Hermès // 2021 Universal Registration Document
CORPORATE GOUVERNANCE ORGANISATION OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
INDEPENDENCE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
3.4.6
DEFINITION AND CRITERIA OF INDEPENDENCE
3.4.6.1
Members of the Supervisory Board are independent if they have no relationship of any kind whatsoever with the Company, its group or its management that is liable to compromise the exercise of their freedom of judgement in any way (Article 2.1.5 of the rules of procedure). This independence allows for
freedom of expression and judgment that contributes to the quality of the Board’s debates and deliberations. In 2009 the Supervisory Board formally adopted the following criteria for its members to be deemed independent: Comply with the criteria set out in the Afep-Medef Code revised in January 2020 (Article 9.5): s
Criterion 1:
Employee or Corporate Officer in the previous five years Not to be and not to have been during the course of the previous five years: an employee or Executive Corporate Officer of the Company; s an employee, Executive Corporate Officer or a Director of a company consolidated by the Company; s an employee, Executive Corporate Officer or a Director of the Company’s parent company or a company consolidated by this s parent. Cross-directorships Not to be an Executive Corporate Officer of a company in which the Company holds a directorship, directly or indirectly, or in which an employee appointed as such or an Executive Corporate Officer of the Company (currently in office or having held such office during the last five years) is a director.
3
Criterion 2:
Criterion 3:
Significant business relationships Not to be a customer, supplier, commercial banker, investment banker or consultant: that is material to the Company or its group; s or for which the Company or its group represents a significant part of its business. s
The evaluation of the significant or non-significant relationship with the Company or its group must be debated by the Board and the quantitative and qualitative criteria that lead to the evaluation (continuity, economic dependence, exclusivity, etc.) must be explicitly stated in the corporate governance report.
Criterion 4:
Family ties Not to be related by close family ties to a Corporate Officer.
Criterion 5:
Statutory Auditors Not to have been a Statutory Auditor of the Company within the previous five years.
Criterion 6:
Term of office exceeding 12 years Not to have been a Director of the Company for more than 12 years. The status of independent director is lost as soon as the 12 years is reached. Status of non-Executive Corporate Officer A non-Executive Corporate Officer cannot be considered as independent if he/she receives variable compensation in cash or in shares or any compensation linked to the performance of the Company or the Group. Status of main shareholder Directors representing main shareholders of the Company or its parent company can be considered as independent provided that they do not contribute to the control of the Company. However, beyond the threshold of 10% shareholding or voting rights, the Board, based on the report of the Appointments Committee, systematically reviews the qualification of independence, by taking into account the share ownership in the Company and the existence of a potential conflict of interest.
Criterion 7:
Criterion 8:
Comply with an additional criterion specific to Hermès International: s
Criterion 9:
Status of partner or member of the Executive Management Board of the Active partner Not to be a partner or member of the Executive Management Board of Émile Hermès SAS, Active partner.
2021 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT HERMÈS INTERNATIONAL
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