Allstate 2008 Annual Report Download - page 13

The Board held thirteen meetings during 2008. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the
combined board meetings and meetings of committees of which he or she was a member. Attendance at board
and committee meetings during 2008 averaged 95% for incumbent directors as a group.
Compensation and Nominating and
Director Audit Succession Governance
F. Duane Ackerman 
James G. Andress *
Robert D. Beyer 
W. James Farrell *
Jack M. Greenberg 
Ronald T. LeMay 
Edward M. Liddy**
J. Christopher Reyes*** 
H. John Riley, Jr. *
Joshua I. Smith 
Judith A. Sprieser *
Mary Alice Taylor 
Thomas J. Wilson
Number of Meetings in 2008 11 7 5
* Committee Chair. Effective February 2008, Ms. Sprieser replaced Mr. Andress as the Audit Committee Chair and Mr. Andress ceased
being a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Andress passed away in March 2008.
** Mr. Liddy retired in April 2008.
*** Mr. Reyes resigned in August 2008.
Executive Sessions of the Board and Presiding Director
The independent directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions without management. When
meeting in executive sessions, the presiding director is determined by the subject matter of the session. If the
subject is within the scope of authority of one of the standing committees, the chair of that committee acts as
presiding director over the executive session. Directors who are not committee chairs are appointed on a rotating
basis to act as presiding director over executive sessions that do not fall within the subject scope of one of the
standing committees. The Board believes this practice provides for leadership at all executive sessions without the
need to designate a single presiding director and it also provides an opportunity for each director to assume the
role of presiding director from time to time.
Board Attendance Policy
It is expected that Allstate Board members make every effort to attend all meetings of the Board and the
committees on which they serve and actively participate in the discussion of the matters before them. It is also
expected that Board members make every effort to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. All directors who
stood for election at the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders were in attendance at our 2008 annual meeting of
stockholders.
Board Committees
Audit Committee.
Allstate’s Board of Directors has established an audit committee in accordance with the requirements of
Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Audit Committee is chaired by Ms. Sprieser and
includes Mrs. Taylor and Messrs. Ackerman, Greenberg, LeMay, and Smith. The Board has determined that
Ms. Sprieser and Mr. Greenberg are each individually qualified as an audit committee financial expert, as defined
6
Proxy Statement