Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sector - Aerospace & Defense
Company - Lockheed Martin Corporation
Country - United States
Chairman - Robert J. Stevens
What do shareholders say about this board?
"Lockheed Martin Corp's board has a very effective channel of communication to shareholders."

Sector - Aerospace & Defense
Company - BAE Systems plc
Country - United Kingdom
Chairman - Dick Olver

Sector - Aerospace & Defense
Company - Finmeccanica SpA
Country - Italy Pier
Chairman - Francesco Guarguaglini

Sector - Automotive
Company - Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
Country - Japan
Chairman - Satoshi Aoki
What do shareholders say about this board?
"This Board has strong capabilities to set up the right strategies to fight in this tough market and generate profits."
"They were under a lot of pressure to move into doing trucks 10 years ago. They were able to resist that and stay out of trucks. In retrospect, it certainly was a great move. They are well positioned and have great foresight. They have the willingness to go against the grind."


Sector - Automotive
Company - Toyota Motor Corporation
Country - Japan
Chairman - Fujio Cho
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The board of this company is watching the market well and it understands what issues the company has."

Sector - Banks
Company - Itau Unibanco Banco Multiplo SA
Country - Brazil
Chairman - Carlos Da Camara Pestana
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They took some people from Unibanco. So they will have a very good board."
"They took some people from Unibanco so they will have a very good board."


Sector - Banks
Company - Wells Fargo & Company
Country - United States
Chairman - Richard M. Kovacevich
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The board has a good track record and we know its history which is very good."
"The management team in general has a lot of control over the management and who sits on the board so therefore the Board becomes more active in terms of participation. A good management picks people that brings something to the party as well as works well with the management. The European idea of a completely independent board has not worked well in the US."


Sector - Banks
Company - JP Morgan
Country - United States
Chairman - James Dimon
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The management team in general has a lot of control over the management and who sits on the board so therefore the Board becomes more active in terms of participation. A good management picks people that brings something to the party as well as works well with the management. The European idea of a completely independent board has not worked well in the US."
"I think JP Morgan's board has been the clearest of the downturn in terms of taking the right actions and releasing the most information. It's oversight was obviously better than some of these other jokers out there."


Sector - Banks
Company - BNP Paribas SA
Country - France
Chairman - Michel Pebereau
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The Board at BNP Paribas anticipates the cycle well."

Sector - Banks
Company - China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd.
Country - China
Chairman - Xiao Qin 

Sector - Broadcasting/Cable
Company - Shaw Communications Inc.
Country - Canada
Chairman - J. R. Shaw

Sector - Building & Construction
Company - Vinci SA
Country - France
Chairman - Yves-Thibault de Silguy

Sector - Building & Construction
Company - Lafarge SA
Country - France
Chairman - Bruno Lafont

Sector - Chemicals
Company - Agrium Inc.
Country - Canada
Chairman - Frank William Proto 

Sector - Chemicals
Company - BASF SE
Country - Germany
Chairman - Eggert Voscherau

Sector - Chemicals
Company - Air Liquide SA
Country - France
Chairman - Benoît Potier

Sector - Consumer Products
Company - Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV
Country - Mexico
Chairman - Claudio X. Gonzalez Laporte
What do shareholders say about this board? "
"They have people from Kimberly-Clark USA so they can discuss a lot of things and give advice to the Mexico team. They also have interesting ideas as well. They are very professional and more importantly they don't have family members there."
"The company has the second best board in the sector."


Sector - Consumer Products
Company - Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Country - United States
Chairman - Ian Cook

Sector - Entertainment
Company - The Walt Disney Company
Country - United States
Chairman - John E. Pepper Jr
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They are just top quality people. They have a top quality independent savy board."

Sector - Financial Services
Company - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Country - United States
Chairman - Lloyd C. Blankfein 
What do shareholders say about this board?
"Goldman Sachs' Board has strong risk management skills to lead the company to grow."

Sector - Financial Services
Company - Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.
Country - South Korea
Chairman - Eung Chan Ra 
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They are able to maintain the company in a strong position in the banking industry and have surplus transferring to a holding company. They diversified their earning contribution not only to bank but also to other business including life insurance. That is the only example of this in Korea."

Sector - Food & Beverages
Company - AmBev
Country - Brazil
Chairmen - Victorio Carlos De Marchi / Carlos Alves De Brito

Sector - Food & Beverages
Company - Nestle SA
Country - Switzerland
Chairman - Peter Brabeck-Letmathe
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The Board provides a huge amount of confidence. It has an excellent business underneath it, but more than that it has 25 years plus running the company."

Sector - Gold & Precious Metals
Company - Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.
Country - Canada
Chairman - James D. Nasso 

Sector - Gold & Precious Metals
Company - Barrick Gold Corporation
Country - Canada
Chairman - Peter Munk
What do shareholders say about this board?
"Barrick has a very high powered board."

Sector - Gold & Precious Metals
Company - Goldcorp Inc.
Country - Canada
Chairman - Ian W. Telfer 

Sector - Hardware
Company - Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co.
Country - Taiwan
Chairman - Zhongmou Zhang
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The company's board of directors is one of the best in Taiwan as most Taiwanese members on the board are very experienced and have been engaged in the sector for a long period of time. They are also independent. Additionally, the company invited some overseas directors to join the board and they have a broader view of the international market comparing to the other Taiwanese companies."

Sector - Hardware
Company - Intel Corporation
Country - United States
Chairman - Jane E. Shaw
What do shareholders say about this board?
"Intel Corporation has one of the best Boards in the sector. They seem to sheppard the company fairly well and have not created any major problems."

Sector - Hardware
Company - Acer Incorporated
Country - Taiwan
Chairman - Zhentang Wang 

Sector - Healthcare Equipment
Company - Fresenius SE
Country - Germany
Chairman - Gerd Krick

Sector - Heavy Industries
Company - Tenaris S.A.
Country - Luxembourg
Chairman - Paolo Rocca
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The company has a very strong corporate governance in place."
"It has had a top performance Board."


Sector - High Tech
Company - Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.
Country - Taiwan
Chairman - Taiming Guo 

Sector - High Tech
Company - Apple Inc.
Country - United States
Chairman - Bill Campbell
"What do shareholders say about this board?
"Apple has some very impressive, smart and independent thinking people on the Board."


Sector - Industrial Electronics
Company - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Country - South Korea
Chairman - Yun Wu Lee
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They have very sound financial structure in this turmoil market. The board also shows good strategies to shareholders."

Sector - Industrial Electronics
Company - Corning Incorporated
Country - United States
Chairman - Wendell P. Weeks
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The Board of Corning Incorporated is doing a good job by communicating to shareholders."

Sector - Industrial Electronics
Company - Texas Instruments Incorporated
Country - United States
Chairman - Richard K. Templeton

Sector - Insurance
Company - AXA
Country - France
Chairman - Jacques de Chateauvieux

Sector - Insurance
Company - Munich Re
Country - Germany
Chairman - Hans-Jürgen Schinzler

Sector - Internet
Company - Google Inc
Country - United States
Chairman - Eric E. Schmidt
What do shareholders say about this board?
"Google has some very impressive, smart and independent thinking people on the Board."

Sector - Manufacturing
Company - POSCO
Country - South Korea
Chairman - Jun Yang Jung
What do shareholders say about this board?
"This board has many outside members and they are very independent."
"They have very sound financial structure in this turmoil market. The board also shows good strategies to shareholders."


Sector - Manufacturing
Company - Atlas Copco AB
Country - Sweden
Chairman - Sune Carlsson

Sector - Mining
Company - BHP Billiton Limited
Country - Australia
Chairman
- Marius Kloppers

Sector - Oil & Gas Services
Company - Schlumberger Ltd.
Country - United States
Chairman - Andrew F. Gould 

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - TriStar Oil & Gas Limited
Country - Canada
Chairman - Paul Colborne

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
Country - Canada
Chairman - Allan P. Markin 

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - Petrohawk Energy Corporation
Country - United States
Chairman- Floyd C. Wilson

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - XTO Energy Inc.
Country - United States
Chairman - Bob R. Simpson

Sector - Pharmaceutical/Biotech
Company - Roche Holding AG
Country - Switzerland
Chairman - Franz B. Humer

Sector - Power
Company - Exelon Corporation
Country - United States
Chairman - John W. Rowe
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The CEO has carried out good strategy and the board has supported him."

Sector - Real Estate & REITS
Company - RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
Country - Canada
Chairman - Paul Godfrey

Sector - Real Estate & REITS
Company - Brookfield Properties Corporation
Country - Canada
Chairman - Gordon E. Arnell 

Sector - Retailing
Company - H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB
Country - Sweden
Chairman - Stefan Persson
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The Board provides confidence and is active."

Sector - Retailing
Company - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Country - United States
Chairman - S. Robson Walton 
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They know what they are doing."

Sector - Retailing
Company - Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV
Country - Mexico
Chairman - Ernesto Vega Velasco
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They have people from Wal-Mart USA so they can discuss a lot of things and give advice to the Mexico team. They also have interesting ideas as well. They are very professional and more importantly they don't have family members there."
"The company has the best board in the sector."


Sector - Retailing
Company - Costco Wholesale Corp.
Country - United States
Chairman - Jeffrey H. Brotman 
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The company has good corporate governance and their performance is tied to their customers and shareholders."

Sector - Software
Company - Adobe Systems Incorporated
Country - United States
Chairmen - Dr. Charles M. Geschke / Dr. John E. Warnock

Sector - Telecom Equipment
Company - Research in Motion
Country - Canada
Chairman - Mike Lazaridis

Sector - Telecom Equipment
Company - Nokia Corporation
Country - Finland
Chairman - Jorma Ollila
What do shareholders say about this board?
"I like their way of managing things and they have true professionals on the Board. They make the right decisions and in my view they are helping the company with their strategic decisions."
"Nokia has a good board with a impressive track record."


Sector - Telecommunications
Company - America Movil SA
Country - Mexico
Chairman - Patrick Slim Domit
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They got good corporate governance and always put investors' interest above everything else."
"They have transformed their business in the last 5 to 10 years."


Sector - Telecommunications
Company - NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
Country - Japan
Chairman - Ryuji Yamada

Sector - Telecommunications
Company - Telefonica SA
Country - Spain
Chairman - César Alierta Izuel
What do shareholders say about this board?
"Most of the people there are quite recognized but I don’t know how the Board operated and how well they understand the company."

Sector - Telecommunications
Company - Koninklijke KPN N.V.
Country - Netherlands
Chairman - A. H. J. Risseeuw
What do shareholders say about this board?
"They are very focus on their shareholders. They are very focus on their communications with their shareholders and research analysts. They are also not controlled by anyone which is good because their decisions are not affected by anyone."

Sector - Transportation
Company - Canadian National Railway Company
Country - Canada
Chairman - David G. A. McLean
What do shareholders say about this board?
"The Board from Canadian National Rail understands their business, has been around for a long time and knows how to run the company."