The Executive Board is responsible for achieving the company’s aims, the strategy and associated risk profile, the development of results, and corporate social responsibility issues that are relevant to the company. The members of the Executive Board are appointed by the General Meeting of Shareholders. The full procedure of appointment and dismissal of members of the Executive Board is explained in article 15 of the company’s Articles of Association. The Executive Board currently consists of Ms. N. McKinstry (CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board), Mr. B.L.J.M. Beerkens (CFO and member of the Executive Board), and Mr. J.J. Lynch, Jr. (member of the Executive Board). The remuneration of the members of the Executive Board is determined by the Supervisory Board, based on the advice of the Selection and Remuneration Committee. In line with the Code, the remuneration policy and the Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) for the Executive Board were adopted and approved by the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in 2004. In connection with a number of changes to the remuneration policy and to the LTIP, these subjects were submitted to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders again in 2007. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders adopted and approved the amendments. As announced in the 2009 Annual Report, Wolters Kluwer has added a target focused on corporate sustainability to the STIP for 2011, which is in line with Best Practice Provision II.2.3 of the Code. The Supervisory Board resolved to use revenues from electronic products as new sustainability related target. Electronic products reduce paper consumption and increase productivity which contributes to sustainability of Wolters Kluwer and its customers. As explained in the Remuneration Report, the Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders that will be held on April 27, 2011, to change the current Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) of the Executive Board. According to this proposal, earnings per share will be added as a second performance measure to the LTIP, in addition to Relative Total Shareholder Return.
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Under the LTIP, Executive Board members can earn ordinary shares after a period of three years from the date of the conditional award. Earning of the ordinary shares is subject to clear and objective three-year performance criteria established in advance. After earning ordinary shares, the Executive Board members are not required to retain them for a period of five years or until the end of their employment, as recommended in Best Practice Provision II.2.5 of the Code. Wolters Kluwer sees no reason to require the Executive Board members to hold their ordinary shares for five years, because under the LTIP, conditional awards by the Supervisory Board recur on an annual basis and, as such, the Executive Board members will always have a strong incentive to pursue the long-term interests of the company. A five-year holding period will have no added value in this respect.
Term of appointment
In line with Best Practice Provision II.1.1 of the Code, as a policy, future appointments of Executive Board members will take place for a period of four years. In line with the Code, at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders that was held in 2007, Mr. J.J. Lynch, Jr. was appointed as member of the Executive Board for a term of four years. As a result, his term will expire in 2011. The Supervisory Board has resolved to nominate Mr. Lynch for reappointment for a second period of four years at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders that will be held on April 27, 2011. However, the existing contracts with Ms. McKinstry and Mr. Beerkens, who were appointed before the introduction of the first Dutch Corporate Governance Code and have employment contracts for an indefinite period of time, will be honored.
Severance arrangements
The company recognizes a change in market practice with respect to severance arrangements. With respect to future Executive Board appointments, the company will, as a policy, comply with Best Practice Provision II.2.8 of the Code that stipulates that remuneration in the event of dismissal may not exceed a one year salary. Therefore, upon reappointment by the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in 2011, the contract of Mr. Lynch will be amended to reflect this Best Practice Provision. However, the company will honor existing arrangements with current Executive Board members who were appointed before the introduction of the first Dutch Corporate Governance Code.
Code of Conduct on Insider Trading
Wolters Kluwer has a very strict Code of Conduct on Insider Trading. The Executive Board members are only allowed to trade in Wolters Kluwer securities during open periods of a maximum of four weeks each, after publication of periodical results. There are also restrictions on trading in securities of peer group companies.
Risk management
The company has an internal risk management and control system in place that in the view of the Executive Board is suitable to the company. The main aspects of the internal risk management and control systems of the company including its group companies, as it relates to financial reporting, include:
- Hiring and retention policies and practices for key finance professionals throughout the company;
- A standard planning and reporting cycle on a divisional and operational entity level, consisting of the annual Business Development Plans (three-year strategic plan), the annual budget, quarterly forecasts, and monthly financial reporting;
- Periodic business reviews in which divisional and operating company management discuss the progress against plan and actions to mitigate business risks with the Executive Board;
- Treasury policies on market (currency and interest), liquidity, and credit risk reviewed by the Audit Committee, with quarterly reporting by the Treasury Committee to the Audit Committee on the status of these financial risks;
- A Risk Committee facilitating the internal process of enterprise risk management. The Committee meets every quarter and aims at getting oversight of the main risks and controls within the company;
- Standard financial and non-financial procedures and policies including the Insider Trading Code, Risk Manual, Company Values and Business Principles, Accounting Manual, Internal Audit Department Manual, Mergers & Acquisitions Manual, and Whistleblower Policy, as well as Letters of Representation signed quarterly by all divisional and operating company CEOs and CFOs and senior corporate staff members. Compliance is managed through Axentis, a Wolters Kluwer ARC Logics product;
- Internal audits, planned and carried out globally, based on risk assessments to ensure compliance with policies and procedures, evaluate effectiveness of established controls, and ensure that existing controls provide adequate protection against actual risks. Since 2009, the internal audit department has been using CCH TeamMate, a Wolters Kluwer ARC Logics product;
- Reporting control issues arising from management reviews, internal audits, and external audits and the status of remediating the issues to the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis; and
- The Wolters Kluwer Internal Control Framework consists of approximately 100 key controls, designed to ensure that the results of business processes are adequately reflected in its internal and external financial reporting.
For a detailed description of the risks and the internal risk management and control systems, reference is made to Risk Management.
Corporate social responsibility
The Executive Board is committed to corporate social responsibility. A sustainability report is published every year. In addition, a separate section of the company’s website is dedicated to corporate social responsibility. The company is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, reference is made to the Sustainability Report.