Company: AWK
Filing Date: 2025-03-27
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001193125-25-064607
Chunk: 20

Company: American Water Works Company, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-27
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 20
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. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board Chair is an independent director. We believe that the oversight function of a board of directors is enhanced when an independent director, serving as board chair, is in a position to set the agenda for, and preside over, meetings of the board of directors. We also believe that our leadership structure enhances the active participation of our independent directors.

| AMERICAN WATER | 2025 PROXY STATEMENT |     | 9 |

The Board Chair is responsible for:

| · |     | setting the agenda for meetings of the Board, and presiding over Board meetings at which the Board Chair is present; |

| · |     | coordinating the work of the Board committees; |

| · |     | overseeing the distribution of materials by our Secretary to the members of the Board; |

| · |     | serving as the independent director primarily responsible for Board consultations and communications between the Board and shareholders; and |

| · |     | performing such other duties as the Board may, from time to time, require to assist it in the fulfillment of its duties. |

If the Board Chair ceases to be an independent director, the Board shall select another Board Chair from among the members of the Board who are determined by the Board at that time to be independent directors. The Board Chair is selected and may be removed from that position at any time, by a majority of the members of the Board. There will be no changes to our Board leadership structure if Mr. Griffith is elected to the Board.

BOARD ROLE IN RISK OVERSIGHT One of the responsibilities of the Board is the oversight of our risk management activities, which is discharged by the Board as well as through the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, the ED&CC and the SETO Committee. In discharging this responsibility, the Board and these committees, with the assistance of management, monitor and evaluate our major enterprise risks and oversee and monitor the design and implementation of guidelines and programs to manage these risks. Our management has overall responsibility for conducting risk assessments and risk management strategy and programs. Our Enterprise Risk Management Committee, consisting of various Company executives, as well as certain functional and business unit employees and leaders, oversees enterprise risk management activities. The Enterprise Risk Management Committee meets at least four times a year. The Enterprise Risk Management Committee’s areas of focus include competitive, economic, operational (including physical security and cybersecurity), financial (including accounting, internal audit, credit, liquidity and tax), legal, compliance, regulatory, health, safety and environmental, political and