Company: CRL
Filing Date: 2025-04-02
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-030908
Chunk: 15

Company: CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-04-02
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 15
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 and Nominating Committee in monitoring and implementing our Corporate Governance Guidelines; • serve as the principal liaison between the Chair and the independent directors; • interview all director candidates and make recommendations to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee; • be available, when appropriate, for consultation and direct communication with shareholders; • retain outside advisors and consultants who report directly to the Board on Board level issues; and • on an annual basis, in consultation with the independent directors, review the Lead Director’s responsibility and authority and recommend for approval any modifications or changes to the Board. We believe that having a combined Chair/CEO, independent chairs for each of our Board committees and an independent Lead Director provides the right form of leadership for us. The benefit of a combined Chair/CEO role is complemented by the benefit of oversight of our operations by experienced independent directors who have appointed a Lead Director and independent committee chairs. This combination has served us well for many years and we have found it to be an efficient and effective leadership model for us. The Board selects our Board leadership in the manner that it determines to be in the best interests of our shareholders. From time to time, and at least annually, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee conducts an assessment of this leadership structure. The Board believes its risk management processes are well-supported by the current Board leadership structure. The Board oversees our risk oversight process and performs this oversight role using several different levels of review. In connection with its reviews of the operations of our business units and corporate functions, particularly during the annual strategic planning sessions, the Board is informed of the primary risks associated with those units and functions. Principally, the Board satisfies its responsibility through receiving and evaluating regular reports from each committee chair regarding such committee’s consideration and actions, as well as through receiving and evaluating regular reports directly from officers responsible for oversight of our particular risks, including operational, financial, legal, regulatory, strategic and reputational risks. Such reporting enables the Board to understand our risk identification, management and mitigation strategies. The Company periodically reviews and evaluates its enterprise risk management (ERM) program, subsequently taking steps to further enhance the ERM program, the effect of which is to enhance the Board’s ability to implement its risk oversight responsibilities. Areas of risk oversight that generally remain at the Board level and are not delegated to any Committee include risks related to our operational regulatory matters (such as quality control and data privacy) and 17 significant business decisions. The Board satisfies its oversight responsibility through evaluating regular reports from our officers responsible for each of these risk areas, reports