Governance

BDO has just published its 2020 Shareholder Meeting Agenda, which digs in to the key shareholder issues that corporate management and boards should be prepared to discuss. Heading into their annual meetings, shareholders have made clear that a strong corporate culture and actions to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are as important as navigating regulatory changes and growth...

It's no secret that serving as a corporate director today is more challenging than ever before. Between the escalating pace of chance, the increasingly public profile of boards and the growing set of existential risks that companies face, one could argue that modern directors have more on their plates now than at any other time in history. The latest report...

Changing trends, risks and demands necessitate changes in response. Michael Volkov asserts that boards must shift to a broader approach, replacing a single-minded focus on profits with measured consideration of the interests of a wide range of stakeholders. Corporate boards are under increasing attack by investors, shareholders and the public. In the aftermath of corporate legal train wrecks – such...

Diligent Institute has partnered with CGLytics to explore the corporate governance landscape for 2020. This whitepaper takes a look at last year's data, outlines predictions for the year ahead and offers an agenda for tackling the big issues of the day. Download your copy of the report below.  

Crisis management expert Michael Toebe interviews one of the nation’s leading experts on corporate governance to discuss the risky practice of overboarding – a deep concern among stakeholders. Overboarding is not always top of mind for boards, but considering the elevated risk that can reasonably result and what research has revealed, it should be a stronger concern for mitigation and...

Last year was a headline-making year in the governance space, with the evolving purpose of a corporation and other prescient topics generating national attention. PwC’s Paula Loop highlights governance trends boards need to be aware of in 2020. It’s 2020 – the beginning of a new year and decade – and the dialogue and sentiment around business is changing. What...

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has just published a new report on collective, holistic corporate governance. "Horizon 2020" focuses on strategic intelligence for boards as we enter the new, fast-changing decade. As we’ve seen this year, public companies face a host of challenges not limited to fluctuating economic conditions, geopolitical instability and regulatory regimes. More than 35 Freshfields attorneys came...

Once upon a time, a corporate compliance program might have been a “nice to have” element. Those days are gone. Marc Tasse concludes a two-part series on reputational risks with a framework for building a robust E&C program. Read Part 1 here. A Corporate Compliance Program is an Absolute “Must Have” Over the last few years, we have observed a...

The reputational risk that can result from allegations of noncompliance with corruption, bribery or money-laundering regulations is one of the biggest threats facing organizations today. Marc Tasse begins to detail what organizations can do to protect against reputational harm. Corruption, perhaps more than anything, risks irreparably damaging a hard-earned reputation. While reputation risk due to corruption goes along with other...

ESG concerns are increasingly impacting shareholder activism, in turn pressuring boards to engage with investors on these subjects. Farient Advisors’ Marc Hodak shares the way these trends will shape investor relations, corporate governance and compliance. Corporate Compliance Insights: How has the investor ecosystem changed in recent years? What pressures now exist for companies that haven’t previously? Marc Hodak: Historically, companies...

FiscalDoctor CEO and President Gary Patterson discusses takeaways from the latest NACD Public Company Governance Survey – guidance pertinent for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and large organizations alike. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) must often live with the reality of scarce resources: limited time, insufficient money for open CAPEX needs and inadequate access to key expertise. Here, I address...

Directors are more focused on non-shareholder needs than the public and media believe. This is according to the just-released report from Diligent Institute and Stanford University's Rock Center for Corporate Governance. The report paints a nuanced picture of how board directors are managing shareholder and stakeholder interests and where improvements can be made. Some key findings and topics include: Commitment...