The NACD Philadelphia Chapter is pleased to host a special conversation with Barbara Novick, Co-Founder and Vice Chair of BlackRock. Ms. Novick is a member of the BlackRock Global Executive Committee, Enterprise Risk Committee and Geopolitical Risk Committee. From the inception of the firm in 1988 to 2008, she headed the Global Client Group and oversaw global business development, marketing and client service across equity, fixed income, liquidity, alternative investment and real estate products for institutional and individual investors and their intermediaries worldwide. In her current role, Ms. Novick oversees the firm's efforts globally for public policy and for investment stewardship. The discussion will include: Significant changes that occurred in the investment arena over the last 30 years, and what the asset management business might look like in 10 years. A perspective on how BlackRock approaches the investment process. The role of Investment Stewardship at Blackrock and how it has evolved given the growth of index strategies. The process of determining “Engagement Priorities†for 2020 and the implications for corporate boards Challenges of retirement and retirement savings globally Pressing regulatory and geopolitical risks facing us today and in the future.
2 Collaborative Credits
2 Collaborative Credits
2 Collaborative Credits
The role and scope of responsibilities of directors have grown exponentially over the past ten years, including oversight of technology, risk and even company culture. Many times a concrete plan for the future is not only implicitly challenging, but finding the time to carve out succession planning and talent acquisition strategies seems like a distant luxury. In the NACD Philadelphia Chapter’s first program of the year, we will discuss how crucial a succession plan is for the overall health of the organization, and provide a matrix in which directors can review and build a successful and comprehensive plan for the future, leaning on modern research and strategies to attract top talent.
1 Collaborative Credits
It could easily be argued that the primary goal of a board of directors is to create and maintain long-term value. This is no simple task, and cannot be realized without understanding and providing guidance on strategy and associated risk. Anticipating those risks - whether beneficial or dangerous - in our rapidly changing environment is the most challenging aspect of serving as a member of the board, and understanding those potential risks and their impact is key to success. How can the board anticipate atypical and rapidly changing risks, and where should the focus lie? Technology is at the forefront of many of these discussions, however what other elements should be at the center of focus? Boards practice strategy review on the regular; how can they look into the future, practicing adaptive governance? Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter as we take a deep dive into adaptive governance and the atypical risks associated.
1 Collaborative Credits
Few priorities are more urgent for boards today than communications with their shareholders. While the need for engagement is not a new addition to leading governance issues, the investor environment has only become more vocal, speaking out for higher standards and a greater level of transparency. Mainstream asset managers - including major index funds such as Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street - are speaking out more forcefully on issues like board diversity, company culture and climate change. Public pension funds such as the Office of the New York City Comptroller have been making their influence felt in areas such as proxy access. And activist investors continue to press for changes to their target companies’ strategies - often by seeking seats on the board.
1 Collaborative Credits
Joining the audit committee has its increasingly complex challenges, particularly since the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation in 2002. Audit committee members have had to adapt to new constraints, all while putting their reputations on the line. What are the biggest challenges facing the audit committee? How does an audit committee measure their effectiveness in an increasingly changing landscape? Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter to discuss key forces impacting audit committees present and future, including risk oversight in light of cybersecurity and disruptions in the business; the focus on reporting and increased disclosure; appointing the external auditor; and the changing audit process.
1 Collaborative Credits
Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter for an intimate fireside chat with former Vanguard Chairman/CEO Bill McNabb, as we discuss the current landscape of disruption in technology and business, as well as governance matters, in the Philadelphia region and beyond.
1 Collaborative Credits
Environmental, social and governance criteria, under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility, have grown from feel-good investing tactics to big business. In fact, the value of ESG funds totaled more than $2.5 trillion by the end of 2016. Socially responsible investment recommendations not only reach every corner of the world, but have even been linked to innovation and productivity in high performance organizations. Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter for an interactive panel on the benefits and challenges associated with prioritizing corporate social responsibility.
1 Collaborative Credits
Nonprofits face many challenges today that are unique to the sector; however, they are not as different from their for-profit counterparts as one might think. Both require strong governance and oversight by the board and management to accomplish their goals. While they may not earn profit for shareholders, they do create enormous public profit with the nonprofit sector employing over 15% of Pennsylvania’s workforce. Viewing nonprofits through a business lens will create dramatically healthier and sustainable communities. Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter and Drexel LeBow Raj & Kamla Gupta Governance Institute for this provocative discussion on the impact and role nonprofits play.
1 Collaborative Credits
Over the past several years, the topic of board diversity has been in the spotlight. But what exactly is board diversity? And how does a board become diverse? Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter and The Forum of Executive Women for a panel discussion on diversity in the boardroom. Hear directly from board recruiters and sitting directors about the processes, challenges and opportunities associated with achieving board diversity.
1 Collaborative Credits
The concepts of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) invoke the image of a futuristic world, run by robots. How do these new technologies positively affect today's business operations, and how do they affect their governance issues? As a director, what should you know about employing these strategies, and what would you recommend to your board and/or clients? Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter as we explore these new high-tech strategies, and find out how to positively integrate today's technological advances seamlessly into your business's day-to-day operations.
1 Collaborative Credits
For many start-ups, especially those in high-growth tech and life sciences sectors, the corporate governance playbook is often neglected, and viewed as a practice reserved for large, public companies. Thorough and deliberate governance decisions and documents are crucial to any company from the outset, defining the authority, roles and timing of key business decisions. Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter to discuss important steps in the creation of a robust governance plan, how to seek out those positive qualities of successful directors, and ways that a strong corporate governance plan can positively affect the company’s bottom line and future growth.
1 Collaborative Credits
Event File Attachment:
pdf Cover StoryCybersecurity is at the forefront of every director's mind, as greater pressure to oversee this rapidly changing set of risks has been added to the board's responsibilities. Are you familiar with cybersecurity operations and how to assess the associated risks? How are cybersecurity practices defined in your organization, and how does this relate to the company's value? Is the board familiar with the critical operations that could be impacted by a cyber incident, and to what extent should the board be involved with cyber-risk oversight? Join the NACD Philadelphia Chapter to discuss risks to a company's cybersecurity environment, key internal and external threats, and walk away with a list of cybersecurity and risk management initiatives that every director should consider.
1 Collaborative Credits
In an era of near-instantaneous news reporting and ever-present telephone video cameras, companies have little time to respond to a crisis which can arise quickly from a wide range of sources, such as an information security breach, a compliance issue, or even a customer service episode. Unless a company is well prepared, irreparable harm can occur to the company’s brand and enterprise value. As today’s headlines attest, reputational risk has become a key risk factor for companies large and small, requiring oversight by boards of directors, as well as corporate counsel. Do you know what your role is and are you prepared to manage this risk proactively? Join NACD Philadelphia and ALI CLE for this informative and enlightening webinar. Coupon codes for special NACD members and friends registrants: NACD1 - $29 for NACD members NCD2 - $79 for NACD friends
1 Skill Fellowship Credit(s)
In recent years since the 2008 financial crisis, the legal environment of corporations has changed significantly, namely with regard to increased regulation, technology advances, globalization and more. Increasingly, General Counsel has a seat at the governance table, to avoid corporate legal mistakes. Determining General Counsel’s level of independence, reporting structure, resources and remuneration are as important to their function as the decisions it makes. Join NACD Philadelphia as we discuss the benefits, best practices and procedures for including General Counsel in the boardroom.
1 Collaborative Credits
With our country in a period of political polarization not seen perhaps since the years of the Vietnam War, the utterances of a senior executive as well as his/her participation on a politically sensitive advisory board or other activity, which may formerly have been fairly innocuous, can take on an outsized importance and have potentially serious consequences for a company’s brand, relationships with customers, vendors and employees, and its enterprise value. In addition, the erstwhile noncontroversial policies of a company about how to conduct its business may touch upon “litmus test†issues that can be political landmines. How can boards deal proactively with these sensitive issues, and what principles should guide them? How do company codes of ethics, whistleblower hotlines, and other tools of management and governance relate to these issues? Join our panel of experts as we explore an extremely topical – and complicated! – issue.
1 Collaborative Credits
In an era of increased shareholder engagement and activism, companies must prepare to be more transparent than ever. Combined with increased special situations, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), crises and / or leadership changes, this new era forces companies to maneuver through uncharted environments to effectively communicate and interact with their shareholders. Join us as we present all sides of the shareholder engagement issue, and discuss such topics as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), mediums of communication, financial reporting and more.
1 Collaborative Credits
One of the key roles of the board of directors is the oversight of the management of risk. There are no businesses without risk, and so its management involves a continuous effort to identify and mitigate risk (where cost-effective to do so), and monitor both the mitigation progress as well as the identification of any new risks, which can emerge quickly, often alongside mergers and acquisitions, technological advances, product and market launches, etc. Boards have a responsibility not only to learn about the risks faced by the company, but to help ensure that management is effectively dealing with them. Our panel of experts will discuss these and other topics related to oversight of risk management, such as what type of information about risk management should the board receive, and whether outside advisors can assist the board in discharging its responsibilities. Join us for a timely discussion on the board's role in oversight of risk management, and ways to better perform that role.
1 Collaborative Credits
Governance of privately-held and family-owned companies can present unique challenges. While the fiduciary obligations of board members are the same as for publicly-held companies, governance in private and family businesses is often not nearly as strong as for public companies, which misses a valuable opportunity to reduce risk and increase value. Join us for a timely discussion on governance as it pertains to family-owned and privately-held businesses.
1 Collaborative Credits
