2011 was a year characterized by slow economic growth and increased regulatory complexities. In spite of a challenging operating environment, TD Bank Group again achieved record results thanks to the strength of its leadership team and the commitment of its employees.
We believe that good governance is a cornerstone of our success at TD. For the fifth year in a row, we were recognized for our corporate governance standards by GovernanceMetrics International, which again ranked us among the top one per cent of companies it ranks worldwide.
We are proud of TD’s leadership position in board governance, and your board remains committed to continuous improvement. We regularly review and update our practices. In fiscal 2011, we updated TD’s executive compensation disclosure. I am pleased to share that the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance recognized TD’s efforts in this regard as part of its 2011 Best Practices Proxy Disclosure report with the award for Best Disclosure of Approach to Executive Compensation.
We welcomed Karen Maidment of Cambridge, Ontario to the board in fiscal 2011. Karen brings deep industry experience and a valuable strategic perspective to the board’s Human Resources Committee and Risk Committee.
While we expect the economic conditions in the markets in which the bank operates to remain challenging, your board has the utmost confidence that the bank’s management and employees will continue to deliver superior performance and enhance the bank’s financial condition and prospects.
Throughout the financial turmoil of the recent past, the board has been continually impressed by the deep commitment of TD’s employees. They deserve our thanks for not only helping to deliver record financial results, but for their efforts in serving our customers and our communities. I want to acknowledge specifically their dedication to providing legendary service, and to responding with overwhelming support to the needs of the communities in which we operate, for example, through the TD United Way Employee Giving campaign. Their outstanding contributions speak volumes about their commitment to our communities.
I’d also like to extend my thanks to our shareholders for their continued support. Your board remains committed to working on your behalf, and we look forward to serving you in 2012.
Chairman of the Board
Back row:
John L. Bragg,
Harold H. MacKay,
Pierre H. Lessard,
Wilbur J. Prezzano,
Hugh J. Bolton,
Nadir H. Mohamed,
Henry H. Ketcham,
Karen E. Maidment
Middle row:
John M. Thompson,
Helen K. Sinclair,
William E. Bennett,
Irene R. Miller,
Carole S. Taylor,
Amy W. Brinkley,
Wendy K. Dobson
Seated:
Brian M. Levitt,
W. Edmund Clark
Committee | Members* | Key Responsibilities | ||
Corporate Governance Committee | Brian M. Levitt (Chair) Hugh J. Bolton Pierre H. Lessard John M. Thompson |
Responsibility for corporate governance of TD:
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Human Resources Committee | Wilbur J. Prezzano (Chair) Henry H. Ketcham Brian M. Levitt Karen E. Maidment Nadir H. Mohamed Helen K. Sinclair John M. Thompson |
Responsibility for management’s performance evaluation, compensation and succession planning:
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Risk Committee | Harold H. MacKay (Chair) William E. Bennett Amy W. Brinkley Wendy K. Dobson Karen E. Maidment Wilbur J. Prezzano Helen K. Sinclair |
Supervising the management of risk of TD:
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Audit Committee | William E. Bennett** (Chair) Hugh J. Bolton** John L. Bragg Harold H. MacKay Irene R. Miller** Carole S. Taylor |
Supervising the quality and integrity of TD’s financial reporting:
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* As of December 1, 2011. ** Designated Audit Committee financial expert. |
The Board of Directors and the management of TD are committed to leadership in corporate governance. We have designed our corporate governance policies and practices to be sure we are focused on our responsibilities to our shareholders and on creating long term shareholder value. We can assure you that TD’s policies and practices meet or exceed applicable legal requirements. We continuously monitor all proposed new rules and modify our policies and practices to meet any additional requirements. An overview of our corporate governance structure is set out below.
Brian Levitt is the non-executive Chairman of the Board at TD Bank Group. The Chairman of the Board is appointed annually by the non-management directors of the Board. He is independent and his role as Chairman of the Board is to facilitate the functioning of the Board independently of management and to maintain and enhance the quality of our corporate governance at TD. His key responsibilities are set out in the Charter of the Chairman of the Board which is available on our website. He also serves as Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and is member of the Human Resources Committee.
Since January 1, 2011, Mr. Levitt has been Counsel to Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. From 2001 to 2010, he served as Co-Chair of that firm. From 1991 to 2000, Mr. Levitt was the President and, subsequently, Chief Executive Officer of Imasco Limited, at the time one of Canada's largest consumer products and services companies, which included Canada Trust as one of its major holdings. In addition to being a director of Domtar Corporation Mr. Levitt serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Vice-Chair of the Board of the C.D. Howe Institute. Mr. Levitt served as Chairman of the Board of Domtar Inc. (predecessor of Domtar Corporation) from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Levitt has been an independent director on TD's Board since December 2008.
This diagram is a simple overview of the corporate governance structure at TD.
In addition to having the requisite skills and experience, all directors must meet the qualifications for directors set out in the Position Description for Directors of TD. Under the Position Description, directors are expected to serve TD and the long-term interests of its shareholders by supervising the management of the business and affairs of TD. In doing so, the directors are expected to:
Directors are expected to fulfill these objectives through accountability, integrity, independence, involvement, contribution and commitment to the bank and its shareholders.
Directors are also subject to the bank’s Code of Conduct and Ethics.
Corporate Governance – Go to the Corporate Governance section of our website – www.td.com/governance – to find information on our corporate governance practices, including our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Director Independence Policy, our Code of Conduct and Ethics, the Charters of our Board of Directors and each of its committees and a summary of significant differences between our governance practices and those required of U.S. domestic issuers listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Proxy Circular – Read our Proxy Circular – in February 2012 it will be mailed to shareholders and available on our website.
Annual Meeting – Attend our Annual Meeting – March 29, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario (simulcast in New York, New York) – or watch the webcast through our website – www.td.com/investor.