Although governance may stop artificial intelligence replacing anyone on the board today, AI may soon prove to be a useful...
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Top Stories
Call for FTSE 100 companies to give guidance on ethics
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 21, 2023
Most top firms have a published code of ethics, but many lack the framework to help their employees make ethical...
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Larry Fink puts focus on finance and inflation
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 20, 2023
Although BlackRock’s CEO does not mention the term ‘ESG’ in his annual letter, he highlights the investment risks posed by...
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News round-up: this week in governance
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 17, 2023
GOP declares SVB ‘woke’; banks slow to sustainability; fund managers accused of dodging voting risks; cross-border mergers and democracies.
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Reform of NHS levy ‘harms UK competitiveness’
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 15, 2023
Boards in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector face increasingly difficult decisions, according to a recent Board Agenda podcast.
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ESG resilience requires leaders to manage without certainty
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 14, 2023
Boards lack the understanding needed to face environmental and social challenges, according to LBS professor.
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News round-up: this week in governance
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 10, 2023
PwC fined over Babcock; EY split is on hold; Senate kills Biden ESG law; ChapGPT predicts M&As; directors who 'overboard'.
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Anticipation is key to risk management and resilience
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 10, 2023
Experts warn that boards cannot devise a response plan to everything that might go wrong, so should focus on emerging...
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Less than a third of FTSE 100 executives are women
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 9, 2023
In Europe as a whole, only 7.7% of top companies’ chief executives are female, gender diversity barometer shows.
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B Lab calls for EU directive to keep sustainability ‘duty of care’
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 8, 2023
The not-for-profit body cautions that removing mandatory consideration of sustainability in due diligence threatens green targets.
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Performance declines as boards grow in size
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 7, 2023
Researchers found that investment dropped by 2-3 percentage points as companies passed from 12 to 16 board members.
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News round-up: this week in governance
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 3, 2023
US divided on ESG influence in investment; FTSE 250 bullish on M&As; ChatGPT has a lot to say on governance.
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‘Easy’ carbon targets keep executive pay high
By Gavin Hinks
/ March 1, 2023
Executives get ESG pay-outs despite ‘inadequate progress’ on carbon emissions, London Business School research suggests.
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BNP Paribas faces climate lawsuit over sustainability due diligence
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 28, 2023
NGOs join up to pursue bank through the courts for failing to comply with French law on human rights and...
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Boards have an essential role in building resilient companies
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 23, 2023
Experts from boardrooms, academia, not-for-profits and consultancy will gather to explore the road to resilience in uncertain times.
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‘Collaboration’ is key to preparing for geopolitical crises
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 23, 2023
Geopolitical risk is here to stay, but businesses may not be ready for the next major incident, says report from...
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Top companies fail to prove audit quality
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 22, 2023
Investment Association reveals the inadequacy of audit assessment in most FTSE 100 companies, with only 8% measuring up.
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Silicon Valley improves its governance
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 21, 2023
Big technology companies are stealing a march over other top corporates when it comes to female representation on the board.
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Activism campaigns rise worldwide
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 17, 2023
But research shows a reduction in campaigns in Europe last year, contrasting with the pronounced increase in the US and...
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News round-up: this week in governance
By Gavin Hinks
/ February 17, 2023
ClientEarth pursues FCA over Ithaca Energy listing; DeSantis goes for woke—again; Covid-19 support scheme fraud.
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Latest News
NEWS: Board expertise, 23 March, 2023
Could ChatGPT technology join the board?
Although governance may stop artificial intelligence replacing anyone on the board today, AI may soon prove to be a useful boardroom tool.
NEWS: Ethics, 21 March, 2023
Call for FTSE 100 companies to give guidance on ethics
Most top firms have a published code of ethics, but many lack the framework to help their employees make ethical decisions, research finds.
NEWS: Investment risk, 20 March, 2023
Larry Fink puts focus on finance and inflation
Although BlackRock’s CEO does not mention the term ‘ESG’ in his annual letter, he highlights the investment risks posed by climate change.
NEWS: Governance, 17 March, 2023
News round-up: this week in governance
NEWS: Life sciences podcast, 15 March, 2023
Reform of NHS levy ‘harms UK competitiveness’
NEWS: Corporate resilience, 14 March, 2023
ESG resilience requires leaders to manage without certainty
NEWS: Governance, 10 March, 2023
News round-up: this week in governance
NEWS: Risk management, 10 March, 2023
Anticipation is key to risk management and resilience
Interviews
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NEWS: Life sciences podcast
Reform of NHS levy ‘harms UK competitiveness’
Boards in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector face increasingly difficult decisions, according to a recent Board Agenda podcast.
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NEWS: Board priorities 2023
Board priorities 2023: tact, trust and transparency
We asked key figures what would help boards this year. The answers ranged from ‘smarter blockchain tech’ to ‘a cool head over executive pay’.
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NEWS: Investor relations
Climate issues likely to figure prominently at next year’s AGMs
A recent webinar heard that say-on-climate voting is expected to rise, while ESG remains a ‘hot topic’, as does executive pay.
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NEWS: Webinar
NEDs ‘needed more than ever’ in times of uncertainty
The non-executive director’s role is to both challenge and listen to management, agreed the panel of a recent webinar.
Board Moves
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Board moves, 22 March, 2023
Solomon Soquar joins BlackRock
The former CEO of Barclays Investments Solutions becomes a non-executive director of BlackRock Sustainable American Income Trust.
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Board moves, 16 March, 2023
Sally Johnson joins Rentokil Initial as NED
Pearson plc’s chief financial officer will become a non-executive director of Rentokil Initial on 1 April this year.
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Board moves, 14 March, 2023
Co-op announces non-executive director appointment
Adrian Marsh will also become chair of the consumer co-operative group’s risk and audit committee when he joins the board on 1 May this year.
Regulation
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NEWS: Sustainability due diligence, 8 March, 2023
B Lab calls for EU directive to keep sustainability ‘duty of care’
The not-for-profit body cautions that removing mandatory consideration of sustainability in due diligence threatens green targets.
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NEWS: Sustainability due diligence, 28 February, 2023
BNP Paribas faces climate lawsuit over sustainability due diligence
NGOs join up to pursue bank through the courts for failing to comply with French law on human rights and sustainability due diligence.
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22 February, 2023
Top companies fail to prove audit quality
Investment Association reveals the inadequacy of audit assessment in most FTSE 100 companies, with only 8% measuring up.
Partner Contributions
NEWS: ESG reporting
ESG reporting all-important in stakeholder engagement
Experts advise that by boosting their annual reporting, boards can build trust and form more meaningful relationships with investors.
INSIGHT: Governance
Audit committees and ESG: ‘It’s a difficult journey to navigate’
The rise of ESG as an investor concern is creating new demands of audit committees. A recent CACID event looked at the challenges.
Recognition that significant change is needed and determination to drive progress are vital if boards are to improve sustainability.
INSIGHT: Strategy
Leading change: the board’s role in driving business transformation
The chief executive and the rest of the board need to create a vision for the future, with clear objectives and a plan for achieving them.
As events repeatedly demonstrate, supply chain disruption is a given. Here's how improving resilience can benefit your wider strategy.
INSIGHT: Strategy
Firms forge ahead with AI adoption despite a lack of skills on boards
Survey reveals more than two-thirds of companies plan to implement AI technologies in the next 12 months.
A new report provides a roadmap to navigate the recovery by creating a culture of innovation—including making it a priority in the boardroom.
Insight: Risk
D&O litigation on the rise amid host of emerging risks
Directors face liability over a range of new threats, with data breaches, executive misconduct and climate boosting D&O litigation claims.
INSIGHT: Crisis management
Corporate disclosures and investor relations 'impaired by Covid-19'
A recent event hosted by Mazars brought together audit committee chairs and investors to explore their experience of coping with the impact of Covid-19.
NEWS: Governance awards
Diligent launches search for top 100 governance professionals 2020
The Modern Governance 100 programme honours company secretaries, corporate counsels and other professionals driving change in their organisations.
Survey reveals almost 60% of firms have revisited their strategy, and highlights a lack of board knowledge about key risks—including climate change.
INSIGHT: Compliance
Internal investigations are on the rise—but are they robust enough?
New legislation in the UK and Europe has added pressure for more internal investigations. But the lack of guidance puts companies at a disadvantage.
Risk management
Covid-19 adds to an unprecedented landscape of risk
Audit committee chairs have already drawn risk management lessons from the pandemic. But their attention is also fixed on the issues that will remain long after the crisis is resolved.
Investor engagement
Collaboration is key for the challenging AGM season ahead
With shareholder activism on the rise, boards must ensure they engage fully with investor concerns and demonstrate how they are addressing crucial issues.
Setting up a business in Germany can be challenging—even something as basic as opening a bank account poses difficulties. Here's what you need to know.
Talent pipeline
How companies can develop more diverse boardrooms
Diverse boardrooms have been shown to correlate with improved financial performance. But creating a talent pipeline isn’t an overnight task.
Board evolution
Setting the pace: how to ensure your board is fit for the future
EY’s latest whitepaper looks at the key actions boards should take now to ensure they set the pace—or risk falling behind.
Chairs and board members must understand their organisation's financial risk policy and hedging strategy to ensure that they can ask the right questions—and mitigate the risks posed by volatile financial markets.
A new report examines how outsourcing offers financial and strategic advantages to organisations in an increasingly fast-paced business environment.
Global business
Greece tops list of most complex international jurisdictions
TMF Group’s Global Business Complexity Index ranks Greece the most difficult jurisdiction for international companies to do business in, with Brazil, Germany and China also in the top ten.
Knowledge sharing
NGO governance: finding solutions to future challenges
A recent event brought together experts from national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to identify future governance challenges for the sector—and share possible solutions.
Financial services
Banking on better cybersecurity
Boards are bolstering their expertise as they look to tackle one of the biggest business threats facing financial services firms: the risk of cyber-attacks. But experts warn that resilience needs to be hard-wired into the business itself.
Following a raft of corporate scandals uncovered by whistleblowers, the business risks associated with an individual revealing wrongdoing should not be underestimated in the boardroom.
Board expertise
Taking control of cyber risk
Cybercrime is an escalating problem that demands constant attention to mitigate against financial and reputational risk. But what should boards do to ensure their organisation is protected?
Board expertise
Performance and accountability: the changing role of the chair
The role of the board chair has changed dramatically in the past decade, with chairs increasingly held responsible for corporate governance failures. How can board leaders ensure they are prepared for the challenges ahead?
Financial services
Special report: Future-proofing financial services
From compliance to new technology and broader stakeholder engagement, financial services firms today must be fighting fit in order to thrive. Enter the effective board, which must govern like never before. In this special report, we outline six key areas of knowledge and insight to equip boards for the unprecedented challenges ahead.
Boards could take the opportunity to turn transparency to their advantage. A penetrating light is being shone on the tax affairs of multinational entities—but tax transparency will encompass all businesses in time.
