Supervisory Board activities

Supervisory Board activities

FMO's Supervisory Board and its committees work through regular, pre-scheduled meetings, and on an ad hoc basis throughout the year.

A transparent formal reporting structure is in place, and Supervisory Board members are frequently in contact with the Management Board so they remain fully informed and can provide advice at all times. The Supervisory Board Chairman meets the CEO informally once a month. With the exception of evaluations and appraisals, the full Management Board meets the full Supervisory Board at all pre-scheduled meetings. Absenteeism has been negligible. Only Jean Frijns was not able to attend the December meeting.

The Supervisory Board held four regular meetings and two strategic sessions in 2010. During the four regular meetings, important issues addressed included:

  • the transfer of the NIO subsidiary to the Dutch State in November 2010;
  • approval of publication of half year figures
  • approval of the risk management framework and risk appetite, as required by the Banking Code;
  • the 2009 self-evaluation of the Supervisory Board, the sub-committees and individual members, under independent guidance of an external advisor;
  • the five-yearly evaluation of the agreement between the Dutch State and FMO of November 16, 1998;
  • the results of the biennial employee satisfaction survey;
  • operational plan and budget for 2011;
  • progress report on audit, compliance and control;
  • quarterly updates on FMO's risk profile, including but not limited to subjects such as: capital adequacy, interest rate sensitivity, dollar exposure, country exposures and limits, funding & liquidity and operational risk management;
  • quarterly development and financial report, including but not limited to subjects such as business development and portfolio quality; and
  • other topics that are addressed as standard on a yearly basis.

The subjects of the strategic sessions were energy strategy & implementation and measuring and implementing sustainability at the April session, and "FMO beyond 2012" at the October session.

As required by the Banking Code, which came into effect on January 1, 2010, all members of the Supervisory Board and all members of the Management Board have made a good start to a formal program of lifelong learning. The Supervisory and Management Board members have, for example, broadened their general knowledge of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and more specifically on the impact these standards will have on FMO and FMO's balance sheet.