Do we really understand risk?
A new report from the National Audit Office into the forecast cost to the Treasury of HS2 rail project reveals the government failed to understand the risk to the public purse from the outset in [...]
Is stewardship going in the right direction?
Last week the FRC published its annual review of the Corporate Governance code. It found many companies failing to do more than pay lip service to the guidelines of the new Stewardship code. What [...]
Director liability and governance risk – Saatchi
Earlier this year both Carillion and Thomas Cook spectacularly collapsed when it became clear that their respective boards failed to spot financial warning signs. Both the Corporate and [...]
Raising the bar – but how high?
The new Risk Coalition guidance clearly sets out the duties of a risk committee, composed of Non-Executive Directors. It has eight principles as an advisory body however, as principle one notes [...]
Shark practice – A tool for measuring board effectiveness:
‘A relationship is like a shark, when it is not moving forward it is dead…what we have here is a dead shark’ said Woody Allen in Annie Hall. It follows that a corporate board is also like a shark [...]
Is your board fit for purpose?
The sudden collapse of Thomas Cook, like Carillion, raises urgent questions of board vigilance and competence. Directors of listed companies have a duty of care to their shareholders, employees [...]
When is shareholder activism actually market manipulation?
Activist shareholders are minority stake disruptors who seek to challenge the complacency and complicity of institutional investors for underperforming stock. They are not afraid to spoil the [...]
Activism is a wake-up call for your board
Shareholder activism is on the rise and according to Lazards more investors are using activism as a tactic putting increasing pressure on boards to defend their strategy in the face of calls [...]
The impact of activist shareholders
Some people invest in a company because they trust the leadership to deliver shareholder value, due to track record and board composition. Some people invest in company because they like the [...]
Should you fear an activist shareholder?
How should you respond when an overseas hedge fund takes an active interest in your business? Many CEOs treat this as impertinence: an outsider questioning strategy and competence of the [...]
