Governance
Gildan is committed to maintaining our strong corporate governance culture of integrity, accountability and transparency.
We consider strong and transparent corporate governance practices to be both an integral part of our environmental and social commitments and an important factor in our overall business success.
Our strength in corporate governance begins with our Board of Directors. With eight out of our nine Board members, including the Chairman, independent of management, and with only independent directors sitting on the Board’s three committees, the Board is well-positioned to perform its stewardship role of overseeing the management of Gildan’s business and affairs, with the objective of increasing shareholder value. Gildan has been recognized for its accomplishments in corporate governance, including receiving high rankings in The Globe and Mail’s “Report on Business” corporate governance rankings for the past five years.
Gildan is committed to adopting and adhering to the highest standards in corporate governance, a commitment that includes adopting practices that go beyond simple compliance with applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation and the requirements of the Toronto and New York stock exchanges where Gildan shares are listed. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines reflect this commitment and we revise these guidelines on an ongoing basis in order to respond to evolving industry trends and best practices. This year, as part of the Board’s commitment to maintaining an ongoing engagement process with the Company’s shareholders, the Board has decided to offer shareholders the opportunity to cast at the 2012 annual shareholders’ meeting an advisory vote on the Corporation’s approach to executive compensation as disclosed in its management proxy circular.
Gildan remains committed to the highest standards of integrity and ethical behaviour and to environmental and social performance as defined in our Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct and Environmental Code of Practice adopted by our Board of Directors. As part of its formal mandate, overall responsibility for monitoring and reviewing the Company’s environmental and social practices falls to our Board of Directors. In order to enhance this oversight role, the Board has delegated to the Corporate Governance Committee the specific responsibility to oversee Gildan’s policies and practices in such areas as environment, labour, health and safety and sustainability issues, as well as community and other stakeholder relations.
For more information on corporate governance, please visit the corporate governance page, in the investor relations section.
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Quick facts
- Eight out of nine board members are independent from management
- Gildan counts on a Code of Ethics, an Environment Policy, an Environmental Code of Practice, and a Code of Conduct
- Only independent directors sit on the board's three committees
- Gildan obtained high rankings in corporate governance in the Globe and Mail's "Report on Business" five years in a row (2007-2011)