CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES
Selection and Composition of the Board
1. Board Membership Criteria
The Corporate Governance and
Nominating Committee (the "Governance Committee") is responsible for
reviewing with the Board from time to time the appropriate skills and
characteristics required of Board members in the context of the current
constitution of the Board. This assessment should take into consideration
issues of diversity, age and skills, which skills should include judgment,
ability to act on behalf of the stockholders, integrity, reputation, industry
experience and an understanding of such areas as technology, finance, financial
reporting and other areas that would be expected to contribute to an effective
Board all in the context of an assessment of the perceived needs of the Board
at that point in time.
2. Selection Of New Director Candidates
The Board is responsible for selecting its members and nominating them for election by the stockholders. Pursuant to its charter, the Governance Committee makes recommendations to the
Board regarding director nominees and assists the Board in the director search
and screening process.
3. New Director Orientation And Continuing Education
New directors are required to
participate in the Company's director orientation process that includes
meetings with key management from research, operations and finance and visits
to Company facilities. The Company encourages its directors to participate in
continuing education programs to assist them in performing their responsibilities.
Board Leadership
4. Selection Of Chairman And Chief Executive
Officer
The Boards current policy is that
the Company's Chief Executive Officer may not serve as the Chairman of the
Board. The Board recognizes that there may be circumstances that would lead it
to combine these offices, and has the flexibility to do so, although it would
then consider appointing a separate Lead Independent Director, as discussed
below.
5. Lead Independent Director
The Board may choose to appoint a
"Lead Independent Director." Any Lead Independent Director will be
elected by the independent directors and will be responsible for setting the
agenda for and presiding over the executive sessions of the independent
directors, consulting with the Chairman regarding board meeting agendas,
schedules and information flow and any other functions that may be specified to
the position. Any Lead Independent Director will be appointed annually by the
independent directors.
Board Composition and Performance
6. Size Of The Board
Pursuant to the Company's
certificate of incorporation and bylaws, the number of directors shall
be not less than five and not more than nine, with the exact number to be
determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. The Board considers
the size of the Board from time to time and will increase or decrease its size
when it deems that such an action is in the best interests of the Company and
its stockholders.
7. Majority Of Independent Directors
At least a majority of the
directors on the Board will be independent directors.
8. Board Definition Of What Constitutes Independence
- The Company has
adopted the following definition of independence:
An "independent
director" is a director other than an officer or employee of the Company
or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which, in the
opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment
in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The following persons
shall not be considered independent:
- a director who is, or at any time during the past three years
was, employed by the Company or by any parent or subsidiary of the Company;
- a director who accepted or who has a Family Member (defined as a
person's spouse, parent, child or sibling, whether by blood, marriage or
adoption, and anyone residing in such person's home) who accepted any payments
from the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company in excess of
$60,000 during the current or any of the past three fiscal years, other than: (i) compensation
for Board or Board committee service; (ii) payments arising solely from
investments in the Company's securities; (iii) compensation paid to a Family
Member who is a non-executive employee of the Company or a parent or subsidiary
of the Company; (iv) benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan or
non-discretionary compensation; or (v) loans permitted under Section 13(k) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act");
- a director who is a Family Member of an individual who is, or at
any time during the past three years was, employed by the Company or by any
parent or subsidiary of the Company as an executive officer;
- a director who is, or has a Family Member who is, a partner in,
or a controlling shareholder or an executive officer of, any organization to
which the Company made, or from which the Company received, payments for
property or services in the current or any of the past three fiscal years that
exceed 5% of the recipient's consolidated gross revenues for that year, or $200,000,
whichever is more, other than: (i) payments arising solely from investments in
the Company's securities; or (ii) payments under non-discretionary
charitable contribution matching programs;
- a director who is, or has a Family Member who is, employed as an
executive officer of another entity where at any time during the past three
years any of the executive officers of the Company served on the compensation
committee of such other entity; or
- a director who is, or has a Family Member who is, a current partner
of the Company's outside auditor, or was a partner or employee of the Company's
outside auditor who worked on the Company's audit at any time during any of the
past three years.
The ownership of stock of the
Company by directors is encouraged, and the ownership of even a significant
amount of stock, by itself, is not a bar to an independence finding.
- Additional Requirements For Audit Committee Members
A director is not considered
independent for purposes of serving on the Audit Committee, and may not serve
on the Audit Committee, if the director:
- does not meet the independence standards set forth in paragraph
a. above;
- accepts directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory or other
compensatory fee from the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, other than
fees for service as a member of the Board or a Board committee or fixed amounts
of compensation under a retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for
prior service with the Company (provided that such compensation is not
contingent in any way on continued service with the Company);
- is an affiliate of the Company; or
- has participated in the preparation of the financial statements
of the Company or any current subsidiary of the Company at any time during the
past three years.
In addition, (i) each
member of the Audit Committee must be able to read and understand fundamental
financial statements, including the Company's balance sheet, income statement
and cash flow statement, and (ii) at least one member of the Committee shall
have had past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite
professional certification in accounting, or some other comparable experience
or background, including being or having been a chief executive officer, chief
financial officer or other senior officer with financial oversight
responsibilities, that results in such member being financially sophisticated.
- Additional Requirements For Compensation Committee Members
In addition to meeting the
independence standards set forth in paragraph a. above:
- if any compensation or benefit plan administered by the
Compensation Committee is subject to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, each
member of the Compensation Committee must also be a "non-employee
director" as such term is defined in Rule 16b-3; and
- if any award or payment under any compensation or benefit plan
administered by the Compensation Committee would be subject to the deduction
limitation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, at least
two members of the Compensation Committee shall be "outside
directors" as such term is defined in Section 162(m) and the regulations
thereunder.
9. Chief Executive Officer's Board Membership
Upon Retirement Or Resignation
The Board believes that the
continued Board membership of a former Chief Executive Officer is a matter to
be decided in each individual instance. When the Chief Executive Officer
retires or resigns from that position, he or she shall offer to resign from the
Board at the same time and the Board, in its discretion, will determine whether
to accept such resignation. The resignation will be considered by the Board
and will not become effective unless the Board acts to accept the resignation.
10. Directors Who Change Their Present Job Responsibility
When a director experiences a
material change in his or her primary occupation or business association
including retirement, he or she must offer his or her conditional resignation
to the Board. It is not the sense of the Board that a director who changes his
or her occupation or business association should necessarily leave the Board.
There should, however, be an opportunity for the Board, with the assistance of
the Governance Committee, to review the continued appropriateness of Board
membership. The resignation will be considered by the Governance Committee and
will not become effective unless the Board acts to accept the resignation.
11. Service On Other Boards
Non-employee directors may not
serve on the board of directors of more than four public companies.
Non-employee directors should advise the Chair of the Governance Committee in
advance of accepting an invitation to serve on another board.
12. Term Limits
The Board does not believe it
should establish term limits. While term limits could help ensure that there
are fresh ideas and viewpoints available to the Board, they hold the
disadvantage of losing the contribution of directors who have been able to
develop, over a period of time, substantial insight into the Company and its
operations and, therefore, provide an increasing contribution to the Board as a
whole.
13. Retirement Age
Non-employee directors must
retire from the Board at the end of the calendar year in which they turn 70,
unless the Board, in its discretion, approves continued service. Directors who
are employees of the Company, other than the Chief Executive Officer, must
retire from the Board concurrent with the termination of their employment,
unless the Chairman recommends and the Board approves continued service.
14. Board Compensation Review
The Compensation Committee
reviews at least annually the amount and composition of director compensation
and benefits and, if necessary, makes recommendations to the Board regarding
changes in director compensation. In formulating its recommendations, the
Compensation Committee considers a number of factors, including what is
customary board compensation at similarly situated companies. It is the policy
of the Board that a portion of director compensation be in the form of stock
options.
Meeting Procedures
15. Frequency Of Board Meetings
The Board will meet as frequently
as necessary for directors to properly discharge their responsibilities.
Regular meetings of the Board are currently held five times per year. Special
meetings are held as required.
16. Selection Of Agenda Items For Board Meetings
The Chairman, in consultation
with any Lead Independent Director, establishes the agenda for each Board
meeting. Each Board member is free to suggest the inclusion of items on the
agenda. Each Board member is also free to raise at any Board meeting subjects
that are not on the agenda for that meeting.
17. Board Materials
It is the sense of the Board that
information and data that is important to the Board's understanding of the
business be distributed in writing to the Board with sufficient time to review
and reflect on key issues and to request supplemental information as necessary
before the Board meets. The information will be from a variety of sources,
including, management, Board committees, outside experts, independent auditors
and analyst and media reports.
18. Executive Sessions
Each time the Board meets, it
will hold an executive session without any executive officers or any other
employee directors. The independent directors will meet in executive sessions
as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities.
19. Attendance Of Non-Directors At Board Meetings
The Chairman, in his discretion,
may invite officers and others to attend Board meetings.
20. Board Access To Senior Management
Board members have complete
access to the Company's management. It is assumed that Board members will use
judgment to be sure that this contact is not distracting to the business
operation of the Company and that such contact, if in writing, be copied to the
Chairman. The Chairman should be advised of contacts between Board members and
management.
Furthermore, the Board encourages
the management, from time to time, to bring officers and others into Board
meetings who: (i) can provide additional insight into the items being discussed
because of personal involvement in these areas and/or (ii) represent officers
with future potential that the senior management believes should be given
exposure to the Board.
21. Board Access To Independent Advisors
The Board and its committees may
engage independent counsel and other independent advisors the Board or the
relevant committee, consistent with the provisions of its respective charter,
deems appropriate or necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
Committee Matters
22. Number Of Committees
The Board has the following
committees: Audit, Corporate Governance and Nominating, and Compensation. The
Board has the flexibility to form a new committee or, subject to applicable law
and regulation, disband a current committee.
23. Assignment And Rotation Of Committee Members
The Board, acting on the
recommendation of the Governance Committee, designates the members of its
committees. The members of the Audit, Governance and Compensation Committees
are comprised solely of independent directors. Membership on the Audit
Committee is limited to those directors who meet additional independence and
other qualifications for audit committee members, as established from time to
time under applicable law, regulations and NASDAQ listing standards.
It is the sense of the Board that
consideration should be given to rotating committee members periodically, but
the Board does not feel that such a rotation should be mandated as a policy
because there may be reasons at a given point in time to maintain an individual
director's committee membership for a longer period or to shorten the period of
service on such committee.
24. Frequency And Length Of Committee Meetings
Meetings of the Audit, Governance
and Compensation Committees are held periodically, and are often held incident
to regular Board meetings. The Chair of each committee, in consultation with
its members, determines the frequency and length of any additional special
meetings of the committee.
25. Committee Agenda
The Chair of each committee, in
consultation with the appropriate officers, will develop the committee's
agenda.
Role of the Board
26. General Description Of Board Duties
The Board, which is elected by
the stockholders, is the ultimate decision-making body of the Company except
with respect to those matters reserved to its stockholders. The Board approves
the selection of the senior management team, which is charged with the conduct
of the Company's business. The duties of the Board are largely defined by
Delaware corporate law, federal securities laws and regulations, notably those
of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the NASDAQ listing standards.
The Board shall focus its priorities on the following core responsibilities:
- advising and counseling management regarding significant issues
facing the Company;
- selecting, evaluating, setting the compensation of, and, when
appropriate, replacing the CEO and senior management;
- succession planning and management development;
- overseeing the Company's integrity, ethics and compliance with
laws and financial reporting;
- evaluating and approving the Company's strategic direction and
initiatives and monitoring its implementation and results;
- monitoring the Company's operating results and financial
condition;
- reviewing and approving major corporate plans and actions;
- understanding and assessing risks to the Company and monitoring
the management of those risks; and
- performing such other functions as the Board believes appropriate
or necessary, or as otherwise prescribed by rules or regulations.
To fulfill its core
responsibilities, directors are expected to attend all meetings, either in
person or telephonically, and to review materials in advance of the meetings.
27. Formal Evaluation Of The Chief Executive
Officer
The Compensation Committee, in
consultation with other independent directors, evaluates the Chief Executive
Officer annually. The Chair of the Compensation Committee communicates this
evaluation to the Chief Executive Officer. The evaluation is based on criteria
such as performance of the business, accomplishment of long-term strategic
objectives, development of management and similar considerations. The
Compensation Committee considers this evaluation in the course of its
deliberations when considering the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer
and its recommendation to the Board regarding the same.
28. Succession Planning
The Governance Committee, in
consultation with the other independent directors, plans for succession to the
position of Chief Executive Officer as well as certain other senior management
positions. To assist the independent directors, the Chief Executive Officer
annually provides the Governance Committee with an assessment of senior
managers and of their potential to succeed him or her. He or she also provides
the independent directors with an assessment of persons considered potential
successors to certain senior management positions.
29. Board And Committee Evaluations
The Board and its committees,
with the oversight of the Governance Committee, annually conduct
self-evaluations to assess their effectiveness. As part of this evaluation,
the Board considers and discusses its performance with respect to specified
categories, including Board governance and process, strategic planning and
business and financial matters. The Governance Committee discusses these
assessments internally and with the Board.
30. Interaction With The Press, Institutional
Investors, Customers And Others
The Board believes that the
management speaks for the Company. Individual Board members may, from time to
time, meet or otherwise communicate with various constituencies on Company
matters, but it is expected that, on matters of significance to the Company,
Board members would do this only after consultation with the Chief Executive
Officer.
31. Review Of These Guidelines
The Governance Committee reviews
and assesses the adequacy of these Guidelines from time to time and recommends
any proposed changes to the Board for approval.
Last Updated: December 4, 2008