NACD in the News

• Cari Dominguez Is a Trailblazer

  What makes a leader? Is it the skills they have learned? The impact they have made on the world? The people they inspire? To Cari Dominguez, an undisputed leader in finance, consulting, federal government, and nonprofit work, it’s all of those things, plus one more: a deep-rooted understanding of both who they are and what the world needs from them.

• DIRECTORS TO WATCH: Diversity initiatives build up steam

  Diversity — gender, racial, ethnic, age — appears on just about every list of key governance issues and concerns for public company boardrooms as we enter the third decade of the 21st century.

• Conference to address leadership challenges

  ThE emergence of the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) conditions driven by rapid digitalisation, which are affecting all aspects of organisational leadership and management, will be addressed at the inaugural Corporate Director Conference Asia Pacific 2020 (CDC Asia Pacific 2020).

• CalPERS diversity strategy using strength in numbers

  CalPERS has a well-developed plan to encourage diversity on public company boards on its own and as part of industry organizations, but when it comes to private companies, officials at the largest pension plan in the country are choosing to work as part of an industry group rather than go it alone.

• U.S. Company Directors Compensated More Than Ever, but Now Risk Backlash

  BOSTON — It's nice work if you can get it. The average annual compensation for non-executive directors at S&P 500 companies rose 2 percent to $304,856 last year, topping $300,000 for the first time and 43 percent higher than it was 10 years ago, according to a new report released by executive headhunters Spencer Stuart.

• The Boards, They Are A-Transformin’

  No, it doesn’t mean that the Bard of Fourth Street has become a governance consultant. Nor does it suggest that the board must accommodate a voice of protest in its mix. But it does speak to significant new developments affecting board composition that provide important guidance to the nominating committee.

• Kelly Huang, Ph.D. is Recognized as an NACD Board Leadership Fellow

  AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Spindletop Capital today announced that the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) recently recognized Kelly Huang, Ph.D., as an NACD Board Leadership Fellow. NACD Fellows, who earn NACD Fellowship—The Gold Standard Director Credential®— stand within the highest echelon of those committed to excellence in the boardroom.

• How Many Directors Does a Board Need?

  Trying to get 12 people to agree on anything can be a tall order. Ask anyone who has ever served jury duty—or, of course, on a corporate board. So maybe 12 directors, the size of many boards these days, is too many. As business leaders, shareholders, and governance experts examine the role of corporate boards, they are increasingly asking what is the ideal number of directors to be agile enough to keep up with the accelerating pace of change. At the same time, they are grappling with the fact that the need for constant business transformation brought on by digital advances, the increasing importance of talent development, and pressure from shareholders for more environmental, social, and diversity initiatives means boards need to find directors with specialized skill sets.

• How Do I Know If I am the “Bad Character” on the Board?

  In more than 23 years spent working with 175-plus corporate boards, Beverly Behan has learned this firsthand: The problem people on any board are the ones who are oblivious and obstinate.

• A Guide to the Big Ideas and Debates in Corporate Governance

  Corporate governance has become a topic of broad public interest as the power of institutional investors has increased and the impact of corporations on society has grown. Yet ideas about how corporations should be governed vary widely. People disagree, for example, on such basic matters as the purpose of the corporation, the role of corporate boards of directors, the rights of shareholders, and the proper way to measure corporate performance. The issue of whose interests should be considered in corporate decision making is particularly contentious, with some authorities giving primacy to shareholders’ interest in maximizing their financial returns and others arguing that shareholders’ other interests — in corporate strategy, executive compensation, and environmental policies, for example — and the interests of other parties must be respected as well.