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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d)

of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 2, 2025

 

 

 

Smurfit Westrock plc 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Ireland
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
 

001-42161

(Commission
File Number)

  98-1776979
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

 

Beech Hill, Clonskeagh

Dublin 4, D04 N2R2

Ireland

(Address of principal executive offices, including Zip Code)

 

+353 1 202 7000

(Registrant’s telephone phone number, including area code)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Ordinary shares, par value $0.001 per share SW New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

On May 2, 2025, Smurfit Westrock plc (the “Company”) held its 2025 annual general meeting of shareholders (the “Annual General Meeting”). The Company’s shareholders voted to approve the election of each director nominee named in proposal 1, approved each of proposals 2, and 4 through 7 considered at the Annual General Meeting and cast majority of the votes in support of “ONE YEAR” with respect to proposal 3. The following chart sets forth the number and percentage of votes cast for and against, and the number of abstention votes and broker non-votes, with respect to each proposal voted upon by the Company’s shareholders (proposal numbers correspond to the proposal numbers used in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the Annual General Meeting, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 19, 2025):

 

Proposals  For  Against  Abstain  Broker
Non-Votes
1.   Elect the following director nominees to the Board of Directors:                  
   Irial Finan  426,224,615  99.52%  2,050,015  0.48%  100,354  15,444,618
   Anthony Smurfit  424,764,545  99.18%  3,520,766  0.82%  89,673  15,444,618
   Ken Bowles  421,974,769  98.53%  6,307,915  1.47%  92,300  15,444,618
   Colleen F. Arnold  426,524,570  99.59%  1,762,063  0.41%  88,351  15,444,618
   Timothy J. Bernlohr  426,282,679  99.53%  1,995,075  0.47%  97,230  15,444,618
   Carole L. Brown  427,293,815   99.77%  981,702  0.23%  99,467  15,444,618
   Terrell K. Crews  420,393,081  98.16%  7,875,698  1.84%  106,205  15,444,618
   Carol Fairweather  427,315,210  99.77%  970,482  0.23%  89,292  15,444,618
   Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh  427,284,553   99.77%  994,916  0.23%  95,515  15,444,618
   Suzan F. Harrison  427,118,383  99.73%  1,151,941  0.27%  104,660  15,444,618
   Kaisa Hietala  425,274,029  99.30%  3,003,830  0.70%  97,125  15,444,618
   Lourdes Melgar  426,486,507  99.58%  1,784,491  0.42%  103,986  15,444,618
   Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen  427,329,098  99.78%  949,554  0.22%  96,332  15,444,618
   Alan D. Wilson  426,944,842  99.69%  1,335,793  0.31%  94,349  15,444,618
2.  Approve, in a non-binding, advisory vote, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers.  407,878,831  95.32%  20,047,502  4.68%  448,651  15,444,618

 

      One Year   Two Years   Three Years   Abstain 

Broker

Non-Votes

3.  Approve, in a non-binding, advisory vote, the frequency of future non-binding, advisory votes to approve named executive officer compensation.   414,315,039     98.73%   107,942      0.03%   5,205,525   1.24%      8,746,478       15,444,618 

 

      For  Against  Abstain 

Broker

Non-Votes

4(a).  Ratify, in a non-binding vote, the appointment of KPMG as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and statutory auditor under Irish law for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.  443,176,626  99.93%  302,353  0.07%  340,623 
4(b).  Authorize, in a binding vote, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to determine the remuneration of KPMG as the Company’s statutory auditor under Irish law.  440,542,428  99.30%  3,089,620  0.70%  187,554 
5.  Grant the Board of Directors the authority to issue shares under Irish law.  434,775,985  98.01%  8,820,798  1.99%  222,819 
6.  Grant the Board of Directors the authority to opt-out of statutory pre-emption rights under Irish law.  388,125,055  87.51%  55,377,764  12.49%  316,783 
7.  Determine the price range at which the Company can re-issue shares that it holds as treasury shares under Irish law.  441,490,241  99.55%  1,992,056  0.45%  337,305 

 

In light of the voting results with respect to the frequency of future non-binding, advisory shareholder votes to approve named executive officer compensation, the Board of Directors has decided that the Company will hold an annual advisory vote to approve the compensation of named executive officers until the next required vote on the frequency of future non-binding, advisory shareholder votes to approve named executive officer compensation. The Company is required to hold votes on frequency every six years.

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  Smurfit Westrock plc
   
    /s/ Ken Bowles
  Name: Ken Bowles
  Title: Executive Vice President & Group Chief Financial Officer

 

Date: May 2, 2025