Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is a cornerstone of the governance system that helps drive the Company's strong performance.
The activities of the Board of Directors are governed by federal Russian laws, the Company's Articles of Association and the Regulations on the Board of Directors approved by the General Shareholders Meeting in 2022. The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall strategic governance of the Company, its strategic development, approval and monitoring of the budget, business plans, investment programmes and projects, review of matters related to financial operations, risk management and other matters that fall within the Board’s remit and require its attention to achieve the Company's strategic goals.
According to the Articles of Association, FESCO’s Board of Directors comprises nine members. The number of members of the Board of Directors is in line with the law and makes it best positioned to operate to the scale and ambition of the Company and serve shareholders in an optimal way. The members of the Board of Directors are elected by the General Shareholders Meeting on an annual basis for the period until the next Annual General Shareholders Meeting. The Board of Directors is accountable to the meeting of shareholders of the Company.
In the reporting year, the Company had the Board of Directors elected by the Annual General Shareholders Meeting on 6 May 2022, and the Board of Directors elected at the adjourned Annual General Shareholders Meeting of 4 August 2023, which remained unchanged following the meeting. As at 31 December 2023, FESCO’s Board of Directors was comprised of two independent directors, three executive directors and four non‑executive directors.
Nominees are elected to the Board of Directors based on their personal and business abilities and compliance with the independence criteria stipulated by the Listing Rules of the Moscow Exchange. Members of the Board of Directors have the required knowledge of strategic, operational and financial matters, as well as track record in transport and logistics.
Induction Programme for new members of the Board of Directors
The Company has an Induction Programme for new members of the Board of Directors, which helps them become acquainted with the practices of the Board of Directors, its committees, key activities, and financial metrics as quickly as possible. This approach ensures that the Board of Directors fulfils its functions more effectively.
The programme includes the following activities:
- learning about the Company's key matters and business: strategy and long‑term development programme, budget, operating and financial highlights, risk management and internal control, controlled entities, management, motivation system, and organisational structure
- familiarising with the Company's internal documents and key regulations and policies, along with work plans of the Board of Directors and its committees
- learning about the duties and powers of the Board of Directors, status of the members, and resources available for the Board of Directors to carry out its functions
- learning about ways in which communication is ensured between the Board of Directors, the Executive Board and the management of the Group
Board of Director’s Report
Despite challenges driven by geopolitical developments, FESCO maintains its leadership in the Russian transport and logistics industry, which has been made possible by the strong involvement of the Board of Directors in managing the Company's operations.
The Board of Directors held 27 meetings and considered 232 items within its remit in 2023.
The Board of Directors’ strong performance is among other things due to the planning of activities of the Board of Directors on a half‑year basis, preparation for and conduct of meetings via an automated information system, detailed consideration of key items by the Board’s dedicated committees, and professionalism of the management and the Corporate Secretary.
In the reporting year, the Board of Directors considered and adopted resolutions on the following key matters:
- consideration of matters pertaining to the Group’s priority areas of operations
- consideration and approval of business development plans in the CIS and non‑CIS markets
- approval of programmes to develop new areas of operations and the Group’s digital transformation
- approval of transactions and governance at controlled entities
- consideration of the 2022 budget execution report of FESCO and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and approval of the 2023 budget and key metrics to put together the 2024 budget for FESCO and its subsidiaries and affiliates
- consideration of matters pertaining to corporate governance, internal control, risk management, and internal audit
- consideration of HR matters related to the Group's management, and matters related to FESCO’s organisational structure
Information on the meetings of the Board of Directors and the key resolutions made is disclosed by the Company on the website of an authorised agency at https://e‑disclosure.ru/portal/company.aspx?id=83 subject to disclosure exemptions granted by the Russian Government’s Resolution No. 1102 dated 4 July 2023Russian Government’s Resolution No. 1102 dated 4 July 2023 On Details of Disclosure and/or Provision of Information that Must be Disclosed and/or Provided under Federal Law On Joint-Stock Companies, and by the Federal Law On the Securities Market..
Committees of the Board of Directors
The Company has three committees of its Board of Directors:
- Strategy, Investment and General Affairs Committee
- Human Resources and Remuneration Committee
- Audit Committee
Board committees play an important role in maintaining high standards of corporate governance by engaging in preliminary consideration and comprehensive analysis of various matters and by issuing recommendations to the Board of Directors for decision‑making.
The committees' activities, rules of procedure, goals, objectives and remit are set out in the Company's relevant regulations approved by the Board of DirectorsApproved by resolution of the Board of Directors on 28 November 2022, Minutes No. 22/22 dated 29 November 2022. and made available on the Company's website.
Members of committees of the Board of Directors
The committee members are elected by the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and continue in office until the new Board of Directors is elected.
Presently, the committees are made up of members of the Board of Directors, and each member of the Board of Directors is a member of one or two committees.
A majority of the Audit Committee consists of independent directors, a composition maintained since 2021.