A key aspect of scientific stewardship is ethical management. We take corporate governance seriously. We have an ethos of respect for our patients, customers, employees, and those with whom we do business.
Our board of directors is committed to strong corporate governance tailored to meet the needs of AbbVie and its shareholders to enhance long-term stockholder value. Eleven of our twelve directors are independent, including the chairs and all members of the board's Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Public Policy Committee and Nominations and Governance Committee.
Since our inception, we have had a lead independent director with robust and well-defined responsibilities to ensure the appropriate level of oversight and independence is applied to all board decisions. The lead independent director is chosen by and from the independent members of the board of directors. Each committee follows a charter that details its purpose, authority and responsibilities.
In 2020, in addition to their usual areas of focus including risk management, human capital management, long-term company strategy and succession planning, the board spent a significant amount of time overseeing the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as overseeing AbbVie’s response to the U.S. racial justice movement.
For more information our board of directors—including more details on the responsibilities of our Lead Independent Director, on individual Board members, as well as each committee’s characteristics and responsibilities—please see our 2021 Proxy Statement.