Category: Articles for Board Members

Non-White Quotas in the Boardroom

Should the Government think about an ambitious plan to bring more BAME minorities, (BAME – Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic, used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK) into Britain’s boardrooms?

The aim could be for one in five directors of FTSE 100 companies to be from a BAME background. Lord Davies’ review into women in the boardroom, which began in 2011 and has had some success in increasing the numbers of women in senior business roles.

But is this a good thing and do we need quotas?

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Why You Should Create a “Shadow Board” of Younger Employees

A lot of companies struggle with two apparently unrelated problems: disengaged younger workers and a weak response to changing market conditions.

A few companies have tackled both problems at the same time by creating a “shadow board” — a group of non-executive employees that works with senior executives on strategic initiatives.

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The Board’s Role in Strategy in a Changing Environment

As change in the business environment accelerates, companies and their boards of directors must follow suit. Given the greater variety of business environments and the growing importance of non-competitive forces, corporate strategy is becoming more complex — and an increasingly important driver of performance. Furthermore, directors are facing calls from other stakeholders, including management and investors, to be more deeply involved in setting strategy.

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What makes a CEO “exceptional”?

Interesting analysis from McKinsey on what makes an exceptional CEO: “Exceptional CEOs” are twice as likely to have been brought in from outside than promoted as internal hires.

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PwC’s 2016 Annual Corporate Directors Survey

Overseeing a company is no small task. Disruptive technologies are changing companies’ business models, geopolitical turmoil is impacting supply chains and investment opportunities, and increased regulatory complexity is affecting innovation. Institutional investors and shareholder activists are also playing a more powerful role shaping corporate governance. Boards of directors have to keep up with all of these changes in order to be effective.

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What America’s most crooked executive can teach us about scammers

Andy Fastow is the disgraced ex-chief financial officer of Enron, the company that led to a corporate scandal so monstrous that the company’s name now evokes all that is wrong with American business.

After 5 years in prison, he now teaches ethics and offers advice that every board should adhere to to avoid becoming the next corporate casualty.

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Toward a value-creating board

The amount of time board directors spend on their work and commit to strategy is rising. But in a new survey, few respondents rate their boards as effective at most tasks or report good feedback or training practices.

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Who Runs Silicon Valley?

Lonergan Partners have produced a fascinating in-depth profile of the boards and directors governing the top 150 public companies in technology in Silicon Valley (the SV150).

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How Strategic Is Your Board?

Strategic thinking at the top of a company is more important than ever for business survival. But boards of directors have no clear model to follow when it comes to developing the strategic role for the companies they oversee. Should they supervise, co-create or support strategy?

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