With the 2010 proxy season upon us, there are already signs that risk disclosure will remain high on the priority list for boards in light of new enhanced SEC proxy disclosure rules and shareholder pressure.
In light of the recent financial crisis, the enhanced disclosure rules, which went into effect Feb. 28, [See past blog post, [...]

At this point, a lot has been written about the causes of the financial crisis of 2007-2009. From the toxic mortgage-backed securities market to the lax regulation of derivatives to the creation of financial institutions that were too big to fail, many experts have written about their take on this historic collapse.
But what’s more important [...]

As I write this, we are in now officially in a post-accreditation era for director education. While it may not feel that much different than the past nine years, it means that organizations like The Conference Board Governance Center, The Director Network and the National Association of Corporate Directors are suddenly more accountable for the [...]

On paper, President Obama’s plan to levy a 0.15 percent financial crisis responsibility fee on the largest and most levered Wall Street firms may seem straightforward, but determining how leveraged they are may be a problem.
If you recollect, one of the reasons the financial crisis reached the heights it did was because many banks and [...]

For shareholders and institutional investors, the silver lining in the controversial Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission U.S. Supreme Court decision is that “corporate democracy” is well and alive and corporate disclosure is key to its success.
For corporations and some conservative advocacy groups, some believe the decision will allow companies to raise issues that could [...]

As John Thain took over as chair and CEO of the embattled small business lender CIT Group recently after a lengthy vetting process following bankruptcy and a federal bailout, I am reminded of the importance of a good succession plan. And, by the way, so are many investors and the SEC.
While Thain’s resume more than [...]

The SEC has put all public companies on notice that as of Feb. 8 it will look hard at 10-Ks, 8-Ks and all regulatory filings it oversees for disclosures related to climate change financial risks. The impetus for the regulator’s interpretative guidance issued on Feb. 2 was the push by myriad investor groups and Copenhagen [...]

As financial regulatory reform remains in limbo in the U.S. Senate, shareholders and corporate watchdogs are becoming more vociferous and taking more action. One such organization taking the lead in this area is The Corporate Library and its founder Nell Minow.
When Nell isn’t being quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Corporate Board [...]

As companies continue to deal with the repercussions of the financial crisis, finding directors to fill the seats on many public company boards is becoming more difficult. In fact, in its 2009 U.S. Board Index Spencer Stuart found that 48 percent of  respondents to its survey said it took three to six months to recruit [...]

If you are a director or a provider of director education programs, like The Conference Board Governance Center, The Directors’ Network or the NACD’s Corporate Directors Institute, you may be trying to figure out what to make of RiskMetrics’ decision to discontinue its director education accreditation program as of March 1.
For director education program providers, [...]