
performance, solvency or liquidity;

 e the disclosures on pages 32 to 38 that describe those risks and explain how they are being 

managed or mitigated;

 e the directors’ statement in note 1 to the financial statements about whether they considered 
it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing them and their 
identification of any material uncertainties to the Group’s ability to continue to do so over a 
period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements; and

 e the director’s explanation on page 39 as to how they have assessed the prospects of the Group, 
over what period they have done so and why they consider that period to be appropriate, and 
their statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to 
continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period of their assessment, 
including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

We agreed with the directors’ 
adoption of the going 
concern basis of accounting 
and we did not identify any 
such material uncertainties. 
However, because not all 
future events or conditions can 
be predicted, this statement 
is not a guarantee as to the 
Group’s ability to continue as a 
going concern.

Our assessment of risks of material misstatement
The assessed risks of material misstatement described below are those that had the greatest effect on our audit strategy, the allocation of 
resources in the audit and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These risks are unchanged from the prior year.

Impairment of goodwill and property, plant and equipment

Risk description

Goodwill of €681 million (2015: €590 million) is assessed annually for impairment using a value-in-use 
basis, whilst specifically identified property, plant and equipment of €3,788 million (2015: €3,554 million) are 
assessed for impairment where possible impairment indicators are identified.

The Group’s assessment of the carrying value of goodwill and property, plant and equipment requires 
significant management judgement, as described in note 1 to the Group financial statements, in particular 
in relation to the forecast future cash flows, including appropriate reflection of country specific risk, future 
growth rates and the discount rates applied and the determination of the level at which impairments should 
be assessed.

Refer to notes 10 and 11 for the disclosures in respect of property, plant and equipment and goodwill 
respectively, and note 34 for the Group accounting policy.

How the scope 
of our audit 
responded to the 
risk

Our audit procedures included evaluating the design and implementation of key controls around the impairment 
review processes, and challenging management’s key assumptions used in the cash flow forecasts included 
within the impairment models for goodwill and property, plant and equipment with reference to historical trading 
performance, market expectations and our understanding of the future utilisation of assets by the Group. 
Particular focus was given to the incorporation of country risk within the Group’s forecasts.

In performing our audit procedures, we used internal valuation specialists to assess the discount rates 
applied by benchmarking against independent data.

Key assumptions challenged include those related to the level at which impairment is assessed, being for 
property, plant and equipment the lowest level at which largely independent cash inflows can be identified 
and for goodwill the businesses that are expected to benefit from the acquisitions, forecast future cash 
flows, future growth rates and the discount rates applied.

We also evaluated management’s assessment of the sensitivity of the Group’s impairment models to reasonably 
possible changes and considered the disclosures provided by the Group in relation to its impairment reviews.

Key observations

We concluded that the level at which impairment was assessed was appropriate and that management has 
an appropriate process for determining the assumptions used in the respective models.

In the context of the inherent uncertainties disclosed, the calculated recoverable values of the respective assets 
(or group of assets), determined with reference to the future forecast cash flows, future growth rates and 
discount rates applied, are considered collectively to be within a reasonable range of the possible outcomes.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements142  

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Mondi plc 

Impairment of goodwill and property, plant and equipment continued

Key observations 
continued

We are satisfied that the disclosures made in relation to impairment tests are compliant with relevant 
accounting standards.

Capitalisation of property, plant and equipment

Risk description

The Group continues to invest in significant capital projects with capital expenditure of €446 million  
(2015: €593 million) during the year ended 31 December 2016, of which €99 million related to the Group’s 
major capital projects, including those in Świecie (Poland) and South Africa.

How the scope 
of our audit 
responded to 
the risk

Key observations

Taxation

Risk description

The significant level of capital expenditure requires consideration of the nature of costs incurred to ensure 
that capitalisation of property, plant and equipment meets the specific recognition criteria in IAS 16, 
‘Property, Plant and Equipment’ (IAS 16), specifically in relation to assets constructed by the Group, and the 
application of management judgement in assigning appropriate useful economic lives.

The risk was focused on certain key projects, where the risk of material misstatement was deemed higher 
as a result of the complexity of the specific project.

Refer to note 10 for the disclosure of property, plant and equipment and note 34 for the Group accounting policy.

Our audit work included evaluating the design and implementation of key controls around the capitalisation 
process, assessing the nature of property, plant and equipment capitalised by the Group to test the validity 
of amounts capitalised and evaluating whether assets capitalised meet the recognition criteria set out in 
IAS 16. Our work considered whether capitalisation of assets ceased when the asset was in the location 
and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by the Group and that a 
consistent approach was applied by the Group across all significant operations.

Furthermore, we challenged the useful economic lives assigned with reference to the Group’s historical 
experience, our understanding of the future utilisation of assets by the Group and the depreciation policies 
applied by third parties operating similar assets.

The capitalisation of assets in the year, and the useful economic lives assigned, were assessed to be 
appropriate. We did not identify any assets capitalised in prior years where we considered the useful 
economic lives originally assigned needed revision in the year.

The Group has operations in a number of geographical locations and as such is subject to multiple tax 
jurisdictions, giving rise to complexity in accounting for the Group’s taxation.

In particular, as detailed in note 7, the existence of tax incentives available to the Group and historical tax 
losses give rise to judgement in determining the appropriate tax charge for the Group and recognition of 
deferred tax assets. There are also cross border transactions which give rise to transfer pricing-related risks.

Refer to note 7 for the disclosure and note 34 for the Group accounting policy.

How the scope 
of our audit 
responded to 
the risk

Our audit work, which involved taxation audit specialists within specific locations where local tax 
knowledge was required, included evaluating the design and implementation of controls in respect of 
taxation, the assessment of taxation assets and liabilities, with particular consideration and challenge 
given to the judgements taken in relation to accounting for tax incentives, corporate tax provisions and the 
recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities.

In addition, we involved transfer pricing specialists to assess the appropriateness of the Group’s 
assessment of their exposure to transfer pricing-related risks.

Our assessment included the review of applicable third-party evidence and correspondence with 
tax authorities.

In relation to deferred tax assets, we challenged the appropriateness of management’s judgements of the 
availability of future appropriate taxable profits in assessing whether to recognise deferred tax assets.

Key observations

We determined that the tax balances recorded have been calculated on an appropriate basis, with an adequate 
allowance being made for uncertainty in the recovery of deferred tax assets and transfer pricing risks.

The description of risks above should be read in conjunction with the significant issues considered by the DLC audit committee as 
discussed on pages 96 and 97.

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.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016143

Our application of materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that makes it probable that the economic decisions of 
a reasonably knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both in planning the scope of our audit work and 
in evaluating the results of our work.

Group materiality

We determined materiality for the Group to be €44 million (2015: €36 million).

Basis for determining 
materiality

Rationale for the 
benchmark applied

Group materiality

The chosen benchmark was 5% (2015: 5%) of profit before tax and special items. Special items 
are defined by the Group as those items of financial performance that the Group believes should 
be separately disclosed to assist in the understanding of the underlying financial performance by 
the Group.

Since special items are individually significant in nature, and we consider profit before tax and special 
items to be a key driver of the business and a focus for shareholders, we have concluded that it 
is appropriate to exclude these items in determining materiality. The materiality chosen equates 
to below 2% (2015: 2%) of equity.

44

36

  Profit before tax 

  Group materiality 

€881 million

€44 million

  Component materiality range 

€4 million to €36 million

  Audit committee reporting threshold 

€0.9 million

€881m

0.9

We agreed with the DLC audit committee that we would report to the committee all audit differences identified in excess of €900,000 
(2015: €720,000), as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds. We also 
reported to the DLC audit committee on disclosure matters that we identified when assessing the overall presentation of the 
financial statements.

An overview of the scope of our audit
Mondi Group has two separate legal parent entities, Mondi plc and Mondi Limited, which operate under a DLC structure. The substance 
of the DLC structure is such that Mondi plc and its subsidiaries, and Mondi Limited and its subsidiaries, operate together as a single 
economic entity through a sharing agreement, with neither parent entity assuming a dominant role. Accordingly, the financial statements 
of Mondi Group are prepared and reported on a combined and consolidated basis as a single reporting entity.

Our Group audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the Group and its environment, including Group-wide controls, and 
assessing the risks of material misstatement at the Group level. Based on that assessment, we focused primarily on the audit work at 
17 locations (2015: 16 locations) from across Mondi Group, which were subject to a full audit completed using materiality which was set 
at a level lower than Group materiality. The materiality applied to the audit of these components ranged from €4 million to €36 million 
(2015: €3 million to €28 million).

These 17 locations (2015: 16 locations) represent the principal business units and account for 65% (2015: 64%) of the Group’s revenue. 
They were also selected to provide an appropriate basis for undertaking audit work to address the risks of material misstatement 
identified above.

A further 29 locations (2015: 27 locations) were subject to an audit of specified account balances where the extent of our testing was 
based on our assessment of the risks of material misstatement and of the materiality of the Group’s operations at those locations. 
These 29 locations (2015: 27 locations) represent a further 20% (2015: 19%) of the Group’s revenue.

From the above audit scope, in aggregate the locations subject to audit procedures represents 85% (2015: 83%) of the Group’s revenue.

The changes in the scoping above are due to new acquisitions in the year.

The Group audit team continued to follow a programme of planned visits that has been designed so that a senior member of the Group 
audit team visits the 10 operating locations (2015: 10 operating locations) that have been assessed as the most financially significant to 
the Group at least once every three years, or more frequently where other indicators are identified. In the current year, a senior member 
of the Group audit team therefore visited certain of the Group’s operations in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, South Africa and the 
United States.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements 
   
144  

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Mondi plc 

For all full scope locations, we discussed risk assessment and audit planning with the component team before the commencement of 
our work. Furthermore, for each of the businesses included within the programme of planned visits, the Group audit team also discussed 
audit findings with the relevant component audit team throughout the audit engagement and reviewed relevant audit working papers.

For the remaining seven locations (2015: six locations) where full audits were completed, we discussed audit findings with the relevant 
component audit team, reviewed audit working papers in relation to key issues and discussed key matters with divisional management 
where considered necessary in forming our Group audit opinion.

In relation to the 29 locations (2015: 27 locations) which were subject to an audit of specified account balances, we discussed the results 
of these businesses and accounting matters arising through our involvement in divisional meetings with management.

Revenue coverage

€6,662m 

  Full scope audit 
  procedures 

  Specified audit 
  procedures 

  Desktop review
  procedures 

65%

20%

15%

 At the parent entity level we also tested the consolidation process and carried out 
analytical procedures to confirm our conclusion that there were no significant risks 
of material misstatement of the aggregated financial information of the remaining 
components not subject to audit or audit of specified account balances.

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the UK Companies Act 2006 
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

 e the part of the Directors’ remuneration report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the UK Companies 

Act 2006;

 e 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

 e 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 its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not 
identified any material misstatements in the Strategic report and the Directors’ report.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

Adequacy of explanations received and accounting records

Under the UK Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

 e we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
 e 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

 e the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns.

Directors’ remuneration

We have nothing to 
report in respect of 
these matters.

Under the UK 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 
arising from these matters.

Corporate governance statement

Under the Listing Rules we are also required to review the part of the Corporate governance statement 
relating to the company’s compliance with certain provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code.

We have nothing to report 
arising from our review.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
145

Our duty to read other information in the Integrated report

Under International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland), we are required to report to you if, in 
our opinion, information in the Integrated report is:

 e materially inconsistent with the information in the audited financial statements; or
 e apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistent with, our knowledge of the Group 

We confirm that we 
have not identified any 
such inconsistencies or 
misleading statements.

acquired in the course of performing our audit; or

 e otherwise misleading.

In particular, we are required to consider whether we have identified any inconsistencies between our 
knowledge acquired during the audit and the directors’ statement that they consider the Integrated report is 
fair, balanced and understandable and whether the Integrated report appropriately discloses those matters 
that we communicated to the DLC audit committee which we consider should have been disclosed. 

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditor
As explained more fully in the directors’ responsibility statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial 
statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial 
statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). We also comply with International 
Standard on Quality Control 1 (UK and Ireland). Our audit methodology and tools aim to ensure that our quality control procedures are 
effective, understood and applied. Our quality controls and systems include our dedicated professional standards review team and 
independent partner reviews.

This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the UK 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.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements
An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable 
assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an 
assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Group’s and the parent company’s circumstances and have been 
consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and the 
overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Integrated report to 
identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect 
based on, or materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any 
apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Nicola Mitchell FCA (Senior statutory auditor) 
for and on behalf of Deloitte LLP 
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 
London, United Kingdom 

22 February 2017

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements146  

Combined and consolidated income statement
for the year ended 31 December 2016

2016

Special 
items
(note 3)

2015

Special 
items
(note 3)

Total Underlying

Notes Underlying

€ million

Group revenue

Materials, energy and consumables used

Variable selling expenses

Gross margin

Maintenance and other indirect expenses

Personnel costs

Other net operating expenses

Depreciation, amortisation and impairments

Operating profit

Net profit from equity accounted investees

Profit before net finance costs

Net finance costs

Profit before tax

Tax charge

Profit for the year

Attributable to:

Non-controlling interests

Shareholders

—

—

—

—

—

(13)

(5)

(20)

(38)

—

(38)

—

(38)

9

(29)

2

5

2

6

7a

32

6,662

(3,249)

(499)

2,914

(301)

(996)

(251)

(385)

981

1

982

(101)

881

(166)

715

48

667

Earnings per share (EPS) attributable to shareholders

(euro cents)

Basic EPS

Diluted EPS

Basic underlying EPS

Diluted underlying EPS

Basic headline EPS

Diluted headline EPS

8

8

8

8

8

8

—

—

—

—

—

(28)

(25)

(4)

(57)

—

(57)

—

(57)

10

(47)

6,819

(3,413)

(512)

2,894

(308)

(1,003)

(258)

(368)

957

1

958

(105)

853

(161)

692

45

647

6,662

(3,249)

(499)

2,914

(301)

(1,009)

(256)

(405)

943

1

944

(101)

843

(157)

686

48

638

131.8

131.7

137.8

137.7

135.9

135.8

Total

6,819

(3,413)

(512)

2,894

(308)

(1,031)

(283)

(372)

900

1

901

(105)

796

(151)

645

45

600

124.0

123.7

133.7

133.4

123.4

123.1

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Combined and consolidated statement of comprehensive income
for the year ended 31 December 2016

147

2016

2015

Before tax 
amount

Tax 
benefit

Net of tax 
amount

Before tax 
amount

Tax 
expense

Net of tax 
amount

€ million

Profit for the year

Items that may subsequently be reclassified to the 
combined and consolidated income statement

Cash flow hedges

Fair value gains/(losses) arising during the year

Less: Adjustments for amounts transferred to hedged items

Gains on available-for-sale investments

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Items that will not subsequently be reclassified to the 
combined and consolidated income statement

Remeasurements of retirement benefits plans:

Return on plan assets

Actuarial losses arising from changes in demographic 
assumptions

Actuarial (losses)/gains arising from changes in financial 
assumptions

Actuarial gains arising from experience adjustments

—

1

(1)

1

150

(19)

15

(1)

(37)

4

645

(1)

—

(122)

—

—

—

(3)

24

686

—

1

150

—

—

—

4

(15)

(1)

(3)

2

—

(122)

27

(1)

—

27

1

Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the year

132

4

136

(96)

(3)

(99)

Other comprehensive income/(expense) attributable to:

Non-controlling interests

Shareholders

(4)

136

—

4

(4)

140

(4)

(92)

—

(3)

(4)

(95)

Total comprehensive income attributable to:

Non-controlling interests

Shareholders

Total comprehensive income for the year

44

778

822

41

505

546

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements148  

Combined and consolidated statement of financial position
as at 31 December 2016

€ million

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

Intangible assets

Forestry assets

Investment in equity accounted investees

Financial instruments

Deferred tax assets

Net retirement benefits asset

Total non-current assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Current tax assets

Financial instruments

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Total current assets

Total assets

Short-term borrowings

Trade and other payables

Current tax liabilities

Provisions

Financial instruments

Total current liabilities

Medium and long-term borrowings

Net retirement benefits liability

Deferred tax liabilities

Provisions

Other non-current liabilities

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Share capital and stated capital

Retained earnings and other reserves

Total attributable to shareholders

Non-controlling interests in equity

Total equity

Notes

10

11

12

13

7b

22

14

15

26b

25

19

16

17

19

22

7b

17

20

2016

3,788

681

120

316

9

25

26

1

4,966

850

1,049

32

8

404

1

2,344

7,310

(651)

(1,100)

(95)

(49)

(23)

(1,918)

(1,119)

(240)

(267)

(44)

(26)

(1,696)

(3,614)

2015

3,554

590

105

219

9

23

23

3

4,526

838

994

29

15

64

3

1,943

6,469

(250)

(1,038)

(102)

(56)

(7)

(1,453)

(1,319)

(212)

(241)

(40)

(17)

(1,829)

(3,282)

3,696

3,187

542

2,850

3,392

304

3,696

542

2,363

2,905

282

3,187

The Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements, and related notes 1 to 34, were approved by the Boards and authorised for 
issue on 22 February 2017 and were signed on their behalf by:

David Hathorn 
Director 

Andrew King
Director

Mondi Limited company registration number: 1967/013038/06
Mondi plc company registered number: 6209386

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
Combined and consolidated statement of changes in equity 
for the year ended 31 December 2016

Combined 
share capital 
and stated 
capital

542

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

542

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

542

€ million

At 1 January 2015

Total comprehensive income/(expense) for 
the year

Dividends paid

Purchases of treasury shares

Distribution of treasury shares

Non-controlling interests bought out

Mondi share schemes’ charge

Issue of shares under employee share 
schemes

Acquisition of business

Disposal of business

Retirement benefit plans curtailment 
transferred to retained earnings

At 31 December 2015

Total comprehensive income for the year

Dividends paid

Purchases of treasury shares

Distribution of treasury shares

Mondi share schemes’ charge

Issue of shares under employee share 
schemes

Acquisition of business

Put option held by non-controlling interests

Other movements in non-controlling 
interests

At 31 December 2016

Other reserves

€ million

Cumulative translation adjustment reserve

Post-retirement benefits reserve

Share-based payment reserve

Cash flow hedge reserve

Merger reserve

Put option liability reserve

Other sundry reserves

Total other reserves

Treasury 
shares

Retained 
earnings

Other 
reserves

Equity 
attributable 
to 
shareholders

Non-
controlling 
interests

(24)

—

—

(31)

26

—

—

—

—

—

—

(29)

—

—

(20)

25

—

—

—

—

—

(24)

2,497

(387)

2,628

266

600

(209)

—

(26)

(1)

—

10

—

—

(3)

2,868

638

(274)

—

(25)

—

10

—

—

—

3,217

(95)

—

—

—

—

11

(10)

—

2

3

(476)

140

—

—

—

13

(11)

—

(9)

—

(343)

505

(209)

(31)

—

(1)

11

—

—

2

—

2,905

778

(274)

(20)

—

13

(1)

—

(9)

—

3,392

41

(25)

—

—

(1)

—

—

1

—

—

282

44

(32)

—

—

—

—

3

—

7

304

2016

(536)

(75)

22

(2)

259

(9)

(2)

(343)

149

Total  
equity

2,894

546

(234)

(31)

—

(2)

11

—

1

2

—

3,187

822

(306)

(20)

—

13

(1)

3

(9)

7

3,696

2015

(685)

(65)

20

(2)

259

—

(3)

(476)

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements150  

Combined and consolidated statement of cash flows 
for the year ended 31 December 2016

€ million

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash generated from operations

Dividends received from equity accounted investees

Income tax paid

Net cash generated from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Investment in property, plant and equipment

Investment in intangible assets

Investment in forestry assets

Proceeds from the disposal of property, plant and equipment and forestry assets

Proceeds from the disposal of financial asset investments

Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash and cash equivalents

Proceeds from the disposal of businesses, net of cash and cash equivalents

Loan repayments from external parties

Interest received

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from medium and long-term borrowings

Repayment of medium and long-term borrowings

(Repayment of)/proceeds from short-term borrowings

Interest paid

Dividends paid to shareholders

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Purchases of treasury shares

Net realised gain on held-for-trading derivatives

Other financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Cash movement in the year

Effects of changes in foreign exchange rates

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

Notes

2016

2015

26a

12

23

24

26c

9

26c

26c

26b

1,401

1

(173)

1,229

(465)

(13)

(45)

14

1

(162)

—

—

5

1,279

—

(160)

1,119

(595)

(9)

(41)

41

—

(72)

38

1

4

(665)

(633)

501

(166)

(152)

(82)

(274)

(33)

(20)

4

3

2

(221)

52

(93)

(209)

(26)

(31)

74

(2)

(219)

(454)

345

36

345

(4)

377

32

9

32

(5)

36

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

151

1 Basis of preparation

Dual listed structure

The Group has two separate legal parent entities, Mondi Limited and Mondi plc, which operate under a dual listed company (DLC) 
structure. The substance of the DLC structure is such that Mondi Limited and its subsidiaries, and Mondi plc and its subsidiaries, operate 
together as a single economic entity through a sharing agreement, with neither parent entity assuming a dominant role. Accordingly, 
Mondi Limited and Mondi plc are reported on a combined and consolidated basis as a single reporting entity.

The Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB); the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants 
(SAICA) Financial Reporting Guides as issued by the Accounting Practices Committee; Financial Pronouncements as issued by the 
Financial Reporting Standards Council and the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008. The principal accounting 
policies adopted are set out in note 34.

There are no differences for the Group in applying IFRS as issued by the IASB and IFRS as adopted by the European Union (EU) and 
therefore the Group also complies with Article 4 of the EU IAS Regulation.

The combined and consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as discussed in the Strategic report 
under Our principal risks under the heading ‘Going concern’ on page 39. 

Critical accounting judgements and key estimates

The preparation of the Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements includes the use of estimates and assumptions. 
Although the estimates used are based on management’s best information about current circumstances and future events and actions, 
actual results may differ from those estimates. 

The most significant estimates and judgements are:

Key estimates
 e Estimated impairment of goodwill – refer to note 11
 e Fair value of forestry assets – refer to note 13
 e Actuarial valuations of retirement benefit obligations – refer to note 22

Critical accounting judgements
 e Impairment of property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets – refer to notes 10 and 12

 e Residual values and useful economic lives of property, plant and equipment – refer to notes 10 and 34

 e Recognition of deferred tax assets arising from accumulated tax losses and expected future utilisation of such losses – refer to note 7

 e Fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations – refer to note 23

Special items (note 3)

Special items are those items of financial performance that the Group believes should be separately disclosed to improve the 
understanding of the underlying financial performance achieved by the Group. Such items are material in nature and the quantitative 
threshold for recognition of special items incurred after 1 January 2016 has been increased to €10 million (2015: €5 million).

Subsequent adjustments to items previously recognised as special items continue to be reflected as special items in future periods even if 
they do not exceed the reporting threshold.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements152  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

2 Operating segments
The material product types from which the Group’s externally reportable segments derive both their internal and external revenues are 
as follows:

Operating segments

Packaging Paper

Fibre Packaging

Consumer Packaging

Uncoated Fine Paper

South Africa Division

Product types

Packaging paper

Pulp

Industrial bags

Corrugated packaging

Extrusion coatings

Personal care components

Technical films

Consumer goods packaging

Release liners

Uncoated fine paper

Pulp

Newsprint

Packaging paper

Uncoated fine paper

Pulp

Newsprint

Year ended 31 December 2016

€ million, unless otherwise stated

Packaging 
Paper

Fibre 
Packaging

Consumer 
Packaging

Uncoated 
Fine Paper

South Africa 
Division

Corporate

Intersegment 
elimination

Segments 
total

Segment revenue

Internal revenue

External revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Depreciation and impairments

Amortisation

Underlying operating profit

Special items

Operating segment assets

Operating net segment assets

Additions to non-current 
non-financial assets

Capital expenditure cash 
payments

Operating margin (%)

Return on capital employed (%)

Average number of employees 
(thousands)

2,056

(585)

1,471

483

(118)

(4)

361

—

2,092

1,760

149

156

17.6

22.4

5.0

1,929

(32)

1,897

194

(66)

(5)

123

(13)

1,315

1,006

161

107

6.4

13.5

7.7

1,562

1,246

(4)

(4)

1,558

1,242

198

(59)

(18)

121

(19)

1,502

1,270

217

91

7.7

10.5

5.3

343

(77)

(2)

264

—

1,064

851

50

53

21.2

36.0

5.6

594

(100)

494

182

(35)

—

147

(6)

857

731

103

58

24.7

27.8

1.7

—

—

—

(34)

(1)

—

(35)

—

4

—

—

—

—

—

0.1

(725)

725

—

—

—

—

—

—

(178)

—

—

—

—

—

—

6,662

—

6,662

1,366

(356)

(29)

981

(38)

6,656

5,618

680

465

14.7

20.3

25.4

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
153

Year ended 31 December 2015

€ million, unless otherwise stated

Packaging 
Paper

Fibre 
Packaging

Consumer 
Packaging

Uncoated 
Fine Paper

South Africa 
Division

Corporate

Intersegment 
elimination

Segments 
total

Segment revenue

Internal revenue

External revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Depreciation and impairments

Amortisation

Underlying operating profit

Special items

Operating segment assets

Operating net segment assets

Additions to non-current 
non-financial assets

Capital expenditure cash 
payments

Operating margin (%)

Return on capital employed (%)

Average number of employees 
(thousands)

2,156

(574)

1,582

505

(111)

(3)

391

(14)

2,094

1,753

281

259

18.1

25.5

5.3

2,031

(37)

1,994

187

(63)

(4)

120

(21)

1,224

935

118

118

5.9

13.9

7.7

1,469

1,233

(4)

(6)

1,465

1,227

177

(54)

(15)

108

(22)

1,333

1,146

173

92

7.4

10.7

4.6

291

(77)

(2)

212

—

1,001

821

56

65

17.2

25.6

6.0

652

(101)

551

199

(38)

—

161

—

669

563

104

61

24.7

30.1

1.6

—

—

—

(34)

(1)

—

(35)

—

6

1

1

—

—

—

0.1

Reconciliation of underlying EBITDA and underlying operating profit to profit before tax

(722)

722

—

—

—

—

—

—

(168)

—

—

—

—

—

—

2016

1,366

(356)

(29)

981

(38)

1

(101)

843

6,819

—

6,819

1,325

(344)

(24)

957

(57)

6,159

5,219

733

595

14.0

20.5

25.3

2015

1,325

(344)

(24)

957

(57)

1

(105)

796

€ million

Underlying EBITDA

Depreciation and impairments

Amortisation

Underlying operating profit

Special items (see note 3)

Net profit from equity accounted investees

Net finance costs

Profit before tax

Reconciliation of operating segment assets

€ million

Segments total

Unallocated

Investment in equity accounted investees

Deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

Other non-operating assets/(liabilities)

Group capital employed

Financial instruments/(net debt)

Total assets/equity

2016

2015

Segment  
assets

Net segment  
assets

Segment  
assets

Net segment  
assets

6,656

5,618

6,159

5,219

9

26

209

6,900

410

7,310

9

(241)

(307)

5,079

(1,383)

3,696

9

23

201

6,392

77

6,469

9

(218)

(325)

4,685

(1,498)

3,187

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements154  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

2 Operating segments 

€ million

Revenue

Africa

South Africa

Rest of Africa

Africa total

Western Europe

Austria

Germany

United Kingdom

Rest of western Europe

Western Europe total

Emerging Europe

Poland

Rest of emerging Europe

Emerging Europe total

Russia

North America

South America

Asia and Australia

Group total

External revenue  
by location of production

External revenue  
by location of customer

2016

2015

2016

2015

594

13

607

1,018

897

33

529

2,477

900

1,246

2,146

760

588

—

84

652

13

665

981

964

39

607

2,591

909

1,225

2,134

674

664

—

91

407

200

607

143

929

224

1,278

2,574

546

883

1,429

602

729

70

651

465

205

670

144

960

252

1,360

2,716

515

877

1,392

535

771

72

663

6,662

6,819

6,662

6,819

There were no external customers which account for more than 10% of the Group’s total external revenue.

€ million

Africa

South Africa

Rest of Africa

Africa total

Western Europe

Austria

United Kingdom

Rest of western Europe

Western Europe total

Emerging Europe

Poland

Slovakia

Rest of emerging Europe

Russia

North America

Asia and Australia

Segments total

Non-current 
non-financial 
assets

2016

Segment  
assets

Net  
segment  
assets

Non-current 
non-financial 
assets

2015

Segment  
assets

Net  
segment 
assets

705

18

723

456

38

911

1,405

803

417

668

841

36

877

791

52

1,285

2,128

979

460

916

717

34

751

554

41

1,093

1,688

881

394

753

599

198

92

756

383

157

679

327

145

537

7

544

462

38

911

1,411

765

447

605

1,817

431

182

83

646

22

668

798

55

1,307

2,160

954

492

828

2,274

541

372

144

541

21

562

572

50

1,134

1,756

857

424

681

1,962

492

314

133

4,905

6,656

5,618

4,468

6,159

5,219

Emerging Europe total

1,888

2,355

2,028

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Average number of employees

thousands

By principal locations of employment

Africa

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Russia

North America

Asia and Australia

Group total

3 Special items

€ million

Operating special items

Impairment of assets

Reversal of impairment of assets

Restructuring and closure costs:

Personnel costs

Other restructuring and closure costs

Adjustments relating to 2012 Nordenia acquisition

Total special items before tax and non-controlling interests

Tax credit (see note 7)

Total special items attributable to shareholders

155

2016

2015

1.9

7.2

7.9

5.6

2.2

0.6

1.8

7.4

7.3

5.7

2.5

0.6

25.4

25.3

2016

2015

(22)

2

(13)

(5)

—

(38)

9

(29)

(4)

—

(28)

(17)

(8)

(57)

10

(47)

Operating special items

Restructuring and closure costs and related impairments during the year comprise:

 e Fibre Packaging

 – Closure of an industrial bags plant in southern Belgium. Restructuring costs of €10 million and impairment of assets of €3 million 

were recognised.
 e Consumer Packaging

 – Restructuring of release liner operations in USA, including closure of one site. Restructuring costs of €7 million and impairment of 

assets of €12 million were recognised.

 e South Africa Division

 – Further impairment of newsprint assets of €7 million.
 – Partial reversal of impairment of uncoated fine paper machine previously impaired of €2 million.
 – Restructuring costs of €1 million.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements 
156  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

4 Auditors’ remuneration

€ million

Fees payable to the auditors for the audit of Mondi Limited’s and Mondi plc’s 
annual financial statements

United Kingdom

South Africa

Fees payable to the auditors and their associates for the audit of Mondi Limited’s and 
Mondi plc’s subsidiaries

Total audit fees

Audit-related assurance services

Tax compliance services

Other services

Total non-audit fees

Total fees

5 Personnel costs

€ million, unless otherwise stated

Within operating costs

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Defined contribution retirement plan contributions (see note 22)

Defined benefit retirement benefit service costs (see note 22)

Share-based payments (see note 21)

Total within operating costs

Within special items

Personnel costs relating to restructuring (see note 3)

Within net finance costs

Retirement benefit medical plan net interest costs

Retirement benefit pension plan net interest costs

Total within net finance costs (see note 6)

Group total

Average number of employees (thousands)

2016

2015

0.5

0.4

0.1

3.1

3.6

0.2

0.1

0.2

0.5

4.1

0.5

0.4

0.1

3.3

3.8

0.3

0.1

0.1

0.5

4.3

2016

2015

802

162

14

5

13

996

13

5

5

10

808

168

12

4

11

1,003

28

5

4

9

1,019

1,040

25.4

25.3

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 20166 Net finance costs 
Net finance costs are presented below:

€ million

Investment income

Investment income

Foreign currency losses

Foreign currency losses

Finance costs

Interest expense

Interest on bank overdrafts and loans

Net interest expense on net retirement benefits liability (see note 22)

Total interest expense

Less: Interest capitalised (see note 10)

Total finance costs

Net finance costs

157

2016

2015

5

(4)

(97)

(10)

(107)

5

(102)

(101)

4

—

(107)

(9)

(116)

7

(109)

(105)

The weighted average interest rate applicable to capitalised interest on general borrowings for the year ended 31 December 2016 was 
7.15% (2015: 7.08%) and was related to investments in Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and South Africa.

7 Taxation

(a) Analysis of tax charge for the year

The Group’s effective rate of tax before special items for the year ended 31 December 2016, calculated on profit before tax before special 
items and including net profit from equity accounted investees, was 19% (2015: 19%).

€ million

UK corporation tax at 20% (2015: 20.25%)

SA corporation tax at 28% (2015: 28%)

Overseas tax

Current tax in respect of prior years

Current tax

Deferred tax in respect of the current year

Deferred tax in respect of prior years

Deferred tax attributable to a change in the rate of domestic income tax

Total tax charge before special items

Current tax on special items

Deferred tax on special items

Total tax credit on special items (see note 3)

Total tax charge

2016

1

22

134

5

162

28

(22)

(2)

166

(1)

(8)

(9)

157

2015

1

35

136

1

173

24

(36)

—

161

(2)

(8)

(10)

151

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements158  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

7 Taxation 

Factors affecting tax charge for the year

The Group’s total tax charge for the year can be reconciled to the tax on the Group’s profit before tax at the weighted average UK and SA 
corporation tax rate of 21.2%1 (2015: 21.7%), as follows:

€ million

Profit before tax

Tax on profit before tax calculated at the weighted average UK and SA corporation tax 
rate of 21.2% (2015: 21.7%)

Tax effects of:

Expenses not deductible for tax purposes

Special items not tax deductible

Other non-deductible expenses

Non-taxable income

Temporary difference adjustments

Current year tax losses and other temporary differences not recognised

Prior year tax losses and other temporary differences not previously recognised

Attributable to a change in the rate of domestic income tax

Other adjustments

Current tax prior year adjustments

Tax incentives

Effect of differences between local rates and UK and SA rates

Other adjustments

Tax charge for the year

Note:

2016

843

179

8

—

8

—

(12)

9

(19)

(2)

(18)

5

(37)

2

12

2015

796

173

7

1

6

(1)

(17)

14

(31)

—

(11)

1

(15)

(4)

7

157

151

1  The weighted average tax rate has been determined by weighting the profit before tax after special items of Mondi Limited and its subsidiaries and Mondi plc and 

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

its subsidiaries

(b) Deferred tax

€ million

At 1 January

(Charged)/credited to combined and consolidated income statement

Credited/(charged) to combined and consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income

Acquired through business combinations (see note 23)

Disposal of businesses (see note 24)

Reclassification

Currency movements

At 31 December

2016

23

(4)

2

—

—

4

1

26

2015

10

14

—

—

—

(1)

—

23

The amount of deferred tax credited/(charged) to the combined and consolidated income statement comprises:

€ million

Capital allowances in excess of depreciation

Fair value adjustments

Tax losses

Other temporary differences

Total credit

2016

(241)

8

2

(7)

—

(4)

(25)

(267)

2016

4

(14)

3

11

4

2015

(259)

6

(3)

(9)

2

1

21

(241)

2015

2

(6)

7

17

20

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016159

Deferred tax comprises:

€ million

Capital allowances in excess of depreciation

Fair value adjustments

Tax losses1

Other temporary differences1

Total

Note:

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

2016

(29)

1

16

38

26

2015

(33)

—

20

36

23

2016

(242)

(91)

17

49

(267)

2015

(217)

(59)

8

27

(241)

1  Based on forecast data, the Group considers it is probable that there will be sufficient future taxable profits available in the relevant jurisdictions to utilise these tax 

losses and other temporary differences. There are currently no individually significant unrecognised deferred tax assets where there is such degree of uncertainty that 
it could result in a material adjustment in future periods

The current expectation regarding the maturity of deferred tax balances is:

€ million

Recoverable/(payable) within 12 months

Recoverable/(payable) after 12 months

Total

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

2016

13

13

26

2015

13

10

23

2016

(3)

(264)

(267)

2015

2

(243)

(241)

The Group has the following amounts in respect of which no deferred tax asset has been recognised due to the unpredictability of future 
profit streams or gains against which these could be utilised:

€ million

Tax losses – revenue

Tax losses – capital

Other temporary differences

Total

There were no significant changes in the expected future profit streams or gains. 

Included in unrecognised tax losses are losses that will expire as follows:

€ million

Expiry date

Within one year

One to five years

After five years

No expiry date

Total

2016

1,478

16

62

2015

1,560

19

60

1,556

1,639

2016

2015

9

78

123

1,284

1,494

34

121

104

1,320

1,579

No deferred tax liability is recognised on gross temporary differences of €715 million (2015: €577 million) relating to the unremitted 
earnings of overseas subsidiaries as the Group is able to control the timing of the reversal of these temporary differences and it is probable 
that they will not reverse in the foreseeable future. UK tax legislation largely exempts, from UK tax, overseas dividends received on or after 
1 July 2009. As a result, the gross temporary differences at 31 December 2016 represent only the unremitted earnings of those overseas 
subsidiaries where remittance to the UK of those earnings would still result in a tax liability, principally as a result of dividend withholding 
taxes levied by the overseas tax jurisdictions in which these subsidiaries operate.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements160  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

8 Earnings per share (EPS)
The calculation of basic and diluted EPS, basic and diluted underlying EPS and basic and diluted headline EPS is based on the 
following data:

€ million

Profit for the year attributable to shareholders

Special items (see note 3)

Related tax (see note 3)

Underlying earnings for the year

Special items not excluded from headline earnings

Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Impairments not included in special items (see note 10)

Related tax

Headline earnings for the year

million

Basic number of ordinary shares outstanding

Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares

Diluted number of ordinary shares outstanding

9 Dividends 
Dividends paid to the shareholders of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc are presented on a combined basis.

euro cents per share

Final dividend paid (in respect of prior year)

Interim dividend paid

Final dividend proposed for the year ended 31 December

€ million

Final dividend paid (in respect of prior year)

Interim dividend paid

Total dividends paid

Final dividend proposed for the year ended 31 December

Declared by Group companies to non-controlling interests

Earnings

2016

638

38

(9)

667

(18)

—

5

4

658

2015

600

57

(10)

647

(53)

(13)

3

13

597

Weighted average  
number of shares

2016

484.2

0.3

484.5

2015

483.9

1.1

485.0

2016

37.62

18.81

2015

28.77

14.38

38.19

37.62

2016

183

91

274

185

32

2015

140

69

209

182

25

The final dividend proposed is subject to approval by shareholders at the Annual General Meetings of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc 
scheduled for 11 May 2017.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016161

10 Property, plant and equipment

€ million

Net carrying value

At 1 January 2015

Acquired through business combinations

Additions

Disposal of assets

Disposal of businesses (see note 24)

Depreciation charge for the year

Impairment losses recognised2

Transfer from assets under construction

Reclassification

Currency movements

At 31 December 2015

Cost

Accumulated depreciation and impairments

Acquired through business combinations (see note 23)

Additions

Disposal of assets

Depreciation charge for the year

Impairment losses recognised2

Impairment losses reversed3

Transfer from assets under construction

Reclassification

Currency movements

At 31 December 2016

Cost

Accumulated depreciation and impairments

Land and
buildings1

Plant and 
equipment

Assets under 
construction

Other

Total

921

21

69

(9)

(17)

(46)

(4)

58

4

(16)

981

1,626

(645)

23

24

(4)

(48)

(6)

—

42

(1)

21

1,032

1,745

(713)

2,185

19

267

(10)

(25)

(271)

(3)

225

(2)

(69)

2,316

6,050

(3,734)

30

96

(6)

(278)

(19)

2

197

(2)

91

2,427

6,520

(4,093)

262

—

236

—

(1)

—

—

(304)

—

(7)

186

192

(6)

—

306

(1)

—

(1)

—

(256)

1

10

245

252

(7)

64

—

21

(2)

(2)

(24)

—

17

(1)

(2)

71

288

(217)

2

20

(1)

(25)

(1)

—

16

(1)

3

84

316

(232)

3,432

40

593

(21)

(45)

(341)

(7)

(4)

1

(94)

3,554

8,156

(4,602)

55

446

(12)

(351)

(27)

2

(1)

(3)

125

3,788

8,833

(5,045)

Notes:

1  The land value included in ‘Land and buildings’ is €156 million (2015: €143 million)

2  Impairment losses include €22 million (2015: €4 million) classified as operating special items and €5 million (2015: €3 million) of other impairments

3  Impairment losses reversed classified as operating special items

Included in the cost above is €5 million (2015: €7 million) of interest incurred on qualifying assets which has been capitalised during the 
year. These amounts are deductible for tax purposes either when incurred or included in the amount permitted to be deducted for capital 
expenditure, depending on the jurisdiction in which they are capitalised.

The recoverable amount of property, plant and equipment is determined based on the use of the asset within the current business plans. 
Any change in future intentions could result in an impairment of varying magnitude, depending on the assets affected. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements  
162  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

11 Goodwill

(a) Reconciliation

€ million

Net carrying value

At 1 January

Acquired through business combinations (see note 23)

Arising from purchase price adjustment (see note 23)

Currency movements

At 31 December

(b) Assumptions

€ million, unless otherwise stated

Consumer Packaging

Kraft Paper

Containerboard

Industrial Bags

Corrugated Packaging

Uncoated Fine Paper

Extrusion Coatings

Total goodwill

Key assumptions

2016

2015

590

81

13

(3)

681

Carrying value

2016

412

83

59

49

39

32

7

545

44

—

1

590

2015

337

83

60

50

21

31

8

681

590

Weighted 
average pre tax 
discount rate

Growth rate

9.4%

9.8%

10.9%

10.6%

10.3%

11.4%

9.4%

2%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

The recoverable amounts of the Group’s cash-generating units are determined from value-in-use calculations. The key assumptions in the 
value-in-use calculations are:

 e cash flow forecasts which are derived from the budgets most recently approved by the Boards covering the three-year period to 

31 December 2019;

 e sales volumes, sales prices and variable input cost assumptions in the budget period are derived from a combination of economic 

forecasts for the regions in which the Group operates, industry forecasts for individual product lines, internal management projections, 
historical performance, and announced industry capacity changes;

 e cash flow projections beyond three years are based on internal management projections taking into consideration industry forecasts and growth 

rates in the regions in which the Group operates. In general, such growth rates are assumed to be zero, but for Consumer Packaging, a 
growth rate of 2% is applied for each of the following seven years beyond the budget period and zero thereafter into perpetuity; and
 e capital expenditure forecasts are based on historical experience and include expenditure necessary to maintain the projected cash 

flows from operations at current operating levels.

The pre tax discount rate is derived from the Group’s weighted average cost of capital. In determining the discount rate applicable to each 
cash-generating unit, adjustments are made to reflect the impacts of country risk and tax. 

Sensitivity analyses

Expected future cash flows are inherently uncertain and could change materially over time. They are affected by a number of factors, 
including market and production estimates, together with economic factors such as prices, discount rates, currency exchange rates, 
estimates of production costs, and future capital expenditure.

Sensitivity analyses of reasonably possible changes in the underlying assumptions on each cash-generating unit included:

 e 1% increase in discount rate;
 e 0% growth rate assumed in Consumer Packaging; 
 e 5% decrease in sales prices in Packaging Paper (Containerboard and Kraft Paper cash-generating units) and Uncoated Fine Paper; and 
 e 3% decrease in gross margin in Consumer Packaging and Fibre Packaging (Corrugated Packaging, Industrial Bags and Extrusion 

Coatings cash-generating units).

None of these downside sensitivity analyses indicated the need for an impairment.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201612 Intangible assets

€ million

Net carrying value

At 1 January

Acquired through business combinations (see note 23)

Disposal of businesses (see note 24)

Additions

Amortisation charge for the year

Reclassification

Currency movements

At 31 December

Cost

Accumulated amortisation and impairments

The carrying value of intangible assets comprises:

€ million

Internally generated

Software development costs

Acquired through business combinations

Customer relationships

Patents and trademarks

Other

Total intangible assets

163

2016

2015

105

27

—

13

(29)

3

1

120

294

(174)

113

6

(3)

9

(24)

3

1

105

263

(158)

2016

2015

38

52

25

5

120

30

35

31

9

105

Research and development expenditure incurred by the Group and charged to the combined and consolidated income statement during 
the year amounted to €19 million (2015: €18 million).

13 Forestry assets

€ million

At 1 January

Capitalised expenditure

Acquisition of assets

Fair value gains

Disposal of assets

Felling costs

Currency movements

At 31 December

Comprising

Mature

Immature

Total forestry assets

2016

219

39

6

64

(1)

(57)

46

316

193

123

316

2015

235

38

3

40

(1)

(51)

(45)

219

139

80

219

In total, the Group has 251,435 hectares (2015: 257,717 hectares) of owned and leased land available for forestry activities, all of which is 
in South Africa. 81,017 hectares (2015: 84,517 hectares) are set aside for conservation activities and infrastructure needs. 14,881 hectares 
(2015: 19,200 hectares) are managed but not controlled by the Group. The balance of 155,537 hectares (2015: 154,000 hectares) are 
under afforestation which forms the basis of the valuation set out above.

Mature forestry assets are those plantations that are harvestable, while immature forestry assets have not yet reached that stage of 
growth. Timber is harvested according to a rotation plan, once trees reach maturity. This period ranges from 6.5 to 14.5 years for both 
years presented, depending on species, climate and location.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements164  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

13 Forestry assets 
The fair value of forestry assets is a level 3 measure in terms of the fair value measurement hierarchy, consistent with prior years. The fair 
value of forestry assets is calculated on the basis of future expected net cash flows arising on the Group’s owned forestry assets, 
discounted based on a pre tax yield on long-term bonds.

The following assumptions have a significant impact on the valuation of the Group’s forestry assets:

 e The net selling price, which is defined as the selling price less the costs of transport, harvesting, extraction and loading. The net selling 

price is based on third-party transactions and is influenced by the species, maturity profile and location of timber. In 2016, the net selling 
price used ranged from the South African rand equivalent of €10 per tonne to €53 per tonne (2015: €9 per tonne to €33 per tonne) with 
a weighted average of €28 per tonne (2015: €20 per tonne).

 e The conversion factor used to convert hectares of land under afforestation to tonnes of standing timber, which is dependent on the 
species, the maturity profile of the timber, the geographic location, climate and a variety of other environmental factors. In 2016, the 
conversion factors ranged from 8.6 to 25.0 (2015: 8.9 to 25.2).

 e The discount rate of 14.0% (2015: 15.2%) based on a pre tax yield from long-term South African government bonds matching the 

average age of the timber and adjusted for the risks associated with forestry assets.

The valuation of the Group’s forestry assets is determined in rand and converted to euro at the closing exchange rate on 31 December of 
each year.

The reported value of owned forestry assets would change as follows should there be a change in these underlying assumptions on the 
basis that all other factors remain unchanged:

€ million

Effect of €1/tonne increase in net selling price

Effect of 1% increase in conversion factor (hectares to tonnes)

Effect of 1% increase in discount rate

Effect of 1% increase in EUR/ZAR exchange rate

14 Inventories

€ million

Valued using the first-in-first-out cost formula

Raw materials and consumables

Work in progress

Finished products

Total valued using the first-in-first-out cost formula

Valued using the weighted average cost formula

Raw materials and consumables

Work in progress

Finished products

Total valued using the weighted average cost formula

Total inventories

Of which, held at net realisable value

Combined and consolidated income statement

Cost of inventories recognised as expense

Write-down of inventories to net realisable value

Aggregate reversal of previous write-down of inventories

Green energy sales and disposal of emissions credits

2016

11

3

(3)

(3)

2016

2015

28

15

22

65

334

104

347

785

850

137

22

9

22

53

321

102

362

785

838

138

(2,866)

(2,912)

(29)

18

48

(24)

19

68

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 201615 Trade and other receivables

€ million

Trade receivables

Allowance for doubtful debts

Net trade receivables

Other receivables

Tax and social security

Prepayments and accrued income

Total trade and other receivables

165

2015

864

(35)

829

59

86

20

994

2016

909

(32)

877

58

93

21

1,049

The fair values of trade and other receivables approximate their carrying values presented.

Trade receivables: credit risk

The Group has a large number of unrelated customers and does not have any significant credit risk exposure to any particular customer. 
The Group believes that there is no significant geographical or customer concentration of credit risk.

Each business segment manages its own exposure to credit risk according to the economic circumstances and characteristics of the 
relevant markets that they serve. The Group believes that management of credit risk on a decentralised basis enables it to assess and 
manage credit risk more effectively. However, broad principles of credit risk management are observed across all business segments, 
such as the use of credit rating agencies, credit guarantee insurance, where appropriate, and the maintenance of a credit control function.

€ million

Credit risk exposure

Gross trade receivables

Credit insurance

Total exposure to credit risk

2016

2015

909

(707)

202

864

(708)

156

The insured cover is presented gross of contractually agreed excess amounts. In addition, the Group is in possession of bank guarantees 
and letters of credit securing trade and other receivables to the value of €13 million (2015: €16 million).

Credit periods offered to customers vary according to the credit risk profiles of, and invoicing conventions established by, participants 
operating in the various markets in which the Group operates. Interest is charged at appropriate market rates on balances which are 
considered overdue in the relevant market. 

To the extent that recoverable amounts are estimated to be less than their associated carrying values, impairment charges have 
been recorded in the combined and consolidated income statement and the carrying values have been written down to their 
recoverable amounts. The total gross carrying value of trade receivables that were subject to impairment during the year is €102 million 
(2015: €108 million).

Included within the Group’s aggregate trade receivables balance are specific debtor balances with customers totalling €20 million 
(2015: €32 million) which are past due but not impaired at the reporting date. The Group has assessed these balances for recoverability 
and believes that their credit quality remains intact. 

An ageing analysis of net trade receivables is provided as follows:

€ million

Trade receivables within terms

Past due by less than one month

Past due by one to two months

Past due by two to three months

Past due by more than three months

At 31 December

2016

857

16

1

1

2

2015

797

24

4

1

3

877

829

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements166  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

15 Trade and other receivables

Movement in the allowance account for bad and doubtful debts

€ million

At 1 January

Increase in allowance recognised in combined and consolidated income statement

Amounts written off or recovered

Currency movements

At 31 December

16 Trade and other payables

€ million

Trade payables

Capital expenditure payables

Tax and social security

Other payables

Accruals and deferred income

Total trade and other payables

The fair values of trade and other payables approximate their carrying values presented.

2016

35

8

(11)

—

32

2016

567

54

62

73

344

1,100

2015

36

8

(8)

(1)

35

2015

508

70

61

71

328

1,038

17 Provisions

€ million

At 1 January 2015

Charged to combined and consolidated income statement

Disposal of business (see note 24)

Released to combined and consolidated income statement

Amounts applied

Reclassification

Currency movements

At 31 December 2015

Charged to combined and consolidated income statement

Acquisition of business (see note 23)

Unwinding of discount

Released to combined and consolidated income statement

Amounts applied

At 31 December 2016

Maturity analysis of total provisions on a discounted basis:

Restructuring 
costs

Employee 
related 
provisions

Environmental 
restoration

Other

Total

28

33

—

(3)

(29)

1

1

31

17

—

—

(1)

(18)

29

32

11

(1)

—

(10)

—

—

32

10

—

1

—

(9)

34

6

—

(2)

(1)

—

—

—

3

1

—

—

—

—

4

28

13

—

(4)

(5)

(1)

(1)

30

1

1

—

(2)

(4)

26

€ million

Current

Non-current

Total provisions

Restructuring 
costs

Employee 
related 
provisions

Environmental 
restoration

29

—

29

8

26

34

—

4

4

Other

12

14

26

2016

49

44

93

Other provisions are mainly attributable to potential claims against the Group and onerous contracts, none of which are individually 
significant. All non-current provisions are discounted using a discount rate relevant in the local countries, based on a pre tax yield on 
long-term bonds.

94

57

(3)

(8)

(44)

—

—

96

29

1

1

(3)

(31)

93

2015

56

40

96

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016167

18 Capital management
The Group defines its capital employed as equity, as presented in the combined and consolidated statement of financial position, plus net debt.

€ million

Equity attributable to shareholders

Equity attributable to non-controlling interests

Equity

Net debt (see note 26c)

Capital employed

2016

3,392

304

3,696

1,383

5,079

2015

2,905

282

3,187

1,498

4,685

Capital employed is managed on a basis that enables the Group to continue trading as a going concern, while delivering acceptable 
returns to shareholders. The Group is committed to managing its cost of capital by maintaining an appropriate capital structure, with a 
balance between equity and net debt.

The Group utilises its capital employed to fund the growth of the business and to finance its liquidity needs.

The primary sources of the Group’s net debt include its €2.5 billion Guaranteed Euro Medium Term Note Programme, its €750 million 
Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility and financing from various banks and other credit agencies, thus providing the Group with access to 
diverse sources of debt financing.

The principal loan arrangements in place include the following:

€ million

Financing facilities

Maturity

Interest rate %

2016

2015

Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility

July 2021

EURIBOR/LIBOR + margin

€500 million Eurobond

€500 million Eurobond

€500 million Eurobond

European Investment Bank Facility

Export Credit Agency Facility

Other

Total committed facilities

Drawn

Total committed facilities available

April 2017

September 2020

April 2024

June 2025

June 2020

Various

5.75%

3.375%

1.50%

EURIBOR + margin

EURIBOR + margin

Various

750

500

500

500

81

53

113

2,497

(1,685)

812

750

500

500

—

90

72

90

2,002

(1,404)

598

On 14 April 2016 Mondi issued a 1.5% €500 million Eurobond with an eight-year term under its Euro Medium Term Note Programme.

The €500 million Eurobonds maturing in 2017 and 2020 contain a coupon step-up clause whereby the coupon will be increased by 
1.25% per annum if Mondi fails to maintain at least one investment grade credit rating from either Moody’s Investors Service or Standard 
& Poor’s. Mondi currently has investment grade credit ratings from both Moody’s Investors Service (Baa2, stable outlook) and Standard & 
Poor’s (BBB, stable outlook).

Short-term liquidity needs are met through the revolving credit facility. 

The Group reviews its capital employed on a regular basis and makes use of several indicative ratios which are appropriate to the nature of 
its operations and consistent with conventional industry measures. The principal ratios used include:

 e weighted average cost of capital;
 e gearing, defined as net debt divided by capital employed;
 e net debt/12-month trailing EBITDA; and
 e return on capital employed, defined as trailing 12-month underlying operating profit, plus share of associates’ net profit/(loss), divided 
by trailing 12-month average capital employed. Capital employed is adjusted for impairments in the year and spend on those strategic 
projects which are not yet in production.

Weighted average cost of capital (%)

Gearing (%)

Net debt/12-month trailing EBITDA (times)

Return on capital employed (%)

2016

7.2

27.2

1.0

20.3

2015

7.8

32.0

1.1

20.5

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements168  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

18 Capital management
In order to manage its cost of capital, maintain an appropriate capital structure and meet its ongoing cash flow needs, the Group may 
issue new debt instruments; adjust the level of dividends paid to shareholders; issue new shares to, or repurchase shares from, investors; 
or dispose of assets to reduce its net debt exposure. 

The Group operates a DLC structure, the terms of which require that the capital supplied by, or made available to, the shareholders of 
Mondi Limited and Mondi plc be constrained by the equality of treatment mechanism. This serves to maintain and protect the economic 
interests of both sets of shareholders.

The Group is subject to certain exchange control conditions as agreed with the South African Ministry of Finance. These conditions do not 
infringe upon the Group’s ability to manage optimally its capital structure. The Group has continually met the exchange control provisions 
in the past and management is committed to ensuring that the Group continues to meet these provisions in the future.

19 Borrowings

€ million

Secured

Unsecured

Bonds

Bank loans and overdrafts

Other loans

Total unsecured

Total borrowings

2016

Current

Non-current

1

500

150

—

650

651

2

995

110

12

1,117

1,119

Total

3

1,495

260

12

1,767

1,770

2015

Current

Non-current

3

—

247

—

247

250

3

996

306

14

1,316

1,319

Total

6

996

553

14

1,563

1,569

The Group’s borrowings as at 31 December are analysed by nature and underlying currency as follows:

2016/€ million

Euro

South African rand

Turkish lira

US dollar

Russian rouble

Other currencies

Carrying value

Fair value

2015/€ million

Euro

Pounds sterling

South African rand

Polish zloty

Turkish lira

Other currencies

Carrying value

Fair value

Total carrying 
value

1,627

Fair value

1,701

Floating rate 
borrowings

Fixed rate 
borrowings

Non-interest 
bearing 
borrowings

129

60

47

6

9

10

261

261

1,498

—

—

9

—

2

1,509

1,583

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

60

47

15

9

12

1,770

Floating rate 
borrowings

Fixed rate 
borrowings

Non-interest 
bearing 
borrowings

Total carrying 
value

278

159

36

32

33

11

549

549

1,002

—

—

2

—

10

1,014

1,098

—

—

6

—

—

—

6

6

1,280

159

42

34

33

21

1,569

60

47

15

9

12

1,844

Fair value

1,363

159

42

34

33

22

1,653

The fair values of the €500 million Eurobonds are estimated with reference to the last price quoted in the secondary market. All other 
financial liabilities are estimated by discounting the future contractual cash flows at the current market interest rate that is available to the 
Group for similar financial instruments.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016The maturity analysis of the Group’s borrowings, presented on an undiscounted future cash flow basis, is as follows:

2016/€ million

Bonds

Bank loans and overdrafts

Other loans

Total borrowings

Interest on borrowings net of amortised costs 
and discounts

Total undiscounted cash flows

2015/€ million

Bonds

Bank loans and overdrafts

Other loans

Total borrowings

Interest on borrowings net of amortised costs 
and discounts

Total undiscounted cash flows

Note:

< 1 year

1–2 years

2–5 years

> 5 years

500

150

1

651

62

713

—

35

4

39

26

65

499

42

1

542

62

604

496

33

9

538

27

565

< 1 year

1–2 years

2–5 years

> 5 years

—

249

1

250

54

304

498

43

1

542

56

598

498

221

1

720

58

778

—

43

14

57

1

58

169

Total1

1,495

260

15

1,770

177

1,947

Total1

996

556

17

1,569

169

1,738

1  It has been assumed that, where applicable, interest and foreign exchange rates prevailing at the reporting date will not vary over the time periods remaining for future 

cash outflows

In addition to the above, the Group swaps euro and sterling debt into other currencies through the foreign exchange market as disclosed 
in note 30.

The Group does not have any material finance lease arrangements.

The Group has pledged specific property, plant and equipment as collateral against certain borrowings. The carrying values of these 
property, plant and equipment amount to €6 million (2015: €9 million). The Group is entitled to receive all cash flows from these pledged 
assets. Further, there is no obligation to remit these cash flows to another entity.

20 Share capital and stated capital

Number of shares

Mondi Limited ordinary shares with no par value

Mondi Limited special converting shares with no par value

Authorised

250,000,000

650,000,000

Mondi plc is not restricted in the number of shares that can be issued. Any issue of shares is subject to shareholder approval.

Called up, allotted and fully paid/€ million

2016 & 2015

Number of 
shares

Share capital

Stated capital

Mondi Limited ordinary shares with no par value issued on the JSE

118,312,975

Mondi plc €0.20 ordinary shares issued on the LSE

Total ordinary shares in issue

Mondi Limited special converting shares with no par value

Mondi plc €0.20 special converting shares

Total special converting shares

Mondi plc €0.04 deferred shares

Total shares

367,240,805

485,553,780

367,240,805

118,312,975

485,553,780

146,896,322

—

74

74

—

24

24

5

103

431

—

431

8

—

8

—

439

Total

431

74

505

8

24

32

5

542

The special converting shares are held in trust and do not carry dividend rights. These shares provide a mechanism for equality of 
treatment on termination of the DLC agreement for both Mondi Limited and Mondi plc ordinary shareholders. The deferred shares are 
held in trust and do not carry any dividend or voting rights.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements170  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

20 Share capital and stated capital
Treasury shares represent the cost of shares in Mondi Limited (held by the Mondi Incentive Schemes Trust) and Mondi plc (held by the 
Mondi Employee Share Trust) purchased in the market to satisfy share awards under the Group’s employee share schemes (see note 21). 
These costs are reflected in the combined and consolidated statement of changes in equity.

at 31 December

Mondi Incentive Schemes Trust

Treasury shares held

2016

2015

Number of 
shares held

Average price 
per share

Number of 
shares held

Average price 
per share

Mondi Limited ordinary shares with no par value

676,222

ZAR228.88

677,234

ZAR203.90

Mondi Employee Share Trust

Mondi plc €0.20 ordinary shares

660,483

GBP13.36

931,265

GBP13.32

A dividend waiver is in place in respect of shares held by the Mondi Employee Share Trust.

21 Share-based payments

Mondi share awards

The Group has established its own share-based payment arrangements to incentivise employees. Full details of the Group’s share 
schemes are set out in the Remuneration report.

All of these schemes are settled by the award of ordinary shares in either Mondi Limited or Mondi plc. The Group has no obligation to 
settle the awards made under these schemes in cash. An amount equal to the dividends that would have been paid on Bonus Share Plan 
(BSP) and Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) share awards during the holding period are paid to participants upon vesting.

The fair values of the share awards granted under the Mondi schemes are calculated with reference to the facts and assumptions 
presented below:

Mondi Limited (ZAR) & Mondi plc (GBP)

Date of grant

Vesting period (years)

Expected leavers per annum (%)

Grant date fair value per instrument (GBP)

Grant date fair value per instrument (ZAR)

Number of shares conditionally awarded

Mondi Limited (ZAR) & Mondi plc (GBP)

Date of grant

Vesting period (years)

Expected leavers per annum (%)

Expected outcome of meeting performance criteria (%)

ROCE component

TSR component

Grant date fair value per instrument (GBP) – Mondi plc

ROCE component

TSR component1

Grant date fair value per instrument (ZAR) – Mondi Limited

ROCE component

TSR component1

Number of shares conditionally awarded

Note:

BSP 2016

BSP 2015

BSP 2014

22 March 2016

1 April 2015

31 March 2014

3

5

13.35

291.30

499,943

3

5

12.99

230.00

440,848

3

5

10.49

184.91

448,670

LTIP 2016

LTIP 2015

LTIP 2014

22 March 2016

1 April 2015

31 March 2014

3

5

100

25

13.35

3.34

291.30

72.83

690,140

3

5

100

25

12.99

3.25

230.00

57.50

647,849

3

5

100

25

10.49

2.62

184.91

46.23

715,524

1  The base fair value has been adjusted for contractually-determined market-based performance conditions

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016171

The total fair value charge in respect of all the Mondi share awards for the year ended 31 December is made up as follows:

€ million

Bonus Share Plan

Long-Term Incentive Plan

Total share-based payment expense

The weighted average share price of share awards that vested during the period:

Mondi Limited

Mondi plc

2016

7

6

13

2015

6

5

11

2016

2015

ZAR286.31

ZAR236.82

GBP13.21

GBP13.20

A reconciliation of share award movements for the Mondi share schemes is shown below:

BSP

LTIP

number of shares

At 1 January 2015

Mondi Ltd

Mondi plc

Total

Mondi Ltd

Mondi plc

Total

308,679

1,405,345

1,714,024

392,524

2,396,230

2,788,754

Shares conditionally awarded

75,438

365,410

440,848

82,830

565,019

647,849

Shares vested

Shares lapsed

(140,595)

(614,886)

(755,481)

(175,445)

(997,517)

(1,172,962)

—

(47,508)

(47,508)

—

(70,535)

(70,535)

At 31 December 2015

243,522

1,108,361

1,351,883

299,909

1,893,197

2,193,106

Shares conditionally awarded

Shares vested

Shares lapsed

72,868

(98,161)

(14,561)

427,075

499,943

82,832

607,308

690,140

(429,355)

(527,516)

(124,162)

(773,493)

(897,655)

(11,060)

(25,621)

—

(5,407)

(5,407)

At 31 December 2016

203,668

1,095,021

1,298,689

258,579

1,721,605

1,980,184

22 Retirement benefits 
The Group operates post-retirement defined contribution and defined benefit pension plans for many of its employees. It also operates 
two post-retirement medical plans.

Defined contribution plans

The assets of the defined contribution plans are held separately in independently administered funds. The charge in respect of these 
plans of €14 million (2015: €12 million) is calculated on the basis of the contribution payable by the Group in the financial year. There were 
no material outstanding or prepaid contributions recognised in relation to these plans as at the reporting dates presented. The expected 
contributions to be paid to defined contribution plans during 2017 are €16 million.

Defined benefit pension plans and post-retirement medical plans

The Group operates in excess of 100 retirement plans across its global operations. A large proportion of the Group’s defined benefit plans 
are closed to new members.

The majority of these plans are unfunded and provide pensions and severance benefits to members of those plans. 

The most significant unfunded defined benefit plans are operated in Austria, Germany and Russia and funded plans are operated 
primarily in the UK. These plans are established in accordance with applicable local labour legislation and/or collective agreements with 
participating employees.

The benefits are based on a variety of factors, the most significant of which are a combination of pensionable service and final salary. 
A number of these plans also provide additional benefits in the event of death in service, disability or ill-health retirement which are derived 
from the final salary benefit formula.

The assets of the funded plans are held separately in independently administered funds, in accordance with statutory requirements or 
local practice where those funds are operated. The boards of trustees of these plans are required to act in the best interest of the plans 
and all relevant stakeholders of the plans (active employees, inactive employees, retirees and employers), and are responsible for the 
investment policy with regard to the assets of the plans.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements172  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

22 Retirement benefits
The post-retirement medical plans provide health benefits to retired employees and certain of their dependants. Eligibility for cover is 
dependent upon certain criteria. The South African plan is unfunded while the Austrian plan is funded. The South African plan has been 
closed to new participants since 1 January 1999.

Except for the actuarial risks set out below, the Group has not identified any additional specific risks in respect of these plans.

Defined benefit plans typically expose the Group to the following actuarial risks:

Investment risk (Asset volatility)

Interest risk

Longevity risk

Salary risk

Medical cost inflation risk

The present value of the net retirement benefit liability/asset is calculated using a discount 
rate determined by reference to high-quality bond yields. If the return on plan assets is below 
this rate, it will create a plan deficit that needs to be funded/guaranteed by the employer. 
Currently the plan assets have a relatively balanced investment in equity and bonds. Due to 
the long-term nature of the plan liabilities, the boards of trustees consider it appropriate that a 
reasonable portion of the plan assets should be invested in equities.

A decrease in the bond interest rate will increase plan liabilities, however this will be partially 
offset by an increase in the return on the plan’s debt instruments.

The present value of the net retirement benefit liability/asset is calculated by reference to the 
best estimate of the mortality of plan participants both during and after their employment. An 
increase in the life expectancy of the plan participants will increase the plan liabilities.

The present value of the net retirement benefit liability/asset is calculated by reference to the 
expected future salaries of plan participants. An increase in the salary of the plan participants 
will increase the plan liabilities.

The present value of the post-retirement medical plans is calculated by reference to expected 
future medical costs. An increase in medical cost inflation will increase the plan liabilities.

Independent qualified actuaries carry out full valuations every year using the projected unit credit method.

Actuarial assumptions

The weighted average principal assumptions used in the actuarial valuations are detailed below:

%

Discount rate

Rate of inflation

Rate of increase in salaries

Rate of increase of pensions in payment

Expected average increase of medical costs

2016

2015

South Africa

Europe

Other regions

South Africa

Europe

Other regions

9.5

7.2

8.2

—

8.7

1.9

2.3

2.0

2.8

3.9

8.2

5.1

6.0

3.5

—

10.2

8.2

9.2

—

9.7

2.7

2.3

2.0

2.6

4.0

9.4

5.8

6.1

3.6

—

The assumption for the discount rate for plan liabilities is based on AA corporate bonds, which are of a suitable duration and currency. 
In South Africa, the discount rate assumption has been based on the zero coupon government bond yield curve.

Mortality assumptions

The assumed life expectancies on retirement at age 65 are:

years

Retiring today

Males

Females

Retiring in 20 years

Males

Females

2016

2015

South Africa

Europe

Other regions

South Africa

Europe

Other regions

16.09

20.15

21.44

25.63

14.05-22.70 15.07-21.30

17.53-27.14 18.60-25.30

14.00-24.90 15.07-22.90

14.00-27.50 18.60-25.30

16.04

19.97

20.54

24.79

14.16-22.80

17.63-27.02

13.51-25.00

13.51-26.51

14.29

17.91

14.29

17.91

The mortality assumptions have been based on published mortality tables in the relevant jurisdictions.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016The amounts recognised in the combined and consolidated statement of financial position are determined as follows:

€ million

Present value of unfunded liabilities

Present value of funded liabilities

Present value of plan liabilities

Fair value of plan assets

Net retirement benefits liability

Amounts reported in combined and 
consolidated statement of financial 
position

Post-retirement medical plans

Defined benefit pension plans

Net retirement benefits asset

Defined benefit pension plans

Post-retirement medical plans

Net retirement benefits liability

2016

2015

South 
Africa

Europe

Other 
regions

(56)

—

(56)

—

(56)

—

—

—

—

(56)

(56)

(128)

(174)

(302)

138

(164)

—

1

1

(161)

(4)

(165)

(19)

—

(19)

—

(19)

—

—

—

(19)

—

(19)

Total

(203)

(174)

(377)

138

(239)

—

1

1

(180)

(60)

(240)

South 
Africa

Europe

Other 
regions

(48)

—

(48)

—

(48)

—

—

—

—

(48)

(48)

(121)

(165)

(286)

137

(149)

1

2

3

(152)

—

(152)

(12)

—

(12)

—

(12)

—

—

—

(12)

—

(12)

The changes in the present value of defined benefit liabilities and fair value of plan assets are as follows:

173

Total

(181)

(165)

(346)

137

(209)

1

2

3

(164)

(48)

(212)

€ million

At 1 January

Included in combined and consolidated 
income statement

Current service cost

Past service cost

Gains from settlements

Interest

Included in combined and consolidated 
statement of comprehensive income

Remeasurement (losses)/gains

Return on plan assets

Acquired through business combinations 
(see note 23)

Disposal of businesses (see note 24)

Contributions paid by other members

Contributions paid by employer

Benefits paid

Currency movements

At 31 December

Defined benefit liabilities

Fair value of plan assets

Net liability

2016

(346)

2015

(390)

2016

137

2015

141

2016

(209)

2015

(249)

(5)

—

—

(14)

(34)

—

(2)

—

(3)

—

21

6

(5)

1

9

(13)

28

—

(2)

2

(3)

—

22

5

(377)

(346)

—

—

—

4

—

15

—

—

3

3

(9)

(15)

138

—

—

(9)

4

—

(1)

—

—

3

3

(10)

6

137

(5)

—

—

(10)

(34)

15

(2)

—

—

3

12

(9)

(5)

1

—

(9)

28

(1)

(2)

2

—

3

12

11

(239)

(209)

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements174  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

22 Retirement benefits
The expected maturity analysis of undiscounted retirement benefits is as follows:

€ million

Less than a year

Between one and two years

Between two to five years

After five years

Note:

2016

2015

Defined benefit 
pension plans

Post-retirement 
medical plans

Total

Defined benefit 
pension plans

Post-retirement 
medical plans

11

10

32

250

7

11

21

242

18

21

53

492

11

12

34

264

7

10

21

3051

Total

18

22

55

5691

1  Restated to be calculated on a basis consistent with a revised current year calculation 

The weighted average duration of the defined retirement benefits liability for South Africa is 10 years (2015: 11 years), Europe 15 years 
(2015: 14 years) and other regions 12 years (2015: 12 years).

It is expected that the Group’s share of contributions will increase as the schemes’ members age. The expected contributions to be paid 
to defined benefit pension plans and post-retirement medical plans during 2017 are €17 million.

The market values of the plan assets in these plans are detailed below:

€ million

External equity

Property

Bonds

Insurance contracts

Cash

Fair value of plan assets

2016

2015

Quoted

Unquoted

Total

Quoted

Unquoted

Total

37

—

84

—

1

122

—

—

—

16

—

16

37

—

84

16

1

138

41

1

79

—

1

122

—

—

—

15

—

15

41

1

79

15

1

137

The majority of the Group’s plan assets are located in Austria and the UK and the following asset-liability matching/investing strategies 
are applied:

Austria

UK

The investment strategy is based on Austrian Social Security Law which stipulates that investments can only be made in 
high-quality euro bonds or deposits in euro in highly rated financial institutions. No investments in equity or equity funds 
are allowed. Due to legal and market restrictions asset-liability matching is not possible.

The trustees invest in diverse portfolios of pooled funds. The long-term objective is to ensure that each plan can continue to 
meet the benefit payments without exposing either the plan or the company to an undue level of risk. The mix of investments in 
each plan is determined taking into account the maturity, currency and nature of the expected benefit payments required.

There are no financial instruments or property owned by the Group included in the fair value of plan assets.

The fair values of equity, property, bonds and cash are determined based on quoted prices in active markets. The fair value of insurance 
contracts is determined in accordance with IAS 19.

The actual return on plan assets in respect of defined benefit plans was a gain of €19 million (2015: gain of €3 million).

The market value of assets is used to determine the funding level of the plans and is sufficient to cover 79% (2015: 83%) of the benefits which 
have accrued to members, after allowing for expected increases in future earnings and pensions. Companies within the Group are paying 
contributions at rates agreed with the plans’ trustees and in accordance with local independent actuarial advice and statutory provisions. 

In certain jurisdictions, Group plans are subject to minimum funding requirements. At 31 December 2016, these minimum funding 
requirements did not give rise to the recognition of any additional liabilities.

Sensitivity analyses

The sensitivity analyses below have been determined based on reasonably possible changes to the respective assumptions occurring at 
the end of the reporting period, while holding all other assumptions constant.

The sensitivity analyses may not be representative of the actual changes in the net retirement benefits asset/(liability) as it is unlikely that 
the changes in assumptions would occur in isolation of one another and some of the assumptions may be inter-related. The projected unit 
credit method was used to calculate the sensitivity analyses below.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016175

1% increase

1% decrease

3

78

—

(31)

—

(12)

—

(11)

(1)

(21)

—

(58)

2

37

2

16

—

14

1

26

1 year increase

1

16

A 1% change in the assumptions would have the following effects on the net retirement benefits plans:

€ million

Discount rate

Increase in current service cost

(Decrease)/increase in net retirement benefit liability

Rate of inflation

Increase in current service cost

Increase/(decrease) in net retirement benefit liability

Rate of increase in salaries

Increase in current service cost

Increase/(decrease) in net retirement benefit liability

Rate of increase of pensions in payment

Decrease in current service cost

Increase/(decrease) in net retirement benefit liability

Medical cost trend rate

Increase/(decrease) in aggregate of the current service cost and interest cost

Increase/(decrease) in net retirement benefit liability

Mortality rates

Increase in current service cost

Increase in net retirement benefit asset/liability

23 Business combinations

To 31 December 2016 

Acquisition of SIMET S.A. (Poland)

Mondi acquired 100% of the outstanding share capital of SIMET S.A. (SIMET) on 27 April 2016 for a consideration of €13 million on a debt 
and cash-free basis. SIMET is a corrugated plant that produces a wide range of flexo printed packaging. Mondi intends to expand and 
upgrade this operation to a high-efficiency, heavy-duty box plant, including the addition of a corrugator line for on-site board production. 
The acquisition strengthens Mondi’s Corrugated Packaging market position in central and emerging Europe.

SIMET’s revenue for the year ended 31 December 2016 was €17 million with a profit after tax of €nil. SIMET’s revenue of €11 million and 
profit after tax of €nil since the date of acquisition have been included in the combined and consolidated income statement.

Acquisition of Kale Nobel Ambalaj Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (Turkey)

On 12 July, Mondi acquired a 90% interest in Kale Nobel Ambalaj Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (Kalenobel) for a consideration of 
€90 million on a debt and cash-free basis. Kalenobel is a consumer packaging company focused on the manufacture of flexible consumer 
packaging for ice cream and other applications as well as aseptic cartons. The acquisition supports Mondi’s growing Consumer 
Packaging business. The non-controlling interest holder has an option to put its shares to Mondi until June 2021, but not before March 
2018, at a price determined based on future earnings, but capped at TRY100 million (€27 million).

Kalenobel’s revenue for the year ended 31 December 2016 was €72 million with a profit after tax of €5 million. Kalenobel’s revenue 
of €27 million and loss after tax of €2 million since the date of acquisition have been included in the combined and consolidated 
income statement.

Acquisition of ZAO Uralplastic-N (Russia)

On 15 July, Mondi acquired a 100% interest in ZAO Uralplastic-N (Uralplastic) for a consideration of RUB2,949 million (€41 million) on a 
debt and cash-free basis. Uralplastic manufactures a range of consumer flexible packaging products for food, hygiene, homecare and 
other applications and the acquisition supports Mondi’s growing Consumer Packaging business.

Uralplastic’s revenue for the year ended 31 December 2016 was €34 million with a loss after tax of €2 million. Uralplastic’s revenue 
of €19 million and loss after tax of €2 million since the date of acquisition have been included in the combined and consolidated 
income statement.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements176  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

23 Business combinations 

Acquisition of LLC Beepack (renamed LLC Mondi Lebedyan) (Russia)

On 20 October, Mondi acquired 100% of the outstanding share capital of LLC Beepack (Lebedyan) for a consideration of 
RUB2,825 million (€41 million) on a debt and cash-free basis.

Lebedyan produces a range of corrugated packaging trays and boxes for food and agricultural products including beverages, fruit and 
vegetables, poultry and dairy. Customers include local Russian and international producers. The acquisition of Lebedyan supports the 
ongoing development of Mondi’s Corrugated Packaging business in central and eastern Europe.

Lebedyan’s revenue for the year ended 31 December 2016 was €38 million with a profit after tax of €3 million. Lebedyan’s revenue 
of €8 million and profit after tax of €1 million since the date of acquisition have been included in the combined and consolidated 
income statement.

Details of the net assets acquired, as adjusted from book to fair value, are as follows:

€ million

Net assets acquired

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Trade and other payables

Provisions

Net retirement benefits liability

Deferred tax liabilities

Total liabilities (excluding debt)

Short-term borrowings

Medium and long-term borrowings

Debt assumed

Net assets acquired

Goodwill arising on acquisitions

Goodwill arising from purchase price adjustment (KSP)

Deferred acquisition consideration (Ascania)

Non-controlling interests in equity

Cash acquired net of overdrafts

Net cash paid per combined and consolidated statement of cash flows

€ million

SIMET

Kalenobel

Uralplastic

Lebedyan

Acquisitions total

Purchase price adjustment (KSP)

Deferred acquisition consideration (Ascania)

Acquisitions total including adjustments

Book value

Revaluation

Fair value

39

5

16

44

2

106

(23)

—

—

—

(23)

(17)

(19)

(36)

47

16

22

1

(3)

—

36

(2)

(1)

(2)

(7)

(12)

—

—

—

24

55

27

17

41

2

142

(25)

(1)

(2)

(7)

(35)

(17)

(19)

(36)

71

81

13

2

(3)

(2)

162

Goodwill

Net assets

Net cash paid

4

42

22

13

81

13

94

6

31

6

28

71

—

71

10

68

28

41

147

13

2

162

Transaction costs of €5 million were charged to the combined and consolidated income statement.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016177

The fair value accounting of these acquisitions is provisional in nature. The nature of these businesses is such that further adjustments to 
the carrying values of acquired assets and/or liabilities, and adjustments to the purchase price, are possible as the detail of the acquired 
businesses is evaluated post acquisition. If necessary, any adjustments to the fair values recognised will be made within 12 months of the 
acquisition dates.

In respect of trade and other receivables, the gross contractual amounts receivable less the best estimates at the acquisition dates of the 
contractual cash flows not expected to be collected approximate the book values and the revaluation amounts respectively as presented.

Purchase price adjustment of KSP

In accordance with the KSP purchase agreement, a payment of €13 million has been recognised in the current year, and reflected as an 
adjustment to Goodwill recognised.

To 31 December 2015

Mondi acquired 100% of the outstanding share capital of Ascania nonwoven Germany GmbH (Ascania) (Germany) on 2 November 2015 
for a consideration of €53 million on a debt and cash-free basis. Ascania is a producer of nonwoven fabrics and nonwoven composites 
primarily used for personal care, hygiene and medical products as well as household applications.

On 14 December 2015, Mondi acquired a 95% interest in KSP, Co. (KSP) (South Korea and Thailand), for a consideration of €54 million on 
a debt and cash-free basis. The preliminary purchase price of €41 million reported in 2015 was based on provisional results. On finalisation 
of the 2015 financial results the purchase price was confirmed at €54 million. KSP is a flexible packaging company specialising in the 
production of high-quality spouted and retort stand-up pouches for the food, pet food and beverage industries.

The provisional fair values at acquisition of KSP have been adjusted. Property, plant and equipment reduced by €1 million, trade and other 
receivables by €2 million. Trade and other payables increased by €1 million and borrowings reduced by €4 million. The net effect of the 
adjustments is €nil and has been recorded during the year ended 31 December 2016.

Details of the net assets acquired are as follows:

€ million

Net assets acquired

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Share of joint venture

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Trade and other payables

Income tax liabilities

Net retirement benefits liability

Deferred tax liabilities

Total liabilities (excluding debt)

Short-term borrowings

Medium and long-term borrowings

Debt assumed

Net assets acquired

Goodwill arising on acquisitions

Non-controlling interests in equity

Cash acquired net of overdrafts

Net cash paid per combined and consolidated statement of cash flows

Paid in 2015

Paid in 2016

Book value

Revaluation 
(restated)

Fair value 
(restated)

14

—

1

4

17

12

48

(8)

(2)

(2)

—

(12)

(13)

(8)

(21)

15

25

6

3

—

(2)

—

32

(1)

—

—

(9)

(10)

2

2

4

26

39

6

4

4

15

12

80

(9)

(2)

(2)

(9)

(22)

(11)

(6)

(17)

41

57

(1)

(12)

85

72

13

85

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements178  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

23 Business combinations

€ million

Ascania

KSP

Acquisitions total

No adjustments were made to the fair values of other prior year acquisitions.

24 Disposal of businesses

To 31 December 2016

There were no significant disposals during the year ended 31 December 2016.

To 31 December 2015 

Disposal of Mondi Ipoh Sdn Bhd

Goodwill

Net assets

Net cash paid

25

32

57

26

15

41

47

38

85

On 11 August 2015, Mondi sold 100% of the shares in Mondi Ipoh Sdn Bhd (Ipoh) to Scientex Packaging Film Sdn Bhd. The sale enables 
Mondi’s Consumer Packaging business to refine its product portfolio in line with its business strategy. The profit on disposal of the 
business of €3 million was recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement.

Disposal of Mondi Osterburken GmbH

Mondi sold 100% of the shares in Mondi Osterburken GmbH (Osterburken) on 24 August 2015 to POLIFILM Extrusion GmbH. The sale 
will enable Mondi to refine its product portfolio and move away from supplying films to competitors of its Consumer Packaging business 
unit. The profit on disposal of the business of €1 million was recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement.

Disposal of Mondi Raubling Group

On 22 December 2015, Mondi disposed of 100% of the shares in the Mondi Raubling Group (Raubling), which comprise Mondi Raubling 
GmbH, HBB Heizkraftwerk Bauernfeind Betreibergesellschaft m.b.H and Chiemgau Recycling GmbH to the Heinzel Group. The sale 
enables Mondi to focus on the development of its core containerboard operations. The profit on disposal of the business of €2 million was 
recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement.

Details of the net assets disposed are as follows:
€ million

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Trade and other payables

Net retirement benefits liability

Deferred tax liabilities

Provisions

Total liabilities (excluding debt)

Short-term borrowings

Net assets disposed

Cumulative translation adjustment reserve realised

Loss on disposal

Disposal proceeds

Cash disposed net of overdrafts

Net cash received per combined and consolidated statement of cash flows

2015

45

3

16

21

12

97

(30)

(2)

(2)

(3)

(37)

(18)

42

2

6

50

(12)

38

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016€ million

Ipoh

Osterburken

Raubling

Disposals total

25 Assets held for sale

€ million

Property, plant and equipment

26 Consolidated cash flow analysis 

(a) Reconciliation of profit before tax to cash generated from operations

€ million

Profit before tax

Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (not included in special items)

Share-based payments

Net cash flow effect of current and prior year special items

Net finance costs 

Net profit from equity accounted investees

Decrease in provisions and net retirement benefits

(Decrease)/increase in inventories

Increase in operating receivables

Increase in operating payables

Fair value gains on forestry assets

Felling costs

Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Profit from disposal of businesses

Other adjustments

Cash generated from operations

(b) Cash and cash equivalents

€ million

Cash and cash equivalents per combined and consolidated statement of financial position

Bank overdrafts included in short-term borrowings

Cash and cash equivalents per combined and consolidated statement of cash flows

179

Net cash inflow

2015

13

7

18

38

2015

3

2015

796

365

3

11

15

105

(1)

(15)

(11)

(51)

71

(40)

51

(13)

(6)

(1)

2016

1

2016

843

380

5

13

17

101

(1)

(14)

24

(1)

45

(64)

57

—

—

(4)

1,401

1,279

2016

404

(27)

377

2015

64

(28)

36

The fair value of cash and cash equivalents approximate their carrying values presented.

The Group operates in certain countries (principally South Africa) where the existence of exchange controls may restrict the use of certain 
cash balances. These restrictions are not expected to have any material effect on the Group’s ability to meet its ongoing obligations.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements180  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

26 Consolidated cash flow analysis

(c) Movement in net debt

The Group’s net debt position is as follows:

€ million

At 1 January 2015

Cash flow

Business combinations

Movement in unamortised loan costs

Net movement in derivative financial instruments

Reclassification

Currency movements

At 31 December 2015

Cash flow

Business combinations (see note 23)

Movement in unamortised loan costs

Net movement in derivative financial instruments

Reclassification1

Currency movements

At 31 December 2016

Note:

Cash and  
cash  
equivalents

Debt due  
within one  
year

Debt due  
after one  
year

Current 
financial 
asset 
investments

Debt-related 
derivative 
financial 
instruments

9

32

—

—

—

—

(5)

36

345

—

—

—

—

(4)

377

(129)

(52)

5

—

—

(54)

8

(222)

152

(17)

—

—

(541)

4

(624)

(1,565)

219

(8)

(3)

—

54

(16)

(1,319)

(335)

(19)

(2)

—

547

9

(1,119)

—

—

—

—

—

2

—

2

—

—

—

—

—

—

2

72

—

—

—

(73)

—

6

5

—

—

—

(23)

—

(1)

(19)

Total net  
debt

(1,613)

199

(3)

(3)

(73)

2

(7)

(1,498)

162

(36)

(2)

(23)

6

8

(1,383)

1  Following the acquisition of the outstanding non-controlling interest in a subsidiary, the shareholder loan provided by the holder of the non-controlling interest was 

reclassified as an intercompany loan and has been eliminated on consolidation 

27 Capital commitments

€ million

Contracted for but not provided

Approved, not yet contracted for

Total capital commitments

These capital commitments relate to the following categories of non-current non-financial assets:

€ million

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Total capital commitments

The expected maturity of these capital commitments is:

€ million

Within one year

One to two years

Two to five years

2016

222

1,516

1,738

2016

35

1,703

1,738

2016

538

593

607

2015

213

817

1,030

2015

22

1,008

1,030

2015

418

334

278

Total capital commitments

1,738

1,030

Capital commitments are based on capital projects approved by the end of the financial year and the budget approved by the Boards. 
Major capital projects still require further approval before they commence. The Group’s capital commitments are expected to be financed 
from existing cash resources and borrowing facilities.

In January 2017, the Boards approved a further €470 million capital spend at Štĕtí (Czech Republic). Capital expenditure is expected to be 
incurred in the three years from 2017 to 2019 and is not included in the capital commitments detailed above. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016181

28 Contingent liabilities
Contingent liabilities comprise aggregate amounts as at 31 December 2016 of €11 million (2015: €9 million) in respect of loans and 
guarantees given to banks and other third parties. No acquired contingent liabilities have been recorded in the Group’s combined and 
consolidated statement of financial position for either year presented.

29 Operating leases

Lease agreements

The principal operating lease agreements in place include the following:

South African land lease

The Group entered into a land lease agreement on 1 January 2001 for a total term of 70 years. The operating lease commitment and 
annual escalation rate is renegotiated every five years. The lease does not contain any clauses with regard to contingent rent or an option 
to purchase the land at the end of the lease term, and does not impose any significant restrictions on the lessee. There are 54 years 
remaining on the lease.

Russian forestry leases

The forestry lease agreements were entered into by the Group on 1 November 2007 for a total term of 47 years and on 30 June 2008 for 
a total term of 49 years. The leases are not renewable. Rental escalates on an annual basis by the consumer price inflation of the local 
jurisdiction. The leases do not contain any clauses with regard to contingent rent or options to purchase the forestry assets at the end of 
the lease term, and do not impose any significant restrictions on the lessee.

Office building

The Group entered into an office building lease agreement for a total term of 20 years from October 2013. The lease may be terminated 
upon six months’ notice to September 2023 and again to September 2028. Rent escalates on an annual basis by the consumer price 
index of the local jurisdiction. The lease does not contain any option to purchase the building at the end of the lease term and does 
not impose any significant restrictions on the lessee. Contingent rent is included in the lease charge and calculated at the consumer 
price index.

Other

The Group has also entered into approximately 1,120 (2015: 880) lease agreements, none of which are individually significant.

The operating lease expense that has been recorded in the Group’s combined and consolidated income statement is €38 million 
(2015: €39 million).

As at 31 December, the Group had the following outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable 
operating leases, which fall due as follows:

€ million

Within one year

One to two years

Two to five years

After five years

Total operating leases

2016

2015

Land, buildings 
and other 

Forestry assets

assets Forestry assets

Land, buildings 
and other 
assets

5

5

14

134

158

26

19

37

23

105

3

3

9

77

92

22

18

30

24

94

30 Financial instruments
The Group’s trading and financing activities expose it to various financial risks that, if left unmanaged, could adversely impact current or 
future earnings. Although not necessarily mutually exclusive, these financial risks are categorised separately according to their different 
generic risk characteristics and include market risk (foreign exchange risk and interest rate risk), credit risk and liquidity risk. The Group 
is actively engaged in the management of all of these financial risks in order to minimise their potential adverse impact on the Group’s 
financial performance.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements182  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

30 Financial instruments
The principles, practices and procedures governing the Group-wide financial risk management process have been approved by the 
Boards and are overseen by the DLC executive committee. In turn, the DLC executive committee delegates authority to a central treasury 
function (Group treasury) for the practical implementation of the financial risk management process across the Group and for ensuring 
that the Group’s entities adhere to specified financial risk management policies. Group treasury continually reassesses and reports on the 
financial risk environment; identifying, evaluating and hedging financial risks by entering into derivative contracts with counterparties where 
appropriate. The Group does not take speculative positions on derivative contracts and only enters into contractual arrangements with 
counterparties that have investment grade credit ratings.

(a) Financial instruments by category

2016/€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables

Financial asset investments

Derivative financial instruments

Cash and cash equivalents

Total

2015/€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables

Financial asset investments

Derivative financial instruments

Cash and cash equivalents

Total

2016/€ million

Financial liabilities

Borrowings – bonds

Borrowings – loans and overdrafts

Trade and other payables

Derivative financial instruments

Other non-current liabilities

Total

2015/€ million

Financial liabilities

Borrowings – bonds

Borrowings – loans and overdrafts

Trade and other payables

Derivative financial instruments

Other non-current liabilities

Total

Fair value 
hierarchy

Loans and 
receivables

At fair value 
through profit 
or loss

Available-
for-sale 
investments

Level 2

Level 2

935

7

—

404

1,346

—

—

6

—

6

—

20

—

—

20

Fair value 
hierarchy

Loans and 
receivables

At fair value 
through profit 
or loss

Available-
for-sale 
investments

Level 2

Level 2

888

7

—

64

959

—

—

13

—

13

—

18

—

—

18

Fair value 
hierarchy

At fair value 
through profit 
or loss

At fair value 
through OCI

At amortised 
cost

Total

935

27

6

404

1,372

Total

888

25

13

64

990

Total

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2

Level 2/3

—

—

—

(5)

(9)

(14)

—

—

—

(18)

—

(18)

(1,495)

(1,495)

(275)

(694)

—

(17)

(275)

(694)

(23)

(26)

(2,481)

(2,513)

Fair value 
hierarchy

At fair value 
through profit 
or loss

At fair value 
through OCI

At amortised 
cost

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2

Level 2

—

—

—

(7)

—

(7)

—

—

—

—

—

—

(996)

(573)

(649)

—

(17)

(2,235)

(2,242)

Total

(996)

(573)

(649)

(7)

(17)

The fair values of available-for-sale investments represent the published prices of the securities concerned. Loans and receivables are held 
at amortised cost. The fair value of loans and receivables approximate the carrying values presented.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016183

(b) Fair value measurement

There have been no transfers of assets or liabilities between levels of the fair value hierarchy during the year.

Except as detailed below, the directors consider that the carrying values of financial assets and financial liabilities recorded at amortised 
cost in the combined and consolidated financial statements are approximately equal to their fair values.

€ million

Financial liabilities

Borrowings

Carrying amount

Fair value

2016

2015

2016

2015

1,770

1,569

1,844

1,653

The non-controlling interest holder in Kalenobel holds an option to put its shares to Mondi until June 2021, but not before March 
2018, at a price determined based on future earnings. The present value of the option is €9 million based on the current expected 
business plan, and is capped at TRY100 million (€27 million). Further analysis is not provided as the option is not considered material. 

(c) Financial risk management

Market risk

The Group’s activities expose it primarily to foreign exchange and interest rate risk. Both risks are actively monitored on a regular basis and 
managed through the use of foreign exchange contracts and interest rate swaps as appropriate. Although the Group’s cash flows are exposed 
to movements in key input and output prices, such movements represent commercial rather than financial risk inherent to the Group.

Foreign exchange risk

The Group operates globally and is exposed to foreign exchange risk in the normal course of its business. Multiple currency exposures 
arise from commercial transactions denominated in foreign currencies, recognised financial assets and liabilities (monetary items) 
denominated in foreign currencies and translational exposure on net investments in foreign operations.

Foreign exchange contracts

The Group’s treasury policy requires subsidiaries to actively manage foreign currency transactional exposures against their functional currencies 
by entering into foreign exchange contracts. For segmental reporting purposes, each subsidiary enters into, and accounts for, foreign exchange 
contracts with Group treasury or with counterparties that are external to the Group, whichever is more commercially appropriate. 

Only material balance sheet exposures and highly probable forecast capital expenditure transactions are hedged.

Foreign currency sensitivity analysis

Foreign exchange risk sensitivity analysis has been performed on the foreign currency exposures inherent in the Group’s financial assets 
and financial liabilities at the reporting dates presented, net of related foreign exchange contracts. The sensitivity analysis provides an 
indication of the impact on the Group’s reported earnings of reasonably possible changes in the currency exposures embedded within the 
functional currency environments that the Group operates in. In addition, an indication is provided of how reasonably possible changes in 
foreign exchange rates might impact on the Group’s equity, as a result of fair value adjustments to foreign exchange contracts designated 
as cash flow hedges. Reasonably possible changes are based on an analysis of historical currency volatility, together with any relevant 
assumptions regarding near-term future volatility.

Net monetary foreign currency exposures by functional currency zone

€ million

Functional currency zones2

Euro

South African rand

Czech koruna

Polish zloty

Russian rouble

Swedish krona

Turkish lira

Other

Notes:

Net monetary foreign currency exposures – assets/(liabilities)1

2016

2015

EUR

Other

EUR

Other

—

(2)

5

(16)

(16)

(17)

(5)

(24)

7

(1)

—

2

(1)

—

—

15

—

(3)

(13)

(1)

21

(12)

4

(35)

(1)

(1)

—

—

—

(1)

(3)

6

1  Presented in euro, the presentation currency of the Group

2  Net monetary exposures represent financial assets less financial liabilities denominated in currencies other than the applicable functional currency, adjusted for the 

effects of foreign exchange risk hedging, excluding cash flow hedging of non-monetary assets and liabilities

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements184  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

30 Financial instruments

Resultant impacts of reasonably possible changes to foreign exchange rates

The Group believes that for each functional to foreign currency net monetary exposure it is reasonable to assume a 5% appreciation/
depreciation of the functional currency. If all other variables are held constant, the table below presents the impacts on the Group’s 
combined and consolidated income statement if these currency movements had occurred.

€ million

Functional currency zones

Polish zloty

Russian rouble

Other

Income/(expense)

2016

+5%

1

1

1

-5%

(1)

(1)

(1)

2015

+5%

—

(1)

3

-5%

—

1

(3)

The corresponding fair value impact on the Group’s equity, resulting from the application of these reasonably possible changes to the 
valuation of the Group’s foreign exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges, would have been €3 million (2015: €1 million). It has 
been assumed that changes in the fair value of foreign exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges of non-monetary assets and 
liabilities are fully recorded in equity and that all other variables are held constant.

Interest rate risk

The Group holds cash and cash equivalents, which earn interest at a variable rate and has variable and fixed rate debt in issue. 
Consequently, the Group is exposed to interest rate risk. Although the Group has fixed rate debt in issue, the Group’s accounting policy 
stipulates that all borrowings be held at amortised cost. As a result, the carrying value of fixed rate debt is not sensitive to changes in credit 
conditions in the relevant debt markets and there is therefore no exposure to fair value interest rate risk.

Management of cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits, together with short-term highly liquid investments which have 
a maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition. Centralised cash pooling arrangements are in place, which ensure that 
cash is utilised most efficiently for the ongoing working capital needs of the Group’s operating units and, in addition, to ensure that the 
Group earns the most advantageous rates of interest available.

Management of variable rate debt

The Group has multiple variable rate debt facilities, of which the most significant is the syndicated facility (RCF) (see note 18). 
When deemed necessary, Group treasury uses interest rate swaps to hedge certain exposures to movements in the relevant interbank 
lending rates, primarily the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and the Johannesburg Interbank Agreed Rate (JIBAR).

The Group’s cash and cash equivalents act as a natural hedge to movements in the relevant interbank lending rates on its variable rate 
debt, subject to any interest rate differentials that exist between the Group’s corporate saving and lending rates.

Net variable rate debt sensitivity analysis

The net variable rate exposure represents variable rate debt less the future cash outflows swapped from variable-to-fixed via interest rate 
swap instruments and cash and cash equivalents. Reasonably possible changes in interest rates have been applied to net variable rate 
exposure, denominated by currency, in order to provide an indication of the possible impact on the Group’s combined and consolidated 
income statement.

Interest rate risk sensitivities on variable rate debt

€ million

Total debt

Less:

Fixed rate debt

Cash and cash equivalents

Net variable rate debt and exposure

Interest rate risk exposures

2016

Other

143

Total

1,770

EUR

1,280

2015

Other

289

(11)

(64)

68

(1,509)

(1,002)

(404)

(143)

(6)

272

(12)

(58)

219

EUR

1,627

(1,498)

(340)

(211)

Total

1,569

(1,014)

(64)

491

Included in other is net variable exposure to various currencies, the most significant of which are ZAR and TRY (2015: GBP, ZAR and TRY).

The Group did not have any outstanding interest rate swaps at 31 December 2016.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016185

The potential impact on the Group’s combined and consolidated equity resulting from the application of +50 basis points to the variable 
interest rate exposure would be a gain of €1 million (2015: loss of €2 million) and vice versa.

In addition to the above, the Group swaps euro and sterling debt into other currencies through the foreign exchange market using foreign 
exchange contracts which has the effect of exposing the Group to interest rates of these currencies. The currencies swapped into/(out of) 
and the amounts as at 31 December were as follows:

€ million

2016

2015

Short-dated contracts with tenures of less than 12 months

Pounds sterling

Czech koruna

Polish zloty

Russian rouble

Swedish krona

US dollar

Other

Total swapped

Credit risk

12

188

317

27

39

119

96

798

(148)

200

250

86

42

104

57

591

The Group’s credit risk is mainly confined to the risk of customers defaulting on sales invoices raised. The Group’s exposure to the credit 
risk inherent in its trade receivables and the associated risk management techniques that the Group deploys in order to mitigate this risk 
are discussed in note 15.

Several Group entities have also issued certain financial guarantees to external counterparties in order to achieve competitive funding 
rates for specific debt agreements entered into by other Group entities. None of these financial guarantees contractually obligates the 
Group to pay more than the recognised financial liabilities in the entities concerned. As a result, these financial guarantee contracts have 
no bearing on the credit risk profile of the Group as a whole.

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group could experience difficulties in meeting its commitments to creditors as financial liabilities fall due for 
payment. The Group manages its liquidity risk by using reasonable and retrospectively assessed assumptions to forecast the future cash-
generative capabilities and working capital requirements of the businesses it operates and by maintaining sufficient reserves, committed 
borrowing facilities and other credit lines as appropriate.

The following table shows the amounts available to draw down on the Group’s committed loan facilities:

€ million

Expiry date

Within one year

Two to five years

Total credit available

2016

2015

62

750

812

5

593

598

Forecast liquidity represents the Group’s expected cash inflows, principally generated from sales made to customers, less the Group’s 
expected cash outflows, principally related to the payment of employees, supplier payments and the repayment of borrowings plus the 
payment of any interest accruing thereon. The matching of these cash inflows and outflows rests on the expected ageing profiles of the 
underlying assets and liabilities.

Short-term financial assets and financial liabilities are primarily represented by the Group’s trade receivables and trade payables. 
The matching of the cash flows that result from trade receivables and trade payables typically takes place over a period of three to 
four months from recognition in the combined and consolidated statement of financial position and is managed to ensure the ongoing 
operating liquidity of the Group.

Financing cash outflows may be longer-term in nature. The Group does not hold long-term financial assets to match against these 
commitments, but is significantly invested in long-term non-financial assets which generate the sustainable future cash inflows, net of 
future capital expenditure requirements, needed to service and repay the Group’s borrowings.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements186  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

30 Financial instruments

(d) Derivative financial instruments

Derivative financial instruments are carried at fair value. At 31 December 2016, the Group recognised total derivative assets of €6 million 
(2015: €13 million) and derivative liabilities of €23 million (2015: €7 million). The full net liability of €17 million (2015: net asset of €6 million) will 
mature within one year.

The notional amount of €1,149 million (2015: €1,259 million) is the aggregate face value of all derivatives outstanding at the reporting date. 
They do not indicate the contractual future cash flows of the derivative instruments held or their current fair value and therefore do not 
indicate the Group’s exposure to credit or market risks. Of the €1,149 million (2015: €1,259 million) aggregate notional amount, €970 million 
(2015: €842 million) relates to the economic hedging of foreign exchange exposures on short-term inter-company funding balances, which 
are fully eliminated on consolidation.

Hedging

Cash flow hedges

The Group designates certain derivative financial instruments as cash flow hedges. The fair value gains/(losses) are reclassified from  
the cash flow hedge reserve to profit and loss in the period when the hedged transaction affects profit and loss. For non-current  
non-financial assets, these gains/(losses) are included in the carrying value of the asset and depreciated over the same useful life as  
the cost of the asset.

Fair value gains of €1 million (2015: losses of €2 million) were reclassified from the cash flow hedge reserve to property, plant and 
equipment during the current year. There was no ineffectiveness recognised in profit or loss arising on cash flow hedges for both 
years presented.

31 Related party transactions
The Group and its subsidiaries, in the ordinary course of business, enter into various sale, purchase and service transactions with equity 
accounted investees and others in which the Group has a material interest. These transactions are under terms that are no less favourable 
than those arranged with third parties. These transactions, in total, are not considered to be significant.

Transactions between Mondi Limited, Mondi plc and their respective subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on 
consolidation and are not disclosed in this note.

€ million

Sales to related parties

Purchases from related parties

Receivables due from related parties

Payables due to related parties

Associates

2016

16

186

2

32

2015

10

190

1

34

Compensation for the Boards and key management

In accordance with IAS 24, ‘Related Party Disclosures’, key management personnel are those persons having authority and responsibility 
for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Group, directly or indirectly, and includes directors (both executive and non-
executive) of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc. The Boards and those members of the DLC executive committee who are not directors 
comprise the key management personnel of the Group. The remuneration of the directors is disclosed in the Remuneration report.

€ million

Salaries and short-term employee benefits

Non-executive directors

Defined contribution plan payments

Social security costs

Share-based payments

Total

2016

7.3

1.1

0.9

1.2

5.1

15.6

2015

6.5

1.2

1.0

1.5

4.6

14.8

The information presented in the table above, in conjunction with the audited information included in the Remuneration report, satisfies 
the disclosure requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008 Section 30(4) to (6) with regard to the remuneration of prescribed 
officers of the Group.

Details of the transactions between the Group and its pension and post-retirement medical plans are disclosed in note 22.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016187

32 Group companies

Composition of the Group

The subsidiaries of the Group as at 31 December 2016 are set out in note 6 of the Mondi Limited parent company financial statements 
and note 9 of the Mondi plc parent company financial statements. All of these interests are combined and consolidated within the Group’s 
financial statements. 

There are no material joint ventures or associates in the Group.

Refer to Mondi’s global footprint on pages 26 and 27 for more information on the places of operation.

Details of non-wholly-owned subsidiaries

€ million

Mondi SCP a.s.

Individually immaterial subsidiaries  
with non-controlling interests

Total

Proportion of ownership 
interests and voting rights held 
by non-controlling interests

2016

49

2015

49

Profit attributable to non-
controlling interests

Equity attributable to non-
controlling interests

2016

42

6

48

2015

36

9

45

2016

251

53

304

2015

239

43

282

Summarised financial information of the Group’s material non-controlling interest is as follows:

Mondi SCP a.s.

€ million

Statement of financial position

Non-current assets

Current assets

Current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Net assets

Equity attributable to owners of the company

Equity attributable to non-controlling interests

Income statement and statement of comprehensive income

Revenue

Operating costs (including taxation)

Profit for the year

Attributable to owners of the company

Attributable to non-controlling interests

Profit and total comprehensive income for the year

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Statement of cash flows

Net cash inflow from operating activities

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Net cash outflow from financing activities

Net cash inflow

The summarised financial information represents amounts before intra-group eliminations.

2016

2015

418

232

(85)

(43)

522

271

251

489

(404)

85

43

42

85

29

129

(16)

(60)

53

448

185

(90)

(46)

497

258

239

489

(416)

73

37

36

73

20

145

(34)

(40)

71

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements188  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

33 Events occurring after 31 December 2016

With the exception of the events listed below there have been no material reportable events since 31 December 2016:
 e Final dividend proposed for 2016 (see note 9); and
 e Acquisition of 100% of the outstanding share capital of Excelsior Technologies Limited (Excelsior) in February 2017, for a total 

consideration of £33 million (€38 million), on a debt and cash-free basis.

34 Accounting policies

Basis of consolidation

The combined and consolidated financial statements incorporate the revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, equity and cash flows of Mondi 
Limited and Mondi plc, and of their respective subsidiaries drawn up to 31 December each year. All intra-group balances, transactions, income 
and expenses are eliminated. A subsidiary is an entity over which the Group has control. Control is evident where the Group is exposed to, or 
has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with that entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over that entity.

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the years presented are included in the combined and consolidated income 
statement from the effective date of acquiring control or up to the effective date of disposal.

Non-controlling interests are measured, at initial recognition, as the non-controlling proportion of the fair values of the assets and liabilities 
recognised at acquisition.

After initial recognition, non-controlling interests are measured as the aggregate of the value at initial recognition and their subsequent 
proportionate share of profits and losses less any distributions made. Changes in the Group’s interests in subsidiaries that do not result in a 
change in control are accounted for as equity transactions. Any resulting difference between the amount by which the non-controlling interests 
is adjusted for and the fair value of the consideration paid or received is recognised directly in equity and attributed to the shareholders.

Foreign currency transactions and translation

Foreign currency transactions

Foreign currency transactions are recorded in their functional currencies at the exchange rates ruling on the dates of the transactions. 
At each reporting date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rates prevailing 
on the reporting date. Gains and losses arising on translation are included in the combined and consolidated income statement and are 
classified as either operating or financing consistent with the nature of the monetary item giving rise to them.

Translation of overseas operations

The Group’s results are presented in euro, the currency in which most of its business is conducted. On consolidation, the assets and 
liabilities of the Group’s overseas operations are translated into the presentation currency of the Group at exchange rates prevailing on 
the reporting date. Income and expense items are translated at the average exchange rates for the year where these approximate the 
rates on the dates of the underlying transactions. Exchange differences arising, if any, are recognised directly in other comprehensive 
income, and accumulated in equity. Such translation differences are reclassified to profit and loss only on disposal or partial disposal of 
the overseas operation.

Fair value measurement

Assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value, or where the fair value of financial instruments has been disclosed in notes to the 
combined and consolidated financial statements, are based on the following fair value measurement hierarchy:

 e level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
 e level 2 – inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (that is, as 

prices) or indirectly (that is, derived from prices); and

 e level 3 – inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (that is, unobservable inputs).

The assets measured at fair value on level 3 of the fair value measurement hierarchy are the Group’s forestry assets as set out in note 13, 
certain assets acquired or liabilities assumed in business combinations, and put options held by non-controlling interests.

The fair values of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market (for example, over-the-counter derivatives) are determined 
using generally accepted valuation techniques. These valuation techniques maximise the use of observable market data and rely as little 
as possible on Group specific estimates.

Specific valuation methodologies used to value financial instruments include:

 e the fair values of interest rate swaps and foreign exchange contracts are calculated as the present value of expected future cash flows 

based on observable yield curves and exchange rates;

 e the Group’s commodity price derivatives are valued by independent third parties, who in turn calculate the fair values as the present 

value of expected future cash flows based on observable market data; and

 e other techniques, including discounted cash flow analysis, are used to determine the fair values of other financial instruments.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016189

Segmental reporting (note 2)

The Group’s operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the DLC executive committee, 
the chief operating decision-making body. Due to its unique characteristics in terms of geography, currency and underlying risks, the 
South Africa Division is managed and reported as a separate geographic segment. The remaining operating segments are managed 
based on the nature of the underlying products produced by those businesses and comprise four distinct segments.

Measurement of operating segment revenues, profit and loss, assets and non-current non-financial assets

Each of the reportable segments derives its income from the sale of manufactured products.

The operating segment measures adhere to the recognition and measurement criteria presented in the Group’s accounting policies. 
The Group has presented certain non-IFRS measures by segment to supplement the user’s understanding. All intra-group transactions 
are conducted on an arm’s length basis. 

The Group’s measure of net segment assets includes the allocation of net retirement benefits assets and liabilities. The measure of 
segment results exclude, however, the financing effects of the Group’s defined benefit retirement plans. In addition, the Group’s measure 
of net segment assets does not include an allocation for derivative assets and liabilities, non-operating receivables and payables and 
assets held for sale and associated liabilities. The measure of segment results includes the effects of certain movements in these 
unallocated balances.

There has been no change in the basis of measurement of segment profit and loss in the financial year.

Revenue recognition

Sale of goods (note 2)

Revenue is derived principally from the sale of goods and is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, after 
deducting discounts, volume rebates, value added tax and other sales taxes. A sale is recognised when the significant risks and rewards 
of ownership have been transferred to the customer. This is when title and insurance risk have passed to the customer, and the goods 
have been delivered to a contractually agreed location.

Sale of green energy and CO2e credits (note 14)

Revenues generated from the sale of green energy and CO2e credits issued under international trading schemes are recorded as income 
within other net operating expenses in the combined and consolidated income statement when ownership rights pass to the buyer. 
Any unsold green energy credits are recorded in inventory.

Investment income (note 6)

Interest income, which is derived from cash and cash equivalents and other interest-bearing financial assets, is accrued on a time 
proportion basis, by reference to the principal outstanding and at the applicable effective interest rate.

Tax (note 7)

The tax expense represents the sum of the current tax charge and the movement in deferred tax.

Current tax

The current tax charge is based on taxable profit for the year. The Group’s asset/liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that 
have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date.

Deferred tax

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in the 
Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit 
and is accounted for using the balance sheet liability method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary 
differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which 
deductible temporary differences can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the temporary differences arise from 
the initial recognition of goodwill or from the initial recognition, other than in a business combination, of other assets and liabilities in a 
transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor accounting profit.

Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, except 
where the Group is able to control the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse 
in the foreseeable future.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting date. The carrying amount is reduced to the extent that it is no 
longer probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered within a reasonable period of 
time. Similarly, it is increased to the extent that it is probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available in the future for all or part of the 
deferred tax asset to be recovered within a reasonable period of time.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements190  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

34 Accounting policies

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted and are expected to apply in the year when the 
liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited to the combined and consolidated income statement, except 
when it relates to items charged or credited directly to other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity, in which case the deferred 
tax is also taken directly to other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the year when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. 
Deferred tax is charged or credited to the combined and consolidated income statement, except when it relates to items charged or 
credited directly to other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity, in which case the deferred tax is also taken directly to other 
comprehensive income and accumulated in equity.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when they relate to income taxes levied by the same tax authority and the Group intends to 
settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis.

Earnings per share (EPS) (note 8)

Basic EPS

Basic EPS is calculated by dividing net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of the sum of ordinary 
Mondi Limited and Mondi plc shares in issue during the year, net of treasury shares.

Diluted EPS

For diluted EPS, the weighted average number of the sum of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc ordinary shares in issue, net of treasury 
shares, is adjusted to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. At present these only include share awards granted to 
employees. Potential or contingent share issues are treated as dilutive when their conversion to shares would decrease EPS.

Underlying and headline EPS

Underlying EPS excludes the impact of special items and is a non-IFRS measure. It is included to provide an additional basis on which 
to measure the Group’s earnings performance. The presentation of headline EPS is mandated under the Listings Requirements of 
the JSE Limited and is calculated in accordance with Circular 2/2015, ‘Headline Earnings’, as issued by the South African Institute of 
Chartered Accountants.

Non-current non-financial assets excluding goodwill, deferred tax and net retirement benefits asset

Property, plant and equipment (note 10)

Property, plant and equipment comprise land and buildings, plant and equipment and assets in the course of construction.

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Assets in the course of construction 
are carried at cost less any impairment. Cost includes site preparation, the purchase price of the equipment and directly attributable labour 
and installation costs. Borrowing costs are capitalised on qualifying assets. The capitalisation of costs ceases when the asset is in the 
location and condition necessary for it to be capable of commercial operation. Start-up and ongoing maintenance costs are not capitalised.

Depreciation is charged to the combined and consolidated income statement so as to write off the cost of assets, other than land 
and assets in the course of construction, over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis to their estimated residual values. 
Residual values and useful lives are reviewed at least annually. Depreciation commences when the assets are ready for their intended 
use. Estimated useful lives range from three years to 20 years for items of plant and equipment and other categories and to a maximum 
of 50 years for buildings.

Intangible assets and research and development expenditure (note 12)

Intangible assets are measured initially at purchase consideration and are amortised on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful 
lives. Estimated useful lives vary between three years and 10 years and are reviewed at least annually.

Research expenditure is written off in the year in which it is incurred. Development costs are capitalised when the completion of the asset 
is both commercially and technically feasible and are amortised on a systematic basis over the economic life of the related development. 
Development costs are recognised as an expense if they do not qualify for capitalisation.

Impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

At each reporting date, the Group reviews the carrying amounts of its property, plant and equipment and intangible assets to determine 
whether there is any indication that those assets are impaired. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is 
estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment. Where the asset does not generate cash flows that are independent from 
other assets, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016191

The recoverable amount of the asset, or cash-generating unit, is the higher of its fair value less costs of disposal and its value-in-use. 
In assessing value-in-use, the estimated future cash flows generated by the asset 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 for which estimates 
of future cash flows have not been adjusted. If the recoverable amount of an asset, or cash-generating unit, is estimated to be less than 
its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset, or cash-generating unit, is reduced to its recoverable amount and an impairment 
recognised as an expense. Where the underlying circumstances change such that a previously recognised impairment subsequently 
reverses, the carrying amount of the asset, or cash-generating unit, is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount. Such a 
reversal is limited to the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment been recognised for the asset, or cash-
generating unit, in prior years. A reversal of an impairment is recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement.

Agriculture – owned forestry assets (note 13)

Owned forestry assets are measured at fair value, calculated by applying the expected selling price, less costs to harvest and deliver, to 
the estimated volume of timber on hand at each reporting date. The estimated volume of timber on hand is determined based on the 
maturity profile of the area under afforestation, the species, the geographic location and other environmental considerations and excludes 
future growth. The product of these is then adjusted to present value by applying a market-related pre tax discount rate.

Changes in fair value are recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement within other net operating expenses. At point of 
felling, the carrying value of forestry assets is transferred to inventory.

Directly attributable costs incurred during the year of biological growth and investments in standing timber are capitalised and presented 
within cash flows from investing activities.

Business combinations (note 23)

Identifiable net assets

At the date of acquisition the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities of a subsidiary, associate or a joint venture are recorded 
at their fair values on acquisition date. Assets and liabilities which cannot be measured reliably are recorded at provisional fair values, 
which are finalised within 12 months of the acquisition date.

Cost of a business combination

The cost of a business combination includes the fair value of assets provided, liabilities incurred or assumed, and any equity instruments 
issued by a Group entity, in exchange for control of an acquiree. The directly attributable costs associated with a business combination 
are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill (note 11)

Any excess of the cost of the acquisition over the fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired is attributed to goodwill. Goodwill is 
subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses.

Impairment of goodwill

Goodwill arising on business combinations is allocated to the group of cash-generating units (CGU) that are expected to benefit from 
the synergies of the combination and represents the lowest level at which goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes. 
The recoverable amount of the CGU to which goodwill has been allocated is tested for impairment annually on a consistent date during 
each financial year and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that it may be impaired.

The recoverable amount of a CGU is determined based on value-in-use calculations. Value-in-use calculations use cash flow projections 
based on financial budgets covering a three-year period that are based on the latest forecasts for revenue and costs as approved by the 
Boards. Projected revenues and costs are determined taking into consideration relevant industry forecasts for individual product lines, 
management’s projections, historical performance and announced industry capacity changes.

Cash flow projections beyond three years are based on internal management forecasts. Growth rates in the countries in which the Group 
operates are determined with reference to published gross domestic product information.

The discount rate is determined as the Group’s weighted average cost of capital using published market data and published borrowing 
rates and adjusted for country risk and tax.

Any impairment is recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement. Impairments of goodwill are not 
subsequently reversed.

Current non-financial assets

Inventory (note 14)

Inventory is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is determined on the first-in-first-out (FIFO) or weighted average 
cost basis, as appropriate. Costs comprise direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have 
been incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. Net realisable value is defined as the selling price less any 
estimated costs of disposal.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements192  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

34 Accounting policies

Assets held for sale (note 25)

Assets are classified as held for sale if their carrying amount will be recovered through a sale transaction rather than through continuing 
use. Assets classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less costs of disposal from the date on 
which these conditions are met.

Any resulting impairment is reported in the combined and consolidated income statement. On classification as held for sale, the assets are 
no longer depreciated or amortised. Comparative amounts are not adjusted.

Provisions (note 17)

Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present obligation as a result of a past event, which it will be required to settle. 
Provisions are measured at management’s best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation at the reporting date, and are 
discounted to present value where the effect of discounting is material.

Equity instruments

Treasury shares (note 20)

The purchase by any Group entity of either Mondi Limited’s or Mondi plc’s equity instruments results in the recognition of treasury shares. 
The consideration paid is deducted from equity. Where treasury shares are subsequently sold, reissued or otherwise disposed of, any 
consideration received is included in equity attributable to the shareholders of either Mondi Limited or Mondi plc, net of any directly 
attributable incremental transaction costs and the related tax effects.

Dividend payments (note 9)

Dividend distributions to Mondi Limited’s and Mondi plc’s ordinary shareholders are recognised as a liability in the period in which the 
dividends are declared and approved. Final dividends are accrued when approved by both Mondi Limited’s and Mondi plc’s ordinary 
shareholders at their respective Annual General Meetings and interim dividends are recognised when approved by the Boards.

Share-based payments (note 21)

The Group operates a number of equity-settled, share-based compensation schemes. The fair value of the employee services received 
in exchange for the grant of share awards is recognised concurrently as an expense and an adjustment to equity. The total amount to 
be expensed over the vesting period is determined by reference to the fair value of the share awards granted, as adjusted for market 
performance conditions and non-vesting conditions where applicable. Vesting conditions are included in assumptions about the number 
of awards that are expected to vest. At each reporting date, the Group revises its estimates of the number of share awards that are 
expected to vest as a result of changes in non-market vesting conditions. It recognises the impact of the revision to original estimates, if 
any, in the combined and consolidated income statement, with a corresponding adjustment to equity.

Financial instruments (note 30)

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised in the Group’s combined and consolidated statement of financial position when the 
Group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition or issue of financial assets and financial liabilities (other than financial 
assets and financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss) are added to or deducted from the fair value of the financial assets or 
financial liabilities, as appropriate, on initial recognition. Transaction costs directly attributable to the acquisition of financial assets or 
financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss are recognised immediately in profit or loss.

Cash and cash equivalents (note 26b)

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits, together with short-term, highly liquid investments of a maturity 
of three months or less from the date of acquisition that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and that are subject to an 
insignificant risk of changes in value. Bank overdrafts are shown within short-term borrowings in current liabilities in the combined and 
consolidated statement of financial position. Cash and cash equivalents in the combined and consolidated statement of cash flows and in 
the presentation of net debt are reflected net of overdrafts.

Trade receivables and payables (notes 15 and 16)

Trade receivables and payables are initially recognised at fair value and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective 
interest rate method. Trade receivables are reduced by an allowance for impairment.

Put options held by non-controlling interests (note 30)

Written put options on the shares of a subsidiary held by non-controlling interests give rise to a financial liability for the present value 
of the expected redemption amount. The liability that may become payable under the arrangement is initially recognised at fair value 
with a corresponding entry directly in equity. Subsequent changes to the fair value of the liability are recognised in the combined and 
consolidated income statement.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016193

Borrowings (note 19)

Interest bearing loans and overdrafts are initially recognised at fair value, net of direct transaction costs. Borrowings are subsequently 
measured at amortised cost. Any difference between the proceeds, net of transaction costs, and the redemption value is recognised in 
the combined and consolidated income statement over the term of the borrowings using the effective interest rate method.

Borrowing costs (note 6)

Interest on borrowings directly relating to the acquisition, construction or production of qualifying assets is capitalised until such time 
as the assets are substantially ready for their intended use or sale. Where funds have been borrowed specifically to finance a project, 
the amount capitalised represents the actual borrowing costs incurred. Where the funds used to finance a project form part of general 
borrowings, the amount capitalised is calculated using a weighted average of rates applicable to relevant general borrowings of the Group 
during the construction period.

All other borrowing costs are recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement in the period in which they are incurred.

Derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting (note 30d)

The Group enters into forward, option and swap contracts in order to hedge its exposure to foreign exchange, interest rate and 
commodity price risks.

Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value at the date a derivative contract is entered into and subsequently measured at fair value in 
the combined and consolidated statement of financial position within derivative financial instruments.

Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not formally designated in hedge relationships are recognised immediately in 
the combined and consolidated income statement and are classified within operating profit or net finance costs, depending on the type of 
risk to which the derivative relates.

Cash flow hedges

The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments that are designated as hedges of future cash flows 
are recognised directly in other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is 
recognised immediately in the combined and consolidated income statement. If the cash flow hedge of a forecast transaction results in 
the recognition of a non-financial asset or a non-financial liability then, at the time the asset or liability is recognised, the associated gains 
or losses on the derivative that had previously been recognised in the Group’s cash flow hedge reserve in equity are included in the initial 
measurement of the asset or liability. For hedges that do not result in the recognition of a non-financial asset or a non-financial liability, 
amounts deferred in the Group’s cash flow hedge reserve in equity are recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement in 
the same period in which the hedged item affects profit and loss on a proportionate basis.

Hedge accounting is discontinued when the hedge relationship is revoked or the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated, 
exercised, or no longer qualifies for hedge accounting. At that time, any cumulative gain or loss deferred in equity remains in equity and 
is recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement when the forecast transaction is ultimately recognised. If a hedge 
transaction is no longer expected to occur, the net cumulative gain or loss deferred in equity is included immediately in the combined and 
consolidated income statement.

Retirement benefits (note 22)

The Group operates defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution pension plans for the majority of its employees as well as 
post-retirement medical plans.

Defined contribution plans

For defined contribution plans, the amount charged to the combined and consolidated income statement is the contributions paid or 
payable during the reporting period.

Defined benefit pension plans and post-retirement medical plans

For defined benefit pension and post-retirement medical plans, actuarial valuations are performed at each financial year end using 
the projected unit credit method. The average discount rate for the plans’ liabilities is based on AA rated corporate bonds or similar 
government bonds of a suitable duration and currency. Plans’ assets are measured using market values at the end of the reporting period.

The net retirement benefits liability recognised in the combined and consolidated statement of financial position represents the present 
value of the defined benefit liability as reduced by the fair value of any plan assets.

Any increase in the present value of plan liabilities expected to arise from employee service during the year is charged to operating profit 
as service costs. Past service costs resulting from plan amendments or curtailments and gains or losses on settlements are charged to 
operating profit. A net interest expense or net interest income is calculated by applying the discount rate, on a per plan basis, to the net 
defined benefit liability or asset and recognised in the combined and consolidated income statement within net finance costs.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements194  

Notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

34 Accounting policies
Remeasurements comprising actuarial gains and losses and the return on plan assets (after recognising the net finance charge) are 
recognised in the combined and consolidated statement of financial position with a charge or credit to other comprehensive income, net 
of deferred tax, in the reporting period in which they occur. Remeasurements recorded in other comprehensive income are not recycled 
to profit and loss, but those amounts recognised in other comprehensive income may be transferred within equity.

Leases (note 29)

Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the 
lessee. All other leases are classified as operating leases. The Group has no material finance lease arrangements.

Rental costs under operating leases are charged to the combined and consolidated income statement in equal annual amounts over the 
lease term unless another systematic basis is more representative of the pattern of use.

New accounting policies, early adoption and future requirements

Amendments to published Standards effective during 2016

The following amendments to published Standards have been adopted by the Group and did not have a significant impact on the 
Group’s results:

 e IFRS 5 – Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations
 e IFRS 7 – Financial Instruments: Disclosures
 e IAS 16 – Property, Plant and Equipment
 e IAS 19 – Employee Benefits
 e IAS 34 – Interim Financial Reporting
 e IAS 38 – Intangible Assets 

Standards and amendments to published Standards that are not yet effective 

The following Standards are effective for the financial year beginning on 1 January 2017, and will have no significant impact on the 
Group’s results:

 e IAS 7 – Statements of Cash Flows, disclosure initiative 
 e IAS 12 – Income Taxes

The following Standards will become effective for the financial year beginning on 1 January 2018:

 e IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments 

A preliminary assessment has been completed and, given the nature of the Group’s business, no impact is expected in respect of 
the measurement of financial instruments. The revised financial instrument categories will result in some changes in classification and 
additional disclosures will be required. 

 e IFRS 15 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers 

A preliminary assessment has been completed and the Group does not expect any significant changes to the timing and recognition of 
revenue. Additional disclosures will be required.

IFRS 16 – Leases, will become effective for the financial year beginning on 1 January 2019. The Group is party to more than 1,000 leases. 
The most significant lease agreements have been assessed and are expected to result in an increase in assets and liabilities as these 
leases are capitalised as well as an increase in EBITDA offset by an increase in depreciation and an increase in finance charges. A large 
proportion of the Group’s lease agreements are short-term in nature and not individually material in value. Early adoption from the year 
beginning 1 January 2018 is under consideration. 

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Independent auditor’s report on the summary financial statements 
to the shareholders of Mondi Limited

195

Opinion

The accompanying summary financial statements of Mondi Limited, which comprise the statement of financial position as at 
31 December 2016 and selected notes, are derived from the audited financial statements of Mondi Limited for the year ended 
31 December 2016. We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on those financial statements in our report dated 22 February 2017.

In our opinion, the accompanying summary financial statements are consistent, in all material respects, with the audited financial 
statements of Mondi Limited in accordance with the framework concepts and the measurement and recognition requirements of 
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008 as applicable to 
summary financial statements.

Summary financial statements

The summary financial statements do not contain all the disclosures required by IFRS and the requirements of the Companies Act of 
South Africa 2008 as applicable to financial statements. Reading the summary financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon, 
therefore, is not a substitute for reading the audited financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon.

The audited financial statements and our report thereon

We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on the audited financial statements in our report dated 22 February 2017. That report 
also includes:
 e the communication of key audit matters as reported in the auditor’s report of the audited financial statements; and
 e a ‘Report on other legal and regulatory requirements’ paragraph: audit tenure.

Directors’ responsibility for the summary financial statements

The directors are responsible for the preparation of the summary financial statements in accordance with framework concepts and the 
measurement and recognition requirements of IFRS and the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa 2008 and for such 
internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of the summary financial statements that are free from 
material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on whether the summary financial statements are consistent, in all material respects, with the 
audited financial statements based on our procedures, which were conducted in accordance with International Standard on Auditing 810 
(Revised), ‘Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements’.

Deloitte & Touche
Registered Auditors 
Per Shelly Nelson 
Partner

22 February 2017

Building 1 and 2, Deloitte Place,  
The Woodlands 
Woodlands Drive, Woodmead, Sandton,  
Republic of South Africa 

Riverwalk Office Park, Block B 
41 Matroosberg Road,  
Ashlea Gardens X6, Pretoria, 
Republic of South Africa

National Executive: *LL Bam Chief Executive Officer *TMM Jordan Deputy Chief Executive Officer *MJ Jarvis Chief Operating Officer *GM Pinnock Audit *N Sing Risk 
Advisory *NB Kader Tax TP Pillay Consulting S Gwala BPaaS *K Black Clients & Industries *JK Mazzocco Talent & Transformation *MJ Comber Reputation & Risk 
*TJ Brown Chairman of the Board

A full list of partners and directors is available on request 
B-BBEE rating: Level 2 contributor in terms of the Chartered Accountancy Profession Sector Code 
Associate of Deloitte Africa, a member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

*Partner and Registered Auditor

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
196  

Mondi Limited parent company statement of financial position 
as at 31 December 2016

ZAR million

Property, plant and equipment

Forestry assets

Investment in and loans to subsidiaries

Investment in associate

Financial asset investments

Total non-current assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Investment in and loans to subsidiaries

Current tax asset

Financial asset investments

Financial instruments

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Total current assets

Total assets

Short-term borrowings

Trade and other payables

Provisions

Total current liabilities

Net retirement benefits liability

Deferred tax liabilities

Provisions

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Stated capital

Retained earnings and other reserves

Total equity

Notes

2

2

3

2016

5,619

3,724

52

—

23

9,418

768

1,477

172

32

188

5

1

—

2,643

12,061

(1,218)

(1,111)

(59)

2015

5,300

2,908

99

24

—

8,331

637

1,763

114

27

207

16

11

7

2,782

11,113

(841)

(1,122)

(83)

(2,388)

(2,046)

(797)

(1,773)

(28)

(2,598)

(4,986)

(794)

(1,474)

(28)

(2,296)

(4,342)

7,075

6,771

4,188

2,887

7,075

4,188

2,583

6,771

The statement of financial position and statement of changes in equity of Mondi Limited and related notes were approved by the board 
and authorised for issue on 22 February 2017 and were signed on its behalf by:

David Hathorn 
Director 

Andrew King
Director

Mondi Limited company registration number: 1967/013038/06

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
 
Mondi Limited parent company statement of changes in equity 
for the year ended 31 December 2016 

Retained 
earnings Other reserves

ZAR million

At 1 January 2015

Total comprehensive income for the year

Dividends paid

Shares vested from Mondi Incentive Schemes Trust

Mondi share schemes’ charge

Issue of shares under employee share schemes

At 31 December 2015

Total comprehensive income/(expense) for the year

Dividends paid

Shares vested from Mondi Incentive Schemes Trust

Mondi share schemes’ charge

Issue of shares under employee share schemes

Stated capital

4,188

—

—

—

—

—

4,188

—

—

—

—

—

1,890

1,318

(686)

(42)

—

20

2,500

1,458

(1,111)

(41)

—

19

At 31 December 2016

4,188

2,825

9

67

—

—

24

(17)

83

(25)

—

—

26

(22)

62

197

Total  
equity

6,087

1,385

(686)

(42)

24

3

6,771

1,433

(1,111)

(41)

26

(3)

7,075

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements198  

Notes to the Mondi Limited parent company summary financial statements 
for the year ended 31 December 2016

1 Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The statement of financial position and selected notes of Mondi Limited have been prepared in accordance with applicable International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) under the historical cost convention.

Principal accounting policies 

The principal accounting policies applied by Mondi Limited are the same as those presented in notes 1 and 34 to the combined and 
consolidated Group financial statements, to the extent that the Group’s transactions and balances are applicable to the company financial 
statements. Principally, the accounting policies which are not directly relevant to Mondi Limited parent company financial statements are 
those relating to consolidation accounting and the recognition and subsequent measurement of goodwill.

The accounting policy which is additional to those applied by the Group, is stated as follows:

Investments

Investments in subsidiaries and associates are reflected at cost less amounts written off and provisions for any impairments. Any potential 
impairment is determined on a basis consistent with the accounting policy on the impairment of goodwill.

Accounting estimates and critical judgements

The accounting estimates and critical judgements applied by the key management of Mondi Limited are discussed in the Group’s 
combined and consolidated financial statements (see note 1). In addition, the carrying value of investments is considered a 
critical judgement.

2 Investment in and loans to subsidiaries

ZAR million

Unlisted

Shares at cost

Loans advanced

Impairment

Total investments in subsidiaries

Repayable within one year classified as a current asset

Total long-term investments in subsidiaries

2016

2015

62

418

(256)

224

(172)

52

3

310

(100)

213

(114)

99

3 Stated capital
Full disclosure of the stated capital of Mondi Limited is set out in note 20 of the Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements.

4 Contingent liabilities
Contingent liabilities for Mondi Limited comprise aggregate amounts at 31 December 2016 of ZAR76 million (2015: ZAR76 million), 
in respect of loans and guarantees given to banks and other third parties.

5 Events occurring after 31 December 2016
With the exception of the proposed final dividend for 2016, included in note 9 of the Group’s combined and consolidated financial 
statements, there have been no material reportable events since 31 December 2016.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016199

6 List of subsidiary and associated undertakings and other significant holdings as at 
31 December 2016 
All shares are held directly except where noted. Except where stated, the shares held are ordinary shares. 

Company

Côte d’Ivoire

La Sacherie Moderne SA1

South Africa

Registered office

% of shares 
held by Group

Angle de l’Avenue A16, Abidjan-Platea, Immeuble Amiral, 01 B.P 5676

Arctic Sun Trading 17 Proprietary Limited1

Unit 4, 57 St. Andrews Drive, Durban North, 4051

Bongani Development CC

Copasize Proprietary Limited1

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

111 9th Road, Hydepark, Sandton, 2196

Golden Pond Trading 250 Proprietary Limited1

3 Joyner Road, Prospecton, 4110

Khulanathi Forestry Proprietary Limited1

Lakeside Terrace, 3rd Floor, ABSA Building, Richards Bay, 3900

Mbulwa Estate Proprietary Limited1

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Mondi Africa Holdings Proprietary Limited

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Mondi Forestry Partners Programme Proprietary Limited1

380 Old Howick Road, Mondi House, Hilton, 3245

Mondi Sacherie Moderne Holdings Proprietary Limited

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Mondi Shanduka Newsprint Proprietary Limited

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Mondi Timber (Wood Products) Proprietary Limited

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Mondi Timber Limited2

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Mondi Zimele Job Funds Proprietary Limited1

380 Old Howick Road, Mondi House, Hilton, 3245

Mondi Zimele Proprietary Limited

380 Old Howick Road, Mondi House, Hilton, 3245

MZ Business Services Proprietary Limited1

380 Old Howick Road, Mondi House, Hilton, 3245

MZ Technical Services Proprietary Limited1

380 Old Howick Road, Mondi House, Hilton, 3245

Professional Starch Proprietary Limited1

380 Old Howick Road, Mondi House, Hilton, 3245

Siyaqhubeka Forests Proprietary Limited1

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Zimshelf Eight Investment Holdings Proprietary Limited

4th Floor, No 3 Melrose Boulevard, Melrose Arch, 2196

Notes:

1  These companies are held indirectly

2  The company has ordinary and cumulative preference shares

50.0

50.0

100.0

34.0

49.0

30.0

50.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

56.0

100.0

51.0

100.0

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements200  

Mondi plc parent company balance sheet 
as at 31 December 2016 

€ million

Fixed asset investments

Debtors: due within one year

Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Total creditors: due within one year

Total provisions: due after more than one year

Total liabilities

Net assets

Capital and reserves

Share capital

Profit or loss account

Share-based payments reserve

Total shareholders’ funds

Notes

5

2016

2,938

3

310

3,251

(13)

(1)

(14)

2015

2,938

4

107

3,049

(13)

(1)

(14)

3,237

3,035

6

103

3,116

18

3,237

103

2,916

16

3,035

Mondi plc reported a profit of €407 million (2015: loss of €11 million) for the year ended 31 December 2016. The balance sheet and 
statement of changes in equity of Mondi plc and related notes were approved by the board and authorised for issue on 22 February 2017 
and were signed on its behalf by:

David Hathorn 
Director 

Andrew King
Director

Mondi plc company registered number: 6209386

Mondi plc parent company statement of changes in equity
for the year ended 31 December 2016

€ million

At 1 January 2015

Total comprehensive expense for the year

Dividends paid

Issue of shares under employee share schemes

Purchases of treasury shares

Mondi share schemes’ charge

At 31 December 2015

Total comprehensive income for the year

Dividends paid

Issue of shares under employee share schemes

Purchases of treasury shares

Mondi share schemes’ charge

At 31 December 2016

Share capital

Profit or loss 
account

103

3,097

—

—

—

—

—

103

—

—

—

—

—

(5)

(159)

8

(25)

—

2,916

414

(207)

9

(16)

—

103

3,116

Share-based 
payments 
reserve

14

—

—

(8)

—

10

16

—

—

(9)

—

11

18

Total  
equity

3,214

(5)

(159)

—

(25)

10

3,035

414

(207)

—

(16)

11

3,237

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016  
  
Notes to the Mondi plc parent company financial statements 
for the year ended 31 December 2016 

201

1 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

Mondi plc meets the definition of a qualifying entity under Financial Reporting Standard 100 (FRS 100) issued by the Financial Reporting 
Council. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101, ‘Reduced 
Disclosure Framework’ (FRS 101) as issued by the Financial Reporting Council.

As permitted by FRS 101, Mondi plc has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available under that standard in relation to 
share-based payments, financial instruments, capital management, presentation of comparative information in respect of certain assets, 
presentation of a cash flow statement, standards not yet effective, impairment of assets and related party transactions. 

Where required, equivalent disclosures are given in the Group accounts of Mondi plc, which are publicly available. The results, assets and 
liabilities of Mondi plc are included in the publicly available combined and consolidated Group financial statements.

Mondi plc has made use of the exemption from presenting a profit and loss account, in accordance with Section 408 of the 
UK Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis. This is discussed in the Strategic report under Principal risks 
under the heading ‘Going concern’.

The financial statements are prepared on the historical cost basis, except for the revaluation of certain financial instruments. Historical cost 
is generally based on the fair value of the consideration given in exchange for the assets. The principal accounting policies adopted are 
described below. They have all been applied consistently throughout the year and the preceding year.

Principal accounting policies 

The principal accounting policies applied by Mondi plc are the same as those presented in notes 1 and 34 to the combined and 
consolidated Group financial statements, to the extent that the Group’s transactions and balances are applicable to the company financial 
statements. Principally, the accounting policies which are not directly relevant to Mondi plc parent company financial statements are those 
relating to consolidation accounting and the recognition and subsequent measurement of goodwill.

The accounting policy additional to those applied by the Group is stated as follows:

Investments

Fixed asset investments are stated at cost, less, where appropriate, provisions for impairment. Any potential impairment is determined on 
a basis consistent with the accounting policy on the impairment of goodwill.

Accounting estimates and critical judgements 

The accounting estimates and critical judgements applied by the key management of Mondi plc are discussed in the Group’s combined 
and consolidated financial statements (see note 1). In addition, the carrying value of investments is considered a critical judgement.

2 Auditor’s remuneration
Disclosure of the audit fees payable to the auditor for the audit of Mondi plc’s financial statements is set out in note 4 of the Group’s 
combined and consolidated financial statements.

3 Share-based payments
The share schemes and the underlying assumptions used to estimate the associated fair value charge are set out in note 21 of the 
Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements.

4 Deferred tax
A deferred tax asset of €4 million (2015: €5 million) has not been recognised in relation to temporary differences regarding the share-
based payment arrangements. A deferred tax asset has not been recognised in relation to tax losses brought forward of €25 million 
(2015: €25 million). The deferred tax assets have not been recognised due to the unpredictability of future income against which they 
could be utilised.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements202  

Notes to the Mondi plc parent company financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

5 Fixed asset investments

€ million

Unlisted

Shares at cost

2016

2015

2,938

2,938

The investment is in Mondi Investments Limited (incorporated in the UK), a wholly-owned subsidiary which acts as an investment 
holding company.

6 Share capital
Full disclosure of the share capital of Mondi plc is set out in note 20 of the Group’s combined and consolidated financial statements.

7 Contingent liabilities
Mondi plc has issued financial guarantees in respect of the UK pension schemes of its subsidiaries, obligations incurred in the ordinary 
course of business and the borrowings of other Group undertakings. The likelihood of these financial guarantees being called is 
considered to be remote and therefore the estimated financial effect of issuance is €nil (2015: €nil). The fair value of these issued financial 
guarantees is deemed to be immaterial.

€ million

Pension scheme guarantees

Guarantees of obligations of subsidiaries of Mondi plc

– Incurred in the ordinary course of business

– In favour of banks and bondholders

At 31 December

2016

82

32

2,665

2,779

2015

95

37

2,139

2,271

8 Events occurring after 31 December 2016
With the exception of the proposed final dividend for 2016, included in note 9 of the Group’s combined and consolidated financial 
statements, there have been no material reportable events since 31 December 2016.

9  List of subsidiary and associated undertakings and other significant holdings as at 

31 December 2016

All shares are held indirectly through a subsidiary or associated undertaking except where noted. Except where stated, the shares held 
are ordinary shares.

Company

Austria

Registered office

Future Lignin & Pulp Processing 
Research Projekt GmbH

Murmühlweg 2, 8112 Gratwein

Mondi AG

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Mondi Bags Austria GmbH

Bahnhofstrasse 3, 8740 Zeltweg

Mondi Coatings GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Mondi Coating Zeltweg GmbH Bahnhofstrasse 3, 8740 Zeltweg

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

25.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Consumer Packaging 
GmbH

Mondi Corrugated Holding 
Österreich GmbH

Mondi Corrugated Services 
GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

100.00

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

100.00

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

100.00

100.00

Mondi Frantschach GmbH

Frantschach 5, 9413 St. Gertraud

Mondi Grünburg GmbH

Steyrtalstrasse 5, 4594 Obergrünburg

100.00

Mondi Holdings Austria GmbH Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Mondi Industrial Bags GmbH Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

100.00

100.00

Company

Registered office

Mondi Korneuburg GmbH

Mondi Neusiedler GmbH

Stockerauer Strasse 110, 2100 
Korneuburg

Theresienthalstrasse 50,  
3363 Ulmerfeld-Hausmening

Mondi Oman Holding GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Mondi Paper Sales GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Mondi Release Liner Austria 
GmbH

Waidhofnerstrasse 11, 3331 Hilm

Mondi Services AG

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Mondi Styria GmbH

Bahnhofstrasse 3, 8740 Zeltweg

Mondi Uncoated Fine & Kraft 
Paper GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Papierholz Austria GmbH

Frantschach 5, 9413 St. Gertraud

SAREC Papiersackrecycling 
Organisation GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Sulbit Handels GmbH

Marxergasse 4A, 1030 Vienna

Ybbstaler Zellstoff GmbH

Theresienthalstrasse 50,  
3363 Ulmerfeld-Hausmening

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

100.00

51.00

70.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

25.00

100.00

100.00

51.00

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Company

Belgium

Registered office

Mondi Belcoat N.V.

Adolf Stocletlaan 11, 2570 Duffel

Mondi Poperinge N.V.

Nijverheidslaan 11, 8970 Poperinge

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

100.00

100.00

Company

Registered office

Mondi Inncoat GmbH

Angererstrasse 25, 83064 Raubling

Mondi Jülich GmbH

Rathausstrasse 29, 52428 Jülich

Mondi Lindlar GmbH

Wielandstrasse 2, 33790 Halle

203

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

100.00

100.00

100.00

1 Zavodska Street, Stambolijski 4210, 
Plovdiv Region

100.00

Mondi Paper Sales 
Deutschland GmbH

Oberbaumbrücke 1, 20457 Hamburg

100.00

Mondi Sendenhorst GmbH

Herkulesweg 1, 48324 Sendenhorst

100.00

Bulgaria

Mondi Stambolijski E.A.D

China

Mondi Trebsen GmbH

Erich-Hausmann-Strasse 1,  
04687 Trebsen

100.00

Mondi Wellpappe Ansbach 
GmbH

Robert-Bosch-Strasse 3,  
91522 Ansbach

100.00

100.00

wood2M GmbH

Hauptstrasse 66, 07366 Blankenstein

50.00

100.00

Greece

Mondi Thessaloniki A.E.

Sindos Industrial Zone – Block 18, 
57022 Thessaloniki

100.00

Hungary

Mondi Bags Hungária Kft.

Tünde u. 2, 4400 Nyíregyháza

Mondi Békéscsaba Kft.

Tevan Andor u. 2, 5600 Békéscsaba

Mondi Szada Kft.

Vasút u. 13, 2111 Szada

Takya, Bazian, Sulaimaniyah

34.55

Mondi (China) Film Technology 
Co. Ltd.

No 29 Xinggang Road,  
Taicang Port Development Zone

Mondi Trading (Beijing) Co. Ltd. 0912, Air China Plaza, Building 1, 
No.36 Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang, 
Beijing

Croatia

Mondi Valpovo d.o.o.

Czech Republic

Oreškovićeva 6c, 10010 Zagreb  
(Grad Zagreb)

EURO WASTE, a.s.

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Labe Wood s.r.o.

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Lignocel s.r.o (in liquidation)

Poupětova 3, 17000 Prague 7

Mondi Bags Štětí a.s.

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Mondi Bupak s.r.o.

Papírenská 41, 37052 České 
Budějovice

Mondi Coating Štětí a.s.

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Mondi Štětí a.s.

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Mondi Štětí White Paper s.r.o

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper 
Czech Republic s.r.o.

Prosecka 851/64, 19000 Prague 9

Roto a.s.

Litoměřická 272, 41108 Štětí

Wood & Paper a.s.

Hlina 57/18, 66491 Brno

33.33

25.00

20.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

99.99

100.00

46.50

Iraq

Mondi Kaso Iraq Industrial 
Bag Ltd.

Italy

Mondi Gradisac Srl.

Mondi IPI Srl.

Mondi Italia Srl.

Egypt

Suez Bags Company SAE

Finland

35, Ramses Street, P.O. Box 1002 
Maandi, Cairo

29.89

Mondi Silicart Srl.

Mondi San Pietro in Gu Srl.

Mondi Lohja Oy

Kotkantie 5, 08100 Lohja

100.00

France

Mondi Gournay Sarl

ZI avenue de l’Europe,  
76220 Gournay-en-Bray

Mondi Lembacel SAS

11 Rue de Reims, 51490 Bétheniville

Mondi Paper Sales France Sarl 3 Rue de Turbigo, 75001 Paris

Germany

Mondi Srl. (in liquidation)

Mondi Tolentino Srl.

100.00

100.00

100.00

NATRO-TECH Srl.

Japan

Mondi Tokyo KK

Mondi Paper Sales Italia Srl.

Via Fara Gustavo 35, 20124 Milano

Via dell´Industria 11,  
34072 Gradisca d´Isonzo, Gorizia

Via Zanchetta 27,  
35010 San Pietro in Gu, Padua

Vial Balilla 32, 24058 Romano di 
Lombardia, Bergamo

Via Mazzini 21, 35010 San Pietro in 
Gu, Padua

Viale Marconi 10, 40011 Anzola 
dell’Emilia Bologna

Via Zanchetta 27, 35010 San Pietro in 
Gu, Padua

Via Giovanni Falcone 1,  
62029 Tolentino Macerata

Via Balilla 32, 24058 Romano di 
Lombardia, Bergamo

7th floor 14-5, Akasaka 2-chrome, 
Minato-ku, Tokyo

100.00

Mondi Ascania GmbH

Daimlerstrasse 8, 06449 Aschersleben

100.00

Jordan

Mondi Bad Rappenau GmbH Wilhelm-Hauff-Strasse 41,  

74906 Bad Rappenau

100.00

Jordan Paper Sacks Company 
Limited

Al Salt, Industrial Area, P.O. Box 119, 
19374, Balqa

67.74

Mondi Consumer Packaging 
International GmbH

Mondi Consumer Packaging 
Technologies GmbH

Jöbkesweg 11, 48599 Gronau

100.00

Jöbkesweg 11, 48599 Gronau

100.00

Republic of Korea

Krauzen Co., Ltd.

Mondi Eschenbach GmbH

Am Stadtwald 14, 92676 Eschenbach

100.00

Mondi Gronau GmbH

Jöbkesweg 11, 48599 Gronau

Mondi Halle GmbH

Wielandstrasse 2, 33790 Halle

Mondi Hammelburg GmbH

Thüringenstrasse 1-3, 97762 
Hammelburg

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi KSP Co., Ltd.

Lebanon

Mondi Lebanon SAL

Mondi Holding Deutschland 
GmbH

Hüttruper Heide 88, 48268 Greven

100.00

1420, Keumkang-Penterium IT tower, 
282 Hakeui-ro, Dongang-gu,  
Anyang-si, Gyunggi-do

48-29, 439 Hongandaero,  
Dongang-gu, Anyang-si, Gyunggi-do

100.00

95.00

7th Floor, Bloc C, Kassis Building, 
Antelias Highway, Antelias

66.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements204  

Notes to the Mondi plc parent company financial statements
for the year ended 31 December 2016

9  List of subsidiary and associated undertakings and other significant holdings as at  

31 December 2016

Company

Luxembourg

Registered office

Mondi German Investments 
S.A.

1, rue Hildegard von Bingen, 1282

Mondi Packaging S.à r.l.

1, rue Hildegard von Bingen, 1282

Mondi S.à r.l.

1, rue Hildegard von Bingen, 1282

Mondi Services S.à r.l.

1, rue Hildegard von Bingen, 1282

Malaysia

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Kuala Lumpur Sdn. Bhd. Lot Nos.PT 5034 & 5036, Jalan Teluk 

Datuk 28/40, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor

62.00

Mexico

Caja de Ahorro de Personal de 
Mondi Mexico Servicios A.C.

Mondi Mexico Holding, S. de 
R.L. de C.V.

Mondi Mexico S. de R.L. de 
C.V.

Mondi Mexico Servicios S. de 
R.L. de C.V.

Morocco

Embal Sac Sarl

L’Ensachage Moderne Sarl

Av. San Nicolás No. 249,  
Colonia Cuauhtémoc, San Nicolás de 
los Garza, Nuevo Léon, 66450

Av. San Nicolás No. 249,  
Colonia Cuauhtémoc, San Nicolás de 
los Garza, Nuevo Léon, 66450

Av. San Nicolás No. 249,  
Colonia Cuauhtémoc, San Nicolás de 
los Garza, Nuevo Léon, 66450

Av. San Nicolás No. 249,  
Colonia Cuauhtémoc, San Nicolás de 
los Garza, Nuevo Léon, 66450

Rue de l´Ocean Quartier Industriel, 
Anza – Agadir, 6042

Rue Boukraa N1, Quartier Industriel 
Dokkarat, Fès

Pap-Sac Maghreb SA

Km 16, Route d´El Jadida, Casablanca

Netherlands

100.00

100.00

80.64

80.64

80.64

Mondi Coating B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi Consumer Bags & Films 
Benelux B.V.

Mondi Consumer Bags & Films 
B.V.

Company

Poland

Registered office

Agromasa Sp. z o.o.

ul. Bukowa 21, 87-148 Łysomice

Freedonia Investments Sp. z o.o. ul. Bukowa 21, 87-148 Łysomice

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

100.00

100.00

Mondi Bags Mielec Sp. z o.o.

ul. Wojska Polskiego 12, 39-300 Mielec

100.00

Mondi Bags Świecie Sp. z o.o. ul. Bydgoska 12, 86-100 Świecie

100.00

Mondi BZWP Sp. z o.o.

ul. Zamenhofa 36, 57-500 Bystrzyca 
Kłodzka

Mondi Corrugated Świecie Sp. 
z o.o.

ul. Bydgoska 1, 86-100 Świecie

Mondi Dorohusk Sp. z o.o.

Brzezno 1, 22-174 Brzezno

Mondi Kutno Sp. z o.o.

ul. Żołnierska 1, 99-300 Kutno

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Poznań Sp. z o.o.

ul. Wyzwolenia 34/36, 62-070 Dopiewo

100.00

100.00

Mondi Simet S.A.

Grabonóg 77, 63-820 Piaski

Mondi Solec Sp. z o.o.

Solec, 05-532 Baniocha

100.00

Mondi Świecie S.A.

ul. Bydgoska 1, 86-100 Świecie

Mondi Szczecin Sp. z o.o.

ul. Sloneczna 20, 72-123 Kliniska 
Wielkie

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Warszawa Sp. z o.o.

ul. Tarczyńska 98, 96-320 Mszczonów

100.00

Mondi Wierzbica Sp. z o.o.

Świecie Rail Sp. z o.o.

Kolonia Rzecków 76, 26-680 
Wierzbica

Kujawsko Pomorskie Voievodeship, 
Świecie

Świecie Recykling Sp. z o.o.

ul. Bydgoska 1/417, 86-100 Świecie

100.00

100.00

100.00

Romania

Mondi Bucharest S.R.L.

Russia

LLC Mondi Lebedyan

LLC Mondi Pereslavl

Tudor Vladimirescu Street 1A, Ilfov, 
75100 Otopeni

100.00

Sverdlova 67, 399610 Lebedyan, 
Lipetsk Region

Mendeleeva sq. 2, Building 55, 
152025 Pereslavl-Zalesski

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

OJSC Mondi Syktyvkar1

pr. Bumazhnikov 2, 167026 Syktyvkar, 
Republic of Komi

Mondi Corrugated B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

OJSC Uralplastic

Mondi Corrugated Poland B.V. Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi Heerlen B.V.

Imstenraderweg 15, 6422 PM Heerlen

100.00

OOO Mondi Sales CIS

Mondi Industrial Bags B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi International Holdings B.V. Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi Maastricht N.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi MENA B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

70.00

OOO Nordenia Samara

OOO PozhGazServis1

Mondi Packaging Paper B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

OOO RMZ1

Mondi Paper Sales Netherlands 
B.V.

Bruynvisweg 14, 1531 AZ Wormer

100.00

Serbia

25 Klubnaya Street, Aramil, 
Sverdlovskii Region

1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya 21, 125047 
Moscow

Tschapaewskaja 189, Office 14-22, 
443010 Samara

Ukhtinskoe Road 48/4, 167026 
Syktyvkar, Republic of Komi

pr. Bumazhnikov 2, 167026 Syktyvkar, 
Republic of Komi

Mondi SCP Holdings B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi Šabac d.o.o. Šabac

Nova 9, 15000 Šabac

Neusiedler Holdings B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Mondi Paracin d.o.o. Paracin

Cika Tasina 27, 35250 Paracin

Rusalka Holding B.V.

Fort Willemweg 1, 6219 PA Maastricht

100.00

Singapore

Norway

Mondi Moss AS

Rådmann Sirasvei 11712, Grålum

100.00

Mondi Packaging Paper Sales 
Asia Pte. Limited

3 Anson Road 27-01, Springleaf Tower, 
079909

100.00

Oman

Mondi Oman LLC

P.O. Box 20, 124, Muscat Governorate, 
As Seeb, Al Rusayl, Oman

49.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016Company

Registered office

Company

Slovakia

Mondi SCP a.s.

Obaly Solo s.r.o

Registered office

Tatranská cesta 3, 03417 Ružomberok

Tatranská cesta 3, 03417 Ružomberok

SLOVWOOD Ružomberok a.s. Tatranská cesta 3, 03417 Ružomberok

Strážna Služba vla-sta s.r.o

Tatranská cesta 3, 03417 Ružomberok

Spain

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

51.00

51.00

33.66

51.00

Mondi Aberdeen Limited

Mondi Finance plc

Mondi German Investments 
Limited

Mondi Bags Ibérica S.L.

Autovía A-2, Km 582, 08630 Abrera

100.00

Mondi Ibersac S.L.

Calle La Perenal 4, 48840 Güeñes, 
Bizcaia

100.00

Mondi Glossop Ltd

Mondi Paper Sales Ibérica S.L. Calle Joaquin Costa 36 2a 28002, 

Sweden

Mondi Dynäs AB

Mondi Örebro AB

Mondi Sunne AB

Switzerland

Dipeco AG

Thailand

Madrid

87381 Väja

Papersbruksallen 3A, Box 926,  
70130 Örebro

Svarvarevägen 3, Box 56,  
68622 Sunne

100.00

Mondi Holcombe Limited

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Investments Limited2

Mondi Packaging (Delta) 
Limited

Bruehlstrasse 5, 4800 Zofingen

100.00

Mondi Packaging Limited

Mondi Coating (Thailand) 
Co. Ltd.

Mondi TSP Company Limited

Trinidad and Tobago

Nr 888/100-101 Soi Yingcharoen 
Moo 19, Bangplee-Tamru Road, 
Bangpleeyai, Bangplee, Samutprakam 
10540

110, Moo 3, Nong Chumponnua Sub-
District, Khao Yoi District, Petchaburi 
Province

100.00

47.55

TCL Packaging Limited

Southern Main Road, Claxton Bay

20.00

Turkey

Mondi Istanbul Ambalaj Ltd. Şti. No. 12A Türkgücü OSB Mah. Yilmaz 

Mondi Kale Nobel Ambalaj 
Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Alpaslan Caddesi Corlu, Tekirdag 
59870

Sevketiye Cobancesme Kavsagi, 
Dünya Ticaret Merkezi, A2 Blok, No. 
228/230 Yeşilköy, Bakirköy/Istanbul

Mondi Mersin Ambalaj Ltd. Şti. No. 12A Türkgücü OSB Mah. Yilmaz 

Alpaslan Caddesi Corlu, Tekirdag 
59870

Mondi Tire Kutsan Kağit Ve 
Ambalaj Sanayi A.Ş.

Toki Mahallesi, Hasan Tahsin Caddesi, 
No. 28, Tire, Izmir 35900

100.00

90.00

100.00

77.30

Mondi Rochester Limited 
(in liquidation)

Mondi Scunthorpe Limited1

Mondi Services (UK) Limited

Rochette Packaging Limited

USA

Mondi Akrosil, LLC

Mondi Bags USA, LLC

Tasfiye Halinde Serveran Hurda 
Kağit Kutu Ambalaj Sanayi ve 
Ticaret A.Ş. (in liquidation)

Ukraine

Büyükdere Caddesi Bengün Han No, 
107 Kat, 1 Gayrettepe Şişli, Istanbul

77.30

Mondi Jackson, LLC

Mondi Packaging Bags Ukraine 
LLC

Fabrychna Street 20, Zhydachiv,  
Lviv Region, 81700

100.00

Mondi Minneapolis, Inc.

Mondi Pine Bluff, LLC

Mondi Romeoville, Inc.

100.00

Tekkote Corporation

UK

Frantschach Holdings UK 
Limited

Hypac Limited

Medway Packaging Pension 
Trustee Limited

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Roxburgh House, Clayfield Road, 
Foxhills Industrial Estate, Scunthorpe, 
North Lincolnshire, DN15 8QJ

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

2711 Centreville Road, Suite 400, 
Wilmington DE 19801

Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange 
Street, Wilmington DE 19801

2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, 
Wilmington DE 19808

220 South Sixth Street, Suite 2200, 
Minneapolis 55402

2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, 
Wilmington DE 19808

2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, 
Wilmington DE 19808

Corporation Trust Center,  
1209 Orange Street, Wilmington  
DE 19801

Mondi Packaging UK Holdings 
Limited

Mondi Pension Trustee Limited2 Building 1, 1st Floor, Aviator Park, 
Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey, 
KT15 2PG

100.00

100.00

Notes:

1  These companies have ordinary and preference shares

2  These companies are held directly

205

% of 
shares 
held by 
Group

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements206  

Group financial record

Financial performance 2007–2016

Combined and consolidated income statement

€ million

Group revenue

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying operating 
profit

Packaging Paper

Fibre Packaging

Consumer Packaging

Uncoated Fine Paper

South Africa Division

Corporate

Discontinued and 
disposed operations

Special items

Net finance costs (excluding 
financing special item)

Underlying earnings

Basic earnings

Basic underlying EPS 
(euro cents)

Basic EPS (euro cents)

Total dividend per share 
paid and proposed  
(euro cents)

Significant ratios

EBITDA growth (%)

EBITDA margin (%)

Operating margin (%)

ROCE (%)

Net debt/EBITDA (times)

Dividend cover (times)

PE Ratio

Mondi plc – Share price at 
end of year (GBP cents per 
share)

Mondi Limited – Share price 
at end of year (ZAR per 
share)

Market capitalisation 
(€ million)

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

6,662

1,366

6,819

1,325

6,402

1,126

6,476

1,068

5,790

5,739

5,610

5,257

6,345

6,269

927

964

798

645

814

870

981

361

123

121

264

147

(35)

—

(38)

(101)

667

638

957

391

120

108

212

161

(35)

—

(57)

(105)

647

600

767

342

102

96

148

112

(33)

—

(52)

(97)

519

471

699

308

86

79

164

93

(31)

—

(87)

(115)

460

386

574

236

93

23

186

69

(33)

—

(91)

(110)

334

242

622

300

74

32

205

63

(33)

(19)

(55)

(111)

340

330

137.8

131.8

133.7

124.0

107.3

97.4

95.0

79.8

69.2

50.1

68.1

57.5

458

181

36

36

178

71

(33)

(11)

(21)

(106)

206

224

40.6

37.8

294

25

63

17

146

38

(37)

42

(125)

(114)

95

(33)

18.7

(6.5)

441

139

57

12

126

118

(39)

28

(385)

(159)

172

(211)

33.9

(41.6)

502

189

83

15

99

90

(37)

63

6

(99)

241

233

46.9

45.4

57.0

52.0

42.0

36.0

28.0

26.0

20.0

9.5

12.7

23.0

2016

3.1

20.5

14.7

20.3

1.0

2.4

14.2

2015

17.7

19.4

14.0

20.5

1.1

2.6

13.5

2014

5.4

17.6

12.0

17.2

1.4

2.6

12.6

2013

15.2

16.5

10.8

15.3

1.5

2.6

13.2

2012

(3.8)

16.0

9.9

13.6

2.0

2.5

11.9

2011

20.8

16.8

10.8

15.0

0.9

2.6

8.0

2010

23.7

14.2

8.2

12.3

1.7

2.0

14.8

2009

(20.8)

12.3

5.6

7.6

2.4

2.0

20.2

2008

(6.4)

12.8

7.0

9.5

2.1

2.7

6.3

2007

19.8

13.9

8.0

10.6

1.7

2.0

12.3

1,666

1,334

1,050

1,046

670

455

514

335

204

425

279.99

307.27

188.74

179.70

92.16

57.30

51.42

40.14

32.31

61.65

9,457

8,803

6,563

6,081

4,001

2,655

3,097

1,969

1,160

3,075

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016207

Significant cash flows

€ million

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Cash generated from 
operations

Working capital cash flows

Tax paid

Capital expenditure cash 
outflows

Interest paid

Dividends paid to 
shareholders

1,401

1,279

1,033

1,036

68

(173)

(465)

(82)

9

(160)

(595)

(93)

(87)

(106)

(562)

(125)

(27)

(126)

(405)

(124)

849

(83)

(109)

(294)

(92)

917

(68)

(85)

778

(121)

(47)

(263)

(106)

(394)

(117)

867

248

(32)

(517)

(163)

795

27

(71)

957

97

(93)

(693)

(169)

(406)

(139)

(274)

(209)

(193)

(138)

(128)

(126)

(54)

(39)

(118)

(38)

Combined and consolidated statement of financial position

€ million

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Property, plant and 
equipment

Goodwill

Working capital

Other assets

Other liabilities

Net assets excluding 
net debt

Equity

Non-controlling interests 
in equity

Net debt1

Capital employed

Note:

3,788

3,554

3,432

3,428

3,709

3,377

3,976

3,847

3,611

3,731

681

799

532

590

794

422

545

811

434

550

711

429

561

764

503

202

575

408

274

660

466

269

527

419

283

753

424

482

914

405

(721)

(675)

(715)

(653)

(789)

(696)

(788)

(721)

(685)

(689)

5,079

3,392

304

1,383

5,079

4,685

2,905

282

1,498

4,685

4,507

2,628

266

1,613

4,507

4,465

2,591

255

1,619

4,465

4,748

2,572

301

1,875

4,748

3,866

2,586

449

831

3,866

4,588

2,763

461

1,364

4,588

4,341

2,399

425

1,517

4,341

4,386

2,323

373

1,690

4,386

4,843

2,963

373

1,507

4,843

1  Net debt prior to 2012 does not include the effect of net debt-related derivatives

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statements208  

Production statistics

Packaging Paper

Containerboard

Kraft paper

Softwood pulp

Internal consumption

Market pulp

Hardwood pulp – internal consumption

Fibre Packaging

Corrugated board and boxes

Industrial bags

Extrusion coatings

Consumer Packaging

Consumer packaging

Uncoated Fine Paper

Uncoated fine paper

Softwood pulp

Internal consumption

Market pulp

Hardwood pulp

Internal consumption

Market pulp

Newsprint

South Africa Division

Containerboard

Uncoated fine paper

Hardwood pulp

Internal consumption

Market pulp

Newsprint

Softwood pulp – internal consumption

Exchange rates 

versus euro

South African rand

Czech koruna

Mexican peso

Polish zloty

Pounds sterling

Russian rouble

Turkish lira

US dollar

2016

2015

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

million m²

million units

million m²

2,000

1,204

1,870

1,698

172

364

1,448

4,881

1,249

2,138

1,162

1,759

1,609

150

322

1,350

4,925

1,389

million m2

7,156

6,594

1,408

1,379

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

334

315

19

853

777

76

202

253

258

602

322

280

111

148

349

333

16

839

741

98

197

247

240

619

305

314

113

138

2015

16.95

27.02

18.91

4.26

0.73

80.67

3.18

1.09

Average

Closing

2016

16.27

27.03

20.66

4.36

0.82

74.16

3.34

1.11

2015

14.17

27.28

17.61

4.18

0.73

68.04

3.02

1.11

2016

14.46

27.02

21.77

4.41

0.86

64.30

3.71

1.05

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
Additional information for Mondi plc shareholders

209

The disclosures below form part of the Directors’ report on pages 130 and 131 of this report.

Introduction

Set out below is a summary of certain provisions of Mondi plc’s articles of association (Articles) and applicable English law concerning 
companies (the Companies Act). This is a summary only and the relevant provisions of the Articles or the Companies Act should be 
consulted if further information is required. 

Share capital 

Mondi plc’s issued share capital as at 31 December 2016 comprised 367,240,805 ordinary shares of 20 euro cents each (the Ordinary 
Shares) representing 71.4% of the total share capital, 118,312,975 PLC Special Converting Shares of 20 euro cents each representing 
23.0% of the total share capital, 146,896,322 deferred shares of 4 euro cents each (the Deferred Shares) representing 5.5% of the total 
share capital, the PLC Special Rights Share of €1, the PLC Special Voting Share of €1, the UK DAN Share of €1 and the UK DAS Share 
of €1. Each of the PLC Special Rights Share, PLC Special Voting Share, UK DAN Share and UK DAS Share represent only a nominal 
percentage of the total share capital.

The shares are in registered form.

Purchase of own shares

Subject to the provisions of the Articles and the Companies Act, Mondi plc may purchase, or may enter into a contract under which 
it will or may purchase, any of its own shares of any class, including any redeemable shares.

Ordinary Shares
Dividends and distributions

Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, Mondi plc may by ordinary resolution from time to time declare dividends not exceeding 
the amount recommended by the board. The board may pay interim dividends whenever the financial position of Mondi plc, in the opinion 
of the board, justifies such payment.

The board may withhold payment of all or any part of any dividends or other monies payable in respect of Mondi plc’s shares from a 
person with a 0.25% or more interest in nominal value of the issued shares, if such a person has been served with a notice after failure 
to provide Mondi plc with information concerning interest in those shares required to be provided under the Companies Act.

Voting rights

Subject to any special rights or restrictions attaching to any class of shares, at a general meeting, every member present in person has, 
upon a show of hands, one vote. Every duly appointed proxy has, upon a show of hands, one vote unless the proxy is appointed by 
more than one member, in which case the proxy has one vote for and one vote against if (i) the proxy has been instructed by one or more 
members to vote for the resolution and by one or more members to vote against the resolution or (ii) the proxy has been instructed by one 
or more members to vote either for or against the resolution and by one or more members to use his discretion as to how to vote. On a 
poll every member who is present in person or by proxy has one vote for every fully paid share of which he is the holder. In the case of 
joint holders of a share, the vote of the senior who tenders a vote whether in person or by proxy shall be accepted to the exclusion of the 
votes of the other joint holders and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the register 
of members in respect of the shares. Under the Companies Act, members are entitled to appoint a proxy, who need not be a member 
of Mondi plc, to exercise all or any of their rights to attend and to speak and vote on their behalf at a general meeting or class meeting. 
A member may appoint more than one proxy in relation to a general meeting or class meeting provided that each proxy is appointed to 
exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by that member. A proxy is not entitled to delegate the proxy’s authority to 
act on behalf of a member to another person. A member that is a corporation may appoint one or more individuals to act on its behalf at 
a general meeting or class meeting as a corporate representative. 

Restrictions on voting

No member shall be entitled to vote either in person or by proxy at any general meeting or class meeting in respect of any shares held 
by him if any call or other sum then payable by him in respect of that share remains unpaid. In addition no member shall be entitled to 
vote if he has been served with a notice after failure to provide Mondi plc with information concerning interests in those shares required 
to be provided under the Companies Act. 

Deadlines for exercising voting rights

Votes are exercisable at a general meeting of Mondi plc in respect of which the business being voted upon is being heard. Votes may 
be exercised in person, by proxy, or in relation to corporate members, by corporate representatives. The Articles provide a deadline for 
submission of proxy forms of not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for the holding of the meeting or adjourned meeting.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016210  

Additional information for Mondi plc shareholders

Variation of rights

Subject to the Companies Act, the Articles specify that rights attached to any class of shares may be varied with the written consent of 
the holders of not less than three-quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of that class, or with the sanction of a special resolution 
passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of those shares. At every such separate general meeting the quorum shall be two 
persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class (calculated excluding any 
shares held as treasury shares). The rights conferred upon the holders of any shares shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided in 
the rights attaching to those shares, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with them.

Where, under an employee share plan operated by Mondi plc, participants are the beneficial owners of the shares but not the registered 
owner, the voting rights are normally exercised by the registered owner at the direction of the participant.

Transfer of shares

All transfers of shares which are in certificated form may be effected by transfer in writing in any usual or common form or in any other 
form acceptable to the directors. The instrument of transfer shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor and (except in the case 
of fully-paid shares) by or on behalf of the transferee and shall specify the name of the transferor, the name of the transferee and the 
number of shares being transferred. Transfers of shares which are in uncertificated form are effected by means of the CREST system.

The directors may also refuse to register an allotment or transfer of shares (whether fully paid or not) in favour of more than four persons 
jointly. If the directors refuse to register an allotment or transfer they shall, within 30 days after the date on which the letter of allotment or 
transfer was lodged with Mondi plc, send to the allottee or transferee a notice of the refusal.

The directors may decline to register any instrument of transfer unless: (i) the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of 
share, (ii) when submitted for registration is accompanied by the relevant share certificates and such other evidence as the directors 
may reasonably require and (iii) it is fully paid.

Subject to the Companies Act and regulations and applicable CREST rules, the directors may determine that any class of shares may 
be held in uncertificated form and that title to such shares may be transferred by means of the CREST system or that shares of any 
class should cease to be so held and transferred.

A shareholder does not need to obtain the approval of Mondi plc, or of other shareholders of shares in Mondi plc, for a transfer of 
shares to take place.

Some of the Mondi plc employee share plans include restrictions on transfer of shares while the shares are subject to such plan. 

Deferred Shares

The rights and privileges attached to the Deferred Shares are as follows: no entitlement to receive any dividend or distribution declared, 
made or paid or any return of capital (save as described below) and does not entitle the holder to any further or other right of participation 
in the assets of Mondi plc.

On a return of capital on winding up, but not on a return of capital on any other class of shares of Mondi plc, otherwise than on a winding 
up of Mondi plc, the holders of the Deferred Shares shall be entitled to participate but such entitlement is limited to the repayment of the 
amount paid up or credited as paid up on such share and shall be paid only after the holders of any and all Ordinary Shares then in issue 
shall have received (i) payment in respect of such amount as is paid up or credited as paid up on those Ordinary Shares held by them at 
that time plus (ii) the payment in cash or in specie of £10,000,000 on each such Ordinary Share.

The holders of the Deferred Shares are not entitled to receive notice of, nor attend, speak or vote at, any general meeting of Mondi plc.

Shares required for the DLC structure

Mondi SCS (UK) Limited, a UK trust company, specially formed for the purpose of the DLC structure, holds the PLC Special Voting Share, 
the PLC Special Converting Shares, the PLC Special Rights Share, the UK DAN Share and the UK DAS Share. These shares can only be 
transferred to another UK trust company, in limited circumstances.

The PLC Special Voting Share is a specially created share so that shareholders of both Mondi plc and Mondi Limited effectively vote 
together as a single decision-making body on matters affecting shareholders of both companies in similar ways, as set out in the Articles.

Prior to a change of control, approval of termination of the sharing agreement (which regulates the DLC), liquidation or insolvency of 
Mondi plc, the PLC Special Converting Shares have no voting rights except in relation to a resolution proposing the (i) variation of the 
rights attaching to the shares or (ii) winding up, and they have no rights to dividends. The PLC Special Converting Shares are held on 
trust for the Mondi Limited ordinary shareholders.

The PLC Special Rights Share does not have any rights to vote or any right to receive any dividend or other distribution by Mondi plc, 
save in respect to capitalisation of reserves.

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016211

Mondi plc and Mondi Limited have established dividend access trust arrangements as part of the DLC. Mondi plc has issued two 
dividend access shares, the UK DAS Share and UK DAN Share, which enable Mondi plc to pay dividends to the shareholders of Mondi 
Limited. This facility may be used by the board to address imbalances in the distributable reserves of Mondi plc and Mondi Limited and/or 
to address the effects of South African exchange controls and/or if they otherwise consider it necessary or desirable.

Directors
Appointment and replacement of directors

Directors shall be no less than four and no more than 20 in number. A director is not required to hold any shares of Mondi plc by way 
of qualification. Mondi plc may by special resolution increase or reduce the maximum or minimum number of directors.

At each Annual General Meeting held in each year at least one-third of the directors, including at least one-third of non-executive directors, 
or if their number is not a multiple of three then the number nearest to, but not less than, one-third, shall retire from office. Any further 
directors to retire shall be those of the other directors subject to retirement by rotation who have been longest in office since their last 
election or re-election or, if later, deemed election or re-election and so that as between persons who became or were last re-elected 
directors on the same day, those to retire shall, unless they otherwise agree among themselves, be determined by lot. In casting the lot, 
the provision that a director must also be a director of Mondi Limited and the corresponding provision of the Mondi Limited memorandum 
of incorporation shall be observed. A retiring director shall be eligible for re-election.

The board may appoint any person to be a director (so long as the total number of directors does not exceed the limit prescribed in the 
Articles). Any such director shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-election, but shall 
not be taken into account in determining the number of directors who are to retire by rotation at such meeting.

Powers of the directors

Subject to the Articles, the Companies Act and any directions given by special resolution, the business of Mondi plc will be managed by 
the board who may exercise all the powers of Mondi plc.

The board may exercise all the powers of Mondi plc to borrow money and to mortgage or charge any of its undertaking, property and 
uncalled capital and to issue debentures and other securities, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation 
of Mondi plc or of any third party.

Significant agreements: change of control

The Articles of Mondi plc and the memorandum of incorporation of Mondi Limited ensure that a person cannot make an offer for 
one company without having made an equivalent offer to the shareholders of both companies on equivalent terms. 

Pursuant to the terms of the agreements establishing the DLC structure, if either Mondi plc or Mondi Limited serves written notice 
on the other at any time after either party becomes a subsidiary of the other party or after both Mondi plc and Mondi Limited become 
subsidiaries of a third party, the agreements establishing the DLC structure will terminate.

All of Mondi plc’s share plans contain provisions relating to a change of control. Outstanding awards and options would normally 
vest and become exercisable on a change of control, subject to the satisfaction of any performance conditions at that time.

Amendment of the Articles

Any amendments to the Articles of Mondi plc may be made in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act by way 
of special resolution. 

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016212  

Shareholder information

Mondi has a dual listed company (DLC) structure comprising Mondi Limited, a company registered in South Africa and Mondi plc, 
a company registered in the UK. Mondi Limited has a primary listing on the JSE Limited while Mondi plc has a premium listing on 
the London Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on the JSE Limited.

Under the DLC structure any ordinary share held in either Mondi Limited or Mondi plc gives the holder an effective economic interest in 
the whole Mondi Group. The relationship between Mondi Limited and Mondi plc is underpinned by the DLC structure principles, which 
provide that:

 e Mondi Limited and Mondi plc and their subsidiaries must operate as if they are a single corporate group; and 
 e the directors of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc will, in addition to their duties to the company concerned, have regard to the interests of 

the Mondi Limited shareholders and the Mondi plc shareholders as if the two companies were a single unified economic enterprise and 
for that purpose the directors of each company will take into account, in the exercise of their powers, the interests of the shareholders of 
the other. 

Financial calendar 
11 May 2017

11 May 2017

18 May 2017

3 August 2017

September 2017

11 October 2017

Analysis of shareholders

2017 Annual General Meetings

Trading update

Payment date for 2016 final dividend (see below)

2017 half-yearly results announcement

2017 interim dividend payment

Trading update

As at 31 December 2016 Mondi Limited had 118,312,975 ordinary shares in issue and Mondi plc had 367,240,805 ordinary shares 
in issue, of which 104,130,391 were held on the South African branch register.

By size of holding

Mondi Limited

Number of shareholders

% of shareholders

Size of shareholding

Number of shares

% of shares

6,366

846

874

622

246

24

8,978

Mondi plc

70.91

9.42

9.73

6.93

2.74

0.27

100.00

1 – 500

501 – 1,000

1,001 – 5,000

5,001 – 50,000

50,001 – 1,000,000

1,000,001 – highest

1,025,068

627,574

1,945,444

10,830,420

45,762,572

58,121,897

118,312,975

0.87

0.53

1.64

9.15

38.68

49.13

100.00

Number of shareholders

% of shareholders

Size of shareholding

Number of shares

% of shares

2,147

475

506

418

279

47

3,872

55.45

12.27

13.07

10.79

7.21

1.21

100.00

1 – 500

501 – 1,000

1,001 – 5,000

5,001 – 50,000

50,001 – 1,000,000

1,000,001 – highest

448,130

346,930

1,115,109

7,605,633

69,682,123

288,042,880

367,240,805

0.12

0.10

0.30

2.07

18.98

78.43

100.00

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016213

By type of holding

Mondi Limited

Public1 

Non-public 

  Directors of Mondi Limited/Mondi plc

  Mondi staff share schemes2

Total

Mondi plc

Public1

Non-public

   Directors of Mondi Limited/Mondi plc

  Mondi staff share schemes2

Total

1  As per the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited

2  Shares held for the purposes of Mondi staff share schemes are held in trust 

Managing your shares
Registrars

Number of holders

Number of shares

% of shares

8,976

117,636,545

2

1

1

676,430

208

676,222

8,978

118,312,975

99.43

0.57

0.00

0.57

100.00

Number of holders

Number of shares

% of shares

3,861

11

9

2

366,135,801

1,105,004

337,547

767,457

3,872

367,240,805

99.70

0.30

0.09

0.21

100.00

To manage your shares or if you have any queries, please contact the relevant Registrar:

Mondi Limited shares and Mondi plc shares 
on the South African branch register

Link Market Services South Africa Proprietary Limited 
(Link Market Services)

Mondi plc shares on the UK register

Capita Asset Services 

Registrar

Postal address

PO Box 4844 
Johannesburg, 2000 
South Africa

Helpline number

011 713 0800 
(if calling from South Africa)

+27 11 713 0800 
(if calling from outside South Africa)

The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham 
Kent 
BR3 4TU 
UK

0871 664 0300 
(if calling from the UK; calls cost 12p per minute plus 
your phone company’s access charge; lines are 
open Monday to Friday between 9:00am to 5:30pm 
excluding public holidays in England and Wales)

+44 208 639 3399 
(if calling from outside the UK; calls will be charged at 
the applicable international rate)

Email

Online

info@linkmarketservices.co.za 

Not available

ssd@capitaregistrars.com 

www.capitashareportal.com

Sign up to email communications

Many of our shareholders choose to receive shareholder information electronically rather than by post. Benefits include faster notification 
of shareholder information, reduced costs and being more environmentally friendly.

Mondi plc shareholders on the UK register can sign up to email communications via the Capita Share Portal or by contacting Capita 
Asset Services.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016214  

Shareholder information

Mondi Limited shareholders and Mondi plc shareholders on the South African branch register holding their shares in certificated form can 
sign up to email communications by contacting Link Market Services or by emailing corpactfax@linkmarketservices.co.za. Mondi Limited 
shareholders and Mondi plc shareholders on the South African branch register with dematerialised shares should contact their Central 
Securities Depository Participant (CSDP) or broker.

You will be notified by email each time new financial reports, notices of shareholder meetings and other shareholder communications are 
published on our website at: www.mondigroup.com.

Manage your shares online

Mondi plc shareholders on the UK register can sign up to the Capita Share Portal, a free secure online site provided by Capita Asset 
Services, where you can manage your shareholding quickly and easily. You can:

 e View your holding and get an indicative valuation
 e Change your address
 e Arrange to have dividends paid into your bank account
 e Request to receive shareholder communications by email rather 

than post

 e View your dividend payment history

 e Make dividend payment choices
 e Buy and sell shares and access stock market news 

and information

 e  Register your proxy voting instruction
 e  Download a Stock Transfer form

To register for the Capita Share Portal just visit www.capitashareportal.com. All you need is your investor code which can be found 
on your share certificate, dividend confirmation or proxy form.

Dividends

A proposed final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2016 of 38.19 euro cents per ordinary share and an equivalent South African 
rand final dividend of 522.70920 rand cents per ordinary share will be paid to Mondi plc and Mondi Limited shareholders respectively 
in accordance with the below timetable. Payment is subject to the approval of the shareholders of Mondi plc and Mondi Limited at the 
respective Annual General Meetings scheduled for 11 May 2017.

Mondi Limited

Mondi plc

Last date to trade shares cum-dividend

JSE Limited

London Stock Exchange

Shares commence trading ex-dividend

JSE Limited

London Stock Exchange

Record date

JSE Limited

London Stock Exchange

Last date for receipt of Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) elections 
by Central Securities Depository Participants

Last date for DRIP elections to UK Registrar and South African Transfer 
Secretaries by shareholders of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc

Payment date

South African Register

UK Register

DRIP purchase settlement dates 
(subject to the purchase of shares in the open market)

Currency conversion dates

ZAR/euro

Euro/sterling

1  28 April 2017 for Mondi plc South African branch register shareholders

2  24 May 2017 for Mondi plc South African branch register shareholders

18 April 2017

Not applicable

19 April 2017

Not applicable

21 April 2017

Not applicable

18 April 2017

19 April 2017

19 April 2017

20 April 2017

21 April 2017

21 April 2017

26 April 2017

26 April 2017

28 April 2017

23 April 20171

18 May 2017

Not applicable

18 May 2017

18 May 2017

24 May 2017

22 May 20172

23 February 2017

23 February 2017

Not applicable

2 May 2017

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016215

Share certificates on the South African registers of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc may not be dematerialised or rematerialised between 
19 April 2017 and 23 April 2017, both dates inclusive, nor may transfers between the UK and South African registers of Mondi plc take 
place between 12 April 2017 and 23 April 2017, both dates inclusive.

Dividend tax will be withheld from the amount of the gross final dividend paid to Mondi Limited shareholders and Mondi plc shareholders 
on the South African branch register at the rate of 20%, unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption.

Your dividend currency

All dividends are declared in euro but are paid in the following currencies:

Mondi Limited

Mondi plc

Mondi plc (UK residents)

Mondi plc (South African residents)

South African rand

euro

pounds sterling

South African rand

 e Mondi plc shareholders on the UK register resident in the UK may elect to receive their dividends in euro
 e Mondi plc shareholders on the UK register resident outside the UK may elect to receive their dividends in pounds sterling

Mondi plc shareholders on the UK register wishing to elect to receive their dividends in an alternative currency should contact Capita 
Asset Services using the details provided.

Payment of your dividends

Mondi encourages shareholders to have their dividends paid directly into their bank accounts. This means that the dividend will reach your 
bank account more securely and on the payment date without the inconvenience of depositing a cheque.

Mondi Limited shareholders and Mondi plc shareholders on the South African branch register
 e Shareholders with a South African bank account can elect to receive dividends directly into their bank account by contacting Link 

Market Services.

 e Shareholders without a South African bank account are encouraged to dematerialise their shares with a CSDP in South Africa as a 
CSDP is often able to pay dividends into foreign bank accounts. Find out more by contacting Link Market Services or any CSDP.

Mondi plc shareholders on the UK register
 e Shareholders with a UK bank account can elect to receive dividends directly into their bank account via the Capita Share Portal or by 

contacting Capita Asset Services.

 e Shareholders without a UK bank account may be able to take advantage of the International Payment Service offered by Capita Asset 

Services. Find out more via the Capita Share Portal or by contacting Capita Asset Services.

Reinvest your dividends

The dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) provide an opportunity for shareholders to have their Mondi Limited and Mondi plc cash 
dividends reinvested in Mondi Limited and Mondi plc ordinary shares respectively.

The plans are available to all Mondi Limited and Mondi plc ordinary shareholders (excluding those in certain restricted jurisdictions). 
Fees may apply. 

If you wish to participate in the DRIPs you can sign up via the Capita Share Portal or by contacting either Link Market Services or Capita 
Asset Services as appropriate.

South African dematerialisation

Mondi encourages Mondi Limited shareholders and Mondi plc shareholders on the South African branch register to consider 
dematerialising their shares. By surrendering your share certificate, you will hold your shares electronically with a CSDP in South Africa. 

Holding shares electronically can help to prevent share fraud, theft and loss of share certificates. Once dematerialised, your dividends can 
be paid directly into a bank account and your shares will be easier to sell. 

Find out more by contacting Link Market Services or any CSDP.

Taxation

Mondi is unable to advise shareholders on taxation. Your tax obligations will vary depending on your jurisdiction and financial 
circumstances. With regard to your Mondi shareholding, we recommend all shareholders maintain records of dividend payments, 
share purchases and sales. A dividend confirmation will be sent with all dividend payments. For further assistance, please speak to an 
independent professional tax or financial adviser.

OverviewStrategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsMondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016216  

Shareholder information

Donating shares to charity

If you have a small number of shares which would cost you more to sell than they are worth, there is the option to donate these unwanted 
shares to charity free of charge. These shares are then aggregated, sold and the proceeds distributed to various charities. Donate your 
shares or find out more using the relevant contact details below:

Mondi Limited shares or Mondi plc shares  
on the South African branch register

Strate Charity Shares

PO Box 78608 
Sandton, 2146 
South Africa

0800 202 363 
(if calling from South Africa)

+27 11 870 8207 
(if calling from outside South Africa)

charityshares@computershare.co.za

www.strate.co.za/ 
people-culture-community/strate-charity-shares

Mondi plc shares  
on the UK register

ShareGift

PO Box 72253 
London 
SW1P 9LQ 
UK

+44 (0)20 7930 3737

help@sharegift.org 

www.sharegift.org

Postal address

Helpline number

Email

Online

Fraud

Shareholders should be aware that they may be targeted by certain organisations offering unsolicited investment advice or the 
opportunity to buy or sell worthless or non-existent shares. Should you receive any unsolicited calls or documents to this effect, 
you are advised not to give out any personal details or to hand over any money without ensuring that the organisation is authorised 
by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and doing further research.

If you are unsure or think you may have been targeted you should report the organisation to the FCA. For further information, please 
visit the FCA’s website at www.fca.org.uk, email consumer.queries@fca.org.uk or call the FCA consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768 
if calling from the UK or +44 20 7066 1000 if calling from outside the UK. 

Shareholders can also contact Capita Asset Services, Link Market Services or Mondi’s company secretarial department on 
+44 (0)1932 826300. 

Account amalgamations

If you receive more than one copy of any documents sent out by Mondi or for any other reason you believe you may have more than one 
Mondi Limited or Mondi plc account, please contact the relevant Registrar who will be able to confirm and, if necessary, arrange for the 
accounts to be amalgamated into one.

Alternative formats

If you would like to receive this report in an alternative format, such as in large print, Braille or in audio format, please contact Mondi’s 
company secretarial department on +44 (0)1932 826300. 

Mondi Limited 
Registered and head office 
4th Floor 
No. 3 Melrose Boulevard 
Melrose Arch 2196 
Gauteng 
Republic of South Africa

Tel. +27 (0)11 994 5400 
Fax. +27 (0)86 520 4688

Registered in South Africa  
Registration No. 1967/013038/06

Mondi plc 
Registered office 
Building 1, 1st Floor 
Aviator Park 
Station Road 
Addlestone  
Surrey 
KT15 2PG 
UK

Tel. +44 (0)1932 826300 
Fax. +44 (0)1932 826350

Registered in England and Wales 
Registered No. 6209386

Website: www.mondigroup.com

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 
Glossary of terms

Mondi Group Integrated report and financial statements 2016 217

FSC® 
Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is an 
international not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder 
organisation established in 1993 to promote 
socially and environmentally responsible 
management of the world’s forests by way 
of standard setting, third-party certification 
and labelling of forest products.

GHG
Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gases 
listed in the Kyoto Protocol of the United 
Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (UN-FCCC) that contribute to the 
greenhouse effect and are regulated by the 
Kyoto Protocol.

GRI
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a not-
for-profit organisation that produces one of 
the world’s most prevalent frameworks for 
sustainability reporting.

Net debt
A measure comprising short, medium, and 
long-term interest-bearing borrowings and 
the fair value of debt-related derivatives 
less cash and cash equivalents and current 
financial asset investments.

PEFC™
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest 
Certification (PEFC™) is an international 
not-for-profit non-government organisation 
dedicated to promoting sustainable forest 
management through independent third-
party certification.

Return on capital employed (ROCE)
Trailing 12-month underlying operating 
profit, including share of associates’ net 
profit, divided by trailing 12-month average 
capital employed and for segments 
has been extracted from management 
reports. Capital employed is adjusted for 
impairments in the year and spend on 
those strategic projects which are not yet 
in production.

Special items
Those financial items which the Group 
believes should be separately disclosed 
on the face of the combined and 
consolidated income statement to assist 
in understanding the underlying financial 
performance achieved by the Group. 
Special items affect year-on-year 
comparability and Mondi therefore excludes 
these items when reporting underlying 
earnings and related measures in order 
to provide a measure of the underlying 
performance of the Group on a basis that is 
comparable from year to year.

Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs)
The UN Sustainable Development 
Goals were launched in 2015, involving 
a comprehensive, far-reaching and 
people-centred set of 17 universal and 
transformative goals and 169 targets. 
They are integrated and indivisible, and will 
stimulate action over the next 15 years in 
areas of critical importance for humanity 
and the planet: people, planet, prosperity, 
peace and partnerships.

TRCR
Total recordable case rate (TRCR) is 
calculated as the number of total recordable 
cases (the sum of fatalities, lost-time injuries, 
restricted work cases, medical treatment 
cases and compensated occupational 
illnesses) divided by the number of hours 
worked per 200,000 man hours.

TRS
Total reduced sulphur compounds, 
generated in the pulping process, and 
a source of emissions to air measured 
in tonnes.

Underlying EBITDA
Operating profit before special items, 
depreciation and amortisation.

Underlying operating profit
Operating profit before special items.

Underlying profit before tax
Reported profit before tax and 
special items.

Underlying earnings
Net profit after tax before special items 
attributable to shareholders.

United Nations Global Compact 
(UNGC)
UNGC is a strategic policy initiative for 
businesses that are committed to aligning 
their operations and strategies with 10 
universally accepted principles in the areas 
of human rights, labour, environment and 
anti-corruption.

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Mondi investor relations team
Building 1, 1st floor, Aviator Park
Station Road, Addlestone  
Surrey KT15 2PG, UK
+44 1932 826 300
www.mondigroup.com

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Our 2016 suite of reports

Please visit our online reporting hub where copies of our reports can be downloaded: 
www.mondigroup.com/reports16

Integrated report and  
financial statements 2016
A balanced overview of Mondi’s 
performance in 2016 and insight  
into how our approach to 
strategy, governance, people 
and performance combine to 
generate value in a sustainable way. 
Also available online at 
www.mondigroup.com/ir16

Global thinking, local action: 
Sustainable development 2016
A printed publication looking at 
how we’re using our Growing 
Responsibility model to address 
some of our greatest challenges 
and enabling our businesses 
to deliver. Also available online 
at www.mondigroup.com/
sdpublication16

Online Sustainable  
development report 2016
A comprehensive view of 
our approach to sustainable 
development and our performance 
in 2016, prepared in accordance 
with the GRI G4 core guidelines. 
Available online as an interactive  
pdf at www.mondigroup.com/sd16

Printed on FSC® certified  
Mondi MAESTRO® PRINT  
in 250gsm, 120gsm and 80gsm

Printing: CPI Colour | www.cpicolour.co.uk 
Design and production: Radley Yeldar | www.ry.com