Corporate Governance Guidelines provide a framework of authority and accountability to enable the Board of Directors and management to make timely and effective decisions that promote shareholder value while complying with applicable law and the Company’s commitment to ethical conduct, integrity and transparency.
The Board and management are committed to implementing these Guidelines and to making good governance integral to the culture of the Company.
The Board’s primary responsibility is to supervise the management of City Group to foster the long-term success of the Company consistent with the Board’s responsibility to maximize shareholder value. The Board may delegate its responsibilities under these Guidelines to appropriate committees of the Board. Management is responsible for the development of an overall corporate strategy to be presented annually to the Board.
The Board participates in the strategic planning process and reviews in depth and approves the strategy, including the human, technological and capital resources on its implementation. The Board then monitors management’s execution of the strategy and its achievement of objectives.
To elaborate on the role of the Board beyond the scope of these Guidelines, the Board shall issue a Charter for the Board.
The Board then monitors management’s execution of the strategy and its achievement of objectives.
The Board approves the goals, strategies and objectives within which the Company is managed and oversees senior managements’ performance and compensation
The Board may delegate its responsibilities under these Guidelines to appropriate committees of the Board.Any responsibility not delegated to a committee of the Board or to management remains with the Board.
The Board participates in the strategic planning process and reviews in depth and approves the strategy, including the human, technological and capital resources on its implementation.
The Chair’s primary responsibility is to oversee the efficient operation of the Board and its committees and to set the tone at the top for the Board and its members to foster ethical and responsible decision-making.
The Chair of the Board shall be appointed annually by the Board from among those directors under any laws and regulations applicable to the Company and under any governance guidelines or listing standards of any stock or securities exchange upon which the securities of the Company are from time to time listed.
Each director is responsible for providing constructive counsel to and oversight of management, consistent with a director’s statutory and fiduciary obligations to the Company. Each director shall advance the interests of the Company and the effectiveness of the Board by bringing his or her knowledge and experience to bear on the strategic
and operational issues facing the Company.
Each director shall enhance his or her familiarity with the Company and its business, people and competitive environment by preparing for and participating in meetings of the Board and its committees.
Each director shall comply with the Company’s Code of Business and Workplace Ethics
Each director shall attend all meetings of the Board and meetings of committees of the Board of which each director is a member in person or otherwise that permits all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other.
The City Group Co. Board comprises 5 Non-Executive Members plus an Independent Board Member and the positions of the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company are held by separate individuals. While the Board oversees the management of the business, the President and Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the executive leadership and operational management of the Company.
The Board meets at regular intervals to discuss and decide on Company/business policy and strategy apart from other Board business. The Board/Committee Meetings are circulated to the Directors well in advance to facilitate them to plan their schedule and to ensure meaningful participation in the meetings.
Meetings are governed by a structured agenda. The Board members, in consultation with the Chairman, may bring up any matter for the consideration of the Board. All major agenda items are backed by comprehensive background information to enable the Board to take informed decisions. All Agenda papers are circulated prior to the Board meeting.
The Board has plenary power. Any responsibility not specifically delegated to a committee of the Board or to management remains with the Board. The Board may delegate its responsibilities under these Guidelines to appropriate committees of the Board.
All other matters required to be placed before the Board for its review/ information/ approval under the statutes.
While the Board oversees the management of the business, Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the executive leadership and operational management of the Company.
The Chief Executive Officer’s primary responsibility is to lead the Company. The Chief Executive Officer and his management team formulate the Company’s proposed goals, strategies and objectives, and presents them to the Board for approval.
The Chief Executive Officer keeps the Board informed of the Company’s progress towards its goals and of all material deviations from the goals, strategies and objectives approved by the Board.
The Chief Financial Officer of the company also acts as the company secretary and is responsible for the collation, review and distribution of all the papers submitted to the board for its consideration. The company secretary is also responsible for the preparation of the agenda and convening of board meetings. The company secretary attends all the meetings of the board and its committees (except Nomination and Remuneration Committee), advises the board on compliance and governance principles and ensures appropriate recording of minutes of the meetings.
Currently, there are three board committees, the terms of reference of which are determined by the board from time to time. Meetings of each board committee are convened by the board secretary upon receiving a request from the respective committee chairman. Matters requiring the board’s attention are placed before the board by the respective committee chairman. The composition of these committees, including the number of meetings held during the financial year and the related attendance, are provided below.
Nomination and Remuneration Committee
Corporate Governance Committee
Audit & Risk Management Committee
Currently, there are five Management Committees, the terms of reference of which are determined by the Corporate Governance Manual. Meetings of each Committee are convened by the respective Committee Chairman. Management Committees are:
Internal Executive Committee
Revenue Task Force and Route Management Committee
Supply Chain Management Committee
Human Resource Committee
Credit Committee
The Corporate Governance Committee has institutionalized several policies to act as a guide to the Board Members, Executive Management and employees in course of 2014. We give below a brief outline of the policies that were introduced in City Group in course of the year. It might be pertinent to add that these policies were always in existence in the company but have now been presented in a structured manner in the Corporate Governance Manual.
The policy lays down that Board members and employees shall ensure that there is no conflict or incompatibility between their personal interests, whether pecuniary or non-pecuniary and the discharge of their duties. This conflict may extend to any business undertaking in which the Board members, employees and their immediate family is acting in direct competition with the Company activities or interests for personal gain.
The purpose of this policy is to provide the Executive Management of City Group Co. with a systematic approach to differentiate related parties, for approved types of related party transactions, and for proper documentation of such transactions. All transactions involving Company and a related party shall be identified and undergo an exceptional review, approval and disclosure process as per the Delegation of Authority Matrix.
This Policy is a formal representation of the Company’s commitment to the highest standards of professional integrity, ethical behavior, transparency and fair dealing in the conduct of its business. It aims to provide a method of properly addressing bonafide concerns that Whistle Blowers might have, whilst offering them the necessary protection from victimization, harassment and/or disciplinary proceedings.
This policy commits the Company to conducting its business ethically, legally and in a manner that is fiscally, environmentally and socially responsible, while delivering sustainable value and strong financial performance. The Company is committed to maintaining the highest standards of honesty, integrity and fairness in all aspects of its business and expects the same in its relationships with all those with whom it does business.
The company believes its reputation is critical to the creation of long-term value for its shareholders and has accordingly developed this policy to timely and accurately disclose all matters relating to its establishment, financial position, performance and ownership structure. The Board has set in place a system of disclosure and transparency which defines the aspects, fields and characteristics of disclosure in relation to the items that need to be disclosed
The purpose of the policy is to provide the company with guiding principles to manage the way in which the Company interacts with key stakeholders and introduce a single strategic driver of the stakeholder engagement process across the business. The Company shall uphold the values of honesty, partnership and fairness in its dealings with stakeholders and shall foster a constructive relationship with them and make every attempt to understand and meet their expectations.
The Company has adopted guidelines against trading on the basis of inside information as described in this memorandum, which prohibit trading based on material, non-public information regarding the company. The guidelines cover officers, directors, all other full-time and part-time employees and consultants of CGC, as well as family members of such persons, and others, in each case where such persons have or may have access to Inside Information.
Our company has an integrated approach to managing the risks inherent in various aspects of its business. As a part of this approach, the Audit and Risk Management Committee under the overall supervision of the Board is responsible for monitoring risk levels according to various parameters and the Management is responsible for ensuring implementation of mitigation measures, if required.
The Board has drawn up a delegation of authority matrix to allow certain decision making authority to various levels of persons within both the Management and Board Committees. These pre-approved limits are linked to the value of transactions and are subject to internal verifications to ensure that the limits to the authority are not exceeded.
We at City Group Company firmly believe that Empowerment, Accountability, Control and Transparency are the cornerstones of good corporate governance and have embraced a culture of ethics and integrity above all else in our policies, our relationship with stakeholders and above all, our commitment to our values.
The management is fully aware of its position as the trustee of the shareholders’ capital and not its owner and assumes full responsibility for the development of an overall corporate strategy to be presented to the Board. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the executive leadership and operational management of the Company and is responsible for keeping the Board informed of the Company’s progress towards its goals and of all material deviations from the goals, strategies and objectives approved by the Board.
The Board’s primary responsibility is to supervise the management of the Company to foster the long-term success of the Company consistent with the Board’s responsibility to the shareholders to maximize shareholder value. It has plenary power and any responsibility not specifically delegated to a committee of the Board or to management remains with the Board. The current Board structure has been in place since 2013. It focuses on the Group’s strategy and seeks to understand the risks in the market it operates in.
We are aware of our social responsibilities towards the community and have periodically conducted blood donation campaigns, conducted traffic orientations for school children for raising traffic awareness, collaborated with clinics and medical camps to raise the level of general health awareness, organized school sponsored job shadow visits to our office to meet and exchange views with the senior management in collaboration with INJAZ and deputed some of our qualified office staff to schools to discuss life skills. The safety of our customers and employees is one of our primary concern.
We maintain strict standards of safety and carry out a compulsory periodical quality inspection to ensure that the buses we operate comply with regional and international safety norms. We have also set up a Driver’s Training Academy in collaboration with the Traffic department of Kuwait to provide continued education to our drivers in defensive driving and sensitizing them towards the needs of the communities at large.
All forms of modern transport have environmental impacts. Well-run public transport has much to offer in limiting and reducing those impacts and City Group actively promotes such solutions by implementing new technologies. It has tested Euro III engines and on successful completion of testing, fleet expansion has been undertaken with these engines reducing considerably City Group’s carbon footprint.
In addition, City Group has inducted double-decker buses into its fleet, which will serve not only to reduce its carbon footprints even further but also to alleviate the congestion on the streets of Kuwait. City Group conducts various activities like tree plantations, water conservation, efficient lighting, etc. to support the environmental imperatives.
We are always keen to meet energetic and talented people who would like to join our team. If you wish to be considered for any future positions,