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Board of Directors



Mission of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Delhaize Group is responsible for the strategy and the management of the Company in its best corporate interests. This responsibility includes the maximization of shareholder value, including the optimization of long-term financial returns, while also taking into account the responsibilities the Company has to its customers, associates, suppliers and the communities where it operates. To achieve this, the Board of Directors, as the Companys ultimate decision-making body, is entrusted with all powers that are not reserved by law to the General Meeting of shareholders.

The Terms of Reference of the Board are attached as Exhibit A to the Companys Corporate Governance Charter.

Composition of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Delhaize Group consists of 12 members, including 11 non-executive directors and one executive director. As indicated in the Terms of Reference of the Board of Directors, the Board periodically reviews the Board membership criteria in the context of the current make-up of the Board and its committees against current and future conditions and circumstances.

The Board of Directors has determined that all directors, with the exception of Chief Executive Officer Pierre-Olivier Beckers and of Mr. Didier Smits, are independent under the criteria of the Belgian Company Code, the Belgian Code on Corporate Governance and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The Board made its determination based on information furnished by all directors regarding their relationships with Delhaize Group.

The shareholders also have determined that all directors with the exception of Chief Executive Officer Pierre-Olivier Beckers and of Mr. Didier Smits are independent under the criteria of the Belgian Company Code. Such determination was made, as applicable, either upon a directors election or re-election to the Board.

Delhaize Group Board of Directors and Committee Membership

Name
(year of birth)
Position
Director Since
Term Expires
Membership Audit Committee
Membership Remuneration and Nomination Committee
Count Jacobs de Hagen (1940)
Chairman (1)
May 2003
2012
 
Chair
Pierre-Olivier Beckers (1960)
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director
May 1995
2012
 
 
Claire Babrowski (1957)
Director (1)
May 2006
2012
X
 
François Cornélis (1949)
Director (1)
May 2008
2011
 
 
Count de Pret Roose de Calesberg (1944)
Director (1)
May 2002
2011
X
 
Jacques de Vaucleroy (1961)
Director (1)
May 2005
2011
 
 
Hugh Farrington (1945)
Director (1)
May 2005
2011
 
X
Count Goblet d’Alviella (1948)
Director (1)
May 2001
2010
 
X
Robert J. Murray (1941)
Director (1)
May 2001
2010
Chair
X
Jack L. Stahl (1953)
Director (1)
August 2008
2010
X(2)
 
Didier Smits (1962)
Director
May 1996
2012
 
 
Baron Vansteenkiste (1947)
Director(1)
May 2005
2011
 
 

(1) Independent director under the Belgian Company Code, the Belgian Code on Corporate Governance and the NYSE rules.
(2) M. Stahl joined the Audit Committee effective May 28, 2009.


See also the Biographies of the Members of the Board

 

Activity Report of the Board in 2008
In 2008, the Board of Directors met seven times.

In 2008, the Boards activities included, among others:

  • Regular closed sessions with and without the Chief Executive Officer of Delhaize Group
  • Two-day annual strategic session on key strategic issues and related follow-up discussions
  • Approval of the annual budget and the three-year financial plan
  • Regular business reviews
  • Review of forecasts
  • Review and approval of quarterly and annual financial statements
  • Adoption of the annual accounts including proposed allocation of profits and dividend proposal, the consolidated financial statements, Managements Report on the annual accounts and the consolidated financial statements and the annual report
  • Approval of revenues and earnings press releases
  • Review and decision on possible acquisitions and divestitures
  • Review and decision on financing matters
  • Regular review and update on treasury matters
  • Reports of Committee Chairmen and decisions on Committee recommendations
  • Call and adoption of the agendas of the Extraordinary and Ordinary General Meetings
  • Nomination of Directors for renewal of their directors mandate and assessment of their independence

Nomination and Tenure of Directors
Pursuant to the Companys Articles of Association, directors may be appointed by the general meeting of shareholders for a maximum term of six years. In practice, the members of the Board are appointed for a maximum term of three years. No director after having attained the age of 70 years shall be nominated for re-election or reappointment to the Board. Directors may be removed from office at any time by a majority vote at any general meeting of shareholders.

Remuneration of the Board
The Companys directors are remunerated for their services with a fixed compensation, decided by the Board of Directors and not to exceed the maximum amounts set by the Companys shareholders. The maximum amount
approved by the shareholders is EUR 80 000 per year per director, increased with an additional amount of up to
EUR 10 000 per year for the Chairman of any standing committee of the Board and increased with an amount of up to EUR 5 000 per year for services as a member of any standing committee of the Board. For the Chairman of the Board, the maximum amount is EUR 160 000 per year (including any amount due as Chairman or member of any standing committee).

Non-executive directors of the Company do not receive any remuneration, benefits, equity-linked consideration or other incentives from the Company other than their remuneration for their service as director of the Company.

Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. The table above provides an overview of the membership of the standing committees of the Board of Directors.

Audit Committee
The Audit Committee was appointed by the Board to assist the Board in monitoring the integrity of the financial statements of the Company, the Companys compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the Statutory Auditors qualification and independence, the performance of the Companys internal audit function and Statutory Auditor, and the Companys internal controls and risk management. The Audit Committees specific responsibilities are set forth in the Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee, which are attached as Exhibit B to the Companys Corporate Governance Charter.

The Audit Committee is composed solely of independent directors. The composition of the Audit Committee can be found in the table on page 46 of the 2008 annual report. The Board of Directors has also determined that Mr. Robert J. Murray, Count de Pret Roose de Calesberg, and Ms. Claire Babrowski are audit committee financial experts as defined under applicable U.S. law.

In 2008, the Audit Committee met five times. All members of the Audit Committee attended all of those meetings.

The activities of the Audit Committee in 2008 included, among others:

  • Review of financial statements and related revenues and earnings press releases
  • Review of the effect of regulatory and accounting initiatives and any off-balance sheet structures on the financial statements
  • Review of changes, as applicable, in accounting principles and valuation rules
  • Review of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission comments to the 2006 annual report on Form 20-F and the Companys responses
  • Review of the Internal Audit Plan
  • Review of Management's Representation Letter
  • Review of the Audit Committee Charter Required Actions Checklist
  • Review of reports concerning the policy on complaints (SOX 301 Reports Policy/Sentinel Hotline)
  • Review of SOX 404 compliance plan for 2007
  • Review of General Counsel reports
  • Review and evaluation of the lead partner of the independent auditor
  • Holding separate closed sessions with the independent auditor and with the Company's Chief Audit Officer
  • Review and approval of the Policy for Audit Committee Approval of Independent Auditor Services
  • Review of required communications from the independent auditor
  • Review and approve the Statutory Auditors global audit plan for 2007

Remuneration and Nomination Committee
The principal responsibilities of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee are to: (i) identify individuals qualified to become Board members, consistent with criteria approved by the Board; (ii) recommend to the Board the director nominees for each Ordinary General Meeting; (iii) recommend to the Board director nominees to fill vacancies, (iv) recommend to the Board qualified and experienced directors for service on the committees of the Board; (v) recommend to the Board the compensation of the members of executive management, (vi) recommend to the Board any incentive compensation plans and equity-based plans, and awards thereunder, and profit-sharing plans for the Companys associates; (vii) evaluate the performance of the Chief Executive Officer; and (viii) advise the Board on other compensation issues. The Remuneration and Nomination Committees specific responsibilities are set forth in the Terms of Reference of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee, which are attached as Exhibit C to the Companys Corporate Governance Charter.

The Remuneration and Nomination Committee is composed solely of non-executive directors, and all of them are independent directors under the Belgian Company Code, the Belgian Code on Corporate Governance and the rules of the NYSE.

 
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