Governance
With Capitalism at an Inflection Point, It’s Fair to Ask: What Is the Purpose of a Corporation?
Four years ago, the Business Roundtable released its landmark statement on a corporation’s purpose. Since then, the world has seen a pandemic, widespread civil unrest and a global cost-of-living crisis. It’s through that lens that Protiviti’s Jim DeLoach revisits the statement now. The prevailing notion in the United States of a corporation’s purpose in a free-enterprise system, largely framed by...
There’s a Better Way to Measure ESG
Are ESG investors getting the most impact for their buck? That’s the question posed by a growing chorus of ESG critics, who argue that an unregulated ratings system is misleading — to the point that, as one headline reads, “The World May Be Better Off Without ESG Investing.” JTC’s Reid Thomas argues for a better way forward. Though claims that...
As M&A Market Enters Its Sweet Spot, Don’t Let Deals Sour From Poor Due Diligence
Mergers and acquisitions have always been influenced by market conditions, and the current landscape is no exception. While uncertainty and market volatility tend to slow down M&A activity, these headwinds can also present attractive valuations and opportunities for strategic deals. This double-edged sword has Prodinity’s Theunis Viljoen optimistic about the M&A prospects for the remainder of the year, with one...
EU Product Safety Regulations Can Serve as Guideposts for Sustainability
Putting a new product or drug on the market in Europe may require jumping through a lot of regulatory hurdles to prove those products are safe. ESG columnist John Peiserich talks about how when developing robust sustainability goals, companies can incorporate information originally generated as part of product stewardship and drug approval obligations, using the heavy lifting of product launch...
Google Cloud Perspectives on Security for the Board
How can boards of directors provide effective cloud oversight? Second Edition Perspectives on Security for the Board What's in this report from Google Cloud: The cloud transition continues apace, and savvy boards of directors are thinking about how to provide effective oversight of cloud adoption. Google Cloud’s second edition report helps board members raise their security IQs by getting educated,...
ESG Implementation Methodology
What makes good ESG? Whitepaper ESG Implementation Methodology What's in this whitepaper from Speeki: The challenge for many companies starting out on an ESG journey is determining exactly where to begin. There are a lot of areas to cover, and it can be somewhat overwhelming. This report covers issues like: How to define a company with “good ESG” Why is...
Materiality Assessments: An Essential Part of Your ESG & Sustainability Strategy
A step-by-step approach to ESG materiality assessments ESG Materiality Assessments An Essential Part of Your ESG & Sustainability Strategy What's in this whitepaper from Speeki: Conducting a materiality assessment is crucial when building your ESG strategy. Learn more about the critical two-part process to developing a materiality assessment: Material areas to focus: The first stage of a materiality assessment is...
GHG Verification an Overlooked Board Responsibility?
Organizational buy-in of sustainability goals must go all the way to the top, including the board of directors, if those goals have any hope of being met. As ESG columnist John Peiserich explores, there are some nuances board directors should be aware of regarding greenhouse gas emissions. Boards of directors are the lynchpin to effective sustainability programs. Effective sustainability programs...
When in Doubt, Apply Warren Buffett’s Newspaper Test
When making decisions, transparency and potential consequences are powerful influencers. For directors and CEOs — as well as for their personal brands — this is a key question: What will decision makers in their organization do in critical situations when no one is watching? Protiviti’s Jim DeLoach shares advice on how company leaders can instill and reinforce ethical practices. When...
Analysis: Shareholders Aren’t Swayed by Anti-ESG Efforts — Yet
Shareholder proposals focusing on ESG matters have gone up for the fourth straight year, according to a 2023 proxy season analysis by governance consultancy Georgeson. While the analysis found that a record 951 ESG shareholder proposals have been submitted so far in the 2023 proxy season, the year-over-year increase was much smaller than in previous seasons and — most notably...
How Can Boards Respond to M&A Risk in 2023?
Although deal activity during 2022 and early 2023 has slowed compared to a record-setting 2021, many companies are assessing their options for M&A to drive growth and increase resilience. At the same time, a range of evolving challenges including macroeconomic volatility, regulatory pressures and heightened scrutiny from shareholders and other stakeholders may increase uncertainty around deal success. BDO’s Amy Rojik...
Just Add Water: Latest Cyber Threat Coming From Your Kitchen Tap?
The vast majority of Americans get their drinking water from public water systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attack thanks to reliance on automated, connected systems. ESG columnist John Peiserich explores a new EPA mandate designed to ensure these systems are secure. About nine in 10 people in the U.S. get their drinking water from a public water system,...
