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PURPOSE
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of
Dresser-Rand Group Inc. (the "Company") is organized for the
purposes of assisting the Board in oversight of (1) the integrity of
the financial statements of the Company, (2) the independent
auditor’s qualifications and independence, (3) the performance of
the Company’s internal audit function and independent auditors and
(4) the compliance by the Company with legal and regulatory
requirements.
The Audit Committee shall prepare a report as required by the rules
of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to be included
in the Company’s annual proxy statement.
COMPOSITION AND QUALIFICATIONS
The Audit Committee shall consist of no fewer than three members as
determined by the Board, each of whom shall be a non-employee
director of the Company. Each of the members of the Audit Committee
shall be determined by the Board to be independent under the rules
of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"), the Sarbanes – Oxley Act of
2002 (the "Sarbanes – Oxley Act") and the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All members of the Audit
Committee shall have a working familiarity with basic finance and
accounting practices (or acquire such familiarity within a
reasonable period after his or her appointment), and at least one
member of the Audit Committee shall be a financial expert as defined
by the SEC.
Audit Committee members who simultaneously serve on the audit
committees of two or more other public companies shall promptly
disclose such fact to the Board. In the event that any members of
the Committee sit simultaneously on the audit committee of two or
more other public companies, the Board will determine if their
duties on such audit committees impair their ability to serve
effectively on the Audit Committee of the Company, and such
determinations will be disclosed in the Company’s annual proxy
statement.
A Chairperson of the Committee will be selected by the full Board
from among the Committee members. The Committee members shall serve
for such term or terms, as the full Board shall determine. The Board
shall have the power at any time to change the membership of the
Audit Committee and to fill vacancies on it, subject to such new
member(s) satisfying applicable independence and experience
requirements. Except as expressly provided in this Charter or the
by-laws or any Corporate Governance Guidelines of the Company, the
Audit Committee shall fix its own rules of procedure.
MEETINGS
The Audit Committee shall meet not less frequently than four times
per year, or more frequently as circumstances may dictate. The
Chairman of the Board or any member of the Audit Committee may call
meetings of the Committee, in each case on at least twenty-four
hours’ notice to each Audit Committee member. The Audit Committee
shall meet periodically with management, those responsible for the
internal audit function and the independent auditor in separate
executive sessions. In addition, the Committee should meet with the
independent auditors and management quarterly to review the
Company’s financial statements. The Audit Committee may have such
other direct and independent interaction with such other persons
from time to time, as the members of the Audit Committee deem
appropriate. The Audit Committee may request any officer or employee
of the Company or the Company’s outside counsel or independent
auditor to attend a meeting of the Committee or to meet with any
members of, or consultants to, the Committee. The Committee may meet
by telephone or videoconference and may take action by written
consent.
A majority of the members of the Audit Committee shall constitute a
quorum for any meeting. Any action of a majority of the members of
the Audit Committee present at any meeting at which a quorum is
present shall be an action of the Audit Committee. The Committee
shall keep a record of its meetings and report on them to the Board.
FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Audit Committee shall have the sole authority to appoint,
compensate, retain, evaluate and terminate the independent auditor.
The Audit Committee shall be directly responsible for the
compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor
(including resolution of disagreements between management and the
independent auditor regarding financial reporting) in preparing or
issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review, attest or
similar services. The independent auditor shall report directly to
the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee shall pre-approve all auditing services,
internal control-related services and permitted non-audit services
(including the fees and terms thereof), other than prohibited
non-auditing services as set forth in Sarbanes – Oxley Act Section
201, to be performed for the Company by its independent auditor,
subject to any de minimus exceptions for non-audit services
described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the Audit
Committee prior to the completion of the audit. The Audit Committee
may form and delegate authority to subcommittees consisting of one
or more members when appropriate, including the authority to grant
pre-approvals of audit and permitted non-audit services, provided
that decisions of such subcommittee to grant pre-approvals shall be
presented to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
The Audit Committee shall have the authority, to the extent it deems
necessary or appropriate, to retain independent legal, accounting or
other advisors. The Company shall provide for appropriate funding,
as determined by the Audit Committee, for payment of compensation to
the independent auditor for the purpose of rendering or issuing an
audit report and to any advisors employed by the Audit Committee,
and for payment of ordinary administrative expenses of the Audit
Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its
duties.
The Audit Committee shall make regular reports to the full Board.
The Audit Committee should review with the Board any issues that
arise with respect to the quality or integrity of the Company’s
financial statements, the Company’s compliance with legal or
regulatory requirements, the performance and independence of the
Company’s independent auditors, or the performance of the internal
audit function. The Audit Committee shall review and reassess
the adequacy of this Charter annually and recommend any proposed
changes to the Board for approval. The Audit Committee shall
annually review the Audit Committee’s own performance.
The Audit Committee, to the extent it deems necessary or appropriate
in meeting its responsibilities, shall:
Financial Statement and Disclosure Matters.
Meeting separately, periodically, with management, internal auditors
and the independent auditor:
- Review and discuss with management and the independent auditor the
Company’s annual audited financial statements, including
disclosures made in "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and recommend to
the Board whether the audited financial statements should be
included in the Company’s Form 10-K.
- Review and discuss with management and the independent auditor the
Company’s quarterly financial statements prior to the filing of
the Company’s Form 10-Q, including the results of the
independent auditor’s review of the quarterly financial
statements and disclosures made in "Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."
- Review and discuss with management (including the senior internal
audit executive) and the independent auditor the Company’s
internal controls report and the independent auditor’s
attestation of the report prior to the filing of the Company’s
Form 10-K.
- Review and consider quarterly reports from the independent auditor
on:
- All
critical accounting policies and practices to be used.
-
Analyses prepared by management and/or the independent
auditor setting forth significant financial reporting issues
and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the
financial statements, including analyses of the effects of
all alternative treatments of financial information within
generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") that have
been discussed with management, ramifications of the use of
such alternative treatments, and the treatment preferred by
the independent auditor.
- Major
issues as to the adequacy of the Company’s internal
controls, any special steps adopted in light of material
control deficiencies and the adequacy of disclosures about
changes in internal control over financial reporting.
- Major
issues regarding accounting principles and financial
statement presentations, including any significant changes
in the Company’s selection or application of accounting
principles.
- Other
material written communications between the independent
auditor and management, such as any management letter or
schedule of unadjusted differences.
- Discuss with management the Company’s earnings press releases
(paying particular attention to any use of "pro forma" or
"adjusted" non GAAP information), as well as financial
information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and
rating agencies. Such discussion may be done generally,
consisting of discussing the types of information to be
disclosed and the types of presentations to be made.
- Discuss with management and the independent auditor the effect of
regulatory and accounting initiatives as well as off-balance
sheet structures on the Company’s financial statements.
- Discuss with management the Company’s major financial risk exposures
and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such
exposures, and the Company’s risk assessment and risk management
policies, and any legal matters that may have a material effect
on the Company.
- Discuss with the independent auditor the matters required to be
discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 relating to
the conduct of the audit, including any problems or difficulties
encountered in the course of the audit work and management’s
response, any restrictions on the scope of activities or access
to requested information, and any significant disagreements with
management.
- Consider reviewing with the independent auditor any accounting
adjustments that were noted or proposed by the auditor but were
"passed" (as immaterial or otherwise).
- Review disclosures made to the Audit Committee by the Company’s CEO
and CFO during their certification process for the Form 10-K and
Form 10-Q about any significant deficiencies in the design or
operation of internal controls or material weaknesses therein
and any fraud involving management or other employees who have a
significant role in the Company’s internal controls.
Oversight of the
Company’s Relationship with the Independent Auditor.
- Review and evaluate the lead partner of the independent auditor
team.
- When evaluating the lead audit partner, the Committee should take
into account the opinions of management and the Company’s
internal auditors (or other personnel responsible for the
internal audit function).
- Obtain and review a report from the independent auditor at least
annually describing (a) the independent auditor’s internal
quality-control procedures, (b) any material issues raised by
the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review,
of the firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental
or professional authorities within the preceding five years
respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the
firm, (c) any steps taken to deal with any such issues, and (d)
all relationships between the independent auditor and the
Company. Evaluate the qualifications, performance and
independence of the independent auditor, including considering
whether the auditor’s quality controls are adequate and the
provision of permitted non-audit services is compatible with
maintaining the auditor’s independence, taking into account the
opinions of management and internal auditors. The Audit
Committee shall present its conclusions with respect to the
independent auditor to the Board.
- Ensure the rotation of the lead audit partner having primary
responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible
for reviewing the audit as required by law and consider whether
there should be a regular rotation of the audit firm itself.
- Recommend to the Board policies for the Company’s hiring of
employees or former employees of the independent auditor.
- Discuss with the independent auditor material issues on which the
national office of the independent auditor was consulted by the
Company’s audit team.
- Meet with the independent auditor prior to the audit to discuss the
scope, planning and staffing of the audit.
Oversight of the
Company’s Internal Audit Function(s).
- Review with management and those responsible for the internal audit
function (in separate meetings, as appropriate) the operation of
the internal audit function including the quality and adequacy
of internal controls that could significantly affect the
Company’s financial statements and any difficulties encountered
in the course of conducting the internal audits, including any
restrictions on scope of work or access to required information.
- Review the significant reports to management prepared by the
internal auditing function and management’s responses.
- Discuss with the independent auditor and management the internal
audit function’s responsibilities, budget and staffing and any
recommended changes in the planned scope of the internal audit.
- Review and concur in the appointment, replacement, reassignment or
dismissal of the Director of Internal Audit.
Compliance Oversight
Responsibilities.
- Obtain from the independent auditor assurance that Section 10A(b) of
the Exchange Act has not been implicated.
- Obtain reports from management, the Company’s senior internal
auditing executive and the independent auditor that the Company
and its subsidiaries entities are in conformity with applicable
legal requirements and the Company’s Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics. Review reports and disclosures of insider and
affiliated party transactions. Advise the Board with respect to
the Company’s policies and procedures regarding compliance with
applicable laws and regulations and with the Company’s Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics.
- Establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of
complaints received by the Company regarding accounting,
internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and the
confidential, anonymous submission by the Company’s employees of
concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
- Discuss with management and the independent auditor any
correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies and any
published reports that raise material issues regarding the
Company’s financial statements or accounting policies.
- Annually review the adequacy of the Audit Committee’s written
charter and the performance of the Audit Committee.
- Report regularly to the full Board.
AUDIT COMMITTEE’S ROLE
While the Audit Committee has the responsibilities and functions set
forth in this Charter, it serves in an oversight capacity and, as
such, it is not the duty of the Audit Committee to plan or conduct
audits, administer legal matters or to determine that the Company’s
financial statements and disclosures are complete and accurate and
are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
applicable rules and regulations. These are the responsibilities of
management and the independent auditor. Accordingly, the Audit
Committee’s role does not provide any special assurance regarding
matters that are outside the Committee’s area of expertise or that
are the responsibility of management.
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