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Requirements for the Independence and Neutrality of Outside Directors

Requirements for the Independence and Neutrality of Outside Directors

Revised: August 2, 2017

  • 1.
    An Outside Director must neither currently be nor in the past have been an Officer (see Note 1 below) or an employee of ޲Ʊ or any of its affiliated companies (“޲Ʊ Group”).
  • 2.
    An Outside Director’s economic independence and neutrality from ޲Ʊ Group and specified enterprises, etc., is ensured by satisfying the following requirements:
    • 1)
      None of the following shall be applicable to the Outside Director within the past five years:
      • a.
        Having been an Officer or employee of an enterprise, etc., of a Major Business Partner (see Note 2 below) of ޲Ʊ Group, or otherwise an Officer or employee of an enterprise, etc., conducted by a Major Business Partner of ޲Ʊ Group;
      • b.
        Regardless of the value of the transaction, having been an Officer or employee of an enterprise, etc., with whom ޲Ʊ conducts necessary transactions, ޲Ʊ’s audit corporation, or any other enterprise, etc., that has a relationship of substantive interest with ޲Ʊ Group;
      • c.
        Having been an Officer or employee of a person or an enterprise, etc., who is a Major Shareholder (see Note 3 below) of ޲Ʊ or of an enterprise, etc., in which ޲Ʊ Group is a Major Shareholder;
      • d.
        Excluding Officer compensation from ޲Ʊ Group, having directly received a Large Amount (see Note 4 below) of money or other property as a provider of professional services, etc. (i.e., a consultant, a lawyer, an accountant, etc.);
      • e.
        Having received a Large Amount of money or other property from ޲Ʊ Group as a contribution or having been an Officer or employee of an entity, organization, etc., that has received such a contribution; or
      • f.
        Having been an Officer or employee of an enterprise, etc., which enterprise, etc., had an Officer, etc., who was at the same time an Officer, etc., of ޲Ʊ Group;
    • 2)
      Even if more than five years has passed, the Nomination Committee must evaluate (see Note 5 below) the relationship with the enterprise, etc., in each item of the preceding clause 2(1) and determine that independence and neutrality is ensured; and
    • 3)
      In addition, from the perspectives of independence and neutrality, there must not be any other reason that would impede the performance of the duties as an Outside Director.
  • 3.
    An Outside Director must not be a close relative of, or have a similar relationship to (see Note 6 below), or otherwise derive such person’s sole livelihood through a relationship with, any of the following persons:
    • 1)
      An Officer or Important Employee (see Note 7 below) of ޲Ʊ Group; or
    • 2)
      Based on the requirements of paragraph 2 of this Article above, those as determined by the Nomination Committee whose independence and neutrality from ޲Ʊ Group or from specified enterprises, etc., are not ensured.
  • 4.
    An Outside Director must not have reason for the threat arising of a significant conflict of interest in the performance of the duties as a Director, and the judgment of an Outside Director must not be threatened to be affected by a relationship of interest.
  • 5.
    The requirements for the independence and neutrality of Outside Directors provided in this Article continue to apply after the appointment as Director.
  • Note 1:
    “Officer” means Director, Corporate Officer, Statutory Auditor and other officers, etc.
  • Note 2:
    “Major Business Partner” means (i) an enterprise, etc., for which 2% or more of its or the ޲Ʊ Group’s sales in any of the past five fiscal years have been sales, or compensation for work or transactions, to or from, as applicable, the ޲Ʊ Group, and (ii) a financial institution which has outstanding loans to the ޲Ʊ Group whose principal aggregate amount equals or exceeds 2% of the ޲Ʊ Group’s consolidated total assets.
  • Note 3:
    “Major Shareholder” means a person who, or an enterprise, etc., that, directly or indirectly holds the voting rights to 10% or more of the general voting rights in any of the past five fiscal years.
  • Note 4:
    “Large Amount” means, in any of the past five fiscal years: \10 million in the case of remuneration for professional services or compensation for work or transactions, \10 million in the case of contributions, or the greater of 2% of the total income or operating income of entities or organizations receiving contributions.
  • Note 5:
    “Evaluate” means the Nomination Committee’s evaluation regarding the Outside Director’s relationship with the relevant enterprise, etc., based on the following factors:
    • 1)
      Shareholding or stock options ownership in the relevant enterprise, etc.;
    • 2)
      Post-retirement remuneration, company pension, etc., from the relevant enterprise, etc.; and
    • 3)
      Human interaction between the ޲Ʊ Group and the relevant enterprise, etc.
  • Note 6:
    “A close relative of, or have a similar relationship to” means a relative within two degrees of kinship or having a human relationship that can be reasonably recognized as that which would impede the execution of the individual’s duties as an Outside Director, such as a personally interested individual.
  • Note 7:
    “An Important Employee” means an employee with a title of at least the head of a section.

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