Towards a New Model of Boards of Directors

At the 2024 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference, participants analyzed how boards of directors can navigate challenges such as climate change, sustainability, digital transformation and CEO succession planning.

Corporate Governance, Corporate Culture and the Board’s Culture

The 2022 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference focused on analyzing how boards of directors can contribute to defining a company’s corporate culture and how executive compensation or diversity can influence this issue.

Boards of Directors and Corporate Strategy in an Uncertain Context

At the 2021 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference, the role of boards of directors in addressing corporate strategy in a context of uncertainty was discussed.

Can Purpose Deliver Better Corporate Governance?

The 2020 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference reflected on the connection between corporate purpose and governance.

Corporate Governance and Ownership with Diverse Shareholders

At the 2019 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference, participants reflected on how the different nature of shareholders impacts the way companies are governed and managed and, ultimately, on key decisions such as board composition and dynamics or the design of incentives.

The Importance of Corporate Governance

Professor Jordi Canals explains why corporate governance is important and how to create a sound corporate governance system that prevents self-serving behavior by a company’s top management.

Roles, Functions and Types of Boards of Directors in the Family Business

Professor Josep Tàpies (IESE Business School) explains how the board of directors is a governing body whose function is to project the company into the long term, ensure its continuity, and guide and monitor management. In a family business, the characteristics shaped by family ownership mean that this governing body must be capable of carrying out these same functions while never losing sight of the “family” dimension.

What Are the Seismic Changes Affecting Corporate Governance?

Professor Krishna Palepu (Harvard Business School) discusses the impact of business scandals in recent years, the shift toward regulatory compliance, the role of the board of directors in setting strategy, and how to address the sensitive issue of stakeholder activism.

Responsible Executives, Responsible Companies. Learning from the Crisis: The Emergence of Shareholder Activism

Professor Fabrizio Ferraro and Professor Mireia Giné (IESE Business School) explain how responsible investment has become a reality amounting to $32 trillion, encompassing social, environmental and governance issues in portfolio management. Meanwhile, the movement advocating for decision-making rights regarding executive pay (say-on-pay), rather than removing executives, has become a vote of confidence in the CEO. In the wake of the crisis, the emergence of shareholder activism presents a range of benefits for investors and society as a whole.

Boards of Directors and Shareholders Redrawing Their Boundaries

Professor Jay Lorsch (Harvard Business School) explains how the dynamics between boards of directors and shareholders have evolved since the financial crisis. In this interview, Professor Jay Lorsch discusses a business environment that is still struggling to regain society’s trust and the possible influence of newly empowered shareholders on board decisions.

Building Strong Boards of Directors and Successful Organizations

Boards of directors are unique institutions, says Herman Daems, Chairman of the Board of BNP Paribas Fortis. In this interview, Herman Daems analyzes the qualities that help board members succeed in their role, how shareholder activism is changing the dynamics between boards and minority shareholders, and the corporate governance principles he helped implement as a member of the Belgian Corporate Governance Committee.