Corporate Governance

The Nippon Kayaku Group recognizes that delivering its corporate vision under the KAYAKU spirit requires focus on two important issues: timely and impartial information disclosure to all shareholders and investors, and guaranteed transparent management based on strengthened checking functions. Having judged that management functions can be most effectively demonstrated through decision-making via a Board of Director council system, and corporate governance via an Audit & Supervisory Board system, we will continue to tackle the expansion and reinforcement of corporate governance as a key managerial issue.

This meeting is chaired by the company president, and is composed of the (up to 30) Executive Directors in charge of operational execution who are appointed by the Board. The meeting sees Executive Directors report on the status of operational execution entrusted to them by the Board and company president, as well as on other necessary items.These meetings are additionally attended, in an observer capacity, by four (4) Outside Directors and five (5) Audit & Supervisory Board Members.

Our Audit & Supervisory Board consists of five members, three of whom are outside and two of whom are full-time inside, with one of the latter serving as chair. In line with the audit policies, methods, plans, and division of roles determined by this board at the start of every new period does each member join key meetings, including those of the Board of Directors, review important documents, and, through assessing business execution conditions, audit and supervise the performance of Director duties from an independent standpoint. The two full-time members join management meetings and other such meetings of importance, and audit the overall management situation, Board Member performance and Executive Director performance, through conducting site visits, hearings, and reviews of meeting minutes and other key documents for all main divisions, workplaces and group subsidiaries. The non-full-time members sit in on Audit & Supervisory Board meetings to receive the aforementioned audit status reports, accompany full-time members on site visits, and participate, as appropriate, in information-exchange sessions with the Audit Team of the Inside Audit Division and the Inside Control Management Division (in charge of compliance and risk management). In such meetings will these members offer advice and voice necessary opinions.

The Nominations & Remuneration Advisory Committee is comprised of at least three Directors (the majority being those who are independent and from outside of the company) selected by the Board. The aim is to further enhance corporate governance by enhancing the fairness, transparency and objectivity of the procedures relating to the nomination and remuneration of Directors. This committee deliberates the selection, dismissal and remuneration (e.g. remuneration structure) of Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members, the selection and dismissal of Representative Directors, and other matters deemed necessary by the Board in response to Board inquiries. Committee findings are reported to the Board.

For our financial audits, we have an auditing contract with Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC. EY conducts accounting audits based on the Companies Act and the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, as well as internal control report audits.

Our improvement cycle involves conducting an annual Board of Directors Effectiveness Evaluation to grasp the current state of affairs, extract key issues, and devise a relevant Action Plan.

Board of Directors Effectiveness Evaluation

The 149th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on August 30th 2006 saw Nippon Kayaku determine annual upper limits of director (board member) remuneration at 360 million yen for fixed remuneration and 200 million yen for bonuses. As of the end of that AGM, the Board was comprised of eight members, with zero Outside Directors. The 164th Ordinary AGM of June 25th 2021, meanwhile, saw a 100-million- yen annual limit voted through on Restricted Stock Transfer Monetary Remuneration, applying to the relevant directors and running separately to existing director remuneration arrangements. As of the end of that AGM, the Board was comprised of 9 members, of which three were Outside Directors.
The 149th Ordinary AGM also set annual limits on Audit & Supervisory Board Member remuneration at 90 million yen. There were five Audit & Supervisory Board Members as of the end of that meeting.
To ensure the appropriateness of matters discussed and transparency in the decision-making process, the Nominations & Remuneration Advisory Committee - the majority of whose members is comprised of independent Outside Directors - deliberates matters relating to Director remuneration in response to inquiries from the Board of Directors, and reports back to the Board. Such a process enabled the Board Meeting of June 25, 2021 to finalize Nippon Kayaku’s policy regarding the individual Director remuneration.
With a view to achieving our KAYAKU spirit corporate vision, in addition to sufficiently functioning as an incentive to sustainably improve corporate value and share that value with shareholders, Director remuneration shall also be structured at a competitive level to help us secure excellent personnel.
Specifically, Director remuneration pertaining to the execution of business activities shall consist of basic remuneration and incentive remuneration (performance-linked bonuses and stock remuneration). The remuneration of Outside Directors, with their standpoints independent from business execution, shall be limited to basic remuneration in view of their responsibility.
The amount of basic remuneration for Directors involved in executing business activities shall be determined based on whether or not they hold representative authority, their assigned duties, and other factors, and shall be paid as monthly monetary remuneration.