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Although special purpose acquisition vehicles (SPACs) – blank check companies raising funds through IPOs in order to acquire private companies and allow them to go public quickly – have been around for years, the volume and profile of these deals have exploded in the past 18 months. Not surprisingly, the rise in SPAC activity has […]

With increasing volume over the last several years, there have been calls from Washington, D.C. to “do something” about large technology platforms and their audience reach, financial power, and outsized influence. Elected officials, regulators, and advocates from both the left and the right of the political spectrum have expressed growing concern. Complaints about the major […]

The global economy is in an extraordinary state of flux. COVID, an unprecedented modern human tragedy, has caused a massive shock to domestic economies and to international trade. The United States’ powerful fiscal and monetary response creates a confluence of historic macro-economic conditions with implications, including inflation concerns and potential asset bubbles, that are difficult […]

Many experienced directors and governance experts believe that hiring and firing the CEO is the board’s most important function. But little attention has been paid to the size and quality of the CEO market and how this talent market influences performance evaluation, compensation, succession planning, and talent development within an organization. This session will review […]

CEO and corporate activism–the practice of CEOs taking public positions on environmental, social, and political issues not directly related to their business–has become a hotly debated topic in corporate governance. Following the events of January 6 and the 2020 U.S. presidential election, many corporations either halted their political giving programs or made permanent changes to […]

After taking a short break following the emergence of COVID, the M&A market rebounded with a vengeance. In this environment, every publicly traded corporation needs an M&A strategy. Is it a buyer or a seller? Is it prepared to respond to an adequately priced offer from a credible bidder? What’s the smartest way to deploy […]

In the wake of the global pandemic and corporate workforces being distributed in remote locations, cyber attacks and ransomware risks have multiplied. Attacks on fundamental enterprise software systems and national energy infrastructure providers have highlighted new vulnerabilities for boards and corporations to address. This session will not transform you into a cyber-security expert. But it […]

This session will peel back the results of the most recent proxy season to tease out the important surprises and enduring trends, and then forecast what challenges might be lurking around the corner. The panelists will also discuss what to expect from the new SEC, which has signaled an intention to strengthen shareholder rights and […]

Please join one of the three roundtable discussions below: CEO Succession roundtable discussion SPACs roundtable discussion The global economic recovery roundtable discussion

Please join one of the three tabletop exercises below: Cybersecurity tabletop M&A tabletop Boardroom Culture tabletop with PwC