Corporate Board articles from November 2007

Corporate Board archives from November 2007

Non-financial metrics and boards.(Company overview)
November 1, 2007... Corporate boards increasingly recognize the value of both financial and non-financial performance metrics. While many are more sophisticated in their use of financial information, they still lack high-quality non-financial performance data....

Are CEOs really overpaid?
November 1, 2007... The hefty pay packages o f top U.S. chief executives have drawn fire from the media, investors, and now the U.S. House, with proposed legislation mandating a shareholder "say on pay." Are CEOs truly overpaid? Is their compensation disconnected...

The continued costs of being a public company.
November 1, 2007... After the huge initial investments required to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley, we could assume that costs would decline as compliance became more routine. Indeed, SOX startup investments were huge--but the costs of compliance have continued to rise...

The compensation committee today.
November 1, 2007... Current pressures--including new SEC proxy. disclosure rules, mounting pay-for-performance concerns, and ongoing criticism from institutional investors and the media--are leading many companies to reassess their executive compensation policies...

Developing a global boardroom.
November 1, 2007... As the U.S. economy becomes ever-more deeply part of the greater world economy, American boards have lagged behind in building global expertise. The addition of more international directors is a board trend predicted for decades, but little has...

European boards show much stronger international membership than those in the U.S.(Boardroom Practice)
November 1, 2007... The U.S. is lagging behind Europe in attracting and retaining board members capable of helping their companies make inroads into the complex, fast-changing market for converged products and services, according to a survey by executive search...

Women have gained greater numbers in the boardroom than in the corner office. (Boardroom Practice.
November 1, 2007... A study from Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) reveals low female representation on the corporate boards of the 100 largest companies in the world. The study shows even fewer women serving as senior officers, generally considered a...

A Delaware court decision highlights the importance of stock option plan language.(Compensation & Recruitment)
November 1, 2007... Last summer, the Delaware Chancery Court issued an important decision awarding damages to holders of "out-of-the-money" stock options that were cancelled in connection with a corporate merger. Interpreting the language of the underlying option...

Some companies outpace market averages in lowering compliance costs.(Disclosure)
November 1, 2007... Some companies report Sarbanes-Oxley compliance programs that are highly effective in meeting both regulatory standards and the needs of the business, while also outpacing the market in lowering costs, says a study by the 404 Institute of KPMG...

Despite slowdown, M&A activity is expected to stay strong.(Mergers & Acquisitions)
November 1, 2007... One of the largest-ever studies of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), identifies several trends that will continue to drive high deal flow, albeit at a reduced rate, through current volatility in the...

Ten years ago in the corporate board.(Retrospectives)
November 1, 2007... The portrait of the American Investor today is diverse, wherein he or she prefers empowerment to hand-holding, is optimistic but cautious, likes mutual funds, and invests for the long haul. If you sit on the board of a publicly traded company,...

Five years ago in the corporate board.(Retrospectives)
November 1, 2007... On reforms so far, like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, business has not been ahead of the curve. Business finally supported change, but only after Congress acted. With the current public anger and mistrust, unless the private sector takes leadership,...

Books received.(Bibliography)
November 1, 2007... The Voice of Authority. By Dianna Booher. McGraw-Hill. $19.95. Among the key characteristics of great leaders being a great communicator. This book nails down the basics of how good leaders effectively get their message across--and how poor...

Articles & speeches.(Spoken & Written)
November 1, 2007... The issue for boards has never been the need to incentivize the best managers they can attract--that's a given. The issue rather, is, how much is too much. This indeed can't be legislated; there's only one body that can control compensation and...

Recent board elections.(Directors' Register)
November 1, 2007... Anadarko Petroleum Corporation has elected to its board Paula Rosput Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of Safeco Corporation, and Peter J. Fluor, chairman and chief executive officer of Texas Crude Energy, Inc. Applied...

Judith Samuelson: the Aspen Principles for corporate reform.(Conversations)(Interview)
November 1, 2007... The Aspen Institute, one of America's foremost policy think tanks, has convened a blue-ribbon panel to encourage stronger long-term corporate value creation and more responsible executive compensation. The "Aspen Principles" were released over...