8. Auditors

PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, Zurich, has been the auditor of the Geberit Group since 1997 and of Geberit AG since its foundation in 1999. Lead auditor Beat Inauen has been in charge of the auditing mandate since 2015. The lead auditor is rotated every seven years.

In 2018, PricewaterhouseCoopers invoiced the Geberit Group TCHF 1,766 for services in connection with the audit of the financial statements of Group companies as well as the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Geberit Group.

For additional services, PricewaterhouseCoopers invoiced TCHF 530 relating to tax consultancy and support as well as TCHF 32 for other services. Therefore, the non-audit fees amount to 32% of the audit fees.

Before every meeting, the external auditor informs the Audit Committee in writing about relevant auditing activities and other important facts and figures related to the company. Representatives of the external and internal auditors attend the meetings of the Audit Committee for specific agenda items, and to comment on their activities and answer questions. The external auditors attended three meetings of the Audit Committee in the reporting year 2018.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors makes an annual assessment of the performance, fees and independence of the auditors, and supports the Board of Directors in the nomination of the auditor for the attention of the ordinary General Meeting. The Audit Committee uses the following criteria to assess the performance and fees of the auditors: technical and operational expertise; independence and objectivity; adequate use of resources; focus on areas that involve significant risk for Geberit; willingness to challenge and re-evaluate; ability to provide effective, practical recommendations; open and effective communication and coordination with the Audit Committee, the internal auditors and the Group Executive Board. Every year, the Audit Committee determines the scope and planning of the internal audit, coordinates them with those of the external audit and discusses the audit results with the external and internal auditors. For more details on the Audit Committee, see 3. Board of Directors, 3.5 Internal organisational structure, Audit Committee (AC).