Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is appointed annually by the Board of Directors and is a body within the Board.
Members
Committee members are Joakim Westh, (Chairman), Andrew Cripps and Wenche Rolfsen.
Committee’s duties
Although the Audit Committee’s work is primarily of a preparatory and advisory nature, the Board of Directors delegates decision-making authority on specific issues to the Committee. The Committee is responsible for monitoring the Company and its subsidiaries’ accounting and financial reporting processes as well as, in respect of the financial reporting, the efficiency of the internal controls, internal audit and risk management.
The Committee reviews and monitors the impartiality and independence of the auditors. The Committee’s responsibilities are to large extent set by the EU Audit and Auditor Regulation, which includes responsibility for the audit selection procedure and otherwise to assist the Nominating Committee in preparing proposals regarding election of auditors and recommendations on audit fees. It keeps itself informed regarding the audit of the annual report and consolidated accounts. In conjunction with the Audit Committee’s review of the financial reporting, the members of the Committee discuss accounting issues relating to the Company’s financial reporting. The Committee establishes guidelines by which services other than auditing may be secured from the Company’s auditors. The Audit Committee also discusses other important issues relating to the Company’s financial reporting and reports its observations to the Board.
In consultation with committee members, the Chairman of the Audit Committee is to decide where and how frequently the committee is to meet.
Committee’s work 2020
A total of five meetings were held in 2020.
Throughout the year, the Chairman of the Audit Committee kept the Board of Directors regularly informed of the committee’s work and decisions.
The Company’s auditor, as well as the head of the Internal Audit, participated in all meetings of the Audit Committee in 2020 and, at two of these meetings, also met with the committee without the presence of the management of the Company.
