Ascendas REIT - Annual Report 2021

Corporate Governance On an annual basis and, where appropriate when there is a change of circumstances involving a Director, the NRC assesses each Director’s ability to commit time to the affairs of the Manager. In the assessment, the NRC takes into consideration each Director’s confirmation, his or her commitments, attendance record at meetings of the Board and Board Committees, as well as conduct and contributions (including preparedness and participation) at Board and Board Committee meetings. The Directors’ listed company directorships and principal commitments are disclosed on pages 26 to 29 of this Annual Report and their attendance record for FY2021 is set out on page 144 of this Annual Report. In particular, the CEO does not serve on any listed company board outside of the Ascendas Reit Group. For FY2021, the Directors achieved high meeting attendance rates and have contributed positively to discussions at Board and Board Committee meetings. Based on the above, the NRC has determined that each Director has been adequately carrying out his or her duties as a Director and noted that no Director has a significant number of listed directorships and principal commitments. The Board, taking into consideration the NRC’s assessment, has noted that each Director has been adequately carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities as a Director of the Manager. Principle 5: Board Performance The Manager believes that oversight from a strong and effective Board goes a long way towards guiding a business enterprise to achieving success. Whilst Board performance is ultimately reflected in the long-term performance of the Ascendas Reit Group, the Board believes that engaging in a regular process of self-assessment and evaluation of Board performance provides an opportunity for the Board to reflect on its effectiveness including the quality of its decisions, and for Directors to consider their performance and contributions. It also enables the Board to identify key strengths and areas for improvement which are essential to effective stewardship and attaining success for Ascendas Reit. The Board undertakes, with the assistance of the NRC, a process to evaluate the effectiveness of the Board as a whole and that of each of its Board Committees and individual Directors for every financial year. As part of the process, a questionnaire is sent to the Directors. The evaluation results are aggregated and reported to the NRC, and thereafter the Board. The findings are considered by the Board and follow up action is taken where necessary with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of the Board, Board Committees and individual Directors in the discharge of its and their duties and responsibilities. Board and Board Committees The evaluation categories covered in the questionnaire include Board composition, Board processes, strategy, performance and governance, access to information and Board Committee effectiveness. As part of the questionnaire, the Board also considers whether the creation of value for Unitholders has been taken into account in the decision-making process. For FY2021, the outcome of the evaluation was satisfactory and the Board as a whole, and each of the Board Committees, received affirmative ratings across all the evaluation categories. Individual Directors The evaluation categories covered in the questionnaire include Director’s duties, contributions, conduct and interpersonal skills, as well as strategic thinking and risk management. For FY2021, the outcome of the evaluation was satisfactory and each of the Directors on the whole received affirmative ratings across all the evaluation categories. The Board also recognises that contributions by an individual Director can take different forms including providing objective perspectives on issues, facilitating business opportunities and strategic relationships, and accessibility to Management outside of the formal environment of Board and Board Committee meetings. Annual Report 2021 123