2013 Director Roundtables
The Conference Board Governance Center Director Roundtables are regular sessions focused on key issues that impact the boardroom.Upcoming Programs
Refreshing the Board: Introducing new skills to the boardroom
Shelly Lazarus, Chairman Emeritus, Ogilvy & Mather; Director, General Electric, Merck
Kim A. Van Der Zon, Partner; Head of US Board Practice, Egon Zehnder International
Directors increasingly need to understand new business models, technologies, and markets. The question has been asked how that can be accomplished with such low board turnover. Our guests will discuss concepts like director evaluation, term limits, and skills matrixes, and why refreshing the board matters for the future of US business.
October 2, 2013 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm EDT
High Frequency Trading
At its peak, high frequency trading (HFT) made up as much as 70% of trades and shrank the average holding time of investors to four months. After recent “flash crashes” and related events, many are beginning to question the value and utility of HFT and whether the practice should be regulated or otherwise controlled.
Date TBA
Past Programs
China, the Board, and Growth
David R. Hoffman, Managing Director, The Conference Board China Center for Economics and Business
Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, Director, Amerigroup Corporation, Emerson, and Fluor Corporation; Board member, The U.S. – China Policy Foundation; Consulting Professor and Senior Advisor, Stanford University; Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired); Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Pacific Command (1996 - 1999); and former U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China (1999 - 2001)
Moderated by Mary Ann Cloyd, Leader, PwC Center for Board Governance
Boards increasingly need to understand both the US market as well as emerging markets like China and Brazil. Mary Ann Cloyd, leader of PwC's Center for Board Governance, moderated this discussion with Adm. Joseph Prueher, former U.S. Ambassador to the PRC and current board member and David Hoffman, The Conference Board’s Managing Director for China. Adm. Prueher gave us insights into China to help directors understand what can really be expected from the PRC. Mr. Hoffman will discussed the transition of leadership in China and current economic conditions and projections.
Video Pending
Reinvent: A Discussion with Fred Hassan
Fred Hassan, Managing Director & Partner, Warburg Pincus, LLC; Chairman, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated; Director, Time Warner Inc.; former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Schering-Plough Corporation
Interviewed by Joann Lublin, Management News Editor, The Wall Street Journal, and Jonathan Spector, President & CEO, The Conference Board
At this invite only director roundtable program, Fred Hassan will discuss his new book, Reinvent: A Leader’s Playbook for Serial Success. With applications to the C-Suite and the boardroom, public and private life, Joann Lublin and Jon Spector will interview Mr. Hassan on the key tenants of the book and implications for business leaders.
View the recording
Stakeholder Capitalism
Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman & CEO, Alcoa Inc.; Trustee, The Conference Board
Interviewed by Hedrick Smith, Author, Who Stole the American Dream?; former Correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief, The New York Times
“In Germany, still a manufacturing and export powerhouse, average hourly pay has risen five times faster since 1985 than in the United States. The secret of Germany's success, says Klaus Kleinfeld, who ran the German electrical giant Siemens before taking over the American aluminum company Alcoa in 2008, is "the social contract: the willingness of business, labor and political leaders to put aside some of their differences and make agreements in the national interest."
-When Capitalists Cared, NY Times Op Ed, 09/03/2012
Dr. Kleinfeld will share his experience and perspective on the stakeholder capitalist model that he experienced in Germany and how he thinks it could help the US move back to growth.
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Executive Compensation and the Utility of Peer Groups
Charles M. Elson, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair in Corporate Governance, and Director, University of Delaware’s John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance
Craig K. Ferrere, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Research Fellow, University of Delaware’s John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance
Ira Kay, Managing Partner, Pay Governance LLC
Moderated by James D. C. Barrall, Partner & Co-chair, Benefits and Compensation Practice, Latham & Watkins LLP
Professor Elson and Messrs. Ferrere and Kay will debate their differing perspectives on executive compensation, including the role of peer groups and answer the question, “Are CEOs Compensated Appropriately?”
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The Law and Economics of Blockholder Disclosure
Lucian A. Bebchuk, Director, Program on Corporate Governance, Harvard Law School
Martin Lipton, Founding Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
The question is whether activist investors should be required to give public companies quicker notice of their accumulation of stock once they have reached a 5% threshold. Current U.S. law requires notice within 10 days of reaching this threshold. Mr. Lipton’s firm has filed a petition with the SEC to shorten this period and Mr. Bebchuk has taken the position that existing evidence does not provide a good basis for SEC adoption of the proposed change. Our guests lay out their positions and debate the issues.
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For more information on the programs above or to request an invitation to these programs, please contact Marcel Bucsescu, Manager, Governance Center, at marcel.bucsescu@conferenceboard.org.
The Conference Board Governance Center’s public purpose work is made possible by virtue of funding support and thoughtful guidance from our corporate and investor members and sponsors.
