Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. The insurer or insurance group shall be as
descriptive as possible in completing the CGAD, with inclusion of attachments
or example documents that are used in the governance process, since these may
provide a means to demonstrate the strengths of their governance framework and
practices.
B. The CGAD shall
describe the insurers or insurance groups corporate governance framework and
structure including consideration of the following.
1. The board and various committees thereof
ultimately responsible for overseeing the insurer or insurance group and the
level(s) at which that oversight occurs (e.g., ultimate control level,
intermediate holding company, legal entity, etc.). The insurer or insurance
group shall describe and discuss the rationale for the current board size and
structure; and
2. The duties of the
board and each of its significant committees and how they are governed (e.g.,
bylaws, charters, informal mandates, etc.), as well as how the boards
leadership is structured, including a discussion of the roles of chief
executive officer (CEO) and chairman of the board within the
organization.
C. The
insurer or insurance group shall describe the policies and practices of the
most senior governing entity and significant committees thereof, including a
discussion of the following factors:
1. How
the qualifications, expertise and experience of each board member meet the
needs of the insurer or insurance group.
2. How an appropriate amount of independence
is maintained on the board and its significant committees.
3. The number of meetings held by the board
and its significant committees over the past year as well as information on
director attendance.
4. How the
insurer or insurance group identifies, nominates and elects members to the
board and its committees. The discussion should include, for example:
a. whether a nomination committee is in place
to identify and select individuals for consideration.
b. whether term limits are placed on
directors.
c. how the election and
re-election processes function.
d.
whether a board diversity policy is in place and if so, how it
functions.
5. The
processes in place for the board to evaluate its performance and the
performance of its committees, as well as any recent measures taken to improve
performance (including any board or committee training programs that have been
put in place).
D. The
insurer or insurance group shall describe the policies and practices for
directing senior management, including a description of the following factors:
1. Any processes or practices (i.e.,
suitability standards) to determine whether officers and key persons in control
functions have the appropriate background, experience and integrity to fulfill
their prospective roles, including:
a.
identification of the specific positions for which suitability standards have
been developed and a description of the standards employed.
b. any changes in an officers or key persons
suitability as outlined by the insurers or insurance groups standards and
procedures to monitor and evaluate such changes.
2. The insurers or insurance groups code of
business conduct and ethics, the discussion of which considers, for example:
a. compliance with laws, rules, and
regulations; and
b. proactive
reporting of any illegal or unethical behavior.
3. The insurers or insurance groups processes
for performance evaluation, compensation and corrective action to ensure
effective senior management throughout the organization, including a
description of the general objectives of significant compensation programs and
what the programs are designed to reward. The description shall include
sufficient detail to allow the commissioner to understand how the organization
ensures that compensation programs do not encourage and/or reward excessive
risk taking. Elements to be discussed may include, for example:
a. the boards role in overseeing management
compensation programs and practices.
b. the various elements of compensation
awarded in the insurers or insurance groups compensation programs and how the
insurer or insurance group determines and calculates the amount of each element
of compensation paid;
c. how
compensation programs are related to both company and individual performance
over time;
d. whether compensation
programs include risk adjustments and how those adjustments are incorporated
into the programs for employees at different levels;
e. any clawback provisions built into the
programs to recover awards or payments if the performance measures upon which
they are based are restated or otherwise adjusted;
f. any other factors relevant in
understanding how the insurer or insurance group monitors its compensation
policies to determine whether its risk management objectives are met by
incentivizing its employees.
4. The insurers or insurance groups plans for
CEO and senior management succession.
E. The insurer or insurance group shall
describe the processes by which the board, its committees and senior management
ensure an appropriate amount of oversight to the critical risk areas impacting
the insurers business activities, including a discussion of:
1. How oversight and management
responsibilities are delegated between the board, its committees and senior
management;
2. How the board is
kept informed of the insurers strategic plans, the associated risks, and steps
that senior management is taking to monitor and manage those risks;
3. How reporting responsibilities are
organized for each critical risk area. The description should allow the
commission to understand the frequency at which information on each critical
risk area is reported to and reviewed by senior management and the board. This
description may include, for example, the following critical risk areas of the
insurer:
a. Risk management processes (An ORSA
Summary Report filer may refer to its ORSA Summary Report pursuant to the Risk
Management and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Model Act);
b. actuarial function;
c. investment decision-making
processes;
d. reinsurance
decision-making processes;
e.
business strategy/finance decision-making processes;
f. compliance function;
g. financial reporting/internal auditing;
and
h. market conduct
decision-making processes.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
22:11 and
22:691.31-691.38.