Plenary Session – Hot Topics for Boards in 2023

Directors face tougher questions than ever before. When, if at all, should corporations or CEOs address controversial political and social questions? How should boards respond to calls for increased diversity, environmental action, and social responsibility? Should corporations modify their political contributions and lobbying activities? How can directors address the concern that “Caremark liability” potentially exposes directors to greater legal risk than ever before? More prosaic, but no less difficult, are a range of novel business and governance challenges. Is your board ready for an activist challenge that uses the new universal proxy in an effort to unseat one or more sitting directors? Are you prepared to respond to a ransomware demand or to a significant cyber breach? Are your work-from-home policies realistic and effective? Is artificial intelligence a threat or an opportunity for your business? This panel, in a focused, rapid-fire fashion, will address a series of contentious boardroom issues and describes emerging best practices for responding to these emerging challenges.