Taking the initiative

Shareholder interests are not taken seriously and audit committees need to be more proactive in probing company strategy, says the head of the Dutch shareholders’ association.
Paul Koster’s view may be a little discomforting for audit committee members.
Far from the view that audit committees are doing alright, Koster, head of the VEB—the Dutch shareholders' association—has demanded more from them, setting an agenda for a significantly different kind of audit body.
Koster’s view, in fact, is that audit committees across Europe could be doing more to support and protect shareholder investments.
He hammered his point home earlier this year at the International Corporate Governance Network conference in London, where
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