So, you have been tapped or want to serve on an audit committee of a corporate board? Other than the Nominating & Governance Committee, the Audit Committee is one of the more prominent committees present on a corporate.  There is a great amount of risk serving on an Audit Committee. Many say that the responsibilities… Read More

Clearly, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) is a hot topic, by why should corporate boards focus on ESG? Looking as far back to 1997, the Business Roundtable published a Statement on Corporate Governance. Here’s an excerpt: “In The Business Roundtable’s view, the paramount duty of management and of boards of directors is to the… Read More

In my opinion, there are two points in the calendar year where board succession is the most prevalent. The first point in the year is in the late Winter/early Spring with February and March being the most active. The second most active point in the calendar year is September and October. So, with now being… Read More

When recruiting board members, it’s natural to rely on tools that have been in your toolbox for many years. One of these techniques that has claimed center stage for decades is retained executive search. Lead Independent Directors, General Counsels/Secretaries to the Board, Nominating Committee Chairs and Chief Human Resources Officers all realize that retained search… Read More

As I have represented executives for their interest in corporate boards seats for the last eleven years, there continues to be the question of whether being female is actually of value to the board.  My counsel to my clients has been, that gender diversity alone is not a differentiating value.  Through subjective and analytic evaluation,… Read More

Given today’s rapidly changing corporate environment that is fraught with risks, regulations and high demands from investors, the board’s job is more challenging than ever. To ensure the highest level of performance, boards must assess their own board health, effectiveness and balance. Also, if you are an executive who seeks a seat in the boardroom,… Read More

Successful boards are diverse, including a group of dissimilar executives handpicked to support the organization’s strategic goals. Also, they have strong governance. They work within well-defined practices and rules that control the organization, which empowers them to pursue the organization’s strategic goals in a way that mitigates risk. Let’s talk about each of these fundamental… Read More

Among all the anxiety that the Coronavirus pandemic has wrought across the United States, there is the added uncertainty about what we will return to when the all-clear signal is finally given.  The post-crisis world will look and feel much different than before, if only because so many people have lost their jobs and life… Read More

As we all see it playing out right before our very own eyes, our country is under siege by something that you can’t see or touch. More than any other time in this century, lives are being lost, fortunes are being decimated and small business and entrepreneurs are seeing their dreams get obliterated right in… Read More

It seems to me that almost every executive I speak with aspires to serve on a corporate board. I must say by experience, achieving your first board seat, or even the second will likely be the most difficult, arduous task you will accomplish in your entire professional career. There are a multitude of reasons as… Read More