3 questions lodged at 2025 Accent Group hybrid AGM
November 30, 2025
Below is the text of the 3 written questions submitted at the 68 minute Accent Group (AX1) 10am hybrid in Melbourne and via the Computershare platform on November 21, 2025. Market cap $736m after a weaker year. There was an extraordinary 82% vote against the rem report with a big chunk that done live on the day, not by proxy beforehand. Have also never seen this many withdrawn incentive resolutions. Our biggest shoe retailer got a helluva kick up the backside from shareholders and the chair David Gordon fell on his sword at the end of the AGM. See notice of meeting. The proxies were not disclosed early in the formal addresses as chair David Gordon gave no clue as to what was coming and the CEO was MIA and will be off sick for a few weeks. This AGM clashed with Reece and Wisetech so didn't see it live but here is the webcast archive.
Q1. How many full time equivalent staff do we currently have and is this likely to fall over the coming 12 months with the rapid roll out of AI? Which parts of our business and operations are the most prospective for AI productivity gains and how energetically are we embracing those opportunities?
Answer: Outgoing chair David Gordon said no robots are not going to replace the 7,000 staff who work for Australia's biggest shoe retailer any time soon. Watch video of exchange via Twitter.
Q2. Which of the proxy advisers covered us this year and did any recommend a vote against any of today's resolutions, including this remuneration report item? If so, what reasons did they give and did this translate into any material protest votes? Please don't say they are confidential. It is standard for companies to be across this detail on the voting recommendations and inform shareholders where relevant and I could show you examples of more than 50 chairs responding positively to this question. Also, next year, please disclose the proxies earlier to the ASX along with the formal addresses so I don't have to ask questions like this?
Answer: Having copped an enormous 82% remuneration strike and withdrawn 4 incentive resolutions which were going down, Accent Group chair David Gordon should have known which proxy advisers recommended against and why. Presume they were all against. Just silly claiming this was 10 or 16 questions as well. Watch video of exchange via Twitter.
Q3. When did we last tender the external audit contract and when are we next likely to tender the audit?
Answer: Chair David Gordon sure was pumping up the tyres of external auditor PwC, especially given they've only audited Australia's largest shoe retailer for the past two years. Watch video of exchange via Twitter.
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