Directors' Institute FAQs

Why should my company choose the Directors' Institute?

The Directors' Institute is the premiere provider of corporate governance education for directors and builds on more than a decade of trusted work by The Conference Board in establishing the bar for best corporate governance practices. Our exclusive approach brings together current and former directors, chairmen and CEOs to share their practical experiences with your company's directors in an interactive, roundtable format. Our core director faculty is supplemented by keynote guests from the business, regulatory and judicial sectors, as well as expert practitioners in a completely non-academic, "real world" approach for directors only.

Whereas many academic programs are often two to three days in length, Directors' Institute Roundtable Forum programs are 1 ½ days. Programs are limited to 25 participants to promote maximum interactive discussion and debate.

The Conference Board's Directors' Institute programs are held in collaboration with the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals and are ISS-accredited.

Are your programs ISS-accredited, and how does the ISS accreditation process work?

Yes, both our Roundtable Forum and tailored in-house programs are ISS accredited provided directors receive 8 hours of instruction, in accordance with ISS's accreditation requirements.

Upon completion of either a Roundtable Forum or 8-hour in-house program, The Conference Board will submit to ISS a list of attending directors that includes information about the other boards on which the directors serve. Once ISS has processed the list, the company receives an upward adjustment to its ISS Corporate Governance Quotient (CGQ) for the number of directors in attendance. The credits also apply to each board on which the directors serve. The attending director(s) must complete the entire program in order to receive credit from ISS.

What are the primary differences between Roundtable Forum and "in-house" (on-site) programs?

Our Roundtable Forum programs allow for director interaction with fellow directors and more diverse faculty for different perspectives on the topics discussed during the program. These programs provide directors with an opportunity to learn how other directors are approaching key corporate governance issues at their companies. Roundtable Forum programs also give companies a chance to test the quality of the program by, for example, sending one director to attend the program and report back to the board before other directors attend or before scheduling an in-house program.

In-house programs allow the flexibility to schedule to time that meets your board's busy schedule since most companies choose to schedule programs that correspond with board meetings or off-site retreats. They also ensure that directors receive uniform instruction and that the program is tailored to meet the board's own unique requirements since every board is different. Companies can also be assured they receive maximum ISS CGQ credit since the entire board is participating in the program.

How does my company go about scheduling an in-house program, and how does the in-house program process work?

To schedule an in-house program, please contact us to discuss the desired length, timing and location of the program(s). For example, the company may whish to schedule an 8-hour, ISS-accredited program in two, four-hour sessions to correspond with scheduled board meetings or a board retreat. We will then ask the company to review a sample program outline, to indicate to our core program faculty representatives the topics on which the board wishes to focus most heavily. For ISS-accredited programs, all topics will need to be covered, but there is flexibility to focus on topics to a greater or lesser extent to meet the board's educational needs.

Program fees are based on company size, whether or not the company is a Conference Board member company, desired program length and program location. In addition to the base program fee, we ask that the company reimburse for faculty travel expenses. Typically, for an 8-hour program, 4-5 faculty will be required to cover the various topics. Program faculty are chosen from our faculty list. We ask that the company allow for a minimum two months' notice to schedule an in-house program.

For more information about scheduling an in-house program and to receive a fee quote, please contact Paul DeNicola, Center Manager, +1 212 339 0221 or paul.denicola@conference-board.org.

What are your admission standards?

Directors participating in our Roundtable Forum programs should be currently serving on boards of large, publicly traded companies. We will consider participation by non-public companies and directors on a case-by-case basis. For example, we would allow directors from non-public companies to participate in our programs if they serve on other public company boards.

To be considered for an in-house program, the company should preferably be a large-cap public company. We consider participation by smaller companies and non-public companies on an individual basis based on factors such as size, company location and whether directors have experience serving on public company boards.

How do I receive more information or register for programs?

For further information about all of our Directors' Institute programs, please contact:
Brandi Mathis
Center Manager
Governance Center and Directors' Institute
Tel: +1 212 339 0241
brandi.mathis@conference-board.org