The Corporate Director Podcast

nation’s workforce and customer base. Yet less than 3% of the board seats of Fortune 1000 companies are held by Latinos, according to Esther Aguilera, president & CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA). LCDA is changing this picture for the better. The organization is identifying board candidates, coaching and positioning Latino professionals for board service, and increasing awareness of the need for more Latinos on boards. In this episode, Meghan Day, Director of Directors’ Experience, Diligent, talks to Aguilera about efforts toward greater diversity to date—and how far boards have to go.

ESG is having its moment on the world stage: Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed the 50th meeting of the World Economic Forum. This year’s updated “Davos Manifesto” focused on the broader social purpose of corporations – echoing a similar move by the Business Roundtable. And just before this convergence of global power players in the Swiss Alps, Blackrock CEO Larry Fink’s annual letter outlined new climate change disclosure requirements for publicly traded companies. Yet PwC’s annual CEO survey reports that climate change isn’t even among the top 10 issues of concern for CEOs. When The Conference Board surveyed C suite executives about their hot-button issues, climate change ranked only 9th, up from 11th the year before. In this episode, Dottie Schindlinger, Executive Director of the Diligent Institute, talks about this confluence of trends and contradictions with Paul Washington, Executive Director of The Conference Board’s ESG Center.

As business landscapes continue to shift, the definition of what makes a modern board is evolving. Hear from Eva Sage-Gavin, Senior Managing Director of Accenture’s Global Talent, and Larry Clinton, President of the Internet Security Alliance, on two issues that should be top of the agenda for any modern board in 2021.

From competing and volatile priorities to changing stakeholder demands, board oversight responsibilities have reached new heights of complexity—and this is particularly true in today’s era of cultural shifts, geopolitical tensions, changing regulations, and unrelenting technology disruption. Each year for over a decade, assurance, tax, and financial advisory firm BDO has surveyed directors of public companies across market caps to get a feel for the landscape. What issues are keeping boards up at night? What changes are looming on the horizon? In this episode, Amy Rojik from BDO shares findings—and surprises—from the firm’s 2019 survey: “The Board’s Direction: Steadying the Shop in Times of Turbulence.”

Leslie Campbell, a seasoned corporate director and former chair of the nominating and governance committee for 1800PetMeds and Coupa Software, shares her expertise on board refreshment and governance. She discusses the evolving responsibilities of Nominating and Governance Committees in response to shareholder expectations and the need for diversity. Leslie emphasizes the importance of maximizing current board members' talents and engaging with community initiatives, highlighting her passion for social causes and animal rescue efforts.

The “Larry Fink letter” on corporate purpose. A Listeria-initiated court decision that’s raising the bar for risk management across industries. “Cousin Greg” from the HBO show Succession and a possible WeWork movie bringing corporate boards into pop culture. In the words of Schindlinger, “2019 was a governance year for the record books.” It’s time to look back—and look ahead. In this special 2019 holiday episode, Schindlinger and Day are joined by TK Kerstetter, host of Inside America’s Boardrooms, for this year’s highlights and 2020 predictions.

In this podcast episode, two technology professionals who are now professional independent directors share their unique perspectives on these issues. Nelson Chan provides insight from his role as board chair, and Merline Saintil shares her thoughts from her work as an operating executive and director with several technology companies. Their findings: Staying sharp and upping your game in a digitally transforming work all begins with expertise, preparation, and culture.

In this podcast episode, Cindy Moehring discusses how boards can create a transparent, accountable company culture. Later on, special guest Adam Berger elaborates on what public company boards can learn from the private equity approach to value creation and working with entrepreneurial CEOs.

On this episode, Dr. Anita Sands shares her thoughts on digital transformation—what’s going on and how directors can stay up to speed. With a masters in public policy and management and a Ph.D. in atomic and molecular physics, and as a non-U.S. member on several U.S. boards, Dr. Sands brings a unique perspective from the worlds of science, technology, and directorship. Dr. Sands is a member of the boards of Service Now, Symantec, Pure Storage and she is an advisory board member for Thrive Global and Docusign.

Innovation has long been thought of as crucial to an organization’s success. But, too often, there seems to be little innovation (and diversity) within the organization’s board. On this episode of The Corporate Director podcast, Margaret Whelan shares how boards can rethink value, innovation, growth, and diversity. Margaret is the CEO of Whelan Advisory, and also serves on the boards of the Housing Innovation Alliance, Mattamy Homes, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, and various other non profit boards.