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Home > About VTech > Company Info >
About VTech

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Company Info
 
 
Profile
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Board of Directors
Corporate Governance
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VTech Holdings Limited is incorporated in Bermuda. The Company has its primary share listing on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and London Stock Exchange Plc. The primary corporate governance rules applicable to the Company is the Code on Corporate Governance Practices (the "Code") as set out in Appendix 14 to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Throughout the year ended 31st March 2007, the Company has complied with all the code provisions of the Code and to a large extent, the recommended best practices in the Code except for the deviation from code provision A.2.1 of the Code as described below:

Under code provision A.2.1 of the Code, the roles of chairman and chief executive officer should be separate and should not be performed by the same individual. Mr. Allan WONG Chi Yun has the combined role of Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors (the "Board") considers that this structure will not impair the balance of power and authority between the Board and the management of the Group as the non-executive directors form the majority of the Board of which four out of seven are independent. The Board believes the appointment of Mr. Allan WONG to the posts of Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer is beneficial to the Group as he has considerable industry experience.

The Company is not subject to the Combined Code on Corporate Governance under the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom that applies to United Kingdom incorporated companies.

Director' Securities Transactions
The Company has adopted the Model Codes as set out in Appendix 10 of the Listing Rules and Annex 1 to Rule 9 of the UK Listing Rules regarding securities transactions by directors and senior management in relation to the accounting period covered by the Annual Report. All Directors confirmed, following specific enquiry by the Company, that they have fully complied with the required standard of dealings set out therein throughout the year ended 31st March 2007.

Board of Directors
The Board comprises three executive directors and four independent non-executive Directors. The non-executive directors are high calibre executives with diversified industry expertise and bring a wide range of skills and experience to the Group. They bring independent judgement on issues of strategy, performance, risk and people through their contribution at Board meetings. The Board considers that four non-executive directors, being the majority of the board, are independent in character and judgement and they also meet the independence criteria set out in Rule 3.13 of the Listing Rules. All non-executive directors are appointed for a specific term of three years and all directors are required to submit themselves for re-election at least once every three years under the Company's Byelaws, each new director appointed by the Board shall hold office until the next following annual general meeting and thereafter the directors will be subject to retirement by rotation.

The Board has received from each independent non-executive director a written annual confirmation of independence pursuant to Rule 3.13 of the Listing Rules.

The Board's focus is on the formulation of business strategy and policy, and control. Matters reserved for the Board are those affecting the Company's overall strategic policies, finances and shareholders. These include: preliminary announcements of interim and final results, dividend policy, the annual budgets and major corporate activities such as material acquisitions and disposals, and connected transaction.

Four Board meetings at approximately quarterly interval are scheduled for 2007/08 with other meetings as necessary to deal with urgent matters. All Directors have access to the advice and services of the Company Secretary and independent professional advice may be taken by the Directors as required.

Board Committees
The Board has established four committees with specific responsibilities as described below.

Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee is chaired by Mr. Michael TIEN Puk Sun with Mr. Raymond CH'IEN Kuo Fung and Mr. William FUNG Kwok Lun as members, all of whom are independent non-executive directors. It is responsible for reviewing and recommending all elements of the executive directors and senior management remuneration. The fees of the non-executive directors are determined by the Board.

The Remuneration Committee met once during the year and reviewed the Group's remuneration policy and the remuneration package of the executive directors and senior management.

Terms of Reference

Nomination Committee
The Nomination Committee is chaired by Mr. William FUNG Kwok Lun with Mr. Patrick WANG Shui Chung and Mr. Allan WONG Chi Yun as members. Mr. Raymond CH'IEN Kuo Fung and Mr. Michael TIEN Puk Sun were appointed as additional committee members in April 2007. The majority of the members of the Nomination Committee are independent non-executive directors. It is responsible for reviewing the Board composition and identifying and nominating candidates for appointment to the Board such that it has the required blend of skills, knowledge and experience.

The Nomination Committee met once in April 2007 and considered the appointments of Mr. Edwin YING Lin Kwan and Mr. PANG King Fai to the Board as executive directors.

Terms of Reference

Audit Committee
The Audit Committee, comprising three independent non-executive directors, is chaired by Mr. Raymond CH'IEN Kuo Fung with Mr. William FUNG Kwok Lun and Mr. Michael TIEN Puk Sun as members. It has been established to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for financial reporting, risk management and evaluation of internal controls and auditing processes. It also ensures that the Group complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

Mr. Raymond CH'IEN Kuo Fung is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and has the appropriate financial management expertise as required under the Listing Rules. The Audit Committee held two meetings during the year. It reviewed work done by internal and external auditors, the relevant fees and terms, reports from external auditors in relation to the interim and annual financial statements, and receives regular reports from the internal audit functions in accordance with the Committee's terms of reference. The meetings were attended by the Chairman, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Financial Officer and external auditors.

Terms of Reference

Risk Management Committee
The Risk Management Committee, comprising the executive directors, held two meetings during the year to review the Group's risk management and internal control systems.

Internal Controls
The Directors have the overall responsibility for internal control, including risk management, and sets appropriate policies having regard to the objectives of the Group. The Directors, through the Audit Committee, have conducted an annual review of the effectiveness of the Group's system of financial and non-financial controls. The system of internal control is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve business objectives and can only provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss. Controls are monitored by management review and by a programme of internal audits.

The Audit Committee reviews the effectiveness of the internal control environment of the Group. The Internal Audit Department carries out annual risk assessment on each audit area and derives an annual audit plan according to their risk rankings. The audit plan is reviewed and agreed by the Audit Committee. In addition to the agreed schedule of work, the Internal Audit Department conducts other review and investigate work as maybe required. The Audit Committee receives summary reports from the internal and external auditors periodically. The results of internal audit reviews and responses to the recommended corrective actions and reported to the Executive Directors and Audit Committee. The Internal Audit Department is also responsible for following up the corrective actions to ensure that satisfactory controls are maintained. The Audit Committee considered that the key areas of the corrective action were reasonably implemented.

The Group has put in place an organisational structure with formal defined lines of responsibility and delegation of authority. There are also established procedures for planning, capital expenditure, treasury transactions, information and reporting systems, and for monitoring the Group's businesses and performance.

 
Board of Directors
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