Wells Fargo & Company announced that its Board of Directors has amended the Company’s By-Laws to require the separation of the Chairman and CEO roles and for the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board to be independent directors. The Board approved the By-Law amendments, which are effective immediately, on November 29, 2016.

“The Board previously acted to elect an independent Chairman to lead the Board and we believe formalizing this structure is the right decision at this time for the Company and its investors, customers, and team members,” said Stephen Sanger, Chairman of the Board. “Efforts to restore the trust of our customers and team members are well underway and will continue until we have fully addressed the issues surrounding retail banking sales practices. While the investigation of these practices and related matters by the independent directors continues in earnest, we believe this action will enhance the Board’s independence and its oversight of the Company’s management, and we appreciate the feedback that we received from our investors on this matter.”

Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,600 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 269,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States.