Policies and Procedures
The Board has adopted a policy that requires the Company’s executive officers, directors and nominees for director to promptly notify the Corporate Secretary in writing of any transaction in which (i) the amount exceeds $120,000, (ii) the Company is, was or is proposed to be a participant and (iii) such person or such person’s immediate family members (“Related Persons”) has, had or may have a direct or indirect material interest (a “Related Person Transaction”). Subject to certain exceptions delineated in the policy, Related Person Transactions must be brought to the attention of the Nominating, Governance and Social Responsibility Committee or any other Committee designated by the Board of Directors that is comprised solely of independent directors for an assessment of whether the transaction or proposed transaction should be permitted to proceed. In deciding whether to approve or ratify the Related Person Transaction, the Committee is required to consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including without limitation the materiality of the Related Person’s direct or indirect interest in the Related Person Transaction, the materiality of the Related Person Transaction to the Company, the impact of the Related Person Transaction on the Related Person, the impact of the Related Person Transaction on the Related Person’s independence (as defined in the Corporate Governance Guidelines and the New York Stock Exchange Listing Standards) and the actual or apparent conflict of interest of the Related Person participating in the Related Person Transaction. If the designated Committee determines that the Related Person has a direct or indirect material interest in any such transaction, the Committee must review and approve, ratify or disapprove the Related Person Transaction. This policy is available on the Company’s website. In addition to this policy, the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors (“Director Code”) and Code of Conduct for Compliance and Integrity (“Code of Conduct”) – both of which are available on the Company’s website – have specific provisions addressing actual and potential conflicts of interest. The Director Code specifies: “Our directors have an obligation to act in the best interest of the Company. All directors should endeavor to avoid situations that present a potential or actual conflict between their interest and the interest of the Company.” The Director Code defines conflict of interest to include any instance in which (i) a person’s private interest interferes in any way, or even appears to interfere, with the interest of the Company, including its subsidiaries and affiliates; (ii) a director or a director’s family member takes an action or has an interest that may make it difficult for that director to perform his or her work objectively and effectively and (iii) a director (or his or her family member) receives improper personal benefits as a result of the director’s position in the Company. Similarly, the Code of Conduct requires all officers and employees of the Company to avoid situations where the officer’s or employee’s “personal, financial or political activities have the potential of interfering with his or her loyalty and objectivity to the company.” (emphasis in original). The Code of Conduct lists specific types of transactions that might create an actual or apparent conflict of interest and provides guidance on how each situation must be handled. |