Significant change in the governance landscape has arrived, but how ready are YOU?… What do you know?...What do you need to know?

Corporate governance is a topic that rarely excites and is usually associated with compliance, structures and bureaucracy. However, during 2016-17 it started to get the attention of the UK Government on the back of poor employee relations and corporate greed, this led to a wave of reform and a re-positioning of the concept to embrace culture, strategy, sustainability and stakeholder engagement. Governance has got serious… but how serious are you?
Why do you need to attend the Briefing?
Three new Corporate Governance Codes and Principles have been released during 2018 that have an impact on large and small public companies, but also now large private companies. This has created a new three tier structure of:
- The UK Corporate Governance Code (‘UK Code’), together with its companion a much more detailed and broader ‘Guidance on Board Effectiveness’
- The Quoted Companies Alliance Corporate Governance Code 2018 (‘QCA Code’), used by a majority of AIM-listed companies, as well as companies focused on their growth agenda
- The Wates Corporate Governance Principles (‘Wates Principles’), seeking to drag large private companies into the 21stcentury in terms of their responsibilities as good corporate citizens.
These Codes and Principles are now supported by further new requirements being introduced by the Government that cover board director annual reporting of how they have focused on the “success of the company” (Companies Act S.172 duties) and ‘Corporate Governance and Insolvency’ which in particular has raised the issue of how effective board performance evaluations are and do directors need on-going development and training. This is all a heady-mix of activity. As NEDs you need to keep up and be on top of your game!
Come and hear from the people who know
In this Briefing we are bringing together the people with a good insight into all of the above matters – they are at the coalface and can help shine a light on the important areas that you need to both know and act on.
- David Styles, Director of Corporate Governance at The FRC leads the team that wrote both the UK Code and the Wates Principles and will explain the key changes, the direction of travel, feedback to date and what companies need to dos.
- Anthony Robinson, Head of Policy and Communications at the QCA will provide insight into how smaller quoted and growing companies can use the QCA Code to make governance strategic.
- Maegen Morris, Co-Head of the European Capital Markets Practice at Hogan Lovells, will look at all things legal as well as some of the practical implications of the changes for NEDs and boards
- Estelle Clark, Director of Poliy at The CQI and NED on Numberous Boards, will provide real life examples of how companies approach governance and how some of the changes will impact people and their behaviours in corporate life.
Feedback from the previous NED Updates held at Hogan Lovells includes:
“A very good Update from a NED perspective” …
“The summary documents were excellent... 5 out of 5!” …
“Very useful especially the case study and practical issues faced by NEDs” …
“Excellent all round” …
The event is free of charge and early booking is recommended as numbers are limited.
Date, Location & Timing
Thursday 22 November 2018
Hogan Lovells International LLP, Atlantic House, London, EC1A 2FG
08:30 – Registration and Breakfast
09:00 – Briefing
09:45 – Q&A
10:00 – Coffee and Networking
Please e-mail: events@nedaglobal.com to register to attend this session.