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    International Corporate Governance Network: Annual Conference

    Conferences Governance Performance Research
    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 by the City of London, the conference is being held at the historic Guildhall. The organisers have assembled a fantastic programme. Over 650 delegates have registered to hear 80 speakers discuss a wide range of topics:
    • Sustainable capital market reform: what needs to be done?
    • The board of the future: will it be fit for purpose?
    • Share ownership in a global context—is stewardship working?
    • Human rights: what are investors expected to know and do
    • Driving accountability across the voting chain
    I will be at the conference (as a delegate only this year). Summary reports will be posted here, so please check back next week for updates. If you want to meet up at the conference, contact me to make an arrangement.
    The ICGN annual conference is the first of three conferences that I'm attending in June. I will also be at the International Governance Workshop (11–12th, Barcelona, Spain) and the European Academy of Management conference (17–20th, Warsaw, Poland), to present the latest findings of my research and discuss implications for boards. Copies of my papers are now available.
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    Three conferences in three weeks, starting in 13 days

    Conferences Governance Leadership Performance Phd Research
    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, to contribute to the emerging conversation. Many of the world's leading advisors, company directors and academics will be at the conferences. I am honoured to be speaking at two of them. 
    June 2
    June 3–5

    June 8–9
    June 11–12
    June 15
    June 17–20
    June 20
    Arrive in London
    International Corporate Governance Network Conference, London
    (click to set up meeting at conference)
    Available in London or nearby (Want to meet? Get in touch)
    International Governance Workshop, Barcelona (my paper abstract)
    Limited availability in London (Want to meet? Get in touch)
    European Academy of Management, Warsaw (my paper abstract)
    Return to New Zealand
    If you are interested in a specific conference presentation but cannot attend, please let me know. I'll try to attend for you and post a report. Conference updates will be posted here and on Twitter during the conferences, so check back if you are interested.
    I'm looking forward to reconnecting with #corpgov friends and associates, making some new connections and testing some of the ideas that have emerged from my research work. Much coffee will be drunk, no doubt! If you'd like to meet up, at a conference or separately, please get in touch.
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    NACD announces "long-term value creation" commission

    Governance Performance Phd Research Strategy
    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 full announcement here.
    Twenty-six "distinguished corporate leaders and governance experts" have been appointed as commissioners. Surprisingly, no corporate governance academics have been appointed. This begs the question of how the BRC intends to go about its work, and to conduct empirical research in particular. I hope the opportunity to investigate what value creation is—and how it is created—is not lost.
    I'm in two minds about this investigation. On one hand, it confirms the profession has a serious problem: that we simply don't know how boards add value or influence performance begs the question of what directors and boards actually do. On the other hand, congratulations are due to the NACD taking the bold step of commissioning the investigation. The subject is topical (in the last six months alone, I have been party to well over 100 conversations and debates on the topic of strategy in the boardroom), to the point of being somewhat personal (the subject is at the heart of my doctoral research).
    Consequently, I intend to watch developments closely especially as the commission seems to be very similar to a study undertaken last year. If asked, I will make my research findings available to the BRC.
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    Telling the emergent #corpgov story

    Conferences Governance Research Speaking Engagements Strategy
    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 were as contentious as they were disarming: we don't know nearly as much as we would like to think we do. Further, many of the widely discussed measures (women on boards, board size, an independent chair) provide little if any guarantee of increased business performance.
    My initial reaction was to dismiss the comments. They stood apart from the prevailing opinions of many practitioners and consultants. However, there was something compelling about the the way the story was told. Something made sense, so I dug deeper. Pretty soon, I found myself on the quest that became my doctoral journey, to try to work out how boards can influence business performance in real terms.
    Jun 3–5

    Jun 11–12
    Jun 17–20
    Week 1 Sep
    Sep 8
    Sep 9
    Sep 10
    Oct 29–30
    Nov 12–13

    Nov 23–27
    International Corporate Governance Network  annual conference
    (London, England)
    International Governance Workshop (Barcelona, Spain)
    European Academy of Management conference (Warsaw, Poland)
    * available in UK and Western Europe
    Masterclass: Corporate Governance (venue tbd, Ireland)
    Masterclass: Boards and Performance (Dublin, Ireland)
    Guest lecturer: University of Ulster (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
    EIASM conference (Brussels, Belgium)
    European Conference on Management Leadership & Governance
    (Lisbon, Portugal)
    Reserved for Singapore event and meetings
    (The prospect of some meetings in Australia and the US is being discussed as well, but nothing is confirmed yet.)
    That quest continues today. However, the doctorate is nearly complete so the time to package the learnings (there have been many), tell the emergent corporate governance story and discuss implications for boards and businesses has arrived. To this end, I will be travelling internationally in June (as signalled yesterday), September and November as follows:
    If you want to know more about any of these events, or want me to meet your board or executive team, please get in touch.
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    Paper accepted on Understanding Governance Workshop programme

    Conferences Governance Leadership Research
    I am thrilled to announce that I have been asked to attend and speak at the Understanding Governance Workshop, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, on 11–12 June, 2015. 
    The purpose of this workshop is to bring together leading thinkers to discuss contemporary directions in governance; to challenge the status quo, in terms of how boards work and how research is conducted; and, to give voice to innovative critical research. My paper, entitled "Executive-controlled boards, power and influence: A reality check", fits the second and third categories. Thank you to the Workshop organisers and paper reviewers for considering this contribution worthy to be included on the programme.
    With this invitation, my conference schedule for June is now confirmed, as follows:
    I will be in the UK and EU from 2 June through 20 June, and am available for other advisory, speaking or facilitation engagements between the conferences. I'd be happy to discuss corporate governance, board practice, strategy or related topics; including the results of my latest research. If you wish to take advantage of my proximity, please get in touch.
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    Paper accepted onto EURAM conference programme

    Conferences Governance Performance Research
    I am thrilled to announce that a paper written earlier this year, entitled Boards, strategy and business performance: Observations from inside boardrooms, has been accepted onto the programme of the prestigious European Academy of Management (EURAM) conference, to be held in Warsaw, Poland on 17–20 June. A copy of the abstract has been posted here. Some 1350 papers were submitted for consideration, so to be have been selected and asked to speak at the conference is truly an honour. Thank you to the reviewers and track chair who considered the paper sufficiently worthy.
    This conference becomes the third (of three) that I will be contributing to in June: 
    I will be on the ground in the UK and EU to continue the corporate governance discussion from 2 to 20 June, with some time available between conferences. If you would like to take advantage of my proximity—as a speaker or facilitator, or to seek some advice—please contact me.