Fresenius Group Overview

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  • Corporate Governance

Corporate governance covers all aspects connected with the management, supervision and transparency of companies. Key elements of good corporate governance are efficient company management, the protection of shareholders' interests and transparent corporate communication.

• Declaration of Conformity with the Corporate Governance Code

  The Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA and the Management Board of the general partner of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Fresenius Management SE, issued the Declaration of Conformity pursuant to Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act on December 20, 2018.

  • Current Declaration of Conformity

    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2018 (PDF, 34 KB)

  • German Corporate Governance Code

    • Current version of the German Corporate Governance Code (PDF, 735 KB)

  • Previous Declarations of Conformity

    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2017 (PDF, 55 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2016 (PDF, 34 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2015 (PDF, 42 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2014 (PDF, 43 KB)
    • Amendment to the Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2014 (PDF, 29 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2013 (PDF, 60 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2012 (PDF, 27 KB)
    • Amendment to the Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2012 (PDF, 27 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of December 20, 2011 (PDF, 27 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA as of March 11, 2011 (PDF, 33 KB)
    • Amendment to the Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE as of April 1, 2010 (PDF, 37 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE as of March 12, 2010 (PDF, 18 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE as of May 8, 2009 (PDF, 19 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE as of May 21, 2008 (PDF, 20 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius SE as of December 6, 2007 (PDF, 19 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius AG as of November 28, 2006 (PDF, 21 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius AG as of December 1, 2005 (PDF, 23 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius AG as of December 2, 2004 (PDF, 29 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius AG as of November 25, 2003 (PDF, 11 KB)
    • Declaration of Conformity of Fresenius AG as of November 26, 2002 (PDF, 24 KB)

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• Corporate Governance Declaration and Report

  Please find below the current Corporate Governance Declaration and Report of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, including the Compensation Report 2017.

   

  • Corporate Governance Declaration and Report 2017 of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA (PDF, 221 KB)

• Corporate Responsibility

  We are committed to responsible management and ethical business principles as an integral part of the Fresenius corporate culture.

  
  Our Nonfinancial Report 2017 is part of our Annual Report and gives an overview of material nonfincial topics and how we manage them. It relates to the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 and was prepared pursuant to Sections 315b, 315c in connection with Sections 289c to 289e of the German Commercial Code (HGB) as amended by the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive Implementation Act (CSR-Richtlinie-Umsetzungsgesetz).
  
   

  • Fresenius Group Nonfinancial Report 2017 (PDF, 250 KB)

• Participation of Women and Men in Executive Positions

  At Fresenius, the individual’s qualifications are the paramount consideration in all hiring and promotion decisions. This means that women and men with comparable qualifications and suitability have the same career opportunities. Fresenius will continue to consistently act upon this principle, and will of course comply with the law on the equal participation of women and men in executive positions in private companies and public service.

   

  For the Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, the law requires a quota of at least 30% women and 30% men. These quotas are met.

   

  For the Management Board, the law does not proscribe its composition for a company with our legal structure. In accordance with the legal requirements, the Management Board specifies composition of the two management levels directly below the Management Board as follows:

   

  The first management level includes all Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents who have an employment contract with Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA and who report directly to a member of the Management Board. The target set for the proportion of women is 33.3% of the positions at this level, to be reached by December 31, 2020. This reflects the composition of the first management level as of December 31, 2015.

   

  The second management level includes all Vice Presidents who have an employment contract with Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA and who report directly to a member of the first management level. The target set for the proportion of women is 37.5% of the positions at this level, to be reached by December 31, 2020. This reflects the composition of the second management level as of December 31, 2015.

   

  The Management Board believes the composition of participants in the company-wide stock option program is a good indicator of the number of females in leading executive positions around the world. The proportion of women in this group of our top 1,400 executives was 30.3% as of December 31, 2017.

• Compensation & Stock Option Plans

  Compensation of the Management Board and Supervisory Board

  For a detailed report on the Management and Supervisory Board members’ compensation please refer to the current Compensation Report on pages 115 onwards of the Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA Annual Report 2017, see Investor Relations, section Financial Reports on our website.

   

  Stock Option Plans

  Our corporate philosophy "entrepreneur in the enterprise" implies not only that our employees are driven by a spirit of entrepreneurial responsibility but that they also have a stake in the company's performance. The overall remuneration package for Group executives and the members of the Management Board has been linked to the performance of the share price through stock option plans.

   

  As of December 31, 2017, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA had two stock option plans in place: the stock option based Fresenius SE Stock Option Plan 2008 (2008 Plan) and the Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA Long Term Incentive Program 2013 (2013 LTIP) which is based on stock options and phantom stocks. Since 2013, stock options were solely granted under the 2013 LTIP.

• Articles of Association

  • Articles of Association of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA (May 18, 2018) (PDF, 124 KB)

• Boards and Committees

  Management Board

  Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA does not have an own Management Board. The Management Board of the general partner, Fresenius Management SE, is responsible for conducting the business of the KGaA. It formulates strategy, coordinates this with the Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, and sees to its implementation. It is guided solely by the best interests of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA.
  
  Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

  The Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA supervises the management of the Company’s business by the general partner and the latter’s Management Board. The Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA has 12 members – 6 shareholder representatives and 6 employee representatives It supervises whether corporate decisions are compliant, suitable, and financially sound. The members of the Management Board of the general partner are appointed by the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE, not by the Supervisory Board of the KGaA.
  
  The Supervisory Board of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA has the following committees:

  - Audit Committee
  - Nomination Committee
  - Joint Committee
  
  Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE

  The Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE advises and supervises the Management Board in its management of the Company. The Supervisory Board of Fresenius Management SE appoints the members of the Management Board. He consists of six members who are elected by the annual general meeting of Fresenius Management SE Committees. 

  
  

• Directors' Dealings / Managers' Transactions

  Current Publications of transactions that are subject to disclosure requirements are listed, together with the information required by law (before July 3, 2016 pursuant to section 15a of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG); from July 3, 2016 pursuant to Art. 19 of the Market Abuse Regulation). 

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  Transactions reported during the last 12 months are stored on the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority's central database and can be accessed by clicking on the link Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BAFin).