The Governance Imperative

 

Few things compromise the credibility of a corporation than the appearance of submissiveness on the part of its board. A strong board constitutes the first line of accountability for senior management. Without it, the widely-held view of corporate leaderships acting exclusively in their own interests is exacerbated.  In the case of an individual company, weak board oversight diminishes credibility of all communications -- marketing,  investor relations, compliance -- that issue from the organization.

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Global Strategic Communications advises companies on board diversity that addresses not only gender, ethnicity, and stakeholder groups, but expertise, as well. Does the board's makeup, for example, comprise the experience needed to guide the company through new technologies, new industrial sectors, new geographies?

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Is there a sufficiently independent director who can speak for the board?

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How can the board design and implement an executive succession process that identifies and successfully recruits the best candidate? How does it prepare the company and investors for the change? And how is it ultimately disclosed? 

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What is the relationship between the board of the company's investors? (For a larger discussion of this issue, please see Peter's article in Corporate Secretary Magazine on board said investors by clicking here.