Linde plc

Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Lindy PLC Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Teleconference. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. After the speaker's presentation, there will be a question and answer session. I would now like to hand the conference over to Mr. Juan Pelaez, Head of Investor Relations. Please go ahead, sir.

Thanks, David. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for attending our 2021 Third Quarter Earnings Call and webcast. I'm Juan Pelaez, Head of Investor Relations, and I'm joined this morning by Steve Angel, Chief Executive Officer, Matt White, Chief Financial Officer, and Sanjeev Lamba, Chief Operating Officer. Today's presentation materials are available on our website at lindy.com in the investor section. Please read the forward-looking statement disclosure on page two of the slides and note that it applies to all statements made during this teleconference. The reconciliations of the adjusted numbers are in the appendix of this presentation. Steve will provide some opening remarks, and then Sanjeev and Matt will give an update on Lindy's business outlook and third quarter performance, after which we will wrap up with Q&A. Let me turn the call over to Steve.

Thanks, Ron, and good morning, everyone. Lindy employees delivered another solid quarter, continuing Q2's record EPS performance. despite increasingly challenging market conditions. Operating cash flow and return on capital reached record levels, and our project backlog nearly doubled, providing a strong foundation for high-quality long-term growth. We also stepped up our commitment to reducing our greenhouse gases emissions footprint, and Sanjeev will share that roadmap with you. But frankly, this isn't something new. It's what we committed to our shareholders since the merger and have been delivering on ever since, irrespective of the macro environment. Most of you know this, but I think it bears repeating. Our operating culture runs deep at Linde. Our people take great pride in demonstrating continuous improvement across the key operating metrics in their business. The best day of the month for our management team is when we review the operating performance of each of our regional business units. This is what we do for fun in Danbury, among other things. Now, I'm sure you've seen the announcement earlier this week where I will become the chairman of the board and Sanjeev will become CEO effective March 1st. His appointment is the culmination of a diligent three-year succession planning process in which Sanjeev clearly demonstrated he was the right choice to lead this company going forward. I will continue to provide guidance, both from the perspective of a director and a significant shareholder, but my primary responsibility shifts to chairing the board of directors while Sanjeev takes over day-to-day management of the company. Supporting Sanjit is a highly capable and experienced leadership team. I have been CEO for 15 years, and I have never felt better about how the company is positioned. Obviously, our strategy is working well, and the team is executing at a high level. Some say we are a well-oiled machine. I wouldn't disagree. We are a company for all seasons, and I'm confident Lindy's best days lie ahead. Before handing off to Sanjeev, I would like to take a moment and thank Wolfgang Reitzler for his partnership in bringing our highly successful merger to fruition, and our directors and investors for their continuing support. Lastly, I want to thank our employees worldwide for creating the leading industrial gases and engineering company in the world. I'll now hand the call over to Sanjeev.