The Corporate Director Podcast

COVID-19 is very different from a traditional economics-based crisis or natural disaster. A great deal of uncertainty exists related to global response and how long the situation will last. “It’s more akin to a war zone than a normal crisis,” says Alejandro “Alex” Wolff. Wolff is a 34-year veteran of the US State Department, who now serves on the boards of Albemarle Corporation, PG&E Corporation, and two airlines – JetSmart Holdings – an airline operating in South America, and Frontier Airlines based in the US. In this episode, Wolff shares his insights on governance through the COVID-19 crisis, tips for boards on crisis leadership in general, and his predictions for what the world will look like beyond the pandemic.

Officially a pandemic, the impact of coronavirus is broad reaching and disruptive. For companies, your response not only impacts the bottom line, it also impacts lives. Podcast guest, Peter Deans, shares with Meghan Day, Diligent’s Director of Board Experience, his take on how the associated risks need to be effectively managed by boards and management. Also in this episode, Diligent Institute Head of Research Annie Kors offers highlights from a just-released report, A Few Good Women: Gender Inclusion in Public Company Board Leadership.

Change is happening at lightning speed. In fact, NACD reported that nearly 7 in 10 directors believe their company won’t be able to extend its existing strategy over the next five years. Dr. Clayton Christensen tackled this issue with his 1997 book The Innovator’s Dilemma. And so has Claudia Fan Munce as a co-founder and former managing director of the IBM Venture Capital Group. Munce shares with Diligent Institute Executive Director Dottie Schindlinger her perspectives on Christensen’s work and legacy, plus her own thoughts on innovation as a board member today. Also in this episode, Diligent Institute lead researcher Annie Kors shares highlights from a just-released report, “Beyond the Boardroom: How Directors Gain Insight,” with Meghan Day, Diligent’s Director of Board Experience.

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.