BIMB Integrated Annual Report 2017

37 Board • The responsibilities of the Board in relation to strategic planning, risk management, performance management, financial reporting and succession planning; • Board communication and corporate governance; • Board operation and interaction; • The Board’s composition, size and background; • The contributions of each member at the Board meetings, decision-making and output. Where necessary, an external consultant/expert will be engaged to assist in and lend objectivity to the annual assessment. During the period under review, the process was internally facilitated and conducted through questionnaires circulated to the Board covering a variety of aspects associated with the board effectiveness such as Board Structure, Board Operations and Interaction, Board Roles and Responsibilities, Understanding the Committees’ Roles, Mix of Skills and Knowledge and Commitment of Members. These questionnaires were designed to recognise the Board’s strengths and to identify gaps or areas for improvement for the Board and its Committees. Upon completion of the evaluation, the Group Company Secretary would compile the results for the Board’s deliberation and approval of any action plan required. The Chairman will engage and discuss the peer assessment results with individual members if necessary. Having considered the results of the annual evaluation for the Financial Year under review, the NRC concluded that the Directors and respective Board Committees as a whole have remained effective and have consistently met high performance standards and all expectations. This indicates that the Directors have continuously fulfilled their responsibilities as Members of the Board and Board Committees. In compliance with Paragraph 15.06 of the Bursa Securities Listing Requirements, a Director must not hold more than five (5) Directorships in listed companies to enable the Directors to discharge their duties effectively by ensuring their commitment. Whilst the Board values the experience and perspective gained by the Directors from their professional commitment in other organizations and associations, Paragraph 10.3 of BNM CG Policy requires BHB to establish a policy on the maximum number of external professional commitments. The Board Charter which was approved on 27 January 2017 stipulates that the maximum number of external professional commitments of each