Our governance structure follows a successful leadership model under which the Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Corporation also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Company. Recognizing that different leadership models may work well for other companies at different times depending upon individual circumstances, we believe that our Company has been well served by the combined Chief Executive Officer and Chairman leadership structure and that this approach has continued to be highly effective with the addition of a Lead Director. We believe we have benefited greatly from having a Chairman who sets the tone and direction for the Company while also having the primary responsibility as Chief Executive Officer for managing Eaton’s day-to-day operations and allowing the Board to carry out its strategic, governance, oversight and decision-making responsibilities with the equal involvement of each director.
Our Board is currently composed of independent directors, except for our Chairman, Mr. Arnold. Of our eleven non-employee director nominees, five are currently serving or have served as a chief executive officer and/or chair of a publicly traded company. The Audit, Compensation and Organization, Finance, and Governance Committees are chaired by independent directors. Our Chairman has benefited from the extensive leadership experience represented on our Board of Directors.
The Board evaluates the leadership structure annually, and it will continue to do so as circumstances change. In its most recent annual evaluation, the Board concluded that the current leadership structure — under which the Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Corporation serves as Chairman of the Board of the Company, our Board committees are chaired by independent directors and a Lead Director assumes specific responsibilities on behalf of the independent directors - remains the optimal board leadership structure for our Company and our shareholders at the present time.