The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors represents all shareholders. It has fifteen members: thirteen Directors appointed by the Shareholders’ Annual General Meeting, including one representing employee shareholders, and two representing employees in general, directly elected by their peers. A non-voting Director has also been appointed to assist the Board with all matters relating to social and environmental responsibility.
The Board of Directors collectively represents all shareholders. It acts in the social interest of the Bank and ensures its proper function. Its missions are to approve strategic guidelines, monitor and ensure their implementation in line with Societe Generale's values, and comply with the highest international standards of governance, ethics and risk management. Its members are chosen for their experience, expertise and independence.
The Board of Directors aims to be composed of an equal number of men and women and to reflect diversity.
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William Connelly- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Independent Director
- Company Director
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Ingrid-Helen Arnold- Chief Executive Officer of KAKO GmbH (Germany)
- Independent Director
- Company Director
- Member of the Risk Committee
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Laura Barlow- Independent Director
- Member of the Audit and Internal Control and of the Risk Committee
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Jérôme Contamine- Independent Director
- Company Director
- Chairman of the Audit and Internal Control Committee and member of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee
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Diane Côté- Independent Director
- Company Director
- Member of the Audit and Internal Control Committee and of the Risk Committee
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Ulrika Ekman- Independent Director
- Member of the Audit and Internal Control Committee and of the Compensation Committee
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Clara Furse- Company Director
- Independent Director
- Chairwoman of the Risk Committee
- Member of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee
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France Houssaye- Director Elected by Employees
- Head of External Business Opportunities, Regional Commercial Department, Rouen (Normandy)
- Member of the Compensation Committee
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Olivier Klein- Chief Executive Officer of Lazard Frères Banque
- Independent Director
- Member of the Audit and Internal Control Committee and of the Risk Committee
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Annette Messemer- Independent Director
- Company Director
- Chairwoman of the Compensation Committee and Member of the Risk Committee
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Henri Poupart-Lafarge- Independent Director
- Chairman of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee
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Benoît de Ruffray- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eiffage
- Independent Director
- Company Director
- Member of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee and of the Compensation Committee
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Sébastien Wetter- Director Elected by Employee Shareholders
- Global Chief Operating Officer for the Financial Institutions coverage teams
- Member of the Audit and Internal Control Committee
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Key figures
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15
Directors
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46 %
of Directors are women*
*In accordance with legislation, the two Directors representing the employees are excluded from the calculation.
Architect of strategic orientations
The Board of Directors studies and approves the Group’s strategic orientations and ensures that they are aligned with Societe Generale’s values and corporate purpose. It notably validates the strategy with regard to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and in particular its carbon trajectory, on the recommendation of General Management and once they have been examined by the non-voting Director and specialised committees.
The Board of Directors is also responsible for ensuring the Group meets the highest standards in terms of ethics and risk management.
The appointment of Board members is based on their experience, expertise and independence. Its composition targets gender parity and diversity of profiles. The Board thus has members of nine different nationalities, of which 46% are women.
For its supervisory and oversight duties, the Board of Directors is assisted by four specialised committees:
- the Audit and Internal Control Committee, which ensures the quality of the Group’s accounting and financial information;
- the Risk Committee, at the forefront of new risks, which ensures the quality of the risk management system;
- the Compensation Committee, which – to ensure fair compensation – takes into account regulatory standards, objectives, risks and the requirements of the Group’s Code of Conduct;
- the Appointments and Corporate Governance Committee, which selects those with the best expertise for the Company’s supervision and management.
Societe Generale applies the most stringent standards with regard to corporate governance, notably the Afep-MEDEF code, and complies with all regulations applicable to the banking and financial sectors. The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring compliance with these rules.