Legal disclosures

Corporate governance statement

The corporate governance statement (pursuant to Sec. 289f and Sec. 315d HGB) forms part of the combined management report and can be found on the corporate website at cgs.hugoboss.com. It is also included in the section “Corporate Governance and Corporate Governance Statement” of this Annual Report.

Disclosures under takeover law

The disclosures under takeover law pursuant to Sec. 289a and Sec. 315a HGB, which are part of the audited combined management report, are presented and explained below. As far as the Managing Board is aware, there is no further need for any declarations under Sec. 176 (1) Sentence 1 AktG.

Composition of subscribed capital

The subscribed capital of HUGO BOSS AG consists of 70,400,000 no-par value registered ordinary shares with a pro-rata amount of the share capital of EUR 1.00 per ordinary share. The shares are fully paid up. All the shares have the same rights and obligations attached to them. Shareholder rights and obligations derive from the provisions of AktG, in particular those in Sec. 12, 53a ff., 118 ff., and 186 AktG.

Restrictions on voting rights or the transfer of shares

Each share confers one vote at the Annual General Meeting and determines the shareholders’ proportion of the Company’s profits. This does not include own shares held by the Company, from which the Company derives no rights. In the cases in Sec. 136 AktG, the voting right under the affected shares is excluded by law.

Shares in the Company’s capital exceeding 10% of the voting rights

On the basis of the voting rights notifications received by the Company on or before December 31, 2023 in accordance with Sec. 33, 34 WpHG [“Wertpapierhandelsgesetz”: German Securities Trading Act], the following direct or indirect shares in the Company’s capital reach or exceed 10% of the voting rights:

According to the voting rights notifications of February 13, 2020 received from PFC S.r.l., Vicenza, Italy, and Zignago Holding S.p.A., Fossalta di Portogruaro, Italy, these companies together hold 15.45% of the voting rights. According to the notification, there is an agreement between the companies resulting in the voting rights held by the companies being attributed to the respective other company. Specifically, PFC S.r.l. directly holds 5.77% of the voting rights in accordance with Sec. 33 WpHG, while Zignago Holding S.p.A directly holds 9.03% of the voting rights in accordance with Sec. 33 WpHG. In addition, PFC S.r.l. holds 0.27% of the voting rights, and Zignago Holding S.p.A. holds 0.38% of the voting rights via instruments pursuant to Sec. 38 (1) No. 2 WpHG. In total, the combined investment thus exceeds 15% of the voting rights. As of December 31, 2023, HUGO BOSS AG has not been notified of any other direct or indirect capital investments that reach or exceed 10% of the voting rights.

All notifications on changes in the share of voting rights held are available on the corporate website at financialreleases.hugoboss.com. In addition, the reportable shareholdings notified in fiscal year 2023 can be found in the annual financial statements of HUGO BOSS AG for fiscal year 2023.

Shares with special rights granting control authority

There are no shares with special rights granting control authority.

Voting right controls for shares held by employees in the Company’s capital

There are no voting right controls applicable to employees who hold shares in the capital of HUGO BOSS AG and are unable to directly exercise their control rights.

Appointment and dismissal of the Managing Board

The appointment and dismissal of members of the Managing Board of HUGO BOSS AG is in accordance with Sec. 84 and Sec. 85 AktG and Sec. 31 MitbestG [“Mitbestimmungsgesetz”: German Co-Determination Act] in conjunction with Art. 6 of the Articles of Association. In accordance with Art. 6 (1) of the Articles of Association, the Managing Board comprises at least two members. The number of members of the Managing Board is determined by the Supervisory Board pursuant to Art. 6 (2) of the Articles of Association. The Supervisory Board can appoint a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board. The Supervisory Board can revoke a person’s appointment to the Managing Board and appointment to the position of Chairman of the Managing Board for due cause. In accordance with Art. 6 (3) of the Articles of Association, members of the Managing Board may not, as a rule, be older than 60 years of age when they are appointed. They are appointed by the Supervisory Board for no more than five years.

Amendments to the Articles of Association

Amendments to the Articles of Association are made by resolutions passed at the Annual General Meeting. Unless prescribed otherwise by the German Stock Corporation Act, resolutions are passed pursuant to Art. 17 (2) of the Articles of Association by simple majority of the votes cast and – if a majority of the capital represented when passing a resolution is required – by simple majority of the share capital represented when the resolution is passed. Pursuant to Art. 20 of the Articles of Association, the Supervisory Board is authorized to make amendments to the Articles of Association that only affect the wording.

Powers of the Managing Board with respect to the issue and repurchase of shares

By resolution of the Annual General Meeting of May 11, 2021, the Managing Board of HUGO BOSS AG may, with the Supervisory Board’s consent, increase the share capital by up to EUR 17,600,000 on or before May 10, 2026, by issuing up to 17,600,000 new registered shares on a cash and/or non-cash basis once or repeatedly (2021 authorized capital). In general, shareholders have a subscription right. However, the Managing Board is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to exclude the subscription rights of shareholders up to a maximum of 10% of the share capital (a) to avoid fractional amounts, (b) in the case of a capital increase in exchange for contributions in kind, and (c) in the event that the issue price of new shares in the case of cash-based capital increases is not significantly below the quoted price of the shares already listed on the stock exchange at the time the issue price is finally determined, the time of which should be as close as possible to the time at which the shares are placed; the shares issued, including any shares issued or own shares sold under exclusion of subscription rights pursuant to Sec. 186 (3) Clause 4 AktG – applied directly or by analogy – may not exceed 10% of the share capital either at the time this authorization becomes effective or at the time when it is exercised.

By resolution of the Annual General Meeting of May 11, 2021, the Managing Board was authorized until May 10, 2026, with the consent of the Supervisory Board, to issue convertible bonds and/or bonds with warrants, profit participation rights, and/or income bonds (or combinations of these instruments) in registered form or made out to the bearer, with or without a maturity, once or several times, including in different tranches simultaneously, in the total nominal amount of up to EUR 750,000,000. In this context, the share capital was conditionally increased by up to EUR 17,600,000 through the issue of up to 17,600,000 new no-par-value registered shares (2021 conditional capital). The conditional capital increase shall only be implemented to the extent that the holders or creditors of conversion/warrant rights arising from the bonds can make use of the bonds, satisfy conversion/warrant obligations, or offer shares, and no other means of satisfying such rights or obligations are implemented. In general, shareholders have a subscription right. However, the Managing Board is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to exclude the subscription right of shareholders up to a maximum of 10% of the share capital (a) in the case of bonds issued in return for cash consideration and whose issue price is not substantially lower than the theoretical market value of the bonds calculated in accordance with generally accepted methods used in financial mathematics, (b) to avoid fractional amounts, (c) if necessary, to grant the holders or creditors of bonds a subscription right to bonds, as they would be granted as a shareholder, (d) in the case of bonds issued against non-cash contribution; the shares issued, including any shares issued or own shares sold under exclusion of subscription rights pursuant to Sec. 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG – applied directly or by analogy – may not exceed a total of 10% of the share capital at the time this authorization becomes effective or at the time when it is exercised. In addition, the Managing Board is authorized, subject to the consent of the Supervisory Board, to exclude the subscription rights if income bonds and/or profit participation rights are issued without warrant or conversion rights, or warrant or conversion obligations, if these income bonds and/or profit participation rights have a bond-like character.

Pursuant to the resolution of the Annual General Meeting of May 27, 2020, the Managing Board is authorized until May 26, 2025, to acquire own shares of the Company up to a total share of no more than 10% of the share capital outstanding as of May 27, 2020, or, if this value is lower, the share capital outstanding at the time the authorization is exercised. The authorization can be exercised directly by HUGO BOSS AG, by a company dependent on HUGO BOSS AG or in which it holds a majority interest, or by commissioned third parties and permits the acquisition of own shares fully or in partial amounts, once or several times. The acquisition can be made through the stock exchange or a public offer addressed to all shareholders to submit sale offers or through the granting of put options to the shareholders. The authorization also allows for a restriction of the principle of equal treatment of all shareholders and any rights of the shareholders to sell shares to the Company in connection with the acquisition of the shares.

Own shares acquired under this authorization can be sold again through the stock exchange or through an offer addressed to all shareholders (also while excluding subscription rights of shareholders). With the consent of the Supervisory Board, they can also be redeemed as compensation, precluding the subscription rights of the shareholders, for the acquisition of companies and investments in companies, for sale at a price that is not significanltly lower than the current quoted price, and for the admission of the share to foreign stock exchanges. In addition, the Managing Board is authorized, with the consent of the Supervisory Board, precluding the subscription rights of the shareholders, to offer own shares to current or former employees or members of executive bodies of HUGO BOSS AG or affiliated companies, as well as to use the shares for the fulfillment of conversion and warrant rights or conversion obligations of HUGO BOSS AG or its affiliated companies, and to use the shares to carry out a stock dividend. In addition, in the case of an offer to all shareholders to purchase own shares, the subscription right for fractional shares may be excluded. By resolution of the Annual General Meeting of May 27, 2020, the Managing Board is further authorized to acquire own shares using equity derivatives.

Change of control regulations

The syndicated loan taken out by HUGO BOSS AG and HUGO BOSS International B.V. and guaranteed by HUGO BOSS AG as well as the bilateral lines of credit contain standard market conditions that grant the contracting parties additional termination rights in the event of a change of control – known as “change of control clauses.”

Compensation agreements

The service agreements of the current members of the Managing Board do not contain a provision under which, in the event of a change of control (acquisition of more than 30% of the voting rights in HUGO BOSS AG), the contracting parties are granted an additional termination right under certain circumstances and, if the service agreement is in fact terminated, the member of the Managing Board must be compensated. Compensation Report