The Supervisory Board has established three committees: the Audit Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee. Each committee has a charter describing its role and responsibilities and the manner in which it discharges its duties and reports to the full Supervisory Board. These charters are included in the Supervisory Board Rules of Procedure, published on the company’s corporate website. The committees report on their deliberations and findings to the full Supervisory Board.
The Audit Committee assists the Supervisory Board in overseeing the quality and integrity of the accounting, auditing, reporting and risk management practices of the company, as well as the company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the qualifications, performance and independence of the external auditor and the performance of the internal audit function. The Chairman of the Audit Committee is Mr. Van den Brink. The Audit Committee consists of three members – Mr. Hughes, Mrs. Bruzelius and Mr. Van den Brink. As a rule, the CEO, the CFO, the Corporate Director Control, the internal auditor and the lead partner of the external auditor, KPMG, attend all regular meetings. After every Audit Committee meeting, the three members hold a separate meeting with only the internal auditor present, and a separate meeting with only the external auditor present.
The Nomination Committee focuses on drawing up selection criteria and appointment procedures for Supervisory Board and Board of Management members. The committee assesses the size and composition of both Boards, evaluates the functioning of the individual members, makes proposals for appointments and reappointments and supervises the Board of Management on the selection of senior management. The committee also considers nominations of Executive Committee members who are not also a member of the Board of Management. When selecting candidates for appointment to the Supervisory Board, account is taken of the need for a balanced representation of knowledge of the markets in which the company operates, as well as the need for insight from different markets and non-operational areas. Higher female and diversity representation are also actively being pursued. The Nomination Committee consists of four members and is chaired by Mr. Vuursteen. Baroness Bottomley and Messrs. Vuursteen, Burgmans and Ellwood are members of the Nomination Committee.
The Remuneration Committee is responsible for drafting proposals to the Supervisory Board on the remuneration policy for the Board of Management, for overseeing the remuneration of its individual members, the remaining members of the Executive Committee and for the remuneration schemes for AkzoNobel executives involving the company’s shares. The committee also prepares Supervisory Board proposals to the Annual General Meeting of shareholders concerning the remuneration of the members of the Supervisory Board. The Remuneration Committee consists of four members and is chaired by Mr. Burgmans. Baroness Bottomley and Messrs. Vuursteen, Burgmans and Ellwood are members of the Remuneration Committee.
