Strategy
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Risk management, 4 March, 2020
Covid-19: UK business institutions and advisers set out likely impact
The Bank of England, the Treasury, regulators and professional bodies have been issuing assessments and advice regarding the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
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Boardroom composition, 2 March, 2020
FTSE firms given written warning over gender diversity
The Investment Association and Hampton–Alexander Review team have written to 63 companies asking how they intend to improve the gender balance on their leadership teams.
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COMMENT: Stakeholder debate, 28 February, 2020
Company purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive
The view that a company may be either “profit-seeking” or “purposeful” is overly simplistic, with serious consequences for board accountability.
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Sustainable business, 26 February, 2020
Accountants must help business confront the challenge of climate change
A new global declaration calls on the accountancy profession to put sustainability and the fight against climate change at the forefront of its work.
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Economy, 20 February, 2020
CEOs say these 4 factors will shape business in 2020
More than half of CEOs believe the rate of global economic growth will decline, according to PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey. But climate change could provide opportunities.
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Regulation, 19 February, 2020
Mergers under scrutiny as competition regulator toughens stance
Investigations by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority are at an "unprecedented" level, with a number of big name takeovers subject to review.
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Strategy, 12 February, 2020
US regulator orders tech giants to release data on acquisitions
Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft face scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission over whether acquisitions of small tech firms were "anticompetitive".
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COMMENT: Investor engagement, 12 February, 2020
Stakeholder debate should not be used to weaken shareholder rights
Investors play a vital role in holding boards to account—and well-governed companies safeguard the long-term interests of all stakeholders.
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Gender diversity, 10 February, 2020
FTSE 100 hits target on female board directors—but challenges remain
Hampton-Alexander Review CEO warns more work is needed, while new research shows women leaders experience "everyday sexism" on a disturbing scale.
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Investor pressure, 3 February, 2020
CEO pay and director re-elections named top issues for shareholder dissent
The most common causes of shareholder rebellions in 2019 were pay packages and director re-elections, with climate inaction another growing concern for investors.
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Board relationships, 31 January, 2020
Investor focus on results and remuneration ‘creating friction’ with boards
The Investor Forum warns short-term issues are "crowding out real conversation about long-term strategic value and broader stakeholder perspectives".
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Sustainability reporting, 27 January, 2020
How to hold businesses to account on carbon? Include their supply chains
Supply chains contribute significantly to a firm’s carbon footprint and can amount to four times the organisation’s own operational emissions.
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Board leadership, 21 January, 2020
How boards can help shape the future of capitalism
Many of the risks affecting companies today are systemic. Responses that focus solely on improving individual business performance are inadequate.
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Investment, 15 January, 2020
BlackRock CEO letter issues warning on sustainability disclosures
Larry Fink says BlackRock will be "increasingly disposed to vote against management and board directors" who do not show progress on sustainability.
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Employee engagement, 15 January, 2020
Why every company needs a chief fun officer
There is strong evidence that having fun in the workplace brings organisational benefits, including higher productivity and better staff retention.
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Strategy, 14 January, 2020
Hong Kong companies ‘failing to integrate ESG’ into policies and planning
Report warns that a majority of Hong Kong companies still regard ESG as an “ancillary” subject and not a “key concern in actual company business”.
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Analysis, 2 January, 2020
Key trends in corporate governance for 2020
Five leading voices in corporate governance explain their priorities—and predictions—for the year ahead.
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News review, 23 December, 2019
2019: The year in governance
This year saw the climate crisis accepted as a board-level issue, audit reviews, a UK election and a new focus on human rights and business purpose.
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ESG, 16 December, 2019
Global leadership on sustainability requires greener boards
Research into the top 100 public companies shows the right board composition can boost sustainability commitments and drive change.
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Investor activism, 12 December, 2019
Be proactive with shareholder engagement to avoid damaging disputes
Visibility and proactive shareholder engagement is the key to quelling investor dissent and getting your company on the front foot for the AGM season.