ICGN'15: Official welcome

Alderman Alan Yarrow, Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, City of London provided the official welcome address straight after the ICGN AGM. Yarrow's speech was short and sharp, and it was delivered with...

4 June 2015

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ICGN'15: AGM summary

If you are anything like me, Annual General Meetings do not normally feature as compelling events in your calendar. AGMs are often boring sequences of compliance-oriented voting, with little if any inspirational...

4 June 2015

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ICGN'15: integrated reporting update

The 20th ICGN conference is underway. While the annual meeting and official welcome signalled the start of the conference, ICGN committee meetings and lunchtime panel discussions were scheduled, to fit...

4 June 2015

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International Corporate Governance Network: Annual conference starts today!

I have arrived in London ahead of the International Corporate Governance Network conference which starts today. The organisers have prepared a full three-day programme (agenda here), based at Guildhall...

3 June 2015

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Pausing to celebrate two important milestones

[Picture] [Picture] May 31 is an important day on our family calendar: This year doubly so. It's our daughter's birthday (our youngest reached the ripe old age of 21 this year). We hosted a luncheon...

2 June 2015

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EURAM: conference programme now available online

The 15th European Academy of Management (EURAM) annual conference will be held in Warsaw, Poland on 17–20 June. The conference programme is now available online. Over 1200 delegates have registered to...

27 May 2015

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International Corporate Governance Network: Annual Conference

The 2015 edition of the International Corporate Governance Network annual conference is just a week away (3–5 June). This year, ICGN will be celebrating 20 years of governance change and reform. Hosted...

25 May 2015

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I stand corrected!

A muse that I wrote yesterday asked a series of questions about company ownership. It stimulated quite a bit of interest, albeit for reasons other than I expected. Having discussed the matter with several...

23 May 2015

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Apparently shareholders do not own corporations!

Please excuse this rather sensationalist title—I have just picked myself up from the floor having read this clause in the recital section of a [draft] directive being prepared in the EU: > "Although...

22 May 2015

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Three conferences in three weeks, starting in 13 days

Here's the trip schedule: In just under two week's time (June 1), I embark on another trip to England and Europe. The main purpose of this trip is to attend three important corporate governance conferences,...

20 May 2015

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Selling a major company asset to a director, and doing so properly

Is it ever OK to sell a major company asset to one of the company's directors? One must be careful, very careful. The safe answer is probably 'no', because the proximity of conflict is ever-present and...

18 May 2015

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Do you have a 'heads-up' habit?

One habit that has served me well for many years is the 'heads-up' habit. It's really simple. Every week, I pause and look ahead, as follows: - Every Saturday morning—before breakfast—I look ahead at...

16 May 2015

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Executive pay: is Thodey's call a signal that enough is enough?

David Thodey, outgoing chief executive of Telstra, has just gone on record: CEO pay is out of control. Swimming against the tide, Thodey said his remuneration was indefensible, and called for change....

8 May 2015

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Boardroom authenticity: are director actions consistent with their claims?

The NYSE has just published the results of its 12th annual director survey. The survey, conducted by Spencer Stuart, makes for interesting reading. For example, strategy and performance features as a...

7 May 2015

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NACD announces "long-term value creation" commission

The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) has announced the establishment of a Blue Ribbon Commission to investigate the board's role in driving long-term value creation. You can read the...

7 May 2015

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Telling the emergent #corpgov story

About three and a half years ago, I had the privilege of listening to a leading thinker speak about some of the problems with boards, board practice and the phenomenon of corporate governance. The comments...

1 May 2015

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Want to learn more about boards and corporate governance?

Are you interested in boards, board practice and corporate governance? Do you want to learn about emergent trends and how boards can influence business performance? If so, read on... I will be visiting...

30 April 2015

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Directors, you are accountable—the Supreme Court says so

Is the worm starting to turn? After many years of relative calm—save a small number of judgements including this example from the New Zealand finance sector—directors seem to be facing increased levels...

27 April 2015

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It's time to act: Boards need to focus on leadership and strategy

Governance researchers and some more forward thinking directors have known something for a long while: that boards can add considerable value to business. However, most directors see their role on the...

24 April 2015

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ICAEW posts excellent discussion on capital market changes and impact on corporate governance

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has recently published an informative series of documents to help directors and executives respond to changes in capital markets and...

15 April 2015