Governance Policy

    Section 1: Purpose and Applicability

    This Governance Policy defines the organizational structure, leadership responsibilities, impartiality safeguards, and conflict of interest management principles adopted by LEI International Pvt. Ltd. (TNV-LEI) in its role as a Candidate Local Operating Unit (LOU) under the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF).

    Applies to:

    • Board of Directors and Executive Leadership
    • Chief Compliance Officer, CTO, Validation/Verification Managers
    • All staff and outsourced teams
    • Impartiality Committee members and advisory panels

    To be read with:

    • Impartiality and Conflict of Interest Provisions
    • Risk Management Framework
    • Procedural Governance Model

    Section 2: Governance Structure and Leadership Roles

    2.1 Legal Entity Status

    TNV-LEI is a registered private limited company under the Companies Act, 2013 (India), operating as a Candidate LOU under GLEIF Accreditation ID: 9269.

    2.2 Organizational Hierarchy

    • Board of Directors – Strategic direction, policy, fiduciary oversight
    • Managing Director / CEO – Implements policies, operations, GLEIF alignment
    • Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) – Legal and accreditation compliance
    • Chief Technology Officer (CTO) – Cybersecurity, ISO 27001, data privacy
    • Validation & Verification Leads – LE-RD validation, data quality control
    • Impartiality Committee – Independent oversight of risks and conflicts

    2.3 Subsidiary and Outsourced Functions

    All external agents operate under agreements aligned with TNV-LEI’s governance and impartiality principles.

    Section 3: Impartiality Commitment and Risk Mitigation

    3.1 Statement of Impartiality

    TNV-LEI performs all services without bias or undue influence.

    3.2 Risk Identification

    • Annual risk assessment by the CCO
    • Risk register maintained and rated

    3.3 Mitigation Controls

    • Functional separation and duty segregation
    • Internal audits and access controls
    • No financial incentive bias
    • Rotational validation review

    3.4 Third Parties

    Partners bound by impartiality clauses. Misconduct leads to revocation.

    3.5 Transparency

    Concerns can be reported to: governance@tnvlei.com

    Section 4: Conflict of Interest Management

    4.1 Declaration and Disclosure

    Annual declarations required from all personnel.

    4.2 Conflict Identification

    Examples:

    • Financial ties with clients
    • Employment/family affiliations
    • Pressure to meet issuance targets

    4.3 Prevention

    • Validation team cannot engage in sales, appeals, or marketing
    • Functional role isolation enforced

    4.4 Escalation

    • Reported to CCO
    • Investigated and resolved via reassignment or disciplinary action

    4.5 Training

    Annual training, self-reporting encouraged.

    Section 5: Impartiality Committee (IC)

    5.1 Mandate

    • Reviews impartiality risks and complaints
    • Advises Board on controls

    5.2 Composition

    • External experts, applicants, academics
    • One-third minimum must be non-TNV employees
    • 2-year renewable term

    5.3 Meeting Frequency

    • At least twice a year
    • Agenda: risk register, conflict logs, complaints

    5.4 Documentation

    • Signed minutes submitted within 10 days
    • Chair + independent member to co-sign

    5.5 Confidentiality

    • All members sign a declaration
    • Must recuse in case of conflicts

    Section 6: Responsibility Matrix

    Governance FunctionBoard of DirectorsChief Compliance OfficerManagement Team
    Strategic DirectionApproves policiesReviews legal implicationsExecutes strategy
    Impartiality OversightReviews IC reportsConducts risk assessmentsImplements safeguards
    Conflict of Interest ManagementApproves declarationsMaintains logsDeclares proactively
    GLEIF ComplianceApproves frameworkTracks accreditationImplements technical controls
    Policy ReviewFinal approvalCoordinates auditsProvides operational inputs
    Complaint EscalationAppellate functionInvestigatesAssists inquiry process

    Section 7: Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms

    7.1 Internal Oversight

    • Annual internal audit
    • Quarterly management reviews
    • Whistleblower system

    7.2 External Oversight

    • GLEIF audit cooperation
    • Data privacy compliance (DPDP Act, GDPR)

    7.3 Record-Keeping

    • Secure storage of audit reports, conflict logs, risk registers

    Section 8: Regulatory Alignment and GLEIF Requirements

    8.1 GLEIF Compliance

    • Master Agreement
    • Accreditation checklists
    • Operational and reporting controls

    8.2 National and Global Laws

    • Companies Act (India)
    • DPDP Act (India)
    • GDPR (EU)
    • ISO 27001 and 9001

    8.3 Audit Readiness

    • Documents retained and presented upon request

    8.4 Continuous Monitoring

    • Updates and communications from GLEIF regularly reviewed

    Section 9: Policy Review and Update Cycle

    9.1 Review Frequency

    • Reviewed annually
    • Triggered by structural change, audit, or GLEIF updates

    9.2 Review Responsibility

    • Led by Chief Compliance Officer
    • Input from Board, IC, and department leads

    9.3 Final Approval and Publication

    9.4 Version Control

    VersionDate IssuedDescriptionApproved By
    1.001st January 2025Initial Issue of Governance PolicyBoard of Directors

    All previous versions are archived and available on request.