Annual General Meeting 2003 of Barry Callebaut AG

Shareholders adopted every motion

The ordinary Annual General Meeting of Barry Callebaut AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products, was held on Wednesday, December 10, 2003, in Zurich under the chairmanship of Andreas Schmid, Chairman of the Board, and adopted every motion proposed by the Board. The dividend per registered share was increased from CHF 6.90 for the previous year to CHF 7.00. Ernst & Young AG, Zurich, were confirmed as auditors and group auditors of the company for fiscal year 2003/04.

The General Assembly re-elected the present directors Rolando Benedick, Dr Johann Christian Jacobs, Andreas W. Keller and Andreas Schmid (Chairman) for another term of office of one year. Pierre Vermaut retired with the thanks of the meeting for his services. Dr Walther Andreas Jacobs, in Hamburg, independent entrepreneur, was elected as new member to the Board (new: Vice Chairman).

242 shareholders attended the meeting, representing 3’840’909 shares or 74.3% of the share capital.

Barry Callebaut:
With annual sales of approx. CHF 3.6 billion for fiscal year 2002/03, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products – from the cocoa bean to the finished product on the store shelf. After the acquisition of Brach’s Confections Holding, Inc. in September 2003, Barry Callebaut operates more than 30 production facilities in 17 countries and employs approximately 9,400 people. The company serves the entire food industry, from food manufacturers to professional users of chocolate such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers, to retailers. It also provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing.