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MORPHIC ETHICAL EQUITIES FUND LIMITED Governance Information 2017

May 1, 2017

65309_rns_2017-05-01_f6bcd488-70fa-47e7-b93c-f11ec44bf630.pdf

Governance Information

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Morphic Ethical Equities Fund Limited (ACN 617 345 123) (Company)

Corporate Governance Statement

This Corporate Governance Statement sets out the Company’s current compliance with the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s 3[rd] edition Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations ( ASX Recommendations ). The ASX Recommendations are not mandatory. However, the Company will be required to provide a statement in future annual reports disclosing the extent to which the Company has followed the ASX Recommendations.

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
1. Lay solid foundations for management and oversight
1.1 A listed entity should disclose:
(a) the respective roles and responsibilities of its Board and
management; and
(b) those matters expressly reserved to the Board and those
delegated to management.
Complies The functions of the Board are set out in the Company’s Board
policy (Board Policy) that is contained in Section 1 of the
Company’s
corporate
governance
charter
(Corporate
Governance Charter).
The Investment Management Agreement dated 6 March 2017
between the Company and Morphic Asset Management Pty
Limited (ACN 155 937 901) (Investment Manager) sets out the
specific responsibilities of the Board and those delegated to the
InvestmentManager.
1.2 A listed entity should:
(a) undertake appropriate checks before appointing a person, or
putting forward to security holders a candidate for election, as
a director; and
(b) provide security holders with all material information in its
possession relevant to a decision on whether or not to elect or
re-elect a director.
Complies The Board Policy:

sets out what the Board will consider when appointing a
director, including the results of an appropriate background
check, which the Board will undertake; and

requires the Board to provide security holders with all
material information in its possession relevant to a decision
on whetheror not to elect or re-elect a director.
1.3 A listed entity should have a written agreement with each director
and senior executive setting out the terms of their appointment.
Intends to
comply
The Company will prepare letters of appointment for each of the
director
which
takes
into
consideration
the
ASX
Recommendations. This will form the basis of the written
agreement entered into between the Company and a director.
The Company doesnothave any seniorexecutives.
1.4 The company secretary of a listed entity should be accountable
directly to the Board, through the chair, on all matters to do with
the proper functioning of the Board.
Complies The Board Policy states that the Company Secretary is
accountable directly to the Board, through the Chair, on all
matters to do with the proper functioning of the Board.

2

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
1.5 A listed entity should:
(a) have a diversity policy which includes requirements for the
Board or a relevant committee of the Board to set measurable
objectives for achieving gender diversity and to assess
annually both the objectives and the entity’s progress in
achieving them;
(b) disclose that policy or a summary of it; and
(c) disclose as at the end of each reporting period the measurable
objectives for achieving gender diversity set by the Board or a
relevant committee of the Board in accordance with the entity’s
diversity policy and its progress towards achieving them, and
either:
(1) the respective proportions of men and women on the
Board, in senior executive positions and across the whole
organisation (including how the entity has defined “senior
executive” for these purposes); or
(2) if the entity is a “relevant employer” under the Workplace
Gender Equality Act, the entity’s most recent “Gender
Equality Indicators”, as defined in and published under
thatAct.
Intends to
comply
The Company has a diversity policy that is contained in Section
2 of the Corporate Governance Charter (Diversity Policy) which
is
available
on
the
Company’s
website
at
www.morethical.com.au.
However, at present, the Company does not have any employees
or management and the Diversity Policy will only apply to the
Board.
The Board will determine whether to include a recommendation
as to whether it is appropriate for the Board to establish
measureable objectives for achieving gender diversity for the
Board to assess annually.
1.6 A listed entity should:
(a)
have and disclose a process for periodically evaluating the
performance of the Board, its committees and individual
directors; and
(b) disclose, in relation to each reporting period, whether a
performance evaluation was undertaken in the reporting period
inaccordancewiththat process.
Complies The Board will review its performance by discussion and by
reference to generally accepted Board performance standards.
A performance evaluation of the Board will be undertaken
annually in accordance with the Corporate Governance Charter.
1.7 A listed entity should:
(a) have and disclose a process for periodically evaluating the
performance of its senior executives; and
(b) disclose, in relation to each reporting period, whether a
performance evaluation was undertaken in the reporting period
inaccordancewiththat process.
N/A The Company does not have any senior executives.

3

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
2. Structure of the Board to add value
2.1 The Board of a listed entity should:
(a) have a nomination committee which:
(1) has at least three members, a majority of whom are
independent directors; and
(2) is chaired by an independent director, and disclose:
(3) the charter of the committee;
(4) the members of the committee; and
(5) as at the end of each reporting period, the number of times
the committee met throughout the period and the
individual attendances of the members at those meetings;
or
(b) if it does not have a nomination committee, disclose that fact
and the processes it employs to address Board succession
issues and to ensure that the Board has the appropriate
balance of skills, knowledge, experience, independence and
diversity to enable it to discharge its duties and responsibilities
effectively.
Will comply The Board has not established such a committee. Given the
Company’s size and nature, the formation of such a committee
would not serve to protect or enhance the interest of
shareholders. Should the size of the Company change, the Board
will consider establishing a separate nomination committee.
The Board will deal with this issue as a whole. The Board
identifies suitable candidates to fill vacancies as they arise with
consideration to the optimal mix of skills and diversity. The Board
Policy sets out how the Company addresses succession issues.
The Board Policy is available on the Company’s website at
www.morethical.com.au.
2.2 A listed entity should have and disclose a Board skills matrix
setting out the mix of skills and diversity that the Board currently
has or islooking to achievein itsmembership.
Complies The Prospectus sets out the skills and diversity of its Board and
the Annual Report will disclose these matters.
2.3 A listed entity should disclose:
(a) the names of the directors considered by the Board to be
independent directors;
(b) if a director has an interest, position, association or relationship
of the type described in Box 2.3 of the Corporate Governance
Principles and Recommendations but the Board is of the
opinion that it does not compromise the independence of the
director, the nature of the interest, position, association or
relationship in question and an explanation of why the Board is
of that opinion; and
(c) thelengthofservice ofeachdirector.
Complies See Section 9 of the Prospectus which discloses the names of
the directors that the Board considers to be independent, and the
interests of each director.
The Company will disclose in its Annual Report each year the
length of service of each director.
2.4 A majority of the Board of a listed entity should be independent
directors.
Complies The Prospectus discloses that three of the four Directors (JoAnna
Fisher, Virginia Malley and Mark Forstmann) are independent
Directors and that the remaining Director (Jack Lowenstein) is
associatedwiththeInvestmentManager.

4

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
2.5 The chair of the Board of a listed entity should be an independent
director and, in particular, should not be the same person as the
CEO of the entity.
Complies The Company does not have a chief executive officer. The Chair
is an independent director.
2.6 A listed entity should have a program for inducting new directors
and provide appropriate professional development opportunities for
directors to develop and maintain the skills and knowledge needed
to perform their role as directors effectively.
Complies Under the Board Policy:
the Company Secretary is responsible for arranging for a new
Director to undertake an induction program enabling the new
Director to understand specified elements of the business;
and
the Directors are entitled to receive appropriate professional
development opportunities.
**3. ** Act ethically and responsibly
3.1 A listed entity should:
(a) have a code of conduct for its directors, senior executives and
employees; and
(b) disclose that code ora summary of it.
Complies The Company has a code of conduct that is contained in Section
4 of the Corporate Governance Charter (Code of Conduct)
which
is
available
on
the
Company’s
website
at
www.morethical.com.au.
4. Safeguard integrity incorporate reporting
4.1 The Board of a listed entity should:
(a) have an audit committee which:
(1) has at least three members, all of whom are non-executive
directors and a majority of whom are independent
directors; and
(2) is chaired by an independent director, who is not the chair
of the Board, and disclose:
(A) the charter of the committee;
(B) the relevant qualifications and experience of the
members of the committee; and
(C) in relation to each reporting period, the number of times
the committee met throughout the period and the
individual attendances of the members at those
meetings; or
(b) if it does not have an audit committee, disclose that fact and
the processes it employs that independently verify and
safeguard the integrity of its corporate reporting, including the
processes for the appointment and removal of the external
auditorand therotationofthe audit engagement partner.
Partially
Complies
The Board has established an Audit and Risk committee in
accordance with the recommendation. A charter will be settled at
the first meeting of the committee.

5

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
4.2 The Board of a listed entity should, before it approves the entity’s
financial statements for a financial period, receive from its CEO
and CFO a declaration that, in their opinion, the financial records
of the entity have been properly maintained and that the financial
statements comply with the appropriate accounting standards and
give a true and fair view of the financial position and performance
of the entity and that the opinion has been formed on the basis of
a sound system of risk management and internal control which is
operating effectively.
Complies The Investment Manager will be responsible for preparing the
declaration pursuant to section 295A of the Corporations Act as
the Company does not have a chief executive officer (or
equivalent)
or
a
chief
financial
officer
(or
equivalent).
Accordingly,
the
terms
of
the
Investment
Management Agreement between the Company and the
Investment Manager require the Investment Manager to maintain
sound systems of risk management and internal controls and
ensure that the systems are operating effectively in all material
respects in relation to financial reporting risks.
4.3 A listed entity that has an AGM should ensure that its external
auditor attends its AGM and is available to answer questions from
securityholdersrelevant to the audit.
Will comply The Company will ensure that, when it has an AGM its external
auditor attends its AGM and is available to answer questions from
securityholdersrelevant to the audit.
**5. ** Make timely and balanced disclosure
5.1 A listed entity should:
(a) have a written policy for complying with its continuous
disclosure obligations under the Listing Rules; and
(b) disclose that policy or a summary of it.
Complies The Company will operate under the continuous disclosure
requirements of the ASX Listing Rules as set out in its continuous
disclosure policy that is contained in Section 3 of the Corporate
Governance Charter (Continuous Disclosure Policy). The
Company will ensure that all information which may be expected
to affect the value of the Company’s securities or influence
investment decisions is released to the market in order that all
investors have equal and timely access to material information
concerning the Company.
The Company Secretary has the responsibility for ensuring that
all relevant information is released to the market in a timely
manner in consultation with the Board. The Company considers
this to be a satisfactory protocol given the size and nature of the
Company.
The Continuous Disclosure Policy is publicly available at
www.morethical.com.au.
**6. ** Respect the rights of security holders
6.1 A listed entity should provide information about itself and its
governance to investors via its website.
Complies The Company does provide information about itself and will
provide information about its governance to investors via its
website,www.morethical.com.au.

6

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
6.2 A listed entity should design and implement an investor relations
program to facilitate effective two-way communication with
investors.
Complies The Board has developed a strategy within its Continuous
Disclosure Policy to ensure that shareholders are informed of all
major developments affecting the Company’s performance,
activities and state of affairs. This includes having a website to
facilitate communication with shareholders via electronic
methods. In addition, the Company will publish regular
shareholder
communications,
such
as
monthly
NTA
announcements, half yearly and annual reports and will provide
shareholders with an opportunity to access such reports and
other releases electronically. Shareholders can communicate
withthe Companyvia electronicmethods.
6.3 A listed entity should disclose the policies and processes it has in
place to facilitate and encourage participation at meetings of
security holders.
Complies The Board encourages full participation of shareholders at the
Company’s AGMs and any general meetings to ensure a high
level of accountability and identification with the Company’s
strategy. The external auditor will also be invited to attend the
annual general meeting of shareholders and will be available to
answer any questions concerning the conduct, preparation and
content ofthe auditor’sreport.
6.4 A listed entity should give security holders the option to receive
communications from, and send communications to, the entity and
its securityregistry electronically.
Complies The Company will give shareholders the option to receive and
send communications electronically.
7. **Recognise and manage risk **
7.1 The Board of a listed entity should:
(a) have a committee or committees to oversee risk, each of
which:
(1) has at least three members, a majority of whom are
independent directors; and
(2) is chaired by an independent director,
and disclose:
(3) the charter of the committee;
(4) the members of the committee; and
(5) as at the end of each reporting period, the number of times
the committee met throughout the period and the
individual attendances of the members at those meetings;
or
Partially
complies
Refer to Item 4.1 of this table.

7

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
(b) if it does not have a risk committee or committees that satisfy
(a) above, disclose that fact and the processes it employs for
overseeing the entity’srisk managementframework.
7.2 The Board or a committee of the Board should:
(a) review the entity’s risk management framework at least
annually to satisfy itself that it continues to be sound; and
(b) disclose, in relation to each reporting period, whether such a
review has takenplace.
Will comply The Board will review the entity’s risk management framework at
least annually to satisfy itself that it continues to be sound.
The Company will disclose whether the review has taken place in
each annual report.
7.3 A listed entity should disclose:
(a) if it has an internal audit function, how the function is structured
and what role it performs; or
(b) if it does not have an internal audit function, that fact and the
processes it employs for evaluating and continually improving
the effectiveness of its risk management and internal control
processes.
Complies The Company does not have an internal audit function.
The process for evaluation and improving the effectiveness of its
risk management are set out in the Board Policy (a copy of which
is
available
on
the
Company’s
website
at
www.morethical.com.au).
7.4 A listed entity should disclose whether it has any material
exposure to economic, environmental and social sustainability
risks and, if it does, how it manages or intends to manage those
risks.
Complies The Company has economic risk. The risks and how they will be
managed are set out in the Prospectus.
**8. ** Remunerate fairly and responsibly
8.1 The Board of a listed entity should:
(a) have a remuneration committee which:
(1) has at least three members, a majority of whom are
independent directors; and
(2) is chaired by an independent director, and disclose:
(3) the charter of the committee;
(4) the members of the committee; and
(5) as at the end of each reporting period, the number of times
the committee met throughout the period and the
individual attendances of the members at those meetings;
or
(b) if it does not have a remuneration committee, disclose that fact
and the processes it employs for setting the level and
composition of remuneration for directors and senior
Will comply The Board does not have and does not currently intend to
establish such a committee. The Board considers that because
the formation of such a committee would be inefficient given the
Company’s size and the fact that it does not have any employees.
For this reason, a remuneration committee would not serve to
protect or enhance the interest of shareholders. Should the size
of the Company change the Company will consider establishing
a separate remuneration committee.
The Board will ensure that appropriate remuneration policies and
practices are in place for non-executive Directors, executive
directors (if any) and senior management (if any), while having
regard to the ASX Recommendations.
The Board will annually review the allocation and amount of
remuneration for executive directors (if any) and non-executive
Directors and this will reflect market rates.
The Company doesnothave any seniorexecutives.

8

ASX Recommendations Compliance Comment
executives and ensuring that such remuneration is appropriate
and not excessive.
The remuneration to be paid to the Investment Manager
(including worked examples) is disclosed in the Prospectus.
Details of all management and performance fees paid to the
Investment Manager each year will be disclosed in the Annual
Report.
8.2 A listed entity should separately disclose its policies and practices
regarding the remuneration of non-executive directors and the
remuneration of executive directors and other senior executives.
Complies The Company does not have any executive directors or senior
executives.
Refer to Item 8.1 of this table and the Prospectus for the current
remuneration levels and the policies and practices in place for the
non-executive Directors.
8.3 A listed entity which has an equity-based remuneration scheme
should:
(a) have a policy on whether participants are permitted to enter
into transactions (whether through the use of derivatives or
otherwise) which limit the economic risk of participating in the
scheme; and
(b) disclose that policy ora summary of it.
N/A The Company does not have an equity based remuneration
scheme.