Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for determining the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Board members in the context of the then current makeup of the Board. This determination takes into account all factors which the Committee considers appropriate, such as independence, experience, strength of character, mature judgment, technical skills, diversity, age and the extent to which the individual would fill a present need on the Board. The Bylaws provide that nominations for the election of directors may be made by any stockholder entitled to vote for the election of directors. Nominations must comply with an advance notice procedure which generally requires, with respect to nominations for directors for election at an annual meeting, that written notice be addressed to: The Corporate Secretary, RPC, Inc., 2801 Buford Highway NE, Suite 300, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, and received not less than 90 nor more than 130 days prior to the anniversary of the prior year’s annual meeting and set forth among other requirements specified in the Bylaws, the name, age, business address and, if known, residence address of the nominee proposed in the notice, the principal occupation or employment of the nominee for the past five years, the nominee’s qualifications, the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Company which are owned beneficially or of record by the person and any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings. Other requirements related to the notice are contained in the Bylaws and stockholders are advised to carefully review those requirements to ensure that nominations comply with the Bylaws. The Committee will consider nominations from stockholders that satisfy these requirements.
All of the nominees for directors being voted upon at the Annual Meeting to be held on April 25, 2023 are currently serving on the Board of Directors.
Board Leadership STRUCTURE
The Board believes the current leadership structure consisting of a separate Executive Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Independent Director represents the appropriate structure for the Company at this time. Richard A. Hubbell is the Executive Chairman of the Board and sets the agendas for Board meetings in consultation with the CEO, Corporate Secretary, and other members of the Board, and presides over all Board meetings and the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Ben M. Palmer is our President and Chief Executive Officer and sets the operational leadership and strategic direction of the Company with a focus on optimizing operational efficiencies. Jerry W. Nix is the Lead Independent Director and serves as the liaison between the Chairman, CEO and the independent directors, sets the agenda for, and presides over, the executive sessions of the non-employee and independent directors, consults with the Chairman and CEO regarding information sent to the Board in connection with Board meetings and being available, if requested by the stockholders, when appropriate, for consultation and direct communication.
Risk Oversight
Our Board of Directors’ oversight of risk has not been delegated to any Board Committee. “Risk” is an extremely broad concept that extends to multiple functional areas and crosses multiple disciplines. As such, risk may be addressed from time to time by the full Board or by one or more of our Committees. Senior management is responsible for identifying and managing material risks that we face while insurable risks and litigation risks are handled primarily by the risk management department. Senior management provides the Board with a summary of insurance coverage annually and updates as deemed necessary. Liquidity risk, credit risk and risks associated with our credit facilities and cash management are handled primarily by our finance department which regularly provides a financial report to both the Audit Committee and to the full Board. Operational, business, regulatory and political risks are handled primarily by senior executive management which regularly provides various operational reports to, among others, the full Board, the Executive Committee and the Audit Committee.
Cybersecurity Risk Oversight
Cybersecurity has become a particularly acute area of risk for companies of all sizes and in all industries, including our company. While management is primarily responsible for our cybersecurity program and managing our cybersecurity risks, including our procedures and day-to-day operations, our Audit Committee oversees our risk management program which includes oversight of cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee reviews our cybersecurity risks and incidents and any other risks and incidents relevant to our information technology systems