Intensive Seminar – Board Composition, Evaluation, and Refreshment

Focus on board composition, evaluation, and succession planning has never been greater. With the rise of activist investors, the advent of proxy access, the complexity of operating in a global marketplace, and the disruption of many industries, corporations are under increasing pressure to assemble a board with the right mix of experience, specialized skills, industry-specific expertise, international exposure, and gender, racial, and ethnic diversity. Shareholders are also suggesting that directors with longer tenures might cease to be considered independent. Many shareholder advisory firms, institutional investors, and board diversity advocates argue that term limits or mandatory retirement ages should be implemented to refresh boards with entrenched directors or stale skill sets, and to accelerate the turnover of board seats. Taken together, these pressures can force nominating and governance committees to reconsider the process by which they assess board composition and performance and identify new director candidates. This session will discuss successful strategies for ensuring that companies are building the best performing board of directors for the shareholders and the company given its current needs.