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Mandate of the Board of Directors
The term "Company" herein shall refer to Hydrogenics Corporation and the term "Board" shall refer to the Board of Directors of the Company.
The Board is elected by the shareholders and is responsible for the stewardship of the business and affairs of the Company. The Board seeks to discharge such responsibility by reviewing, discussing and approving the Company's strategic planning and organizational structure and supervising management to oversee that the foregoing enhance and preserve the underlying value of the Company.
Although directors may be elected by the shareholders to bring special expertise or a point of view to Board deliberations, they are not chosen to represent a particular constituency. The best interests of the Company as a whole must be paramount at all times.
Qualifications of Directors
A majority of the directors will be "independent". No director will be deemed independent unless the Board affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with the Company, directly or as an officer, shareholder or partner of an organization that has a material relationship with the Company. The Board will observe all additional criteria for determining director independence pursuant to the rules of Nasdaq Global Market, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and other governing laws and regulations.
Duties of Directors
The Board discharges its responsibility for overseeing the management of the Company's business by delegating to the Company's senior officers the responsibility for day-to-day management of the Company. The Board discharges its responsibilities both directly and through its committees, the Audit Committee and the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee. Only independent members may serve on any of the foregoing committees of the Board. In addition to these regular committees, the Board may appoint ad hoc committees periodically to address certain issues of a more short-term nature. Each of the standing committees of the Board will have its own charter. The charter will set forth the responsibilities of each committee, procedures of the committee and how the committee will report to the Board.
Directors must fulfill their responsibilities consistent with their fiduciary duty to the shareholders, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Directors will also, as appropriate, take into consideration the interests of other stakeholders, including employees and the members of communities in which the Company operates.
In addition to the Board's primary roles of overseeing corporate performance and providing quality, depth and continuity of management to meet the Company's strategic objectives, principal duties include, but are not limited to the following categories:
Appointment of Management
The Board has the responsibility for approving the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer and all other officers of the Company and approving the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, following a review of the recommendations of the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee. To the extent feasible, the Board shall satisfy itself as to the integrity of the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers and ensure that the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers create a culture of integrity throughout the Company.
The Board from time to time delegates to senior management the authority to enter into certain types of transactions, including financial transactions, subject to specified limits. Investments and other expenditures above the specified limits, and material transactions outside the ordinary course of business are reviewed by and subject to the prior approval of the Board.
The Board oversees that succession planning programs are in place, including programs to appoint, train, develop and monitor management.
Board Organization
The Board will respond to recommendations received from the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee, but retains the responsibility for managing its own affairs by giving its approval for its composition and size, the selection of the Chair of the Board, candidates nominated for election to the Board, committee and committee chair appointments, committee charters and director compensation.
The Board may delegate to Board committees matters it is responsible for, including the approval of compensation of the Board and management, the conduct of performance evaluations and oversight of internal controls systems, but the Board retains its oversight function and ultimate responsibility for these matters and all other delegated responsibilities.
Non-management directors will meet in in-camera session as needed. Normally, such meetings will occur at the end of regularly scheduled Board meetings.
The Board has the authority to hire independent legal, financial or other advisors as it deems necessary.
Strategic Planning
The Board has oversight responsibility to participate directly, and through its committees, in reviewing, questioning and approving the mission of the business and its objectives and goals.
The Board is responsible for adopting a strategic planning process and approving and reviewing, on at least an annual basis, the business, financial and strategic plans by which it is proposed that the Company may reach those goals, and such strategic plans will take into account, among other things, the opportunities and risks of the business.
The Board has the responsibility to provide input to management on emerging trends and issues and on strategic plans, objectives and goals that management develops.
Monitoring of Financial Performance and Other Financial Reporting Matters
The Board is responsible for enhancing congruence between shareholder expectations, Company plans and management performance.
The Board is responsible for:
- adopting processes for monitoring the Company's progress toward its strategic and operational goals, and to revise and alter its direction to management in light of changing circumstances affecting the Company; and
- taking action when Company performance falls short of its goals or other special circumstances warrant.
The Board shall be responsible for approving the audited consolidated financial statements, interim financial statements and the notes and Management's Discussion and Analysis accompanying such financial statements.
The Board is responsible for reviewing and approving material transactions outside the ordinary course of business and those matters which the Board is required to approve under the Company's governing statute, including the payment of dividends, issuance, purchase and redemptions of securities, acquisitions and dispositions of material capital assets and material capital expenditures.
Risk Management
The Board has responsibility for the identification of the principal risks of the Company's business and ensuring the implementation of appropriate systems to effectively monitor and manage such risks with a view to the long-term viability of the Company and achieving a proper balance between the risks incurred and the potential return to the Company's shareholders.
The Board is responsible for the Company's internal control and management information systems.
Policies and Procedures
The Board is responsible for:
- developing the Company's approach to corporate governance and approving and monitoring compliance with all significant policies and procedures related to corporate governance; and
- approving policies and procedures designed to ensure that the Company operates at all times within applicable laws and regulations and to the highest ethical and moral standards and, in particular, adopting a written code of business conduct and ethics which is applicable to directors, officers and employees of the Company and which constitutes written standards that are reasonably designed to promote integrity and to deter wrongdoing.
The Board enforces its policy respecting confidential treatment of the Company's proprietary information and Board deliberations.
The Board is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Company's Code of Ethics. Any waivers from the code that may be granted for the benefit of the Company's directors or executive officers must be granted by the Board (or a Board committee) only.
Communications and Reporting
The Board has approved and will revise from time to time as circumstances warrant a Corporate Disclosure Policy to address communications with shareholders, employees, financial analysts, the media and such other outside parties as may be appropriate.
The Board is responsible for:
- overseeing the accurate reporting of the financial performance of the Company to shareholders, other security holders and regulators on a timely and regular basis;
- overseeing that the financial results are reported fairly and in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards and related legal disclosure requirements;
- taking steps to enhance the timely disclosure of any other developments that have a significant and material impact on the Company;
- reporting annually to shareholders on its stewardship for the preceding year; and
- overseeing the Company's implementation of systems that accommodate feedback from stakeholders.
Position Descriptions
The Board is responsible for:
- developing position descriptions for the Chair of the Board, the chair of each Board committee and the Chief Executive Officer (which will include delineating Management's responsibilities);
- approving the corporate goals and objectives that the Chief Executive Officer is responsible for meeting; and
- developing a position description for the directors which sets out the expectations and responsibilities of directors, including basic duties and responsibilities with respect to attendance at Board meetings and advance review of meeting materials.
Orientation and Continuing Education
The Board is responsible for:
- ensuring that all new directors receive a comprehensive orientation, that they fully understand the role of the Board and its committees, as well as the contribution individual directors are expected to make (including the commitment of time and resources that the Company expects from its directors) and that they understand the nature and operation of the Company's business; and
- providing continuing education opportunities for all directors, so that individuals may maintain or enhance their skills and abilities as directors, as well as to ensure that their knowledge and understanding of the Company's business remains current.
Human Resources of Directors
In connection with the nomination or appointment of individuals as directors, the Board is responsible for:
- considering what competencies and skills the Board, as a whole, should possess;
- assessing what competencies and skills each existing director possesses; and
- considering the appropriate size of the Board, with a view to facilitating effective decision-making. In carrying out each of these responsibilities, the Board will consider the advice and input of the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee.
Director nominees shall be selected by a majority of the independent directors.
Board Evaluation
The Board is responsible for ensuring that the Board, its committees and each individual director are regularly assessed regarding his, her or its effectiveness and contribution. An assessment will consider, in the case of the Board or a Board committee, its mandate or charter and in the case of an individual director, any applicable position description, as well as the competencies and skills each individual director is expected to bring to the Board.
Annual Review
The Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee shall review and reassess the adequacy of this Mandate at least annually and otherwise as it deems appropriate and recommend changes to the Board, as necessary. The Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee will ensure that this Mandate or a summary that has been approved by the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee is disclosed in accordance with all applicable securities laws or regulatory requirements in the Company's annual management information circular or such other annual filing as may be permitted or required by applicable securities regulatory authorities.