Director independence refers to the concept of having directors on a corporate board who are free from any conflicting interests or influences that could compromise their ability to make impartial and objective decisions in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. It implies that directors should be able to act independently, without being unduly influenced by management or other stakeholders, ensuring a fair and transparent governance process.
Full definition
The largest gaps occur
in director independence, share structure, CEO / Chair split and compensation peer group disclosure.
The Governance Committee consists of Susan L. Decker, David S. Gottesman, Walter Scott, Jr. and Meryl B. Witmer, all of whom are independent directors in accordance with the New York Stock Exchange
director independence standards.
Investment professionals who have long relied on Bloomberg for its suite of financial data and analytics now have access to research from Glass Lewis on matters not well covered by traditional investment research: accounting policies, financial statement transparency, corporate governance, litigation and regulatory developments, related - party transactions, executive compensation and board
of director independence and quality, among others.
Finally, while some companies have had problems
with director independence because of the number of insiders on their boards, this was not true of all the failed boards, and board makeup was generally the same for companies with failed boards and those with well - managed ones.
She advises clients on a wide variety of corporate governance matters,
including director independence, board and committee structures, proxy disclosure, shareholder proposals, board leadership structures, shareholder relationships and the impact of proxy advisory services.
Thirteen of the 14 director nominees are independent under NYSE rules and the Company's
Director Independence Standards, and each of the standing Board committees is comprised solely of independent directors.
Her representative matters include advising boards and companies on board and disclosure issues,
including director independence, board and committee structure, securities law compliance, board leadership structures, board composition, proxy disclosure, listing standards, shareholder proposals, shareholder engagement and relationships, annual meetings, committee charters, listing standards and the impact of proxy advisory firms.
Each of the directors other than Larry, Sergey, Eric, Sundar, and Diane is independent (see «
Director Independence» on page 26 of this proxy statement), and the Board of Directors believes that the independent directors provide effective oversight of management.
Accordingly, in addition to maintaining a significant majority of independent directors (13 of the 14 director nominees are independent under NYSE rules and
the Director Independence Standards) and independent Board committees, since 2009 the Board has appointed a Lead Director who performs the duties and responsibilities described below.
Each member of the AEC is independent, as independence for audit committee members is defined by NYSE and SEC rules, as discussed below under «
Director Independence.»
CCBE has been compiling the Board Shareholder Confidence Index since 2002, considering corporations listed on the S&P / TSX Composite Index in regards to
their Director independence, board structure and board output.
Furthermore, she has experience advising on
director independence, disclosures, regulatory compliance, and investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
We regularly offer guidance on ongoing matters related to board composition and
director independence, the roles and responsibilities of board committees, board compensation, board self - evaluations and the fiduciary duties of the board.