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CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors (the "Board") of Medtronic, Inc.
(the "Company") has adopted the following Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics (the "Code ") for directors of the
Company. This Code is intended to focus the Board and each director
on areas of ethical risk, provide guidance to directors to help
them recognize and deal with ethical issues, provide mechanisms
to report unethical conduct, and help foster a culture of honesty
and accountability. Each director must comply with the letter and
spirit of this Code.
No code or policy can anticipate every situation that may arise.
Accordingly, this Code is intended to serve as a source of guiding
principles for directors. Directors are encouraged to bring questions
about particular circumstances that may implicate one or more
of the provisions of this Code to the attention of the Chairman
of the Audit Committee, who may consult with inside or outside
legal counsel as appropriate.
Directors who also serve as officers of the Company should read
this Code in conjunction with the Company's Code of Conduct.
Director Responsibilities.
The Board represents the interests of shareholders, as owners
of a corporation, in optimizing long-term value by overseeing management
performance on the shareholders' behalf. The Board's responsibilities
in performing this oversight function include a duty of care and
a duty of loyalty.
A director's duty of care refers to the responsibility to exercise
appropriate diligence in overseeing the management of the Company,
making decisions and taking other actions. In meeting the duty
of care, directors are expected to:
- Attend
and participate in board and committee meetings. Personal
participation is required. Directors may not vote or participate
by proxy.
- Remain properly informed about the corporation's
business and affairs. Directors should review and devote appropriate
time to studying board materials.
- Rely on others. Absent knowledge that makes reliance
unwarranted, directors may rely on board committees, management,
employees, and professional advisors.
- Make inquiries. Directors should make inquiries
about potential problems that come to their attention and follow
up until they are reasonably satisfied that management is addressing
them appropriately.
A director's duty of loyalty refers to the responsibility to act
in good faith and in the Company's best interests, not the interests
of the director, a family member or an organization with which
the director is affiliated. Directors should not use their positions
for personal gain. The duty of loyalty may be relevant in cases
of conflict of interest (section 2 below), and corporate opportunities
(section 3 below).
Conflict of Interest.
Directors must avoid any conflicts of interest between the director
and the Company. Any situation that involves, or may reasonably
be expected to involve, a conflict of interest with the Company,
should be disclosed promptly to the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
A "conflict of interest" can occur when a director's
personal interest is adverse to – or may appear to be adverse
to – the interests of the Company as a whole. Conflicts of
interest also arise when a director, or a member of his or her
immediate family1,
receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position
as a director of the Company.
This Code does not attempt to describe all possible conflicts
of interest that could develop. Some of the more common conflicts
from which directors must refrain, however, are set out below.
- Relationship of Company with third-parties. Directors
may not engage in any conduct or activities that are inconsistent
with the Company's best interests or that disrupt or impair the
Company's relationship with any person or entity with which the
Company has or proposes to enter into a business or contractual
relationship.
1New York Stock
Exchange Rule 303A.02 defines "immediate family" to
include a person's spouse, parents, children, siblings, mothers-in-law
and fathers-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law,
and anyone (other than domestic employees) who share such person's
home.
- Compensation from non-Company sources. Directors may not accept
compensation (in any form) for services performed for the Company from any
source other than the Company.
- Gifts. Directors and members of their families may not
accept gifts from persons or entities who deal with the Company
in those cases where any such gift is more than modest in value,
or where acceptance of the gifts could create the appearance of
a conflict of interest.
- Personal use of Company assets. Directors may not use
Company assets, labor or information for personal use unless approved
by the Chairman of the Audit Committee or as part of a compensation
or expense reimbursement program available to all directors.
Corporate Opportunities.
Directors are prohibited from: (a) taking for themselves personally
opportunities related to the Company's business; (b) using the
Company's property, information, or position for personal gain;
or (c) competing with the Company for business opportunities, provided,
however, if the Company's disinterested directors determine that
the Company will not pursue an opportunity that relates to the
Company's business, a director may do so.
Confidentiality.
Directors should maintain the confidentiality of information entrusted
to them by the Company and any other confidential information about
the Company that comes to them, from whatever source, in their
capacity as a director, except when disclosure is authorized or
legally mandated. For purposes of this Code, "confidential
information" includes all non-public information relating
to the Company.
Compliance with laws, rules and regulations;
fair dealing.
Directors shall comply, and oversee compliance by employees, officers
and other directors, with laws, rules and regulations applicable
to the Company, including insider trading laws. Transactions in
Company securities are governed by the Company’s Code of
Conduct.
Directors shall oversee fair dealing by employees and officers
with the Company's customers, suppliers, competitors and employees.
Encouraging the reporting of any illegal
or unethical behavior.
Directors should promote ethical behavior and take steps to ensure
the Company: (a) encourages employees to talk to supervisors, managers
and other appropriate personnel when in doubt about the best course
of action in a particular situation; (b) encourages employees to
report violations of laws, rules, regulations or the Company's
Code of Conduct to appropriate personnel; and (c) informs employees
that the Company will not allow retaliation for reports made in
good faith.
Compliance procedures; waivers.
Directors should communicate any suspected violations of this
Code promptly to the Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Chairman
of the Corporate Governance Committee. Violations will be investigated
by the Board or by a person or persons designated by the Board
and appropriate action will be taken in the event of any violations
of the Code.
The Audit Committee will consider any request for a waiver of
the provisions of this Code. Waivers may only be granted by the
Board or the Audit Committee after disclosure of all material
facts by the director seeking the waiver. Waivers will only be
granted in exceptional circumstances and will be disclosed promptly
to shareholders.
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