Form 8-K

 

 

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) April 27, 2011

 

 

General Electric Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

New York   001-00035   14-0689340

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

3135 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, Connecticut   06828-0001
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (203) 373-2211

 

(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 (see General Instructions A.2. below):

 

¨ 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.

(a) The annual meeting of shareowners of the Company was held on April 27, 2011.

(b) The shareowners elected all of the Company’s nominees for director; ratified the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered accounting firm for the fiscal year 2011; approved the advisory vote on executive compensation; and approved holding future advisory votes on executive compensation every year. The shareowners did not approve any of the shareowner proposals, which are listed below.

 

A. Election of Directors:

 

     Shares For      Shares Against      Shares Abstain      Non-Votes  

W. Geoffrey Beattie

     5,717,325,631         383,106,769         43,344,740         2,116,572,066   

James I. Cash, Jr.

     5,645,873,768         458,620,354         39,283,018         2,116,572,066   

Ann M. Fudge

     5,980,010,414         125,446,071         38,320,655         2,116,572,066   

Susan Hockfield

     5,753,374,448         352,901,081         37,501,611         2,116,572,066   

Jeffrey R. Immelt

     5,820,576,981         287,746,410         35,453,749         2,116,572,066   

Andrea Jung

     5,264,422,127         841,842,544         37,512,469         2,116,572,066   

Alan G. (A.G.) Lafley

     6,009,125,481         94,909,446         39,742,213         2,116,572,066   

Robert W. Lane

     5,693,451,078         410,460,140         39,865,922         2,116,572,066   

Ralph S. Larsen

     5,687,148,399         415,960,151         40,668,590         2,116,572,066   

Rochelle B. Lazarus

     5,721,498,411         384,331,125         37,947,604         2,116,572,066   

James J. Mulva

     5,755,998,766         348,124,546         39,653,828         2,116,572,066   

Sam Nunn

     5,561,936,241         543,866,478         37,974,421         2,116,572,066   

Roger S. Penske

     5,503,458,091         569,136,352         71,182,697         2,116,572,066   

Robert J. Swieringa

     6,001,616,478         102,018,837         40,141,825         2,116,572,066   

James S. Tisch

     5,420,316,467         684,167,933         39,292,740         2,116,572,066   

Douglas A. Warner III

     5,639,542,216         465,911,295         38,323,629         2,116,572,066   

 

B. Ratification of KPMG LLP:

 

For

     8,048,916,752   

Against

     147,038,400   

Abstain

     64,394,054   

 

C. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation:

 

For

     4,802,235,894   

Against

     1,238,198,783   

Abstain

     103,342,463   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

(2)


D. Advisory Vote on the Frequency of Future Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation:

 

One year

     5,177,027,789   

Two years

     98,524,395   

Three years

     819,877,840   

Abstain

     48,347,116   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

1. Shareowner Proposal: Cumulative Voting:

 

For

     1,632,149,274   

Against

     4,445,784,633   

Abstain

     65,843,233   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

2. Shareowner Proposal: Future Stock Options:

 

For

     1,791,806,984   

Against

     4,284,369,342   

Abstain

     67,600,814   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

3. Shareowner Proposal: Withdraw Stock Options Granted to Executive Officers:

 

For

     450,822,488   

Against

     5,631,590,645   

Abstain

     61,364,007   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

4. Shareowner Proposal: Climate Change Risk Disclosure:

 

For

     240,369,492   

Against

     4,924,813,208   

Abstain

     978,594,440   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

5. Shareowner Proposal: Transparency in Animal Research:

 

For

     451,487,905   

Against

     4,384,712,509   

Abstain

     1,307,576,726   

Non-Votes

     2,116,572,066   

 

(3)


(d) Disclosure Regarding Frequency of Stockholder Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation:

A majority of the votes cast by shareowners voted, on an advisory basis, to hold an advisory vote to approve executive compensation every year. In line with this recommendation by our shareowners, the Board of Directors has decided that it will include an advisory shareowner vote on executive compensation in its proxy materials every year until the next required advisory vote on the frequency of shareowner votes on executive compensation, which will occur no later than our Annual Meeting of Shareowners in 2017.

 

(4)


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.

 

   

General Electric Company

    (Registrant)
   

/s/ Michael R. McAlevey

Date: May 2, 2011     Michael R. McAlevey
    Vice President and Chief Corporate, Securities and Finance Counsel

 

(5)