Jin Rong Shi Bao·2025-12-31 01:52Core Viewpoint - The insurance industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the "exit of the supervisory board," as many companies are abolishing this governance structure to enhance efficiency and adapt to new regulatory requirements [2][4]. Group 1: Changes in Governance Structure - As of December 25, 2023, 13 insurance companies, including China Life and China Pacific Insurance, have announced the abolition of their supervisory boards, marking a profound change in the long-standing "three meetings and one layer" governance framework [2][3]. - The trend began with Japan's insurance company in April 2023, which was the first to announce the removal of the supervisory board, followed by state-owned insurance groups [2][3]. - By December 2023, major companies like China Life and New China Life had completed the necessary regulatory approvals to officially abolish their supervisory boards [3][4]. Group 2: Policy and Regulatory Drivers - The reform is driven by the new Company Law effective July 2024, allowing state-owned companies to replace supervisory boards with audit committees, which can enhance governance efficiency [4]. - The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission issued a notice in December 2024, clarifying that financial institutions can establish audit committees to perform the functions of supervisory boards [4]. Group 3: Motivations Behind the Reform - The primary motivations for abolishing supervisory boards include the need to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and address issues of overlapping functions and formalized supervision [4]. - The transition is not seen as a reduction in oversight but rather a restructuring of the supervisory system, with audit committees taking over the responsibilities of the supervisory boards [4]. - The industry anticipates that this reform will enhance compliance and risk management capabilities, contributing to the high-quality development of the insurance sector [4].