Form 8-K

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 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): July 24, 2014

 

 

Brown-Forman Corporation

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   002-26821   61-0143150

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

  

(Commission

File Number)

  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

850 Dixie Highway, Louisville, Kentucky   40210
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (502) 585-1100

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report.)

 

 

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))

 

 

 

Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Brown-Forman Corporation (the “Company”) held its 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) on July 24, 2014. The matters submitted to a vote of the Class A common stockholders at the Annual Meeting and the voting results therefor are as follows:

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

The Company’s Class A common stockholders elected each of the director nominees proposed by the Company’s Board of Directors to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until such director’s successor is duly elected and qualified. The following is a breakdown of the voting results:

 

Name of Nominee

    For      Against      Abstain      Broker
Non-Votes		  

Joan C. Lordi Amble

      78,642,850         146,006         21,871         0   

Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne

      78,709,803         74,131         26,793         0   

Geo. Garvin Brown IV

      77,518,500         1,273,538         18,688         0   

Martin S. Brown, Jr.

      77,725,112         1,066,423         19,192         0   

Bruce L. Byrnes

      78,709,915         79,793         21,019         0   

John D. Cook

      78,649,170         140,395         21,162         0   

Sandra A. Frazier

      77,599,150         1,192,049         19,527         0   

Michael J. Roney

      78,706,134         49,886         54,707         0   

Dace Brown Stubbs

      77,579,151         1,209,741         21,834         0   

Michael A. Todman

      78,726,720         63,215         20,791         0   

Paul C. Varga

      77,734,411         1,042,748         33,567         0   

James S. Welch, Jr.

      77,649,161         1,114,111         47,455         0   

Proposal 2: Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

At the Annual Meeting, the Class A common stockholders also approved a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation. The following is a breakdown of the voting results:

 

For

  

Against

  

Abstain

  

Broker

Non-Votes

76,667,795   172,532   1,970,400   0

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On July 24, 2014, the Company issued a press release commenting on its fiscal 2014 performance and announcing that at its Annual Meeting, Brown-Forman Class A common stockholders elected directors for the coming year and approved a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation. In addition, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.29 cents per share on its Class A and Class B common stock, payable on October 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on September 8, 2014. A copy of this press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

   

Description

99.1    Brown-Forman Corporation Press Release dated July 24, 2014

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.

 

  Brown-Forman Corporation
  (Registrant)

July 25, 2014

   /s/ Matthew E. Hamel

(Date)

   Matthew E. Hamel
  Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

   

Description

99.1    Brown-Forman Corporation Press Release dated July 24, 2014