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FT Board Network is an exclusive community for corporate boards, offering the latest intelligence and an authoritative space to debate and exchange ideas on a range of boardroom matters.
FT Board Network provides the latest news, analysis and insight on key topics impacting corporate boards, including strategy, risk, corporate governance, ESG, technology, cybersecurity, D&I, remuneration and succession planning. It offers an authoritative space to debate and exchange ideas on a range of board matters and ensures that leadership teams are fully equipped to navigate challenges and drive their business forward.
Andrew Hill, FT senior business writer, selects this week's must-read stories on FT.com for boards.
Read the latest intelligence briefing
The latest news, regulations and resources for boards, covering corporate governance, strategy, risk, ESG, technology, remuneration and D&I. Curated by Andrew Hill, FT senior business writer.
Reputational risk has become as important as financial risk for business. In the past, this risk was mainly associated with issues like defective products, cyber threats and data breaches. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in instances of CEO misconduct. From social media missteps to inappropriate workplace relationships, the behaviour of business leaders can have profound repercussions on brand reputation, employee morale and shareholder trust. This event will discuss why personal conduct is a growing risk for businesses. What are the organisational consequences of CEO and executive misconduct? How should businesses get ahead of the curve to discourage and detect poor misconduct by their employees? And what role does the board play in the scrutiny of its executives and creating an ethical business culture?
Rarely has the geopolitical outlook been so uncertain. To navigate this unpredictability, companies must understand and mitigate the potential impact of these ever-growing geopolitical events. From cybersecurity and technology risks to the Israel-Hamas war, worsening US-China relations and the climate crisis, business leaders face effects on everything from their supply chains and operational resilience to their people and performance. What events are most likely to impact businesses this year? How has the risk landscape evolved? And how should organisations build resilience against potential threats?
Speakers
Peggy Hollinger, international business editor, Financial Times
Rana Foroohar, global business columnist and associate editor, Financial Times
Robin Niblett, distinguished fellow, Chatham House and senior adviser, Hakluyt
The reasons why C-Suites are changing are many and seem pretty clear. What C-Suites are morphing to and how they may be described seems less so. This peer-to-peer workshop will allow you to share how the leadership teams in your organisations are morphing to meet not just today’s context but the evolving challenges and opportunities we are likely to face and have in the future. Please note that this is open to VIP members only.
The outlook for the UK economy looks uncertain as low growth and high interest rates are predicted for the year ahead. Yet the worst of the cost of living crisis appears to be behind us, with inflation tumbling in 2023 - is there reason for optimism? This session will explore the economic outlook for 2024 and what it means for business. What challenges and opportunities can businesses and households expect this year? How will the UK compare to other countries? What role will the economy play in the upcoming election? And how should companies navigate through economic uncertainty?
Speakers
Sam Fleming, economics editor, Financial Times
Lord Willetts, president, The Resolution Foundation
Dr Catherine Mann, member of the monetary policy committee, Bank of England
Charlie Nunn, executive director and group chief executive, Lloyds Banking Group
Trust is the most powerful force underlying the success of every business. Yet it can be shattered in an instant, with a devastating impact on a company's market cap and reputation. How to build and sustain trust requires fresh insight into why customers, employees, community members, and investors decide whether an organisation can be trusted. At this event, Sandra J. Sucher, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and author of The Power of Trust, will examine the economic impact of trust and the science behind it. Sucher will explain how trust can be woven into the day-to-day and long-term and share examples of companies across the globe that have pulled themselves out of scandal and corruption by rebuilding the vital elements of trust.
Given the increased pressures, uncertainty and volatility of the last few years the ability to manage conflict well has become a defining characteristic for successful leaders and organisations. This peer-to-peer workshop will explore how to handle conflict so that it becomes a force for good — stimulating creativity and protecting against groupthink. It will be facilitated by Patrick Dunne, a highly experienced Chair with extensive experience of working with boards and managing conflict in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. He is the author of the award winning book ‘Boards’ and a highly rated tutor on our Financial Times Board Director Programmes.
At this event, panel members discussed their predictions for 2024 and identified the trends that will shape the macroeconomic and business landscape. What is next for the global economy? Who is expected to win next year's elections? Will we see further geopolitical tension and the breakdown of relationships between states? Our panel of FT experts discussed how these changes are likely to play out over the next few years and how they will impact businesses.
As the adoption of generative AI grows rapidly across business and industry, the real-world applications of this technology are increasing by the day. This event will consider how this new era of machine learning will reshape businesses. How can organisations embrace the opportunities presented by generative AI across their business systems? What problems will this technology be able to solve? Who are the corporate winners and losers? And what measures should companies adopt to minimise the risk of improper AI technologies and strengthen the governance around its ethical uses?
This peer to peer workshop will focus on the role of boards in combating silo mentalities in Organisations. A silo mentality is when different departments/teams within an organisation pursue their own rigid and insular approaches failing to share information, goals, priorities and processes. They aren’t new but their nature is changing as a result of more flexible approaches to work.
Our peer networks are a formidable resource to call upon in times of change and challenge. Consequently, we thought it might be a good time to gather together a group of business leaders, both executive and non-executive directors, to explore the numerous issues involved and to share wisdom around how to bust the negative aspects of silos.
Our aim is to learn from each other and to share practical ideas on how to build tightly focused teams that will contribute to strong organisational cultures which avoid the dangers of disconnect and the failures and frictions of factions. This interactive session will be facilitated by Patrick Dunne, a highly experienced Chair and serial social entrepreneur with extensive experience of working with boards in Europe, Asia and North America. He is the Author of the award winning book ‘Boards’ and a highly rated tutor on our Financial Times Board Director Programmes.
We very much hope that you will be able to join us. Places are strictly limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis so make sure you book your place early.
Cybersecurity has risen to the top of the corporate agenda in recent years, following well-publicised breaches of companies such as Royal Mail, Yahoo and TalkTalk. Such attacks can lead to the leak of highly sensitive customer and employee data, cause a massive reputational hit, and lead to top executives losing their jobs. This event will examine the most effective ways to prevent such attacks from happening and how to deal with the consequences if they do. How is global instability increasing cyber risk? What role does cyber security insurance play in the management of the cyber threat landscape? Are boards and senior executives equipped with the skills to respond to a changing risk outlook?
Moderated by Anjli Raval, management editor of the Financial Times, this exclusive roundtable discussion will allow participants to discuss the impact of hybrid working on the future of the workplace. Have you seen an increase in productivity in your workplace? Is your company fixed or flexible? Has hybrid working caused any internal conflicts in your business? This roundtable is an opportunity to share your personal insights on how hybrid working has impacted your company with Board Director members from other industry sectors.
For VIP members only
It takes decades to build an organisation's reputation for honesty and fair dealing and just a single mishap to destroy it. Preventing that from happening needs constant vigilance. But more than that, it requires the building of a culture in which people not only know the right thing to do but also feel confident about speaking up when they see something amiss. In this in-person session, Michael Skapinker, FT contributing editor and author of Inside the Leaders' Club: How top companies deal with pressing business issues, and Simon Walker, former communications chief for the Royal Family, British Airways and Reuters and ex-director general of the Institute of Directors, will guide you through a series of ethical dilemmas and how best to handle them.
Power is present in all workplaces and often dictates the structure of professional relationships. How leaders choose to exert their power in the workplace will shape the dynamics of their company. In conversation with Anjli Raval, management editor of the Financial Times, Linda Hill, Wallace Brett Donham professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, will explore the role of power dynamics inside the workplace and how leaders can better navigate organisational relationships. How do power dynamics show up in organisations? How do you ensure leaders are better equipped to use their power in beneficial ways? And how do you avoid introducing a disproportionate distribution of power into teams?
The world is in flux. As are many organisations when it comes to staff churn with rates of over 25% becoming more commonplace. These higher churn rates may also stimulate further churn as workloads rise to cover gaps and staff hear tales of happier times elsewhere from former colleagues still in their honeymoon periods. The costs of churn go well beyond the immediate replacement costs, impacting productivity, customer satisfaction, momentum and ultimately performance. Yet learning from churn is also a great opportunity and can be a catalyst for change. But how do you do this and what can we learn from others?
For VIP members only
The challenges confronting business leaders have probably never been as varied and demanding as they are today. Rapid technological change, massive shifts in the global economy, fast-changing markets, and political unpredictability across many regions of the globe demand constant attention from top executives. At this event, the panel will discuss: Which challenges are the most pressing and important? How do successful business leaders prioritise their time? How to lead complex, multinational organisations in times of rapid change?
Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant, new reality. Think of how Apple’s iPod went from a project with a single employee to an enormously successful product launch in eleven months. But they are the exception. Consider how London’s Crossrail project delivered five years late and billions overbudget. More modest endeavours, whether launching a small business, organising a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why? Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life’s work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg. At this event, he will identify the errors that lead projects to fail, and the research-based principles that will make yours succeed.
We are approaching the end of a tumultuous year, which began with the war in Ukraine and ends with inflation on the rise and a decline in global economic growth. This panel of FT experts will discuss their predictions for the world in 2023 and identify the key trends that will reshape the macroeconomic and business landscape next year. What is next for British politics? Will we see further geopolitical tension and the breakdown of relationships between states? And as globalisation enters a new phase, how will this impact the global economy? They will also discuss how these changes are likely to play out over the next few years and how they will impact businesses.
As we reach the end of another year when businesses are under stress from unavoidable macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, how boards prepare their response will determine how successful they are. Moderated by Patrick Jenkins, Deputy Editor of the Financial Times, this exclusive roundtable discussion will allow participants to discuss the most pressing issues that boards will likely face in the year ahead with other VIP FT Board Director members. What should corporate boards expect in 2023? And what are the emerging opportunities and risks on the horizon?
For VIP members only
The ability to understand, inspire, communicate and manage the many opportunities, challenges, and behavioural dynamics involved in leading multi-generational and multi-cultural organisations is a major differentiator for business leaders. Being culturally and generationally adept and agile requires a high level of awareness of how others think differently as well as our own deep self-awareness. It also requires the ability to understand and manage conflicting objectives and ways of doing things. As usual, this will be a highly participative event with interesting content to stimulate group discussions with peers as well as shared learning amongst the group as a whole.
For VIP members only
Lockdowns and working from home changed the relationship between leaders and led, probably irrevocably. With hybrid working and labour shortages giving employees the upper hand, what does leadership look like now? This panel will discuss post-pandemic leadership. Will the shift from a command and control leadership style to trust and influence remain in workplaces? And what leadership skills will be needed in order to navigate the post-Covid world successfully?
In-person event, London
The global economy is in the midst of a growth slowdown coupled with multi-decade high inflation as economies feel the impact of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This combination of weak growth and high inflation is reminiscent of the world economy in the 1970s and raises concerns that we may be heading for a repeat. This session will explore the inflation crisis and what the 'Great Inflation' of the 1970s can teach us about the economy and the market today. How close are the parallels between today's economic climate and the 1970s? What are the critical difference and what can we learn from the mistakes?
In-person event, London
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we live, work and do business, and many of these changes are here to stay. As companies refine their strategies to adjust to the post-pandemic world, a focus on how they attract talent should be a key component. This session will focus on what companies should consider when engaging with, and hiring, Gen Z. What are the attributes of Gen Z that make them different to any other generation? What are they expecting from the post-pandemic workplace? And how do generational differences impact the workplace?
The war in Ukraine has now entered its third month and organisations continue to grapple with the disruption to their businesses. Although primarily a humanitarian crisis, the conflict has accelerated long-term business trends already brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic such as global inflationary pressures and disrupted supply chains. This panel will discuss the business implications of the war in Ukraine. How are organisations navigating this crisis and the high level of uncertainty ahead? Does the war mark the end of globalisation? And will the crisis drastically reshape global supply chains?
Retired four-star General Stan McChrystal has lived a life associated with the deadly risks of combat; he has seen how individuals and organisations, too often and to great costs, fail to mitigate risk. Why? Because they focus on the probability of something happening instead of the interface by which it can be managed. In conversation with Andrew Hill, the FT’s management editor, McChrystal will explain how to build and strengthen your organisation's risk management and what it takes to master risk to your and your business’s advantage. Drawing on practical examples ranging from military history to the business world, he will share ten dimensions of control that you can use to detect, assess and respond to risk.
Meet fellow members at our first in-person event of the year, hosted at the Financial Times in London. We’ll also be joined by guest speakers Katie Martin, Markets Editor, Financial Times and Philipp Hildebrand, Vice Chairman, BlackRock who will discuss the markets outlook for 2022. Post-event content will be shared after the event for those of you unable to attend.
While progress has been made on improving the gender diversity of boards, women remain largely under-represented in senior leadership positions. This session will provide an in-depth discussion on what effective measures companies can take to improve gender balance across their organisations and the challenges associated with this.
Sir Alex Younger, former MI6 Chief, discusses with John Thornhill, the FT’s Innovation Editor, how organisations can protect themselves against cyber attacks and how governments and the private sector can work together to build resilient cyber strategies.
Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of Natwest Group, explores the trends impacting the global economy in the year to come. How will the continued new variants of Covid-19 impact the global economic recovery? How big is the inflation risk in the short and medium-term? How will these challenges affect the prospects for global trade?
There are five key trends set to dominate the coming decade and beyond - debt, tech, climate change, demographics and Asia’s economic rise. Watch this event recording to learn how the pandemic has accelerated these trends and what all this means for investors in the West.
At this event, Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever and co-founder and chair of IMAGINE, explains how you can profit by fixing the world’s problems instead of creating them.
At this exclusive 'Chatham House style’ discussion, board members were presented with a dilemma based on a genuine, real-life situation where the Chair and the CEO are in conflict. In small groups, they discussed the situation, the issues it raises for the board and the best solution to resolve.
Dan Thomas, Chief UK Business Correspondent, Financial Times and Sir Jonathan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council discuss the recent publication of the UK white paper on audit and corporate governance reforms.
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ESG
- Corporate technocracy ESG governance beyond shareholder democracy or managerialism (Harvard Law School Forum)
- Global transit and trade: in rough waters (Goldman Sachs Exchanges)
- The audit committee has specific responsibilities under the EU’s CSRD (PwC)
- How does ESG emphasis impact a company’s value? (Knowledge at Wharton)
- Rebellion extinction: does Exxon mark the end of shareholder engagement? (Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance)
- Ignorance is strength: climate change, corporate governance, politics, and the English language (Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance)
- Corporate climate lobbying (The European Corporate Governance Institute)
- The future of ESG: thoughts for boards and management in 2024 (Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance)
- ‘Net zero greenwash’: The gap between corporate commitments and their policy engagement (InfluenceMap)
- 2023 survey of investors, retirement savings, and ESG (Stanford)
- 2023 annual ESG preparedness report (The Sustainability Board)
- Net zero readiness report (KPMG)
Strategy
- Quick poll: AI’s impact on organisational structure and investments (Pearl Meyer)
- EMEIA board priorities 2024 (EY)
- A guide for directors to political law issues in this election year (Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance)
- Asia-Pacific board priorities 2024 (EY)
- Generating, grading and ghosting: how organising experts shapes expertise (Journal of Management Studies)
- The future of strategic measurement: enhancing KPIs with AI (MIT Sloan Management Review and BCG)
- Americas board priorities 2024 (EY)
- Leading for tomorrow: winning through change and disruption (The Conference Board)
- Dealmaking and IPOs are poised for a revival in 2024 (Goldman Sachs)
- Specialist directors (The European Corporate Governance)
- The secret of culture change with Jay Barney (BCG Henderson )
- Board leadership and structure (The Conference Board)
- Board monitor 2023 (Heidrick & Struggles)
Audit & Risk
- Brazilian fiscal councils: trends and observations (ISS Governance)
- Enterprise resilience considerations: questions for board members to consider (PwC)
- The purpose of audits: a look at developments in the United Kingdom (ISS Governance)
- Audit committee practices report (Deloitte and the Center for Audit Quality)
- Top governance and stewardship issues in 2024 (ISS Governance)
- JetBlue/Spirit, Amazon/iRobot and the changing antitrust risk climate (Glass Lewis)
- Global CEO survey (PwC)
- Global risk survey 2023 (PwC)
- Shareholder activism at what price? (Insead)
- Changes to the landscape for corporate criminal liability in the UK (Clifford Chance)
- Five things to know about enterprise risk management (Diligent)
Technology & Cybersecurity
- AI governance appears on corporate radar (ISS Insights)
- 2024 digital trends in operations survey (PwC)
- Future of work: shaping the workforce of the future with AI (KPMG)
- People problems: the human element of cyber risk (ISS Corporate)
- Key EU tech legislation to watch in 2024 (Clifford Chance)
- Hacking corporate reputations (The European Corporate)
- Chief data officer survey 2023 (Deloitte)
- Cyber governance: growing expectations for information security oversight and accountability (ISS Corporate Solutions)
- When does generative AI destroy value? (BCG)
- Ransomware, extortion and the cyber crime ecosystem (National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency)
- Global chief information security officer (CISO) survey (Heidrick & Struggles)
- Governance in the Age of Technological Innovation (Insead Directors Forum)
- What every CEO should know about generative AI (McKinsey)
People & Workforce
- Has research finally uncovered how to conquer work email? (LSE Business Review)
- How will generative AI impact human capital in organizations? (MIT Sloan)
- The power of trust: how companies build it, lose it, regain it (FT Board Network)
- Leadership confidence index (Russell Reynolds Associates)
- Why some CEOs are more likely to engage in corporate downsizing (Insead)
- Longevity economy principles: the foundation for a financially resilient future (The World Economic Forum and Mercer)
- Why women say hybrid working enhances productivity, while men don’t (LSE)
- Uncovering culture: a call to action for leaders (Deloitte and the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law)
- Talent management: an evolving board imperative (PwC)
- The downside of psychological safety in the workplace (Knowledge at Wharton)
- Client policy survey 2023 (Glass Lewis)
- Global CEO turnover index (Russell Reynolds)
- Making stress work for organisations (Insead)
- 2023 annual corporate directors survey (PwC)
Diversity
- Improving the ethnic diversity of UK business (The Parker Review Committee)
- Global CEO Turnover Index Annual Report (Russell Reynolds Associates)
- Lifting financial performance by investing in women (BlackRock)
- Boardroom diversity has a trickle-down effect (Columbia Business School)
- 2023 S&P 500 new director and diversity snapshot (Spencer Stuart)
- Startup boards are still a boys’ club (Sifted)
- Women struggle to close corporate America’s gender gap (Feature from the FT)
- Fix Europe’s ‘women problem’ to ease the jobs crisis (Opinion from the FT)
- PwC and KPMG fall behind in promoting women to run major audit work (News from the FT)
- How to best use data to meet DE&I goals (Practical insights from Harvard Business review)
Succession planning
- Your CEO succession plan can not wait (Research and insights from the Harvard Business Review)
- Your board needs a people committee (Practical insights from the Harvard Business Review)
- Chief executives: fountain of youth versus wisdom of age (Opinion from the FT)
Board moves
- Berkeley names Schroders veteran Michael Dobson as chair (News from FT)
- Insurer LV names new chair after failed Bain takeover (News from FT)
Remuneration
- Non-executive director fees — time for a reset? (Deloitte)
- Golden parachutes face investor scrutiny (Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance)
- The 2023 private company board compensation and governance survey (Private Company Director and Compensation Advisory Partners)
- Why investor pay revolts need to get personal (Opinion by the FT)
- The hypocritical attack on CEO pay (Opinion from the FT)
- A squandered chance to reform executive pay (Opinion from FT Editorial Board)
- How did boards adjust CEO pay in response to Covid-19? (Research from Stanford Corporate Governance Research Initiative)
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