Procedures followed by the Managing Board and Supervisory Board and its committees

Managing Board

The Managing Board manages the business of the Company under the leadership of its Chairperson and within the constraints of the law, articles of association, procedural rules of the Managing Board and procedural rules of the Supervisory Board.

The Managing Board meets when needed (generally each week or every two weeks) to discuss current business developments and makes the necessary decisions and resolutions during these meetings. The Managing Board Members continuously exchange information with each other and the heads of various departments.

Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board performs all activities defined under the law, articles of association and the procedural rules of the Supervisory Board. In order to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of its activities and procedures, the Supervisory Board examines its procedures regularly, but at least once a year in the form of a self-evaluation. The Supervisory Board’s evaluation of its activities in 2019 found that its organisational structure and procedures were satisfactory in terms of efficiency and in compliance with the law. It found no need for change or desire for change in the practices followed to date.

The Supervisory Board and its committees, Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons continuously monitor and regularly examine Company management as well as the activities of the Managing Board in terms of managing and monitoring the Group. Detailed presentations and discussions during meetings of the Supervisory Board and its committees are used for this purpose, as are thorough and, in some cases, in-depth discussions with the members of the Managing Board who provide detailed explanations and supporting documentation relating to the management and financial position of the Company and the Group. Strategy, business development (overall and in individual regions), risk management, the internal control system, internal audit activities, the compliance function and reinsurance – at the VIG Holding level as well as at Group level – are also discussed during these meetings.

The Supervisory Board and the Audit Committee also directly engage with the financial statements auditor and the consolidated financial statements auditor in order to familiarise themselves with the accounting process and audit progress, and to inquire whether the audit has produced any important findings. Provision was made for exchanges between the Members of the Audit Committee and the (consolidated) financial statements auditor in such meetings without the presence of the Managing Board, but no Member of the Audit Committee took advantage of this opportunity during the reporting year. During the meetings about annual and consolidated financial statements, the audit reports are discussed and debated with the audit managers in detail both with the Audit Committee and with the entire Supervisory Board. The Audit Committee examined the Company’s Solvency and Financial Condition Report (SFCR) and reported its findings to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board found no grounds for objection.

The internal audit department provides quarterly reports to the Audit Committee. If necessary, the head of internal audit provides detailed explanations of individual issues and audit focal points. The head of internal audit also submits the annual audit plan to the Audit Committee for approval. The Managing Board explains the organisation and effectiveness of the internal control system, internal audit and the risk management system to the Audit Committee at least once a year, and provides the Audit Committee with a written report on this subject so that it can confirm the efficiency of the systems. The Audit Committee also examines the report and assessment of the functioning of the risk management system prepared by the (consolidated) financial statements auditor and reports its findings to the Supervisory Board.

The Audit Committee and Supervisory Board as a whole also received the 2019 sustainability report (consolidated non-financial report) from the Managing Board, and reviewed and carefully examined it.

At least once a year, the Managing Board presents the Supervisory Board with the measures to be taken by the VIG companies in order to prevent corruption, and the Supervisory Board discusses those.

When preparing nominations to the Annual General Meeting regarding the election of new Supervisory Board Members, the latter takes the professional and personal requirements set by law and the Austrian Corporate Governance Code into account which a Supervisory Board Member must satisfy and observe.

The Audit Committee and Supervisory Board also strictly ensure that all of the requirements and conditions provided for under the law and Austrian Code of Corporate Governance are fully satisfied when preparing the general meeting proposal on selection of the (consolidated) financial statements auditor. As a public-interest entity, the special additional rules for external and internal rotation applicable to insurance companies and the special tendering process are observed. In addition, after the audit of the consolidated financial statements has been completed, the Supervisory Board is provided with a list showing the total audit expenses of all Group companies. This list provides a separate breakdown of expenses relating to the consolidated financial statements auditor and the members of the network to which the consolidated financial statements auditor pertains. The same goes for other financial statements auditors who work for the Group.

The Supervisory Board established five committees to increase its efficiency and to address complex matters: Committee for Urgent Matters (Working Committee), Audit Committee (Accounts Committee), Committee for Managing Board Matters (Personnel Committee), Strategy Committee and Nomination Committee.

The Supervisory Board also dealt with the topic of remuneration policy.

The Nomination Committee and Supervisory Board also dealt intensively with the future-oriented composition of the Managing Board. Judit Havasi’s move to the Managing Board of Donau Versicherung as Chairwoman of the Managing Board starting 1 January 2020, and the upcoming end of the term of office of Deputy General Manager Franz Fuchs in 2020 also had to be considered. In 2019, the Supervisory Board appointed Gerhard Lahner, Gábor Lehel and Harald Riener to the Managing Board starting 1 January 2020. Gerhard Lahner and Gábor Lehel were previously already substitute members of the Managing Board and, like Harald Riener, had already held positions nationally and abroad for many years in the VIG Insurance Group.