Directors & Boards articles from January 1996

Directors & Boards archives from January 1996

Re-empowering the board. (corporate governance)
January 1, 1996... The key to improved corporate governance lies in finding new sources of truly independent directors. An idea worth exploring is to 'professionalize' the board. "When an institution malfunctions as consistently as boards of directors have in...

Should directors meet with shareholders?
January 1, 1996... If circumstances call for such a meeting, here are several suggestions for maximizing the usefulness of this session. An important question confronting chief executives, boards of directors, and institutional shareholders is whether...

The case for cash for directors. (stock options for directors of corporations)
January 1, 1996... Paying directors wholly or substantially in stock, on an imposed basis and as a general standard, may impede rather than further improved governance. Demand for changes in corporate governance continues apace. One call for reform - paying...

Proponents of mandatory stock compensation. (compensation for directors of corporations)
January 1, 1996... Here is a representative sample of the influential parties seeking to convert corporate America to the practice of paying directors entirely or substantially in stock. Albert J. Dunlap, CEO of Scott Paper Co. (until its recent acquisition by...

'The line could have gone flat.' (reorganization of General Development Corp.)
January 1, 1996... The journey of one CEO and three boards through a complex reorganization - and its useful governance lessons even for those in less-distressed situations. It was September 5, 1990, the third day on my new job as executive vice president of...

Resigning from the board. (corporate board)
January 1, 1996... Here is some guidance for handling the not-always-simple decision to submit one's resignation from a board. Nothing could be easier than resigning from a corporate board - right? Yes, and no. "How to resign" is simple. A simple written...

The corporate center: what is the right model?
January 1, 1996... Here is a case for the Activist center - the most difficult to implement, but clearly the most effective in adding shareholder value. One of the most prevalent business trends of the past decade has been the shrinking role of the corporate...

Globalizing your board. (includes related article)
January 1, 1996... Shareowners want to know that the people sitting on the board have delivered results against competition. Today, that means global competition. Overseas markets have never looked more promising. Opportunities for growth outstrip those...

Recruiting a foreign director.
January 1, 1996... Adding a non-U.S. national to an American board is easier said than done. What type of director is right for this job? It's a small world. This fact has become increasingly clear for American corporations who set up shop overseas and...

International advisory councils. (council formation)
January 1, 1996... They can be a source of high-caliber expertise for companies with multinational operations. Here is some advice on forming such a council. An international advisory council is a group of distinguished business, financial, and former government...

A U.S. U.K. director's report.
January 1, 1996... The cross-fertilization of ideas and practices that comes with our headlong rush into a global market necessarily brings with it an increasing homogeneity of corporate management and governance. With the information age, we have increased access...

How should corporate directors be compensated?(Special Report)
January 1, 1996... Early in this century, a director of a company could expect, at most, to collect a gold coin (worth maybe $20) for fulfilling his board duties. Just 90 or so years later, his modern counterpart likely earns anywhere from $40,000 or $70,000...