On this page of StockholderLetter.com we present the latest annual shareholder letter from ACUITY BRANDS INC — ticker symbol AYI. Reading current and past AYI letters to shareholders can bring important insights into the investment thesis.

 •  12/12/2024 Letter Continued (Full PDF)
 •  12/14/2023 AYI Stockholder Letter
 •  More "Electronic Equipment & Products" Category Stockholder Letters
 •  AYI Benford's Law Stock Score = 84

AYI Shareholder/Stockholder Letter Transcript:

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant    
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant    
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Preliminary Proxy Statement
Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
Definitive Proxy Statement
Definitive Additional Materials
Soliciting Material Pursuant to   240.14a-12
ACUITY BRANDS, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
N/A
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

PROXY STATEMENT AND
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
OF STOCKHOLDERS
January 22, 2025

Who We Are
Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) is a market-leading industrial
technology company. We use technology to solve problems
in spaces, light, and more things to come. Through our two
business segments, Acuity Brands Lighting and Acuity Intelligent
Spaces, we design, manufacture, and bring to market products and
services that make a valuable difference in people's lives. We achieve
growth through the development of innovative new products and
services, including lighting, lighting controls, building management
solutions, and location-aware applications.
We achieve customer-focused efficiencies that allow us to increase
market share and deliver superior returns. We look to aggressively deploy
capital to grow the business and to enter attractive new verticals.
Acuity Brands, Inc. is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations across
North America, Europe, and Asia. The Company is powered by approximately
13,000 dedicated and talented associates.
Our Mission
We use technology to solve problems in spaces, light, and more things to come.
Our Values
Integrity
Time
Curiosity
Customer Obsessed
We do the right thing,
the first time, every time.
Time is the only constrained
resource. We focus on
what is most important.
We are always searching for
a better way. We are willing
and able to change.
We see the world through the eyes
of customers and end-users. We
deliver on their needs.
People
Community
Owner's Mindset
We create an environment where the
best people come to do their best
work. We all succeed together.
We care about the environment
and our neighbors. We make
communities better.
We think and act like owners. We
focus on long-term, sustainable
value creation.

Letter to Stockholders
Dear Stockholders:
The Board of Directors ("Board") would like to thank you for your ongoing investment and continued confidence in Acuity Brands, Inc.
("Acuity Brands" or the "Company"). The Board oversees strategy, continuously monitors business performance, reviews capital
deployment strategies, monitors risks, and examines other opportunities that have the potential to create additional value
for stockholders.
We have successfully positioned our Company at the intersection of sustainability and technology, setting ourselves up for long-term
growth by taking advantage of two of the most important mega-trends: minimizing the impacts of climate change and maximizing the
impacts of technology.
Fiscal 2024 was a successful year of improved operating performance that delivered end-user satisfaction and improved financial results.
We improved margins, increased earnings per share, and generated strong cash flow from operations. We continued to allocate capital
effectively, investing for future growth in our existing businesses, Acuity Brands Lighting and Acuity Intelligent Spaces. We are delivering
better outcomes for our stakeholders and compounding wealth for our shareholders.
Our Acuity Brands Lighting segment continued to lead as the largest lighting and lighting controls company in North America. We have
made the business more predictable, repeatable, and scalable through our strategy of increasing product vitality, elevating service levels,
using technology to improve and differentiate both our products and how we operate the business, and driving productivity. In fiscal 2024,
we combined our lighting and supply chain organizations under one leader to better align the end-to-end connectivity of our processes.
We evolved our differentiated product portfolios, Made to Order, Design SelectTM, and Contractor SelectTM, to create the most effective
way for our end users and contractors to get what they need, when they need it, for their specific projects. And, we invested for future
growth, prioritizing new verticals where we have not historically competed or where we are under-penetrated.
Our Acuity Intelligent Spaces segment had a very good year and continued to grow as an attractive technology business that makes
spaces smarter, safer, and greener through our strategy of connecting the edge to the cloud. We expanded our addressable market,
continued our impressive growth, and increased margins. We are delivering meaningful outcomes for end users that are powered by
disruptive technologies and that generate strong financial results. Our open edge-to-cloud solutions currently operate buildings to
maximize occupant experience and minimize energy and operational costs, and we believe we can do more in the future.
We have changed how the Company works through our Better.Smarter.Faster. operating system. Better.Smarter.Faster. is the
combination of processes, tools, and ways of working that span from strategy to people to operating rhythms to problem solving. It is
unique to our organization and allows us to drive strategic alignment, manage change, and deliver results.
Our values are at the core of our culture and help create a shared purpose for achieving our Company's strategic goals. We make
decisions based on our values and these values guide how we treat each other and how we serve our customers and communities.
The combination of Better.Smarter.Faster. and our values allows us to operate more efficiently with greater distribution of responsibility
and accountability throughout the Company. It is how we continue to improve our businesses and respond quickly and effectively to
changing economic environments.
Our strategy is manifested through EarthLIGHT. It is the way we coordinate our efforts around Environmental, Social, and Governance
considerations, measure our performance in key areas, and communicate about those efforts to our various stakeholders. We develop
and sell products and services that help our customers save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during usage. We
advance social initiatives in order to be the place where the best people come to do their best work and to make our communities better.
The Governance Committee receives regular updates regarding the Company's progress on these efforts, which help us continue to
operate with integrity and transparency. We summarized our progress in our 2024 EarthLIGHT report, available on our website
www.acuitybrands.com.
We thank our stockholders and other stakeholders for taking the time to engage with us and welcome the opportunity to hear feedback.
We will continue to incorporate your input as we form our practices and policies. See Contacting the Board of Directors for information
about how to reach the Board.
As we look ahead to fiscal 2025, the Board is confident in management   s ability to continue to take the necessary steps to drive our
transformation forward.
Sincerely,
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Neil M. Ashe,
Chairman, President and CEO
Marcia J. Avedon, Ph.D.
G. Douglas Dillard, Jr.
Mark J. Sachleben
W. Patrick Battle
Maya Leibman
Mary A. Winston
James H. Hance, Jr.
Lead Director
Michael J. Bender
Laura G. O'Shaughnessy

1170 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 1200
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Date and Time
January 22, 2025
1:00 p.m. ET
Online check-in begins
at 12:45 p.m. ET
Place
Access the Virtual Annual
Meeting at
www.virtualshareholder
meeting.com/AYI2025
Record Date
Stockholders of record at the close of business on
November 25, 2024 are entitled to notice of and to
vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournments
or postponements thereof.
Purpose
Items of Business
Board Recommendation
FOR
1
Election of nine directors
2
Ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting
firm for fiscal 2025
FOR
3
Advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation
FOR
4
Stockholder proposal regarding a director resignation bylaw
each director nominee
X AGAINST
Stockholders will also consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments
or postponements thereof.
Voting
Your vote is important. If you are a stockholder of record, you can vote by one of the following methods. In each case, please follow the
instructions provided on the Notice of Internet Availability or Proxy Card. We encourage you to vote in advance, even if you plan to
participate in the Annual Meeting.
Internet
www.proxyvote.com
Telephone
1-800-690-6903
Mail
Sign, date, and return
your proxy card
During the Meeting
Vote electronically during
the Annual Meeting
Virtual Stockholders' Meeting Information
The Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual format only via the Internet. We believe a virtual meeting allows broader access by our
stockholders and other interested parties without restricting participation. You will be able to participate in the Annual Meeting online and
submit your questions during the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/AYI2025. You will also be able to vote your
shares electronically at the Annual Meeting. For more information about our virtual Annual Meeting processes, please see
Questions Relating to this Proxy Statement     Information about our Virtual Annual Meeting.
On or about December 12, 2024, we plan to commence mailing of a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing
instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K via the Internet and how to vote online. The
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials also contains instructions on how you can receive a paper copy of the proxy materials.
By order of the Board,
CHANDA KIRCHNER
Corporate Secretary
December 12, 2024
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on January 22, 2025.
The Proxy Statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at www.proxyvote.com.



 12/12/2024 Letter Continued (Full PDF)