Event Summary Archive
On September 15th Bob Pozen, Amelia Fawcett and Michael Ruettgers discussed "What Keeps the Board Chair up at Night?" The fascinating discussion on the underlying questions he panelists often ask themselves as they ponder their roles as corporate leaders included: What factors are crucial to effective board performance? In this time of economic uncertainty, what will it take to restore the public's trust in corporate governance? How can we attract the best and brightest people to serve on corporate boards?
Even the most conscientious director runs the risk of being sued, so knowing that your D&O policy is bullet-proof can lead to a better night’s sleep.What steps can a board take to achieve this level of confidence?At its June 2009 breakfast meeting, the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) convened a panel including Nancy Hawthorne, a director; John Graham, a broker; Jordan Hershman, an attorney; and Stephen Maggiacomo, an underwriter, to discuss best practices and keys to success in obtaining D&O insurance. CLICK HERE to view the PowerPoint presentation. CLICK HERE to view PowerPoints from the program.
At the May 2009 Boston breakfast meeting of the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), a panel of experts discussed best practices for board Nominating and Governance Committees. The panel consisted of Lloyd Campbell, Cynthia Feldmann and Robert Hallagan, with Theo Sharp serving as moderator. Campbell is a consultant with Spencer Stuart and leads the Governance Committee at Argyle Security and at Spartech; he also serves on the board of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Feldmann is a board member of STERIS Corp., where she serves on the Audit Committee; she is also chair of the Audit Committee of Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. as well as a member of the Nominating & Governance Committee at that company, and she is a board member of Hanger Orthopedic Group, where she serves on the Technology and Quality Committee. Hallagan is vice chairman and managing director of Korn/Ferry International and cofounded The Center for Board Leadership; Hallagan is a director of ResCare, Inc. and Berkshire Life Insurance Co. Sharp is a managing director in the Boston office of Pearl Meyer & Partners.
April
GOVERNANCE
Meeting the Fiduciary Standards in Private Board Settings
What are the duties of directors who serve on the board of a private, closely held company? That question was the subject of a case study at the April 2009 Boston breakfast meeting of the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Using a fictional case study, a panel of experts played the roles of members of the board of directors of a hypothetical company, “Rivets-R-Us.”
February
STRATEGY
Board and Shareholder Communications
The trend has been clear for some time: Shareholders are demanding more input into the boardroom. The February panel consisted of James C. Mullen, president and CEO of Biogen Idec and a member of the board of PerkinElmer Inc.; John F. O’Brien, lead director and member of the Executive and Executive Compensation Committees for The TJX Companies, Inc., as well as a director of Cabot Corporation, LKQ Corporation and a family of mutual funds managed by BlackRock, an investment management advisory firm; Timothy Smith, senior vice president of Walden Asset Management; and Maureen Wolff-Reid, president and partner of Sharon Merrill Associates, a Boston-based investor relations and corporate communications consulting firm.
2008 Archive
At the September 2008 breakfast meeting of the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the topic was a timely and important one: risk management. Two expert panelists shared their insights on the subject with the audience. The panel consisted of Maureen J. Miskovic, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for State Street Corporation and Michael Andrew Barry, Vice President of Internal Audit at Iron Mountain. Bruce R. Magid, the dean of Brandeis International Business School and the Martin and Ahuva Gross Chair in Financial Markets and Institutions at the school, served as moderator of the event.
October
STRATEGY
Mergers & Acquisitions
What is the role of the board of directors at a public company when a merger or acquisition is proposed? That question was the subject of the October 2008 Boston breakfast meeting of the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACDNE).First, using a fictional case study created by Ellen Richstone, a director of several companies and EVP of Luminus Devices, and Hugh Taylor of Newbury Piret & Co., attendees at the meeting played the role of either a) board members at a company proposing an acquisition or b) board members at the company that is the target of the acquisition proposal.
