Audit Committee and Board Member Readiness Program

The Audit Committee and Board Member Readiness Program will equip finance leaders and directors with the insights and practical tools needed to serve effectively on audit committees of both public and private companies. The program addresses the evolving expectations of audit committees, including financial oversight, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance, engagement with auditors and management and handling of Crisis issues (Cyber, Fraud, Whistleblower issues).Participants gain a clear understanding of the audit committee's role, responsibilities, and emerging challenges in today's complex governance environment and insights on how to manage them. Designed for senior financial executives, audit firm partners, and current and aspiring board members, this program prepares participants to step confidently into audit committee leadership as the Audit Committee Chair and deliver immediate value at the board table. In addition to experts, several of the sessions will include sitting public company Audit Chairs and real-life discussions on handling of complex issues at the Audit Committee.

NACD Members Register Here

FEI Members Register Here

A joint program with:

Credits

10 NACD credits and 9 CPE credits are granted upon completion of this program.

Agenda

7:30 - 8:00am: Arrival and Networking

8:00 - 8:05am: Welcome from Mintz and NACDNE/FEI leaders

8:05 - 9:00am: Board Governance and Oversight

• Public board governance requirements
• Board and committee structures, functions, and responsibilities
• Ethics and compliance programs
• Setting the tone at the top
• Strategy and the role of the board, oversight of talent management
• Role of proxy advisers (ISS/Glass Lewis)

9:00 - 10:50am: Legal and D&O

• Fiduciary duties and regulatory responsibilities of a public company board director including basic regulations (FD, insider trading, etc.)
• Audit committee investigations, handling of SEC issues by audit committee
• D&O
• Current key proxy role and hot topics

10:50 - 11:05am: Break

11:05 - 1:00pm: Accounting and Controls

Accounting:

• Understanding of Gaap and financial statements
• Recent changes and key elements needed to understand for public companies.
• Accounting hot topics: Rev Rec; Fair Value; Global Operations
• New Hot Topics for the 10K/Q’s

Controls Environment:

• Internal Controls: SOX
• Internal Audit: Roles and responsibilities and reporting structure

1:00 - 1:25pm: Lunch

1:25 - 2:30pm: Hot Topics from the Audit Committee

• Risks
• Emerging technologies
• Sustainability
• International requirements
• Crisis management/shareholder activism and Cybersecurity
• Strategy and Capital Allocation

2:30 - 3:20pm: Audit Committee: Roles, Responsibilities and Key Issues

• Special role of Audit Chair and demands of being on the Audit Committee
• Independence role
• What the audit committee needs from the CFO
• Resource oversight

3:20 - 3:40pm: Break

3:40 - 5:35pm: Dealing with Difficult Issues

• Crisis Management / Prep
• Cyber/Shareholder Activism
• Whistleblower issues
• Lessons Learned from the Boardroom
• Panel with two existing public companies

5:35 - 6:25pm: Steps to get onto Public Boards

6:25 - 7:00pm: Networking