SEC commissioner Luis Aguilar recently indicated that the regulator is likely to push harder for more transparency.
Corporate secretaries are always faced with multiple challenges simultaneously, and this year offers more hurdles than most. To cope, it is often a good idea to seek advice from other professional colleagues and thought leaders who have had the experience of dealing with the many problems you face.
For example, SEC commissioner Luis Aguilar recently indicated that the regulator is likely to push harder for more transparency when it comes to corporate spending on lobbying. Where do you go to get insight on what this new disclosure may mean for your company?
Furthermore, as Dodd-Frank continues to be implemented, companies are now facing the critical task of installing effective whistleblower programs – and that task is even more difficult for multinational corporations with subsidiaries in multiple countries. How can corporate secretaries get help creating effective whistleblower programs that work for employees and regulators?
Or, with the increasing influence social media are having on customers, corporate boards are now being forced to consider using social media tools to enhance their business – in spite of the potential damage an errant tweet can inflict. How can boards find out how to use social media tools in an efficient, productive way?
And boards are always being bombarded with new rules governing compliance and ethical standards that threaten fines and legal liabilities if not strictly adhered to. How can corporate secretaries find best practices to help them communicate the changes in compliance and ethical standards so their boards can stay ahead of the game?
All of these issues are on the agendas of corporate boards across the country – and they are also on the agenda for the Corporate Secretary West Coast Think Tank at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto, California on March 14. Corporate secretaries, general counsel and other governance professionals will meet to discuss high-level governance issues in a confidential, off-the-record environment where ideas to tackle real problems are exchanged and networking takes place. Generally, from 40 to 65 executives attend our peer-to-peer forums, and we invite you to join us for the experience.
The topics of our think tank are: ‘Best practices for managing cross-border whistleblower programs post- Dodd-Frank’; ‘Social media tools and the board of directors’; ‘Communicating with the board on ethics & compliance’; and ‘Should you be rethinking your political disclosures process?’
Allow us to be your resource for information on the most pressing issues of corporate governance today. Please click here for more information on the Corporate Secretary West Coast Think Tank, and we’ll see you in Palo Alto!
