29 April 2024

Remuneration related disclosures in accordance with Article 22(2) of the AIFMD, Article 107 of the AIFMD Regulations and Section XIII of the ESMA Guidelines on sound remuneration policies under the AIFMD

The below disclosures are made in respect of the remuneration policies of the BlackRock group ("BlackRock"), as they apply to BlackRock Fund Managers Limited (the "Manager"). The disclosures are made in accordance with the provisions in the UK implementing the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (the "AIFMD"), the European Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing the AIFMD (the "Delegated Regulation") and the "Guidelines on sound remuneration policies under the AIFMD" issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority.

The BlackRock AIFM Remuneration Policy (the "AIFM Remuneration Policy") will apply to the EEA entities within the BlackRock group authorised as a manager of alternative investment funds in accordance with the AIFMD, and will ensure compliance with the requirements of Annex II of the AIFMD and to UK entities within the BlackRock group authorised as a manager of a UK alternative investment fund in accordance with the UK version of the Directive.

The Manager has adopted the AIFM Remuneration Policy, a summary of which is set out below.

Remuneration Governance

BlackRock's remuneration governance in EMEA operates as a tiered structure which includes: (a) the Management Development and Compensation Committee ("MDCC") (which is the global, independent remuneration committee for BlackRock, Inc. and (b) the Manager's board of directors (the "Manager's Board"). These bodies are responsible for the determination of BlackRock's remuneration policies which includes reviewing the remuneration policy on a regular basis and being responsible for its implementation.

The implementation of the remuneration policy is annually subject to central and independent review for compliance with policies and procedures for remuneration adopted by the MDCC and by the Manager's Board. The remuneration disclosure is produced and owned by the MDCC and the Manager's Board.

(a) MDCC

The MDCC's purposes include:

  • providing oversight of:
    1. BlackRock's executive compensation programmes; o BlackRock's employee benefit plans; and
      o such other compensation plans as may be established by BlackRock from time to time for which the MDCC is deemed as administrator;
  • reviewing and discussing the compensation discussion and analysis included in the BlackRock, Inc. annual proxy statement with management and approving the MDCC's report for inclusion in the proxy statement;
  • reviewing, assessing and making reports and recommendations to the BlackRock, Inc. Board of Directors (the 'BlackRock, Inc. Board') as appropriate on BlackRock's talent development and succession planning, with the emphasis on performance and succession at the highest management levels; and
  • supporting the boards of the Company's EMEA regulated entities in meeting their remuneration- related obligations by overseeing the design and implementation of EMEA remuneration policy in accordance with applicable regulations.

The MDCC directly retains its own independent compensation consultant, Semler Brossy Consulting Group LLC, who has no relationship with BlackRock Inc. or the BlackRock, Inc. Board that would interfere with its ability to provide independent advice to the MDCC on compensation matters.

The BlackRock, Inc. Board has determined that all of the members of the MDCC are "independent" within the meaning of the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which requires each meet a "non-employee director" standard.

The MDCC held 7 meetings during 2023. The MDCC charter is available on BlackRock, Inc.'s website (www.blackrock.com).

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(b) The Manager's Board

The Manager's Board has the task of supervising, approving and providing oversight of the AIFM Remuneration Policy as it applies to the Manager and its Identified Staff (as defined below).

The responsibilities of the supervisory function include:

  • approve, maintain and oversee the implementation of the AIFM Remuneration Policy;
  • determine and oversee the remuneration of the members of the management body, provided that insofar the relevant AIFM does not have a separate supervisory function, the remuneration of the member of the management body is determined by the MDCC;
  • approve any subsequent material exemptions or changes to the AIFM Remuneration Policy and carefully consider and monitor their effects;
  • take into account the inputs provided by all competent corporate functions (i.e., risk management, compliance, human resources, strategic planning, etc.) in the design and oversight of the AIFM Remuneration Policy;

Decision-making process

Remuneration decisions for employees are made once annually in January following the end of the performance year. This timing allows full-year financial results to be considered along with other non- financial goals and objectives. Although the framework for remuneration decision-making is tied to financial performance, significant discretion is used to determine individual variable remuneration based on achievement of strategic and operating results and other considerations such as management and leadership capabilities.

No set formulas are established and no fixed benchmarks are used in determining annual incentive awards. In determining specific individual remuneration amounts, a number of factors are considered including non-financial goals and objectives and overall financial and investment performance. These results are viewed in the aggregate without any specific weighting, and there is no direct correlation between any particular performance measure and the resulting annual incentive award. The variable remuneration awarded to any individual(s) for a particular performance year may also be zero.

Annual incentive awards are paid from a bonus pool.

The size of the projected bonus pool, including cash and equity awards, is reviewed throughout the year by the MDCC and the final total bonus pool is approved after year-end. As part of this review, the MDCC receives actual and projected financial information over the course of the year as well as final year-end information. The financial information that the MDCC receives and considers includes the current year projected income statement and other financial measures compared with prior year results and the current year budget. The MDCC additionally reviews other metrics of BlackRock's financial performance (e.g., net inflows of AUM and investment performance) as well as information regarding market conditions and competitive compensation levels.

The MDCC regularly considers management's recommendation as to the percentage of pre-incentive operating income that will be accrued and reflected as a compensation expense throughout the year for the cash portion of the total annual bonus pool (the "accrual rate"). The accrual rate of the cash portion of the total annual bonus pool may be modified by the MDCC during the year based on its review of the financial information described above. The MDCC does not apply any particular weighting or formula to the information it considers when determining the size of the total bonus pool or the accruals made for the cash portion of the total bonus pool.

Following the end of the performance year, the MDCC approves the final bonus pool amount.

As part of the year-end review process the Enterprise Risk and Regulatory Compliance departments report to the MDCC on any activities, incidents or events that warrant consideration in making compensation decisions.

Individuals are not involved in setting their own remuneration.

Control functions

Each of the control functions (Enterprise Risk, Legal & Compliance, Finance, Human Resources and Internal Audit) has its own organisational structure which is independent of the business units and therefore staff

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members in control functions are remunerated independently of the businesses they oversee. The head of each control function is either a member of the Global Executive Committee ("GEC"), the global management committee, or has a reporting obligation to the board of directors of BlackRock Group Limited, the parent company of all of BlackRock's EMEA regulated entities, including the Manager.

Functional bonus pools are determined with reference to the performance of each individual function. The remuneration of the senior members of control functions is directly overseen by the MDCC.

Link between pay and performance

There is a clear and well defined pay-for-performance philosophy and compensation programmes which are designed to meet the following key objectives as detailed below:

  • appropriately balance BlackRock's financial results between shareholders and employees;
  • attract, retain and motivate employees capable of making significant contributions to the long-term success of the business;
  • align the interests of senior employees with those of shareholders by awarding BlackRock Inc.'s stock as a significant part of both annual and long-term incentive awards;
  • control fixed costs by ensuring that compensation expense varies with profitability;
  • link a significant portion of an employee's total compensation to the financial and operational performance of the business;
  • promote sound and effective risk management across all risk categories, including sustainability risk;
  • discourage excessive risk-taking (sustainability related or otherwise); and
  • ensure that client interests are not negatively impacted by remuneration awarded on a short-term,mid-term and/or long-term basis.

Driving a high-performance culture is dependent on the ability to measure performance against objectives, values and behaviours in a clear and consistent way. Managers use a 5-point rating scale to provide an overall assessment of an employee's performance, and employees also provide a self-evaluation. The overall, final rating is reconciled during each employee's performance appraisal. Employees are assessed on the manner in which performance is attained as well as the absolute performance itself.

In keeping with the pay-for-performance philosophy, ratings are used to differentiate and reward individual performance - but don't pre-determine compensation outcomes. Compensation decisions remain discretionary and are made as part of the year-end compensation process.

When setting remuneration levels other factors are considered, as well as individual performance, which may include:

  • the performance of the Manager, the funds managed by the Manager and/or the relevant functional department;
  • factors relevant to an employee individually (e.g., relevant working arrangements (including part- time status if applicable); relationships with clients and colleagues; teamwork; skills; any conduct issues; and, subject to any applicable policy, the impact that any relevant leave of absence may have on contribution to the business);
  • the management of risk within the risk profiles appropriate for BlackRock's clients;
  • strategic business needs, including intentions regarding retention;
  • market intelligence;
  • criticality to business; and
  • supporting the firm's approaches to environmental, social and governance factors and diversity, equity and inclusion.

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A primary product tool is risk management and, while employees are compensated for strong performance in their management of client assets, they are required to manage risk within the risk profiles appropriate for their clients. Therefore, employees are not rewarded for engaging in high-risk transactions outside of established parameters. Remuneration practices do not provide undue incentives for short-term planning or short-term financial rewards, do not reward unreasonable risk and provide a reasonable balance between the many and substantial risks inherent within the business of investment management, risk management and advisory services.

BlackRock operates a total compensation model for remuneration which includes a base salary, which is contractual, and a discretionary bonus scheme.

BlackRock operates an annual discretionary bonus scheme. Although all employees are eligible to be considered for a discretionary bonus, there is no contractual obligation to make any award to an employee under its discretionary bonus scheme. In exercising discretion to award a discretionary bonus, the factors listed above (under the heading "Link between pay and performance") may be taken into account in addition to any other matters which become relevant to the exercise of discretion in the course of the performance year.

Discretionary bonus awards for all employees, including executive officers, are subject to a guideline that determines the portion paid in cash and the portion paid in BlackRock, Inc. stock and subject to additional vesting/clawback conditions. Stock awards are subject to further performance adjustment through variation in BlackRock, Inc.'s share price over the vesting period. As total annual compensation increases, a greater portion is deferred into stock. The MDCC adopted this approach in 2006 to substantially increase the retention value and shareholder alignment of the compensation package for eligible employees, including the executive officers. The portion deferred into stock vests into three equal instalments over the three years following grant.

Supplementary to the annual discretionary bonus as described above, equity awards may be made to select individuals to provide greater linkage with future business results. These long-term incentive awards have been established individually to provide meaningful incentive for continued performance over a multi-year period recognising the scope of the individual's role, business expertise and leadership skills.

Selected senior leaders are eligible to receive performance-adjustedequity-based awards from the "BlackRock Performance Incentive Plan" ("BPIP"). Awards made from the BPIP have a three-year performance period based on a measurement of As Adjusted Operating Margin1 and Organic Revenue Growth2. Determination of pay-out will be made based on the firm's achievement relative to target financial results at the conclusion of the performance period. The maximum number of shares that can be earned is 165% of the award in those situations where both metrics achieve pre-determined financial targets. No shares will be earned where the firm's financial performance in both of the above metrics is below a predetermined performance threshold. These metrics have been selected as key measures of shareholder value which endure across market cycles.

A limited number of investment professionals have a portion of their annual discretionary bonus (as described above) awarded as deferred cash that notionally tracks investment in selected products managed by the employee. The intention of these awards is to align investment professionals with the investment returns of the products they manage through the deferral of compensation into those products. Clients and external evaluators have increasingly viewed more favourably those products where key investors have "skin in the game" through significant personal investments.

Identified Staff

The AIFM Remuneration Policy sets out the process that will be applied to identify staff as Identified Staff, being categories of staff of the Manager, including senior management, risk takers, control functions and any employee receiving total remuneration that takes them into the same remuneration bracket as senior management and risk takers, whose professional activities have a material impact on the risk profiles of the Manager or of the funds it manages.

The list of Identified Staff will be subject to regular review, being formally reviewed in the event of, but not limited to:

  • organisational changes;
  1. As Adjusted Operating Margin: As reported in BlackRock's external filings, reflects adjusted Operating Income divided by Total Revenue net of distribution and servicing expenses and amortisation of deferred sales commissions.
  2. Organic Revenue Growth: Equal to net new base fees plus net new Aladdin revenue generated in the year (in dollars).

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  • new business initiatives;
  • changes in significant influence function lists;
  • changes in role responsibilities; and
  • revised regulatory direction.

BlackRock applies the proportionality principle in respect of staff identified as "Identified Staff". BlackRock bases its proportionality approach on a combination of factors that it is entitled to take into account based on relevant guidelines. The application of proportionality has been assessed based on the criteria set down in the ESMA Guidelines - i.e., criteria in terms of size, internal organisation and nature, scope and complexity of the activities; group of persons, who have only collectively a material impact on the risk profile of the management company; and structure of the remuneration of identified staff.

Quantitative Remuneration Disclosure

The Manager is required under the AIFMD to make quantitative disclosures of remuneration. These disclosures are made in line with BlackRock's interpretation of currently available regulatory guidance on quantitative remuneration disclosures. As market or regulatory practice develops BlackRock may consider it appropriate to make changes to the way in which quantitative remuneration disclosures are calculated. Where such changes are made, this may result in disclosures in relation to a fund not being comparable to the disclosures made in the prior year, or in relation to other BlackRock fund disclosures in that same year.

Remuneration information at an individual AIF level is not readily available. Disclosures are provided in relation to (a) the staff of the Manager; (b) staff who are senior management; (c) staff who have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of the Fund; and (d) staff of companies to which portfolio management and risk management has been formally delegated.

All individuals included in the aggregated figures disclosed are rewarded in line with BlackRock's remuneration policy for their responsibilities across the relevant BlackRock business area. As all individuals have a number of areas of responsibilities, only the portion of remuneration for those individuals' services attributable to the Manager is included in the aggregate figures disclosed.

Members of staff and senior management of the Manager typically provide both AIFMD and non-AIFMD related services in respect of multiple funds, clients and functions of the Manager and across the broader BlackRock group. Conversely, members of staff and senior management of the broader BlackRock group may provide both AIFMD and non-AIFMD related services in respect of multiple funds, clients and functions of the broader BlackRock group and of the Manager. Therefore, the figures disclosed are a sum of individuals' portion of remuneration attributable to the Manager according to an objective apportionment methodology which acknowledges the multiple-service nature of the Manager and the broader BlackRock group. Accordingly, the figures are not representative of any individual's actual remuneration or their remuneration structure.

The amount of the total remuneration awarded to the Manager's staff in respect of the Manager's financial year ending 31 December 2023 is USD 171,285k. This figure is comprised of fixed remuneration of USD 98,268k and variable remuneration of USD 73,017k. There was a total of 3,683 beneficiaries of the remuneration described above.

The amount of the aggregate remuneration awarded by the Manager in respect of the Manager's financial year ending 31 December 2023, to its senior management was USD 6,107k, and to other members of its staff whose actions potentially have a material impact on the risk profile of the Manager or its funds was USD 4,198k.

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BlackRock World Mining Trust plc published this content on 29 April 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 02 May 2024 10:07:32 UTC.