NACD Corporate Directors Institute | Director Professionalism Course

Director Professionalism provides a strong foundation for director effectiveness, including knowledge of corporate governance roles and responsibilities, fiduciary duties, financial acumen, committee roles, risk oversight issues and regulatory requirements.

Director Professionalism is essential for new and prospective directors. It is also a comprehensive and timely review for experienced directors.

The program will NOT certify a director's effectiveness or integrity, acknowledging that individuals must choose to apply their acquired knowledge with the added characteristics of courage, candor and integrity. The program WILL, however, encourage ethical awareness and demonstrate the negative results when governance principles are not properly applied.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

Understand the current environment in which boards are operating...and how boards are being evaluated and rated in that environment
Examine director roles and responsibilities in the context of building board value
Review the fiduciary duties of directors and apply them in real case scenarios
Understand how the interpretations of director liability are evolving
Learn how to scrutinize corporate financials from the board's perspective - revenue recognition, off-balance sheet transactions, accounting methods and disclosures, and how to spot red flags
Improve audit committee quality, composition and performance
Develop effective principles for evaluating executive compensation and managing CEO succession
Develop an effective framework for improving shareholder communications
Learn important questions to ask independent auditors and outside consultants and when those consultants might be appropriate
Improve board effectiveness through leading governance practices in board evaluations, transparency and disclosure, and the right "tone at the top"

CURRICULUM:

The Director Professionalism curriculum consists of the highest quality corporate governance content, backed by research findings, leading practices, faculty and peer expertise, current regulatory requirements, and annual recommendations of the NACD Blue Ribbon Commissions. The program is highly interactive, facilitating a valuable exchange of knowledge among peers.

The curriculum is regularly reviewed by a body of the nation’s top issue experts, educators, corporate directors and standard-setters in the areas of law, audit, compensation, risk management, and governance. Oversight of curriculum development is provided by an Independent Advisory Board, the NACD Board of Directors and the Dean of the Institute. Click here for the Institute Leadership.

Board Excellence: Roles, Responsibilities, Structures, and Leadership
Fiduciary Duties of Corporate Boards
Board Governance and the Role of the Governance and Nominating Committee
Scrutinizing Financial Statements – Knowing What questions to Ask Management and Auditors

Audit Committees: Effectiveness in the New Environment
Creating and Sustaining Board Value: Corporate Strategy and Risk Oversight
A Case Study on Risk Management
Executive and Director Compensation: The Changing Landscape

Take-home Value:

The Director Professionalism course provides much more than just instruction, including a comprehensive reference book, benchmarking data for your board, self-assessment tools, and useful templates (policies, charters, etc.) that can be applied immediately in the boardroom.

Director Professionalism Course

Upcoming Dates:

The cornerstone offering of the Institute is Director Professionalism -- a comprehensive, 2-day course that is nationally recognized as the fundamental set of knowledge required for effective directorship. Completion is required to obtain the Certificate of Director Education.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

CURRICULUM:

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Take-home Value: