Company: BWFG
Filing Date: 2025-04-08
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001505732-25-000079
Chunk: 21

Company: Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-08
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 21
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, puts, calls, or other derivative instruments related to the Company’s equity or debt securities or (ii) purchasing financial instruments, including prepaid variable forward contracts, instruments for the short sale or purchase or sale of call or put options, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchangeable funds, that are designed to or that may reasonably be expected to have the effect of hedging or offsetting a decrease in the market value of any securities of the Company. In addition, no director or officer of the Company may hold securities of the Company in a margin account or pledge securities of the Company for a loan.

#### Risk Oversight
Risk is an inherent part of the business of banking, including credit risk relating to the loans, interest rate and liquidity risks related to the entire balance sheet, and operational, compliance and reputational risks. Our Board of Directors oversees these risks through the adoption of policies and by delegating oversight to certain committees, including the Audit Committee, the Directors Loan Committee, and the Asset Liability Committee. These committees exercise oversight by establishing a corporate environment that promotes timely and effective disclosure, fiscal accountability and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The expanded use of innovative technologies for product and service delivery, including digitalization efforts, exposes the Bank to greater operational and compliance risks, particularly related to cybersecurity threats. Given the growth of the Company and increased

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complexity of the Company’s operations as well as the broader banking industry, the Board of Directors focused on enhancing its risk oversight. In 2024, the Company’s Chief Risk Officer was promoted to Executive Vice President (in January 2024). Additionally, the Board of Directors established a board level Risk Committee and allocated charged with oversight of the Company’s overall enterprise risk management framework, policies, procedures and controls, including operational and information security and cybersecurity risks and compliance programs.

#### Communications with the Board
Our Board welcomes the submission of any comments or concerns from shareholders and any interested parties. Communications should be in writing and addressed to our Chairman of the Board at our principal executive offices and marked to the attention of the Board or any of its Committees, individual directors or non-management or independent directors as a group. All correspondence will be forwarded to the intended recipient(s). The Chairman of the Board and the Company’s management team are responsible for facilitating an appropriate response.

#### Board and Annual Meeting Attendance
In 2024, our B oard met ten times and each incumbent director who was a member of our Board during 2024 attended at least