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The role and responsibilities of the Board of Directors in overseeing the competent and ethical operation of a public company. It covers topics such as director qualifications, ethics and conflict of interests, board size and elections, director responsibilities, and committees. The document also discusses the importance of maintaining the highest standards of responsibility and ethics, and the need for a proactive and focused approach to governance.
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It is the paramount duty of the Board of Directors to oversee the CEO and other senior management in the competent and ethical operation of the Company on a day-to-day basis and to assure that the long-term interests of the shareholders are being served. To satisfy this duty, the directors will take a proactive, focused approach to their position, and set standards to ensure that the Company is committed to business success through maintenance of the highest standards of responsibility and ethics. Directors bring to the Company a wide range of experience, knowledge and judgment, and bring these skills to bear for the Company. These varied skills mean that good governance depends on far more than a "check the box" approach to standards or procedures. The governance structure in the Company is designed to be a working structure for principled actions, effective decision-making and appropriate monitoring of both compliance and performance. DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS: The board believes that there should be at least a majority of independent directors on the board who meet the criteria for independence established by the Nasdaq Stock Market. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall solicit and receive recommendations and review the qualifications of potential director candidates in accordance with the charter and principles of that committee. The consideration of a candidate as a director will be based on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s assessment of the individual’s background, skills and abilities, and if such characteristics qualify the individual to fulfill the needs of the board at that time. The board should monitor the mix of skills and experience of its directors in order to assure that the board has the necessary tools to perform its oversight function effectively. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will be responsible for considering shareholder proposals with respect to director nominations. Serving on the Company’s board requires significant time and attention. Directors must spend the time needed and meet as often as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. A director who also serves as CEO of the Company should not serve on more than two (2) other boards of public companies in addition to the Company’s board.
The board expects its directors, as well as officers and employees, to act ethically at all times and to acknowledge their adherence to the Company’s code of conduct. The board will not permit the waiver of any ethics policy for any director or executive officer. SIZE OF BOARD AND DIRECTOR ELECTIONS: The directors are elected annually by the shareholders to serve a one-year term. Between annual shareholder meetings, the board may elect directors to serve until the next annual meeting. The By-laws prescribe that shareholders may propose nominees for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee by submitting the names and supporting information to: Secretary, Apple Computer, Inc., 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014. The By-laws prescribe that the number of directors will not be less than five (5) nor more than nine (9). In general, smaller boards are more cohesive, work better together and tend to be more efficient monitors than larger boards. The board currently has six (6) members and periodically reviews from time to time the appropriateness of its size. The board would consider expanding its size to accommodate outstanding candidates. DIRECTOR ORIENTATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Company’s management should provide new directors with materials, briefings and additional educational opportunities to permit them to become familiar with the Company and to enable them to better perform their duties. Board members are also encouraged to visit Company facilities and meet with Company employees throughout their tenure on the board. In addition, Board members are encouraged to attend accredited director education programs. TERM LIMITS AND RETIREMENT POLICY: The board believes that term limits are on balance not the best way to maximize the effectiveness of the board. While terms limits would likely introduce fresh perspectives and make new viewpoints available to the board, they may have the countervailing effect of causing the loss of the benefit gained from the contributions of directors who have developed, over time, increasing insight into the Company. As an alternative to term limits, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will periodically review the appropriateness of each board member’s continued service. A board member may not stand for reelection after age 70, but need not resign until the end of his or her term.
The board believes that management speaks for the Company. Individual board members may occasionally meet or otherwise communicate with various constituencies that are involved with the Company, but it is expected that board members would do this with the knowledge of management and, in most instances, absent unusual circumstances or as contemplated by the committee charters, at the request of management. BOARD COMMITTEES: The board currently has a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, an Audit and Finance Committee and a Compensation Committee. All of the members of these committees will meet the then-effective criteria for independence established by the Nasdaq Stock Market and, in the case of the Audit and Finance Committee, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
The board has complete access to all Company officers and employees. Any meetings or contacts that a director desires to initiate may be arranged directly by the director or through the CEO or other Company officer. The board welcomes the attendance of senior officers at each board meeting. The board also encourages management to schedule managers to present at board meetings who: (a) can provide additional insight into the items being discussed because of personal involvement in these areas, or (b) have future potential that management believes should be given exposure to the board. DIRECTOR COMPENSATION: The form and amount of director compensation will be determined by the board after review of recommendations of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. It is appropriate for the staff of the Company to report from time to time to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee on the status of board compensation in relation to other comparable U.S. companies. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee should conduct an annual review of director compensation. The current practice of the board is that a substantial portion of a director’s annual retainer be equity-based. Directors do not receive any additional consideration for serving on committees or as committee chairperson. BOARD EVALUATION: The board should conduct a self-evaluation at least annually to determine whether it and its committees are functioning effectively. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the annual board evaluation process in accordance with the charter and principles of that committee. MANAGEMENT REVIEW AND SUCCESSION PLANNING: The Compensation Committee should conduct and review with the board an annual evaluation of the performance of all executive officers, including the CEO. This review is used by the Compensation Committee in the course of its deliberations when considering the compensation of the CEO and senior management. The CEO performance evaluation is also reviewed by the board to ensure that the CEO is providing effective leadership for the Company. As part of the annual CEO evaluation, the board and the CEO should conduct an annual review on management development and succession planning for senior management, including the CEO.