2. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES
RBC’s approach to corporate governance is guided by the following core principles:
Principle Description
Ethical Culture
Trust, integrity and good governance are hallmarks of the Board’s governance approach. In setting the tone at the top, the Board nurtures the strong corporate values that are well entrenched in the culture of RBC, and reinforces the ethical principles on which RBC’s reputation and success are founded. To maximize shareholder value on a sustainable basis, these values must extend into every segment of our operations and business activities.
Stewardship
The members of the Board are the stewards of RBC, exercising independent judgment in supervising management and safeguarding the interests of shareholders. In fulfilling its stewardship role, the Board seeks to instill and foster a corporate environment founded on integrity and to provide management with sound guidance in pursuit of longterm shareholder value.
Independence
Independence from management is fundamental to its role, and the Board has put effective mechanisms in place to ensure its independence. All direct and indirect material relationships with RBC are considered in determining whether a member of the Board is independent.
Oversight of Strategy
The members of the Board are the key advisors to management, overseeing strategic direction and the formulation of plans, taking into account both the opportunities and risks of RBC’s businesses. In carrying out this oversight role, the Board actively engages in setting the long term strategic goals for the organization, reviews and approves business strategies, corporate financial objectives and financial and capital plans that are consistent with the strategic goals, and monitors RBC’s performance in executing strategies and meeting objectives.
Oversight of Risk
A key priority of the Board is embedding a strong risk management culture throughout the organization and overseeing the frameworks, policies and processes adopted to identify principal risks to the businesses and systems implemented to manage those risks. The Board actively monitors the organization’s risk profile relative to risk appetite and seeks to ensure that management’s plans and activities provide an appropriate balance of return for the risks assumed and are prudently focused on generating shareholder value.
Accountability
The Board has carefully defined the expectations and scope of duties of the Board, its committees and management. Transparency is fundamental to good governance, and the Board takes seriously RBC’s commitment to constructive shareholder engagement and clear and comprehensive disclosure and financial reporting.
Continuous Improvement
The Board is committed to continuous improvement of RBC’s corporate governance principles, policies and practices, which are designed to align the interests of the Board and management with those of shareholders, to support the stewardship role of the Board, and to enhance the Board’s ability to safeguard the interests of shareholders through independent supervision of management. To ensure our policies and practices meet or exceed evolving best practices and regulatory expectations, RBC’s corporate governance system is subject to ongoing review by the Governance Committee of the Board.