THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The strategic leadership of AngloGold Ashanti is the responsibility
of a unitary board, comprising two executive directors and ten
independent non-executive directors, one of whom is a female,
as at 31 December 2012. This includes the appointment of
Rodney Ruston and Michael Kirkwood as independent non-
executive directors during 2012.
The Memorandum of Incorporation does not set a mandatory
retirement age for non-executive directors, however, in
accordance with recommendations of King III and the
requirements of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, directors are required
to step down from the board after nine consecutive years of
service. Nevertheless, the board has discretion to extend this
period with the consent of the individual director and after a rigorous
assessment of the director’s independence and performance.
The duties, responsibilities and powers of the board, delegation
of authority and the matters reserved for the board are all set
out in the Board’s Charter.
The board is led by an independent chairman whose roles and
responsibilities are documented and approved by the board.
The annual assessment of the performance of the chairman is
guided by this document. The chairman is re-appointed annually
in accordance with King III and results of the performance
evaluation guide this process. In August 2012, the board
re-appointed the chairman to serve until after the next annual
general meeting.
The background and qualifications of each director are set out
under board and executive management in the Integrated Report.
Appointment of directors
The board is authorised by the company’s Memorandum of
Incorporation to appoint new directors based on recommendations
by the Nominations Committee. The Nominations Committee
assists in identifying and assessing suitable candidates for
appointment as directors. Newly appointed directors are required
to retire at the next annual general meeting following their
appointment and to stand for election by shareholders. Eligibility
for appointment as a director is guided by the Director’s Fit and
Proper Standards Policy, requirements of the Companies Act,
recommendations of King III and best practice.
Retirement by rotation
One-third of the non-executive directors retire by rotation
annually in accordance with the company’s Memorandum of
Incorporation, with the longest serving directors being eligible
for re-election. Curriculum vitae of each director standing for
election or re-election are made available in the Notice of
Meeting of the annual general meeting to assist shareholders
in their decision-making. Executive directors are not subjected
to the rotation process given their responsibility for the day-to-
day running of the company and are held accountable for the
operational and management performance of the company by
regularly reporting to the board. Their performance is assessed
annually by the board against pre-determined criteria.
On 27 March 2013, shareholders will consider the company’s
new Memorandum of Incorporation. One of the key changes in
this document, compared to the old constitutional document, is
the provision for all directors, not only non-executive directors,
to be subjected to retirement by rotation. In anticipation of the
adoption of this provision, Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan, Chief
Financial Officer, will stand for re-election by shareholders at
the annual general meeting to be held on 13 May 2013 and
shareholders will equally vote on confirming Tony O’Neill’s
appointment to the board. The other directors to retire by
rotation are Frank Arisman, Bill Nairn and Ferdinand Ohene-
Kena, all of whom will not stand for re-election.
Independence of directors
Determination of independence is guided by King III, the
Companies Act, the requirements of the JSE and the New
York Stock Exchange’s rules on independence as well as
best practice. The board complies, at all times, with the
requirement to consist of a majority of independent directors
and this policy statement describes the criteria that guides the
board in determining which of its members are independent,
from a corporate governance point of view. Where the board,
exercising its discretion and having considered all relevant
facts, determines a director to be independent, despite
not meeting all the criteria established in the independence
policy, the board will publicly disclose its reasoning. The
independence of each independent director is assessed
annually and each director’s status is determined based on
the outcome of such assessment. In February 2012, Frank
Arisman and Bill Nairn, who had served the board for 13 and
12 years respectively, were subjected to a rigorous test of
their independence and performance. The board concluded
that despite their long tenure, their skills and knowledge were
invaluable to the board and their independence of character
and judgement were not in any way impaired by their long
tenure on the board. The board therefore recommended their
re-election by shareholders at the annual general meeting held
on 10 May 2012 and the resolutions for their appointments
were carried by the requisite majority.
Post year-end, Sipho Pityana’s status as an independent non-
executive director was changed to non-executive director
with effect from 19 February 2013. The company believed
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT continued
2012 ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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