This is a brief note in two parts: to say 'thank you' and advise that I'll be in London and Paris again soon. First, thank you for your continued interest in effective corporate governance as a means of fuelling high business performance. That so many directors and business leaders have contacted me over the last few years, either to tell their story or to seek guidance has been truly gratifying—and even more so when the same people reach out again, many glowing at increased business performance achieved following the initial conversation. So, thank you for reaching out. Second, I will be in London again very soon (24–31 May), to continue the conversation with directors, boards and business leaders; ahead of a short visit to Paris (1–3 June), to present a paper at the EURAM conference. Currently, my diary has a few gaps, so if you would like to take advantage of my proximity to discuss an aspect of corporate governance, board practice, strategy or firm performance; learn about emerging trends; or, toss around a 'live' challenge you are grappling with, please get in touch to schedule a meeting. I'd be delighted to hear from you and to attend a meeting at a time and place that suits you. My availability in London is as follows:
My availability in Paris is more limited because of the conference. However, I am available for dinner meetings on Wed 1 June or Thu 2 June; or, an early morning meeting on Fri 3 June. I look forward to chatting with you soon.
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Some three weeks have now passed since the Institute of Directors' Annual Conference was held at the salubrious Langham Hotel in Auckland. I attended this year for the first time, and did so with an open mind having heard mixed reports about previous editions. Some 450 experienced and aspiring directors, media, consultants and Institute staff attended the one-and-a-half day event. Some general observations, in no particular order:
Overall, the mood of the conference seemed to be upbeat. However, I came away with mixed feelings. Apart from Drs Ferguson and Cherrington, the conference delivered little in the way of critical analysis or case study examples to help directors do their job better. Similar conferences that I've attended overseas make learning a priority. They schedule research streams (peer-reviewed papers discussing emerging trends); plenary panel discussions; 'live' case studies; and, half-day highly interactive workshops on sector- and subject-specific topics of direct relevance to smaller groups of directors. The ICGN Annual Conference stands out as a great example. I hope the organisers see fit to consider 'bulking up' the conference programme in the future, both to broaden the appeal of the conference and to deliver additional value to the delegates—especially directors of smaller entities. The Institute should also consider scheduling its Annual Meeting within the conference programme, to ensure higher levels of participation. I for one would make attendance a priority if these elements are added.
This musing is a little more personal and introspective than most written here. It has been written in the spirit of one of my core values: openness. I hope you allow the indulgence. In recent days, three people have contacted me because they had noticed that Musings had 'gone quiet'—they had noticed that no new articles had been posted for three weeks. I was blown away, that people had even noticed, let alone reached out. They wanted to know whether everything was OK and if was I still writing. The short answer is 'yes, I'm fine'. The reason for the three weeks of 'blog silence' (is that what one calls the blog equivalent of 'radio silence'?) is that I've been very busy. Several demanding priorities saw me fully committed elsewhere (I won't bore you with the details, save to say that big task included making sense of some seemingly contradictory information related to a crucial aspect of my thesis). Then, an unexpected delay to one project resulted in me being overcommitted for a few days. As a consequence, something needed to give, so I temporarily stopped writing articles for Musings. That's all. The craziness of the past three weeks has passed, meaning normal transmission can resume. Top priorities in the short term are to tidy up the remaining loose ends before resubmitting my doctoral thesis; respond to several speaking and advisory enquiries; travel domestically and internationally to fulfil client and conference commitments; and, to write some new Musings articles (first up, a summary piece on the recent Institute of Directors Annual Conference). I'm looking forward to it.
Are you based in or near London or Paris? Do you want to learn more about board effectiveness, corporate governance and how boards can exert influence from and beyond the boardroom? If so, please read on. In a few weeks I will be visiting London (24–31 May) and Paris (1–4 June) to speak with directors and trust board members about board practices, board effectiveness and emerging trends in corporate governance; share the results of my latest research; attend meetings; and, to present a paper at the EURAM conference. If you have a question (perhaps along the lines of these ones below) or a request and would like to take advantage of my proximity, please get in touch. I'd be delighted to hear from you and to schedule a meeting.
If you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions...you know what to do. I am at your service.
What is it with the equinox? In the six days that have passed since the equinox announced the changing of the seasons, my phone and email box have been running hot. A stream of enquiries and requests from business leaders in Australasia, the UK, Western Europe, South-east Asia and the Middle East have arrived. I have been asked to speak at conferences and major events, provide guidance to boards and management groups, discuss the findings from latest research, facilitate strategy workshops, and to lead director development workshops. That some many people have decided to reach out is truly an honour. Thank you. Several visits to major cities around the world have now been scheduled to fulfil commitments, as follows:
If you have an interest in corporate governance, strategic management or a related topic and want to take advantage of my proximity(*), please contact me. I would be delighted to hear from you to understand your situation and to arrange to meet you in person or to schedule an event. (*) If you would like to schedule a meeting or an event but the venues and dates listed do not fit your timetable, please reach out anyway, so that we can discuss an alternate arrangement that does suit your requirements.
Earlier this year, Lloyd Russell of TCB Solutions and Deb Coren of AMPLIFI Governance contacted me to discuss an event they were planning in their home town of Brisbane, Australia. They wanted me to deliver some talks and share some insights on the evolution of governance—with a specific focus on family-owned businesses. After learning more about their plans I was thrilled to accept the invitation. With that, planning got underway. Two events have now been scheduled on Thu 19 May, one in the morning and the other in the evening. If you are a family or private business owner; or an independent director, advisor or partner, then this event may be of interest. Click on the image for more information and to register (a new browser page will open).
A word of warning for business leaders and academics invited to speak at conferences run by an organisation called WASET (World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology): Give the organisation a wide berth. WASET appears to be a genuine organisation that runs conferences but, if the many comments on the Internet are any guide, the conferences are a front for a scam of some sort. I nearly got caught out. In early January, I responded to an invitation to submit an abstract for consideration at the 15th International Conference on Corporate Governance in Singapore. (I had been looking for a suitable conference to share an important aspect of my research on corporate governance and strategic management. The conference seemed OK, so submitted a half-page abstract.) A few days later, notice of abstract acceptance arrived, together with a request to submit the full paper for review. All good so far. But then... Two emails arrived today. One was an invitation to attend the conference. The other was notice that my paper has been accepted onto the programme—despite no paper having been submitted, much less reviewed! This didn't sound right. A quick search revealed many pages of blog posts and comments from people asking if WASET conferences are a scam, whether the conferences are fake, and other similar questions. The decision to back out came easily. Luckily, no intellectual property or money changed hands.
Nearly fifty chairmen, directors and company secretaries from around South-east Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa gathered at the Ritz–Carlton Millenia Hotel in Singapore this week for The Boardroom Agenda conference. Delegates received presentations, shared stories and debated issues over two days (23–24 November), under the Chatham House rule. I had the honour of contributing to the discussion on the second day. Here are some of the takeouts:
I've come away from the conference with the impression that the quality of corporate governance and board practice in Asian and Middle Eastern economies is rapidly improving. Overall, the hunger to improve board effectiveness was plain to see, as was the desire to learn from those with experience gained elsewhere (if the many conversations, requests to return and business cards in my satchel are any indication). However, care must be taken to ensure that models and frameworks in use in the Anglosphere are not blindly implemented in this region. Such colonialism is unwarranted and patronising, and it may be culturally demeaning as well.
I will be in Singapore early next week (23–25 November) for the "The Boardroom Agenda" conference at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia. The attendance list includes senior chairmen, directors, company secretaries and chief executives from across Asia and the Middle East. The main aim of the conference is to 'raise the bar' on board performance and take the board's effectiveness to greater heights. In addition to five plenary presentations, two parallel streams (Board Insiders and Council, and Board Guardians) of cases studies, mini think-tanks and deep dive sessions are scheduled. The third day is dedicated to an optional masterclass workshop. My main contributions will be on Day Two. I will be a panelist (The Board Governance Dialogue); delivering a presentation (Responding to the re-emergence of director's duties and liabilities); and, chairing the Board Insiders and Council stream. For more information: Finally, if you are in Singapore on Mon 23 or Tue 24 and wish to meet privately to discuss other matters of interest, I am available to do so over dinner. Please get in touch if you want to take advantage of this.
I was party to a fascinating conversation on Friday evening, with a gentleman—in the full sense of the word—in the lobby of a comfortable hotel in Lisbon, Portugal. The gentleman, a learned business professor, advanced in years but razor sharp of mind, was asked to comment on the Portuguese political situation, particularly as it related to the recent election and the selection of a new Prime Minister. After a considered pause of some twenty seconds or more, and the repeated stroking of his furrowed brow, he responded. Speaking in somewhat broken but ultimately capable English, the professor said "Aah, the situation is interesting, very interesting. We have many challenges; Portugal needs strong leadership." The professor went on to describe several challenges and difficulties, including that the highest polling party lacks the numbers to nominate their leader as Prime Minister and govern by majority. A complicating factor is that the President of Portugal will soon complete his term. The situation is unstable. If it cannot be resolved quickly, a coalition of minor parties including an extreme leftist party may try to usurp power and turn away from the gains made in recent years. The professor suggested that the main casualities will be the economy and the wellbeing of the people. The small audience of four leaned in as the professor spoke, enthralled by the palpable intensity of the situation. The parallels and lessons for companies, and boards in particular, are stark. Boards that are not united in purpose cannot hope to lead the company they are charged with overseeing effectvely. Similarly, chief executives without a clear mandate to lead risk stasis. Those that run agendae in variance to agreed priorities or strategies put the future prosperity (and, potentially, the viability) of the business at risk. In society, democracy has it benefits, but only to a point. When a group of people—be it the electorate, a group of executive managers or a board of directors—can't agree, the organisation can't hope to compete effectively or make progress towards value creation goals. As with the Portuguese election result, such situations in business are not sustainable. Strong leadership is required, from the top, to break the deadlock. As we parted ways, the professor graciously invited me to return to Portugal, both to spend more time with him and to share insights with business leaders. If the quality of our brief exchange is any indication of what might be possible in a wider context, I look forward to that day, and very much so. Thank you professor.
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