How We Govern the Company
We believe that how we govern ourselves is as important as the corporate governance that sets guidance and parameters for the Company more generally. This is a summary of some of our key board governance provisions. More information can be found on our website, www.regiscorp.com, and in the next section summarizing some of the key provisions that apply more broadly to the Company. Our compensation governance provisions can be found in our Compensation Discussion and Analysis.
All of our directors except our President and CEO are independent. We provide in our User’s Guide at the end of this proxy statement a description of our Board’s independence standards. Under these standards the Board has determined that each director, with the exception of Mr. Sawyer, our President and CEO, is independent. The Board has also determined that the independence of Mr. Williams, Chief Financial Officer of the parent company of Roto-Rooter, and Mr. Grissen, Group President of Marriott International, Inc., is not impaired by the fact that the Company pays Roto-Rooter and Marriott for plumbing and hotel services, respectively. Accordingly, a supermajority of our Board is independent. Upon joining the Board in connection with his commencement as CEO, Mr. Athayde will not be independent.
We recently appointed an independent Chair of our Board. In connection with our CEO succession, Mr. Beltzman, an independent director who has served on the Board for the last eight years, will become Chair of the Board upon Mr. Sawyer’s retirement and the commencement of Mr. Athayde’s employment as our CEO. Currently, Mr. Sawyer, our President and CEO, serves as Chair of the Board, a position he has held since February 2020. Mr. Sawyer succeeded Mr. Williams as Chair of the Board, at which time Mr. Williams became our independent Lead Director. In August 2020, the independent directors of the Board appointed Ms. Gambale as our independent Lead Director in anticipation of Mr. Williams’ retirement from the Board when his term ends at the Annual Meeting.
As Chair, Mr. Beltzman will lead the Board and be actively engaged in ensuring a smooth CEO transition. As independent Lead Director, Ms. Gambale will continue to coordinate matters regarding the Board’s processes and governance of the Company.
All of our directors stand for election every year.
Special meetings. Shareholders holding 10% or more of our outstanding stock have the right to call a special meeting of shareholders.
Board and committee meeting attendance. Each of our then-serving directors attended, in person or by teleconference, at least 75% of the 21 meetings of our Board and the meetings of the board committees on which each director served during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.
Annual meeting attendance. Our Board does not have a formal policy relating to Board members’ attendance at annual shareholders meetings. Directors are, however, encouraged to attend these meetings and all but one of our then-serving directors attended our 2019 annual shareholders meeting in person and the other then-serving director participated telephonically.
Our Board has a majority voting standard. Incumbent directors who do not receive a majority of votes cast must tender their resignation for the Board to review. The Company’s governance guidelines further provide that if the Board decides not to accept a director’s resignation in such circumstances, it will disclose its reasons.
Director stock ownership. Our directors are required to hold all common stock they receive as part of their board compensation until they cease to serve as directors.
Age and tenure limits. The Company’s corporate governance guidelines contain both age and tenure limit provisions.
Over-boarding. The Company’s corporate governance guidelines contain provisions related to limiting its directors’ service on other boards of directors. We approved an exception for Ms. Gambale to join a fifth public company board in fiscal 2020 on a temporary basis in recognition that her term on one of her other public company boards would end in 2021.
Director evaluations. The Company’s corporate governance guidelines contain provisions requiring annual board evaluations.
Director orientation and education. Directors receive orientation overseen by the Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and are supported in obtaining continuing director education.
Executive sessions. Our board has a policy of conducting executive sessions of the independent directors in connection with each regularly scheduled Board meeting.