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governance guidelines-wepoker官网

air products and chemicals, inc. 
corporate governance guidelines
amended 3 february 2022


the following corporate governance guidelines of the board of directors (the “board”) of air products and chemicals, inc. (the “company”) have been approved by the board and provide the framework for the corporate governance of the company.  these guidelines may be amended by the board.  

  1. role and functions of the board
    1. the company’s business is conducted by its employees and officers under the direction of the chief executive officer (the “ceo”) and the oversight of the board. the members of the board are elected by the company’s stockholders to provide advice and counsel to and oversee management to assure that the long-term interests of the stockholders are being served. in addition to its general oversight of management and duties imposed by law, the board also performs a number of specific functions, including:
    2. in addition to its general oversight of management and duties imposed by law, the board also performs a number of specific functions, including:
      1. selecting, evaluating, compensating, and planning for the succession of the ceo and providing counsel and oversight on the selection, evaluation, development and compensation of other executive officers;
      2. reviewing, monitoring, and, where appropriate, approving fundamental financial and business strategies and major corporate actions;
      3. overseeing the processes that are in place to safeguard the company’s assets and mitigate risks;
      4. ensuring processes are in place for maintaining the integrity of the financial statements and compliance with law and ethics; and
      5. selecting and nominating candidates for election to the board, selecting directors to fill vacancies on the board and ensuring the suitability of the board’s composition for advancing the company’s long-term value.
  2. general director responsibilities
    1. the basic responsibility of each director is to exercise his or her business judgment to act in what he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders. members of the board should conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior in the discharge of their duty to safeguard the long-term interests of the stockholders.
    2. directors are expected to attend board meetings and meetings of committees on which they serve, to ask incisive, probing questions and require accurate and honest answers, to spend the time needed and meet as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities and to review in advance of meetings information and data distributed to directors that are important to their understanding of the business to be conducted at a meeting. directors are expected to attend annual stockholder meetings except in the event of an emergency or unavoidable schedule conflict.
  3. director independence
    1. it is the board’s policy that a substantial majority of its members be nonemployee, independent directors.
      1. to qualify as independent, directors must meet the new york stock exchange (the “nyse”) independence standards and all other applicable legal requirements for assuring independence from the company and its management. the nyse standards preclude a determination of independence if:
        1. within the last three years, the director was an employee, or his or her immediate family member was an executive officer, of the company;
        2. within the last three years the director received, or his or her immediate family member received, more than $120,000 during any 12-month period in direct compensation from the company other than director and committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service (that is not contingent on continued service);
        3. the director is a current employee or partner of the company’s internal or external audit firm, an immediate family member of the director is a current partner of such firm, the director’s immediate family member is employed by such firm and personally worked on the company’s audit or the director or an immediate family member within the last three years was a partner of such firm and personally worked on the company’s audit during that time;
        4. within the last three years, the director or his or her immediate family member was employed as an executive officer of another company where any of the company’s present executive officers serves or served on such other company’s compensation committee; or
        5. the director is an executive officer or an employee, or his or her immediate family member is an executive officer, of another company that, within its last three fiscal years, made payments to or received payments from the company for property or services that exceeded the greater of $1 million or 2% of such other company’s annual consolidated gross revenues.
      2. for purposes of these guidelines, immediate family member includes a person's spouse, parents, children, siblings, mothers- and fathers-in-law, sons- and daughters-in-law and anyone (other than a domestic employee) who shares the person's home.
    2. the nyse standards also call for the board to determine, in its business judgment, that there are no other direct or indirect material relationships between any nonemployee director and the company which would affect the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities as a director of the company.
      1. material relationships can include commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable and family relationships among others. consistent with the nyse standards, the board has determined that the following types of relationships are categorically immaterial:
        1. any business transactions or relationships involving sales or purchases of goods or services between the company and a director’s employer or an employer of a director’s family member, which occurred more than three years prior to the independence determination, or involve less than 1% of such employer’s annual consolidated gross revenues where the transaction takes place on the same terms and conditions offered to third parties or on terms and conditions established by competitive bid, and the director’s or family member’s compensation is not affected by the transaction;
        2. charitable contributions by the company to an organization in which the director or his or her immediate family member serves as an executive officer, director or trustee that occurred more than three years prior to the independence determination, were made pursuant to the company’s matching contributions program or were less than the greater of $1 million or 2% of the organization’s gross revenues;
        3. membership of a director in the same professional association, social, fraternal or religious organization or club as an executive officer of the company;
        4. a director’s past matriculation at the same educational institution as an executive officer of the company;
        5. a director’s service on the board of another public company on which an executive officer of the company also serves as a board member, except for prohibited compensation committee interlocks;
        6. a director’s service as a director, trustee or executive officer of a charitable or educational organization where an executive officer of the company also serves as a director or trustee.
    3. in affirmatively determining the independence of any director who will serve on the management development and compensation committee (the “compensation committee”) of the board, the board shall consider all factors specifically relevant to determining whether a director has a relationship to the company which is material to that director’s ability to be independent from management in connection with the duties of a compensation committee member, including, but not limited to:
      1. the source of compensation of such director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the company to such director; and
      2. whether such director is affiliated with the company, a subsidiary of the company or an affiliate of a subsidiary of the company.
      1. when considering the sources of a director’s compensation in determining independence for purposes of compensation committee service, the board should consider whether the director receives compensation from any person or entity that would impair his or her ability to make independent judgments about the company’s executive compensation.
      2. similarly, when considering any affiliate relationship of a director in determining independence for purposes of compensation committee service, the board should consider whether the affiliate relationship places the director under the direct or indirect control of the company or its senior management or creates a direct relationship between the director and members of senior management, in each case of a nature that would impair his or her ability to make independent judgments about the company’s executive compensation.
    4. notwithstanding the above, no director may serve on the audit and finance committee or compensation committee of the board if he or she has received within the past or preceding fiscal year, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from the company, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the board or a committee of the board; and no director may serve on the compensation committee of the board unless such director is not a current employee of the company or a former employee who receives compensation for prior services (other than benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan), has never been an officer of the company, does not have beneficial ownership in excess of 50% in any entity that has received any remuneration from the company within the past or preceding fiscal year and does not have more than a 5% beneficial interest in and is not employed by an entity that received more than de minimis remuneration from the company, as defined by regulations under section 162(m) of the internal revenue code.
    5. each director or potential director has an affirmative duty to disclose to the corporate governance and nominating committee (the “governance committee”) relationships between and among that director (or an immediate family member), the company and management of the company (or an immediate family member), including any potential conflict of interest, whether or not required for public disclosure, in order to allow for a comprehensive determination of a director’s independence. when considering candidates for the board, the governance committee, with input and advice from the ceo, the general counsel and the secretary, evaluates the extent to which, if any, a candidate’s other activities may impinge on his or her independence as a board member. the governance committee also makes recommendations to the board when relationships are such that a candidate can no longer be considered independent.
  4. executive sessions of independent directors
    1. the independent directors generally meet in executive session without the ceo or other members of management present at each regular board meeting. the independent directors also meet in executive session to conduct the annual ceo performance review. in addition, the independent directors may meet without the ceo or other members of management present at any time during any board meeting upon the request of the lead director. executive sessions are presided over by the lead director, who shall determine the agenda for such sessions in consultation with other directors. after each executive session, the lead director shall provide feedback to the ceo, as appropriate.
  5. board leadership; lead director
    1. board leadership
       
      the board does not have a policy on whether the roles of chairman of the board and ceo should be separate or whether the chairman of the board should be an independent director. the board will determine which structure is in the best interests of the company at any given time.
    2. chairman
       
      the chairman will have the duties assigned by the board. it is the board’s current policy that the chairman’s duties include:
      1. chairing meetings of the board;
      2. overseeing the preparation of agendas for meetings of the board;
      3. overseeing the process of informing the board through timely distribution of information and reports;
      4. serving as an ex-officio, non-voting member of each standing committee of the board, except the executive committee, of which he or she shall be a member. the chairman’s participation as an ex-officio member at any meeting will not affect the presence or absence of a committee’s quorum. in acknowledgement of the numerous committee meetings, the chairman will decide, in his or her sole discretion, which committee meetings he or she will attend; and
      5. such other duties, such as communication with external stakeholders, as the board may specifically request.
    3. lead director
       
      the lead director will have the duties assigned by the board. it is the board’s current policy that the lead director’s duties shall be:
      1. presiding at executive sessions of the board and at any other time the chairman is not present and communicating feedback to the ceo;
      2. determining the agenda for executive sessions of independent directors; and
      3. having principal authority to convene meetings of the independent directors (not exclusive).
      1. in the event of the lead director’s absence from a board meeting at which an executive session will be held, the chairman may appoint any committee chair to temporarily fill the role of lead director.
      2. the governance committee shall recommend to the board a candidate for election as lead director. the lead director shall be elected annually by majority vote of the board. the governance committee may establish processes for the evaluation of the role of the lead director and the lead director’s performance.
  6. board composition;director qualifications and selection
    1. board structure
       
      the board shall determine the appropriate board size from time to time by a vote of the majority of the whole board, consistent with the company’s bylaws. if a director’s death, resignation or removal creates a vacancy in between annual meetings, the board may elect a new director to fill the vacancy or may decrease the size of the board, either temporarily, until a qualified candidate is identified by the governance committee, or permanently.
    2. qualifications
       
      as a whole, the board should include individuals with a diverse range of skills, competencies, backgrounds and experience to give the board depth and breadth to complement management’s knowledge and skills in support of the company’s strategy. while all directors should possess business acumen and must exercise sound business judgment and commitment to the highest ethical standards in the oversight of the company’s operations, the board endeavors to include an array of targeted skills, backgrounds and experiences in its overall composition rather than requiring every director to possess the same skills, perspective and interests. criteria that the board looks for in board candidates include, among other things, an individual’s business experience and skills, judgment, independence, integrity, diversity (including with respect to gender, race, ethnicity, geography, national origin, life experiences and areas of expertise), and ability to commit sufficient time and attention to the activities of the board as well as the absence of any potential conflicts with the company’s interests and an ability to represent the interests of all stockholders. the governance committee is committed to actively seeking highly qualified women and minorities to include in the pool from which director nominees are selected and requires that diverse candidates be included in its initial director search lists.
    3. selection of new director candidates
       
      the board, with the assistance of the governance committee, is responsible for assembling appropriate expertise within its membership as a whole, including financial literacy and expertise needed for members of the audit and finance committee as required by applicable law and nyse listing standards. the board has delegated the screening process to the governance committee, which receives the input of and works with the chairman, ceo and secretary and, with the assistance of recruiting firms as and if retained by the governance committee, to identify and interview candidates. the invitation to join the board is made by the chairman, on behalf of the full board, based on the recommendation of the governance committee and the approval of the board. stockholders of record may nominate persons for election as directors upon delivery to the secretary of timely written notice in proper form of the intent to make a nomination at a meeting of stockholders or in accordance with the governance committee’s policy on consideration of director candidates recommended by shareholders and procedure for submission, which is attached as exhibit i.
  7. re-election of directors
    1. the board determines whether to nominate its members for re-election by stockholders at the annual stockholders’ meeting with the help of the governance committee. in considering whether to recommend a director for re-election, the governance committee shall consider the director’s attendance, diligence and overall contribution to the board, as well as overall board composition and any changes that may be appropriate due to changes in the environment and the company’s strategy and attendant risks.
    2. any incumbent director nominated for re-election as director who is not re-elected in accordance with the company’s bylaws shall tender his or her resignation to the governance committee for its consideration following certification of the election results. the governance committee will make a recommendation to the board, in its discretion, as to whether to accept the resignation. the board will consider all factors it deems relevant to the best interests of the company, make a determination in its discretion and publicly disclose its decision within 90 days after certification of the election results.
    3. any director who tenders his or her resignation pursuant to this provision shall not participate in the governance committee’s recommendation or the board’s action regarding whether to accept the resignation. however, if the majority of the members of the governance committee fail to receive a sufficient vote for re-election, then the other directors shall appoint a committee among themselves to consider the tendered resignations and recommend to the board whether to accept them.
  8. number, independence, and responsibilities of board committees
    1. the current committees of the board are the audit and finance committee, governance committee, executive committee and compensation committee. the audit and finance committee, governance committee and compensation committee are comprised solely of independent directors. the responsibilities, duties and authorities of each of the committees are described in their applicable charters, which are available on the company’s website. upon the recommendation of the governance committee, the board may update the charters of existing committees, form a new committee or disband a current committee.
  9. assignment and rotation of committee members
    1. after consultation with the chairman and considering the desires of individual directors, the governance committee recommends to the board for approval the assignment of directors to various board committees. normally, each nonemployee director should serve on two committees and no individual should chair two committees at the same time. consideration is given to rotating committee members periodically to promote fresh thinking and to ensure independence. such rotation is not mandated since there may be reasons to maintain an individual director's committee membership, such as continuity, subject matter expertise, tenure and experience.
  10. frequency and length of meetings
    1. upon recommendation of the chairman and the secretary, the governance committee proposes annual board and committee schedules for board approval, taking into consideration, respectively, the functions of the board enumerated in these guidelines and the responsibilities of each committee stated in such committee’s charter. the chairman, secretary and, in the case of committees, the particular committee chair, agree on the length of regular meetings and the need to schedule additional special meetings.
  11. meeting agendas, materials, and presentations
    1. the chairman establishes the agenda for each board meeting. each director is free to suggest the inclusion of items on the agenda, a process facilitated by the periodic assessment of board performance. annual board and committee agenda plans are proposed by the chairman and secretary in consultation with the committee chair, reflecting input from directors and appropriate members of management and staff. over the course of the year the chairman, secretary and committee chair set actual committee meeting agendas and develop appropriate meeting materials. directors are urged to make suggestions for agenda items, or additional pre-meeting materials, to the chairman, the secretary or appropriate committee chair at any time.
    2. management provides to the directors, between, before and during meetings, information relevant to the board's understanding of developments affecting the business and highlighting matters to be considered and decided at the meetings. the overall goal is for the board to be able to focus on consideration of the merit of the proposal or strategy rather than on the explanation of its details. the board expects to receive candid and timely information on potential problems and be given an opportunity to discuss strategic decisions before they are made.
    3. meeting materials for committee meetings are discussed with the committee chair in advance of distribution to the other committee members. information reported to the board at its meeting following the committee meetings is determined by the committee chair.
  12. regular attendance of non-directors at board meetings
    1. the general counsel, chief financial officer and the secretary regularly attend all or portions of board meetings. other members of management are asked to attend board and committee meetings as the chairman, secretary and appropriate committee chair determine to be appropriate for pertinent agenda items for the dual purpose of providing additional insight into the items being discussed and giving managers exposure to the board.
  13. board access to senior management and independent advisors
    1. the board has access to managers through board and committee meetings where operating and other officers are in frequent attendance and through presentations made by other members of management at those meetings.
    2. between meetings, directors may have complete access to air products management. directors are encouraged to contact managers without senior corporate management being present regarding subjects or issues relating to company business of particular interest to them. the board assumes that directors will use judgment to be sure that this contact is not distracting to business operations. such contacts, if in writing, are generally copied to the ceo or the secretary.
    3. because the information and expertise relevant to the board’s regular oversight and decision-making responsibilities will normally be found within the company, the main responsibility for providing assistance to the board rests on the internal organization. there may, however, be occasions when it is necessary or appropriate for the board or its committees to seek legal or other expert advice from a source independent of management and, accordingly, the board and its committees are empowered to select, engage and consult with their own independent financial, legal or other advisors at the expense of the company.
    4. special counsel retained to conduct independent investigations likely to implicate company officers should report directly to the board or an appropriate committee and should not be an individual or a firm that the company regularly uses as outside counsel or that derives a material amount of revenues from the company.
  14. board compensation
    1. the compensation program for nonemployee directors is designed to enable them to build a significant equity interest in the company to align their personal financial interests with those of the stockholders. a significant portion of directors’ total compensation is paid in company stock equivalents. equity compensation plans in which directors participate are submitted to stockholders for approval as and when consistent with nyse listing standards and other applicable legal requirements.
    2. the governance committee monitors board compensation practices and periodically receives reports from the secretary comparing the company’s director compensation with market practice. as appropriate, the governance committee recommends changes in board compensation for discussion and approval by the board.
    3. all elements of the director compensation program constitute normal directors’ fees for purposes of maintaining the independence of the nonemployee directors consistent with nyse standards and other applicable legal requirements.
  15. director stock ownership
    1. to emphasize the importance of long-term alignment with stockholders, the board has adopted stock ownership requirements for directors. directors are expected to own shares or share equivalents with a value (based on the nyse closing price) equal to at least five times the annual cash retainer by the end of the fifth fiscal year after joining the board. directors will be expected to increase their holdings to reflect an adjustment in the annual cash retainer within a reasonable period of time following the adjustment, subject to the initial five year grace period. once a director has met the requirement, if there is a subsequent decline in the company’s share price that causes the director’s ownership level to fall below this guideline, the director will not be expected to purchase additional shares to meet the guideline but should refrain from selling or transferring shares until the guideline is again satisfied.
  16. director orientation and continuing education
    1. orientation for new directors consists of receiving background information about the company’s business and general information about the board and its committees and a director’s duties and responsibilities. some of this information is included in written materials and some is provided in initial briefing sessions to familiarize the directors with the company’s operations, strategic plans, significant financial, accounting and risk management issues and the company’s key policies and practices. continuing education for directors may be conducted through a number of methods, including presentations concerning the company’s strategies, initiatives, business plans, industry issues and general business and regulatory matters, onsite meetings and plant tours and other appropriate programs and interactions with management and employees. directors are also encouraged to attend ongoing corporate governance and other educational programs related to their service as directors of a public company. it is the company’s policy to reimburse reasonable expenses of such attendance.
  17. assessing the board's performance
    1. the board conducts a self-assessment of its performance each year led by the governance committee. the self-assessment process is used to ensure that the that the board and its committees are functioning effectively. the self assessment process is also used as an opportunity to identify process improvements to promote a high degree of informed engagement in the board’s discussions and deliberations.
    2. the governance committee establishes and oversees processes by which the committees of the board evaluate their performance as measured against their responsibilities as set forth in the respective committee charters. the audit and finance committee, governance committee and compensation committee each conduct an annual performance evaluation and report the results of the evaluation to the board. other committees may periodically conduct a performance assessment at the request of the committee chair or the governance committee.
  18. director tenure policies
    1. directors who have never been employed by the company are expected to tender their written resignation for consideration by the governance committee upon a change in principal position other than due to normal retirement or upon other developments or changes in circumstances that could impair effectiveness as a director. the governance committee will make a recommendation to the board as to whether to accept the resignation.
    2. nonemployee directors may not continue on the board after the annual meeting following the director’s completion of 15 full years of service on the board, unless requested to stay on by the board. any director who is a company employee, including the chairman, shall retire from the board upon retirement from active employment, unless requested to stay on by the board.
    3. the board retains the flexibility to waive provisions of this tenure policy from time to time.
  19. limit on number of directorships and audit and finance committee memberships
    1. each director must devote the time and attention necessary to fulfill the obligations of a director. service on other boards often broadens and deepens the knowledge and experience of directors. in addition, executives who serve on other boards frequently gain valuable insight and experience useful in running their own companies. however, service on too many boards can interfere with an individual’s ability to perform his or her responsibilities.
    2. before accepting an additional board position, a director should consider whether the acceptance of a new directorship will compromise the ability to perform his or her responsibilities to the company and its stockholders. without specific approval from the board, a director should not serve on more than five other public company boards or on more than two other audit committees. in addition, directors who are chief executive officers of publicly traded companies should not serve on more than one other public company board.
    3. nonemployee directors are expected to discuss with the chairman and the governance committee any intention to accept a new public company directorship and members of the audit and finance committee are expected to discuss with the chairman and the governance committee any intention to accept a new public company audit committee assignment. nonemployee directors are also expected to refrain from accepting, or to resign from, any directorship if the governance committee or the chairman determines such a relationship to be inadvisable and not in the company’s best interests, for example, if such directorship involves a possible violation of law, an actual or apparent conflict or might otherwise interfere with the appropriate discharge of the director’s duties to the company.
    4. the ceo is expected to discuss with the governance committee any intention to accept a new public company directorship.
  20. ceo performance review
    1. the compensation committee annually reviews the performance of the ceo with the independent directors in executive session. the chair of the compensation committee communicates the result of the review to the ceo. the evaluation is based on criteria developed by the compensation committee with board input. these include company performance, creation of stockholder value and leadership and direction to various company constituents. the evaluation is used by the compensation committee in the course of its deliberations when considering the compensation of the ceo.
  21. succession planning
    1. the company has a timeline and process for ceo succession and a crisis succession plan which would be implemented if the ceo could not serve due to an emergency. the ceo reviews organization and succession plans at least annually with the nonemployee directors, covering potential candidates for key positions should vacancies occur unexpectedly in the near term as well as over the longer term. the ceo discusses organization changes with the board throughout the year, obtaining board approval of changes affecting executive officer positions.
  22. board communication with stockholders
    1. the board believes that, as a general matter, management speaks for the company. directors should refrain from communicating with various constituencies involved with the company without prior approval from the chairman and appropriate members of management. in situations where public comments from the board may be appropriate, they should come only from the chairman or a member of the board designated by the board.
    2. the board does provide a means by which persons, including stockholders and employees, may communicate directly with directors with regard to matters relating to the company’s corporate governance and performance. the board has adopted a procedure for collecting, organizing and forwarding communications with the board, which is attached as exhibit ii.

exhibit i
policy on consideration of director candidates recommended  by shareholders and procedure for submission

policy on consideration of shareholder recommendations

the corporate governance and nominating committee (the “committee”) will accept recommendations from shareholders for the nomination of directors made in accordance with this policy.  candidate recommendations submitted in accordance with this policy will be reviewed by the corporate secretary to determine satisfaction of any minimum qualifications for director candidates adopted by the committee and consistency of the candidacy with current recruiting objectives of the committee.  candidates determined by the corporate secretary to possess the minimum qualifications and to have characteristics not inconsistent with current recruiting objectives will be sent to the committee for evaluation.  the committee will give such candidates the same consideration and evaluate them in the same manner as candidates recommended by any other process.  

procedure for submissions

1.manner and address for submission.  all shareholder nominating recommendations must be in writing, addressed to the corporate governance and nominating committee, in care of the company’s corporate secretary’s office, 1940 air products boulevard, allentown, pa 18106-5500.  submissions must be made by mail, courier, or personal delivery.  e-mailed submissions will not be considered.  

2.information concerning the recommending shareholders.  a nominating recommendation must be accompanied by the following information concerning each recommending shareholder:  

  • name, address, and telephone number;
  • number of the company’s shares owned by each recommending shareholder and the time period for which such shares have been held;
  • if a recommending shareholder is not a shareholder of record, other verification of the holdings of the shareholder.
  • any material interest of the shareholder in any business or proposal to be presented to the board of directors.

3. information concerning the candidate.  a nominating recommendation must be accompanied by the following information concerning the recommended candidate: 

  • the name, age and contact information of the candidate; a description of the business experience of the candidate, including any other directorships held by the candidate; and information regarding past or present legal proceedings involving the candidate;
  • a description of all relationships between the candidate and the recommending shareholder(s) and any agreements or understandings between the recommending shareholder(s) and the candidate regarding the nomination.  
  • a description of all relationships between the candidate and any of the company’s affiliates, competitors, customers, suppliers, labor unions, or other persons with special interests regarding the company.  

4. qualifications of the candidate.  the recommending shareholder must furnish a statement supporting its view that the candidate possesses any minimum qualifications for director candidates disclosed in the company’s most recent proxy, and briefly describing the contributions that the candidate would be expected to make to the board and to the governance of the company.  

5.consent to be interviewed by the committee and, if nominated and elected, to serve.  the nominating recommendation must be accompanied by the consent of the candidate to the company undertaking an inquiry into his or her background, to being interviewed by the chairman of the board and the committee, at their discretion, and to serving as a director of the company if nominated and elected.  

6.timing for submissions.  shareholder nominating recommendations will be considered only for nomination by the committee at an annual meeting of shareholders, not for interim elections by the board to fill vacancies. a shareholder (or group of shareholders) wishing to submit a nominating recommendation for consideration at the next annual meeting must submit it not later than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the prior annual meeting of shareholders.   

exhibit ii
procedures for shareholder and interested party communication with directors


1.shareholders and interested parties may communicate with the chairs of any board committee or to the outside directors as a group at the following address:  

corporate secretary’s office
air products and chemicals, inc.
1940 air products boulevard
allentown, pa 18106-5500

communications must be in writing.  

2.all communications must be accompanied by the following information:  

  • the address, telephone number, and e-mail address, if any, of the person submitting the communication;
  • if the person submitting the communication is a shareholder, a statement of the number of shares of the company that the person holds; and
  • if the person submitting the communication is not a shareholder and is submitting the communication to the nonmanagement directors as an interested party, the nature of the person’s interest in the company.  

3. upon receipt, each non-mass mailed communication shall be entered into an intake record maintained for this purpose, including the name of the person submitting the communication, the date of receipt of the communication, and the information described in 2 above.  

4.the corporate secretary’s office is authorized to review each communication to determine whether the communication satisfies the procedural requirements described above; and whether the substance of the communication is of a type that is appropriate for delivery to the directors under the criteria set forth below.  

5.the following types of communications are not appropriate for delivery to directors under these procedures:  

  • communications regarding individual grievances or other interests that are personal to the party submitting the communication and could not reasonably be construed to be of concern to shareholders or other constituencies of the company (such as employees, members of the communities in which the company operates its businesses, customers, and suppliers) generally;
  • communications that advocate the company’s engaging in illegal activities;
  • communications that contain offensive, scurrilous, or abusive content; and
  • communications that have no rational relevance to the business or operations of the company.  (issues of social concern arising by reason of the business and operations of the company are not intended to be excluded under this criterion).
  • junk mail, mass mailings, sales, or other solicitations.

examples of communications inappropriate for forwarding include:  

oproduct complaints
o product inquiries
o new product suggestions
o resumes and other forms of job inquiries
o surveys
o business solicitations or advertisements.  

6.if the corporate secretary’s office determines that the substance of the communication is not of a type that is appropriate for delivery to the directors under these procedures, the corporate secretary’s office will determine if there exists a standing body or department of the company which is authorized to deal with communications of this type and, if so, shall forward the communication to that body or department.  

if a communication is inappropriate for delivery to the directors under these procedures, that communication will nonetheless be made available to any director to whom it was directed and who wishes to review it.  such material will be maintained for 90 days following receipt, after which it will be destroyed.  

7.if the corporate secretary’s office determines a communication is appropriate, the office is authorized to determine if the communication is addressed to a specific director, related to the responsibilities of a specific board committee chair, or if the issue should be addressed to the nonmanagement directors as a group, in which case the chairman of the corporate governance and nominating committee shall review the communication on behalf of the group.  the corporate secretary’s office will either forward the correspondence to the appropriate director or contact the appropriate director or directors to discuss the communication.  the corporate secretary’s office may summarize lengthy or duplicative communications.

communications describing concerns about the company’s conduct, or about accounting, internal controls or auditing matters will be immediately forwarded unedited to the chairs of the corporate governance and nominating committee or audit committee, respectively.  all reported concerns may be simultaneously reviewed by the company’s governance counsel, general counsel, and/or director of internal audit.  

this policy does not apply to shareholder proposals for inclusion in the company’s proxy statement.  


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