26 September, 2023

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Board Agenda is a progressive media brand which provides independent news, analysis, expert insight & intelligence on corporate governance, risk, technological, environmental & strategic business issues that are shaping the roles & responsibilities of board directors, C-suite executives & the organisations they serve across the world.   Read more…

Top Stories

Are boards losing control?

By Roger Barker  /  September 26, 2023
We need to ensure that regulations do not inappropriately reduce a board’s ability to take decisions in the best interests...
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Are boards losing control?

Labour commits to audit reform legislation

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 25, 2023
Shadow minister for business, Jonathan Reynolds, says Labour will push through audit reform when in office.
Read More
Labour commits to audit reform legislation

News round-up: this week in governance

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 22, 2023
Lonely leadership; how governance helps in a crisis; Kerrie Waring to depart ICGN; ESG and competitiveness may not go together
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News round-up: this week in governance

Say-on-pay votes lack link to sustainability

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 21, 2023
Very few investors use their AGM votes on executive pay as a spur to improve the company’s ESG performance, research...
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Say-on-pay votes lack link to sustainability

‘Fast-moving threats’ will soon challenge boards, warns CIIA

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 19, 2023
Resilience will be required to face a ‘poly-crisis’ of immediate and simultaneous risk issues, internal auditors believe.
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‘Fast-moving threats’ will soon challenge boards, warns CIIA

US investors consider political risks at home

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 18, 2023
Vitriolic politics in the US now seen by some as a systemic risk akin to climate change, writes Harvard academic.
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US investors consider political risks at home

News round-up: this week in governance

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 15, 2023
BP CEO Bernard Looney steps down over work relationships; ACCA pushes for internal controls data; only 12% of fund managers...
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News round-up: this week in governance

G20 backs OECD corporate governance principles

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 14, 2023
The world’s leaders get behind the OECD’s revised guidance, which includes sustainability disclosure responsibilities.
Read More
G20 backs OECD corporate governance principles

Shareholder dissent focuses on pay

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 12, 2023
AGM season review reveals that remuneration is still the topic that attracts most shareholder opposition in Europe.
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Shareholder dissent focuses on pay

News round-up: this week in governance

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 8, 2023
How leaders can worsen a crisis; NED apprenticeships; audit reform on the back burner; US accountancy shortage; supply chain on...
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News round-up: this week in governance

IoD: Don’t make audit committees accountable for ESG reporting

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 8, 2023
The Institute of Directors says the FRC proposal on board governance means ‘lines of accountability will be blurred’.
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IoD: Don’t make audit committees accountable for ESG reporting

Companies’ ethical stance on Russia goes unrewarded

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 6, 2023
Stock returns fell at multinationals that took action after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, research project shows.
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Companies’ ethical stance on Russia goes unrewarded

Diversity ‘a chance to increase a board’s problem-solving ability’

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 5, 2023
But organisations that approach diversity, equity and inclusion from a compliance perspective fail to reap its benefits, research finds.
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Diversity ‘a chance to increase a board’s problem-solving ability’

News round-up: this week in governance

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 1, 2023
High CEO pay is a 'reputational risk'; IoD says 'set your own agenda'; call for lawyers in boardrooms; gender-diverse boards...
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News round-up: this week in governance

Further delay for audit reform

By Gavin Hinks  /  September 1, 2023
Long-awaited legislation to create a new audit and governance watchdog may not see light until after the election, says news...
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Further delay for audit reform

Companies step up pressure for sustainability due diligence

By Gavin Hinks  /  August 31, 2023
Further signatories call for the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to meet UN and OECD standards.
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Companies step up pressure for sustainability due diligence

Corporate disclosures affect strategic ability of boards

By Gavin Hinks  /  August 29, 2023
Meeting reporting responsibilities means boards are left with less time for strategic discussions, reveals annual survey.
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Corporate disclosures affect strategic ability of boards

News round-up: this week in governance

By Gavin Hinks  /  August 25, 2023
Ramaswamy on the nuclear family as governance; number of female CEOs rises; better ESG reporting pays off; C-suite ‘will expand’.
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News round-up: this week in governance

Call to scrap ‘ESG’ as a term

By Gavin Hinks  /  August 24, 2023
The ESG label is ‘politicised, simplistic and restrictive’ and should be jettisoned, believes senior academic.
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Call to scrap ‘ESG’ as a term

Average pay for top CEOs rises to £3.91m

By Gavin Hinks  /  August 23, 2023
FTSE 100 saw median pay for chief executives up 16% from 2021 to 2022, High Pay Centre think tank research...
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Average pay for top CEOs rises to £3.91m

Latest

  • board control

    COMMENT: Governance, 26 September, 2023

    Are boards losing control?

    We need to ensure that regulations do not inappropriately reduce a board’s ability to take decisions in the best interests of the company.

  • audit reform

    NEWS: Audit reform, 25 September, 2023

    Labour commits to audit reform legislation

    Shadow minister for business, Jonathan Reynolds, says Labour will push through audit reform when in office.

  • NEWS: Governance, 22 September, 2023

    News round-up: this week in governance

    Lonely leadership; how governance helps in a crisis; Kerrie Waring to depart ICGN; ESG and competitiveness may not go together

  • NEWS: AGM trends, 21 September, 2023

    Say-on-pay votes lack link to sustainability

  • NEWS: Risk management, 19 September, 2023

    ‘Fast-moving threats’ will soon challenge boards, warns CIIA

  • NEWS: Political risk, 18 September, 2023

    US investors consider political risks at home

  • NEWS: Governance, 15 September, 2023

    News round-up: this week in governance

  • NEWS: Governance, 14 September, 2023

    G20 backs OECD corporate governance principles

    • Read More  
    1. helle bank jorgensen

      INTERVIEW: Stewardship

      Helle Bank Jørgensen on governance, ESG and how board directors can become stewards of the future

      In spite of ESG toxicity in the US, she remains optimistic that companies are working on sustainability ’because they know they need to’.

    2. information resilience

      NEWS: Webinar

      IT transformation sees boards moving to ‘continuous’ management

      Data analytics available on demand requires a resilient—and selective—approach to sharing information, a webinar panel agreed.

    3. life sciences podcast

      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.

    4. Board priorities 2023

      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’.

    Read More  
    1. NED asos

      Board moves, 21 September, 2023

      ASOS appoints new NED

      William Barker will join the board of the online fashion retailer as a non-independent non-executive director.

    2. Pearson CEO

      Board moves, 20 September, 2023

      Pearson announces next CEO

      Microsoft’s Omar Abbosh will succeed Andy Bird in early 2024 as chief executive officer of the global learning company.

    3. Smith & Nephew board

      Board moves, 14 September, 2023

      Smith+Nephew appoints NEDs

      Jeremy Maiden joins the board as a non-executive director today, with Simon Lowth taking up his role on 1 January.

    Read More  
    1. audit reform

      NEWS: Audit reform, 25 September, 2023

      Labour commits to audit reform legislation

      Shadow minister for business, Jonathan Reynolds, says Labour will push through audit reform when in office.

    2. G20 oecd

      NEWS: Governance, 14 September, 2023

      G20 backs OECD corporate governance principles

      The world’s leaders get behind the OECD’s revised guidance, which includes sustainability disclosure responsibilities.

    3. reporting requirements

      COMMENT: Governance, 12 September, 2023

      Don’t let reporting requirements lead to boilerplate disclosures

      We must balance the need for disclosure of non-financial information so that it is sufficient, but still proportionate.

    Read More  

    Partner Contributions

    NEDs role

    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.
    Group of investors/shareholders in glass building

    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.
    Woman online shopping on her phone

    NEWS: Podcast

    Landscape for retail boards 'more challenging and complex than ever'

    Our latest podcast asks a panel of retail experts to explore board priorities for the sector after its rapid transformation in the pandemic.
    stocks, asset management, shares, investor engagement

    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.
    CACID discussion on audit committees and ESG

    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.
    business transformation

    NEWS: Webinar

    Business transformation is a priority now, say experts

    As business survival depends on adapting to the changing post-pandemic economic landscape, it's as well to be ahead of the game.
    Red paper aeroplane leading group of white ones

    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.

    Governance

    reporting requirements

    COMMENT: Governance

    Don’t let reporting requirements lead to boilerplate disclosures

    We must balance the need for disclosure of non-financial information so that it is sufficient, but still proportionate.[...]
    stakeholder engagement

    RESOURCE: Stakeholder engagement

    Director Reference Guide: how to benefit from stakeholder engagement

    It’s no longer about show and tell: now it pays to build an honest relationship with your investors, customers and other stakeholders.[...]
    pre-emptive rights

    INSIGHT: Investor relations

    AGMs: Will changes to pre-emptive rights mean changes in votes?

    New FRC guidance may affect how investors vote at UK AGMs, so boards should look to build shareholder trust by using their new powers wisely.[...]

    Strategy

    stakeholder engagement

    RESOURCE: Stakeholder engagement

    Director Reference Guide: how to benefit from stakeholder engagement

    It’s no longer about show and tell: now it pays to build an honest relationship with your investors, customers and other stakeholders.[...]
    CEO talent

    INSIGHT: CEO succession

    Can high CEO turnover boost gender equality?

    The trend for boards favouring internal pipelines for CEO succession creates an opportunity to nurture talented women.[...]
    sustainable steps

    INSIGHT: Sustainability

    3 steps to accelerate sustainability

    The board has a crucial role in identifying, assessing, and monitoring sustainability strategy, including ESG, technology and diversity.[...]

    Risk

    climate litigation

    INSIGHT: Climate-related risk

    Could your board face climate litigation?

    The trend for bringing lawsuits related to climate is growing, and directors need to stay on top of developments to avoid the courts.[...]
    AI

    INSIGHT: Artificial intelligence

    What boards really need to know about AI

    Artificial intelligence will affect organisations everywhere, and the greatest step forward for boards will be in terms of trust.[...]

    INSIGHT: Risk management

    How to operate during economic uncertainty

    Leveraging internal audit can help boards not only to identify and assess risks but to highlight opportunities in volatile times.[...]

    Ethics

    policy on human rights

    INSIGHT: Human rights

    Why you need a policy on human rights

    As well as being the right thing to do, this element of a sustainable business model gives your company a competitive edge.[...]
    stakeholder engagement

    RESOURCE: Stakeholder engagement

    Director Reference Guide: how to benefit from stakeholder engagement

    It’s no longer about show and tell: now it pays to build an honest relationship with your investors, customers and other stakeholders.[...]
    UN SDGs

    RESOURCE: Sustainability

    Director Reference Guide: embracing the UN’s sustainable development goals

    The 2030 agenda to transform the world is ambitious, but there’s a role—and benefits—for every board. Here’s how to get involved.[...]

    Board Expertise

    IoD governance

    NEWS: ESG reporting

    IoD: Don’t make audit committees accountable for ESG reporting

    The Institute of Directors says the FRC proposal on board governance means ‘lines of accountability will be blurred’.[...]
    diversity problem-solving

    NEWS: Diversity, equity and inclusion

    Diversity ‘a chance to increase a board’s problem-solving ability’

    But organisations that approach diversity, equity and inclusion from a compliance perspective fail to reap its benefits, research finds.[...]
    stakeholder engagement

    RESOURCE: Stakeholder engagement

    Director Reference Guide: how to benefit from stakeholder engagement

    It’s no longer about show and tell: now it pays to build an honest relationship with your investors, customers and other stakeholders.[...]
    Read More