Контекст примерно такой:

Role and responsibilities of the Lead Director include:

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Chairing the Executive Committee

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Chairing executive sessions at which non-management directors meet outside management’s presence, and providing feedback from such sessions to the Chief Executive Officer

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Coordinating the activities of the Independent Directors

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Providing input on agendas and schedules for Board meetings

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Leading (with the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee) the annual Board evaluation

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Leading (with the Chairman of the Management Development and Compensation Committee) the Board’s review and discussion of the Chief Executive Officer’s performance

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Providing feedback to individual directors following their periodic evaluations

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Speaking on behalf of the Board and chairing Board meetings when the Chairman of the Board is unable to do so

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Acting as a direct conduit to the Board for stockholders, employees and others according to the Board’s policies

Заранее благодарю за ответ!

The Board has established a leadership structure that allocates responsibilities between our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and our Lead Director.

то есть он может быть председателем, но может и быть отдельным лицом. и это ставит меня в тупик. Неужели на русском нет чего-то подобного?

В частности, http://www.financierworldwide.com/the-role-of-the-lead-director

One feature of Sarbanes-Oxley, clarified by regulations issued by the SEC, and recently adopted by both the NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange, effectively requires listed companies with non-independent chairmen to elevate one of their independent directors to the position of lead director.

почему бы не написать дословно - "ведущий"?

Ср. из другой области - lead manager, joint lead managers - переводится как "ведущий (ведущие)..."