BMW 2014 Annual Report Download - page 10

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in 2014, again prepared with the aid of a questionnaire, resulted in a number of suggestions being accepted
for additional consideration.
Each of the five Supervisory Board meetings in 2014 was attended, on average, by over 95 % of its mem-
bers, a fact that can be tied in to the analysis of attendance fees for individual members, as disclosed in the
Compensation Report. No member of the Supervisory Board was absent at more than two meetings during
the period under report. Presiding Board and committee meetings were fully attended in the vast majority of
cases (see chapter Statement on Corporate Governance).
Description of Presiding Board activities and committee work In order to work more efficiently and
prepare complex issues and decisions with greater thoroughness, the Supervisory Board has established
a Presiding Board and several committees. A description of the duties, composition and work procedures of
these committees is provided in the Corporate Governance Report.
The relevant chairmen reported in depth on the status of Presiding Board and committee work at the
subsequent Supervisory Board meeting.
In a total of four meetings, the Presiding Board focused mainly on preparing topics for the meetings of
the full Supervisory Board, unless this responsibility fell under the remit of one of the committees. Complex
issues, such as the Long-term Business Forecast and the Annual Strategic Review, were dealt with on the
basis of written and oral reports provided by Board of Management members and senior department heads.
The Presiding Board selected further topics of discussion for Supervisory Board meetings and made sugges-
tions to the Board of Management regarding items to be included in its reports to the full Supervisory Board.
The Audit Committee held four meetings and three telephone conference calls during 2014. Prior to their
publication, the Interim Financial Reports were discussed with the Board of Management in those telephone
conference calls. Representatives of the external auditors took part in the telephone conference call held to
present the Interim Financial Report for the six-month period ended 30 June 2014. The report had been sub-
jected to review by the external auditors.
The Audit Committee meeting held in spring 2014 was primarily dedicated to preparing the Supervisory
Board meeting at which the financial statements were examined. Prior to proposing KPMG AG Wirtschafts-
prüfungsgesellschaft for election as Company and Group auditor at the 2014 Audit Committee Meeting, we
obtained a Declaration of Independence from KPMG. The Audit Committee also considered the scope and
composition of non-audit-related services, including tax advisory services provided by KPMG entities to the
BMW Group. There were no indications of conflicts of interest, grounds for exclusion or lack of independence
on the part of the auditor.
The fee proposals for the audit of the year-end Company and Group Financial Statements 2014 and
the review of the six-month Interim Financial Report were deemed appropriate by the Audit Committee.
Subsequent to the Annual General Meeting 2014, the Audit Committee therefore appointed KPMG AG
Wirtschafts prüfungsgesellschaft for the relevant engagements and, with due consideration to the
sugges-
tions made by the full Supervisory Board, specified a number of audit focus areas.
The Head of Group Controlling reported to the Audit Committee on risk management processes within
the BMW Group, provided information with respect to new developments and elucidated a number of risks
which are required to be reported on in accordance with internal rules.
The Head of Group Financial Reporting provided the Audit Committee with an up-to-date overview of
developments concerning the internal control system (ICS), which serves as the basis for financial reporting.