The disclosure requirements adopted today will enhance significantly the transparency of the nominations and communications processes of public companies and are the next step in the implementation of the recommendations in the Staff Report. The Commission has solicited public comment on other rule proposals that would implement recommendations in the Staff Report regarding the inclusion of disclosure of security holder nominees in company proxy materials.
The new disclosure standards require companies to disclose important additional information regarding a company's process of nominating directors, including:
- whether a company has a separate nominating committee and, if not, the reasons why it does not and who determines nominees for director;
- whether members of the nominating committee satisfy independence requirements;
- a company's process for identifying and evaluating candidates to be nominated as directors;
- whether a company pays any third party a fee to assist in the process or identifying and evaluating candidates;
- minimum qualifications and standards that a company seeks for director nominees;
- whether a company considers candidates for director nominees put forward by shareholders and, if so, its process for considering such candidates; and
- whether a company has rejected candidates put forward by large, long-term security holders or groups of security holders.
- whether a company has a process for communications by shareholders to directors and, if not, the reasons why it does not;
- the procedures for communications by shareholders with directors;
- whether such communications are screened and, if so, by what process; and
- the company's policy regarding director attendance at annual meetings and the number of directors that attended the prior year's annual meeting.