The assessment process involves an annual individual director assessments and committee assessments. The individual director assessment includes questions about effectiveness, communication, personal and individual peer performance and soliciting input from directors about areas for potential improvement, and seek specific input on topics such as risk, strategy and governance. The Executive Chair of the Board and Chair of the G&N Committee meet separately with individual directors as deemed appropriate. The G&N Committee also monitors developments in board governance and evolving best practices in corporate governance.
Board Education and Orientation
The Company believes in the importance of ongoing director education and the need for directors to have a current and detailed understanding of their duties and responsibilities as directors and emerging trends in the mining industry.
In addition to the wide range of information provided to the Board at scheduled meetings, senior management and professional advisors also regularly provide presentations to the Board on specific aspects of the business or industry that are deemed particularly relevant or important, or on topics that the Board considers to be beneficial. In some cases, external consultants are invited to address the Board. Board members are also encouraged to attend seminars, conferences and professional development events that further their knowledge about matters relevant to the Board or committee they are members of, or their knowledge of the Company’s business. All Board members are members of, and have access to, resources provided by the Institute of Corporate Directors and National Association of Corporate Directors. Members of the A&R Committee in particular are encouraged to attend conferences related to accounting, finance and cybersecurity issues to maintain and further their knowledge of issues falling within the oversight of the committee, and members independently attend seminars and sessions offered externally in this regard.
Visits to Lithium Americas’ facilities are also important educational opportunities. Directors are generally given tours of the properties, including the project site and technical center, to provide them with additional insight into the business and to encourage interaction with local management and personnel. In addition, all Board members are provided with detailed monthly management reports regarding the business and operations.
In 2024, directors completed a site tour of the Thacker Pass project. They also completed seminars and information sessions offered by management and third parties on topics including strategic planning from a board perspective, corporate governance, cybersecurity, and accounting and financial reporting developments.
New directors on the Board are provided with an orientation that includes meetings with the Company’s senior management team, including the Executive Chair, President and CEO, Executive Vice President and CFO, Executive Vice President, Capital Projects, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Vice President, Human Resources, and Vice President, Government and External Affairs. Resources generally cover topics including the Company’s history and current status of operations, information about the Company’s business, goals, strategy and major policies, familiarization with partners and major service providers, updates on the political environment in the jurisdictions where the Company operates, information about the lithium industry, lithium markets and pricing, as well as developments in the electric vehicle and battery markets, recent analyst reports, information about the Code of Conduct, information pertaining to personal liabilities, LAC’s insurance program, cybersecurity, rules for purchasing, exercising and selling Company-issued securities (Common Shares, incentive plan securities such as DSUs, RSUs and Options, and other convertible securities such as warrants), and rules regarding insider trading and non-public information. New directors also participate in office and site visits and have the opportunity to meet with staff throughout the organization.
A Board manual is also provided to new Board directors that includes LAC policies, including the Code of Conduct, the Board’s Corporate Governance Framework, Committee Charters, position descriptions and other information about the Company.
Audit and Risk Committee
The A&R Committee consists of Fabiana Chubbs (Chair), Michael Brown and Jinhee Magie. The Board has determined that the members of the A&R Committee meet the applicable independence requirements of the SEC and the applicable NYSE rules.
The A&R Committee is responsible for (a) overseeing the integrity of the Company’s financial statements and reviewing the Company’s financial disclosure and reporting; (b) overseeing the integrity and performance of the Company’s internal audit processes, including the internal audit function; (c) monitoring the qualifications,