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.