Chairing the Board: The Case for Independent Leadership in Corporate North America

The number of non-executive chairmen at companies in North America has been increasing year by year. Recent figures, according to the 2008 Spencer Stuart Board Index, indicate that the last decade has seen a growing trend in separating the roles of the Chief Executive Officer (ceo) and the chairman of the board. In 1998, 16% of the s&p 500 featured distinct chairmen. Data shows that in 2008 as many as 39% appoint someone other than the ceo to chair the board. Traditionally, even in companies that split the role, the chairman was not completely independent, but rather commonly the ex-ceo or another related party. During the past four years, Spencer Stuart, a sponsor of the Chairmen’s Forum, has tracked the trend of appointing independent chairmen who have no prior relationship with the company. In 2004, just 7.6% of all chairmen were designated as independent of management. In 2007, the figure rose to 13% and climbed to 16% in 2008. A RiskMetrics study, expanded to include s&p Mid and SmallCap companies, shows the appointment of independent non-exective chairmen to be slightly higher at 23% and 27% respectively for 2008, a cumulative increase of 17% from 2006 for the s&p 1500. Despite this movement toward independent chairmanship, there is little practical advice on what a non-executive chairman does and how the role differs from a chairman with executive powers. Also lacking is guidance on the profile and the ideal attributes of non-executive chairs, or whether appointing a lead director is an adequate alternative to separating the roles of chairman and ceo. Through the following sections, this report seeks to address these and other issues as they relate to the non-executive chairman

Agenda for Private Sector Reform: Omnibus Policy Recommendations for a Post-Crisis Market

The global financial crisis has exposed a raft of market weaknesses and failures The Center has concentrated on probing urgent, corporate governance-related issues where it identified apparent gaps in knowledge, insight and infrastructure. Policy Briefings have addressed the advisory vote on executive compensation; board-shareowner communications; proxy voting reform; independent board leadership; risk oversight; pay for performance; and shareowner stewardship. Using global perspectives, they address key concerns within the relevant subject areas and attempt to gather and present practical recommendations and ideas. This report compiles summaries of the Center’s recommendations on these seven key areas from 2007 through mid-2009. The objective is simple: to present a one-stop, omnibus governance reference for private sector players to use when considering reforms to restore public and regulatory confidence in the capital market

Summary Report: Workshop on International Environmental Governance: Grounding Policy Reform in Rigorous Analysis

From June 27 to 28, 2011, the Federal Office for the Environment of Switzerland, the Global Environmental Governance Project of the Center for Governance and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern hosted a workshop on International Environmental Governance: Grounding Policy Reform in Rigorous Analysis. The workshop started a dialogue between academics and researchers on one hand and policymakers on the other in order to provide analytical input to the political negotiations on institutional reform in the run-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012. The workshop focused explicitly on international environmental governance, with the purpose to create a common language between academics and policymakers, develop a joint understanding of the critical concerns demanding further analysis and political action, and identify points of convergence. The immediate goals were to identify existing and generate new reform ideas, as well as to launch a long-term, focused research and policy network that could bridge analysis and action. The event took place at the World Trade Institute in Bern, Switzerland, and brought together 40 renowned academics, international organization representatives, think tank officers, and policymakers from 17 countries

Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls in a Complicated Business Environment

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Automating Bias: Cardozo Law Review 2023 Symposium

Click here to view the event invitation. Click here to view the recording.https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/flyers-2022-2023/1008/thumbnail.jp

Automating Bias: Cardozo Law Review 2023 Symposium

This symposium explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in consumer credit markets and the legal and policy issues surrounding these practices. Panel 1: Scoping Credit Discrimination in the Age of AI This panel examines how the rise of AI in consumer credit markets expands the meaning of discrimination and fairness in lending. Panel 2: Programming Fairness This panel examines technical solutions for mitigating discrimination risks in consumer credit markets arising from the use of AI. Keynote: Fair Lending and the CFPB Patrice Ficklin, Fair Lending Director, CFPB, and Carol Evans, Deputy Fair Lending Director, CFPB Panel 3: Regulating Fair Lending This panel explores regulatory responses to the discrimination and fairness risks generated by the increasing use of AI in consumer credit markets. Click here to view the flyer. Click here to view the recording.https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/event-invitations-2023/1002/thumbnail.jp

Center for Governance and Sustainability: Policy Impact through Rigorous Analysis

Three main functions define the center: Serves as an information hub Provides rigorous analysis Acts as an honest broker We collect and manage data on governance and sustainability across scales, apply diverse analytical models grounded in empirics, and create dialogues among scholars, practitioners, and the public

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Film Screening and Panel

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Activities and Achievements: Progress Report 2011-2013

We joined the University of Massachusetts Boston in the fall of 2010 to develop a new doctoral program in global governance and human security, the first of its kind in the United States. In the spring of 2011, we launched the Center for Governance and Sustainability in an effort to bring academic rigor to real-world policy challenges in environment, development, and sustainability governance. The Center is housed at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, which takes pride in offering a world-class interdisciplinary education and engaging in values-driven research, demonstrating a deep commitment to making a difference in our local and global communities. Over the past two years, we have engaged in analytical and political debates ranging from the future of the architecture for global environmental governance and the development agenda beyond 2015 to the role of private actors and emerging powers in global governance writ large. Our work spans three dimensions: (1) global governance for the environment and development, (2) assessment of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) implementation, and (3) innovative governance instruments. Three think-pieces frame this report. Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the climate change convention; Gus Speth, former UNDP Administrator and Dean of Yale’s Environment School; and Alice Odingo, professor at the University of Nairobi, offer perspectives on core aspects of the Center’s mission. At the end, an at-a-glance map of people, places, and projects illustrates that within two short years, we find ourselves represented across the globe through the people we work with and the projects we advance. We look forward to engaging with you in an effort to bring about more-informed decision making and inspired scholarship across scales and geographies

Research Needs in the Colorado River Basin: A Summary of Policy-Related Topics to Explore Further in Support of Solution-Oriented Decision-Making

14 p. ; 28 cmhttps://scholar.law.colorado.edu/books_reports_studies/1000/thumbnail.jp