3.5.3Supervisory Board and Committees

The Supervisory Board supervises the management of the Company and its businesses, the effectiveness and the integrity of the internal control and risk management systems and procedures implemented by the Management Board as well as the general conduct of affairs of the Company and its businesses. The Supervisory Board assists the Management Board with advice in accordance with the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, the articles of association and the Supervisory Board rules. In the performance of its duties, the Supervisory Board is guided by the interests of the various groups of stakeholders of the Company. In addition, certain (material) decisions of the Management Board, as stipulated in the Dutch Civil Code, articles of association or the Supervisory Board and Management Board rules, require the Supervisory Board’s prior approval.

The Supervisory Board currently consists of eight members. Members of the Supervisory Board are appointed by the General Meeting following nomination by the Supervisory Board. Further information about the appointment and dismissal of Supervisory Board members can be found in SBM Offshore’s articles of association.

Except for Mr. Hepkema, who was a Management Board member of SBM Offshore until his appointment as Supervisory Board member in April 2015, all Supervisory Board members are independent from the Company within the meaning of best practice provision III.2.2 of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code. None of the Supervisory Board members are on the Management Board of a Dutch listed company in which a member of the Management Board of the Company is a Supervisory Board member.

The Supervisory Board has three subcommittees: the Audit Committee, the Appointment and Remuneration Committee and the Technical and Commercial Committee. The Appointment and Remuneration Committee is a joint committee with two separate chairpersons and two separate tasks: the selection and appointment preparation of Management Board and Supervisory Board members and the preparation of decision making regarding remuneration matters. SBM Offshore has an internal audit department with direct reporting to the Audit Committee. More information about the ways of working of the Supervisory Board and its committees can be found in the Supervisory Board and Committee rules, as available on the Company’s website. The Supervisory Board has drawn up a retirement schedule for its members, which is also available on the Company’s website.