The Boardroom Blog
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 | Posted by: Simon Lowe
Categories:
Governance,
Thought Leadership
| Tags: governance,
CEO,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
Corporate Governance Review,
annual report,
risk management,
diversity,
UK Corporate Governance Code,
chairman,
FTSE 100,
FTSE 250
As modern corporate governance turns 21 following the 1992 publication of the Cadbury report, we review where UK businesses are succeeding in demonstrating accountability – and the areas that still need work.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011 | Posted by: Simon Lowe
Categories:
Governance,
Thought Leadership
| Tags: governance,
risk,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
Corporate Governance Review,
annual report,
risk management,
diversity,
chairman,
principal risks,
comply or explain,
annual reports,
FTSE 100,
FTSE 250
Our 10th annual Corporate Governance Review highlights the current trends and challenges that face the FTSE 350. While the UK’s top performing companies have made considerable achievements over the last decade, the review shows where the new focus areas lie.
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Thursday, October 13, 2011 | Posted by: Simon Lowe
Categories:
FRC,
Governance
| Tags: governance,
FRC,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
Corporate Governance Review,
financial reporting,
BIS,
annual reports,
IIRC,
Ben Langford,
narrative reporting
Government plans to rationalise the structure, format and content of annual reports are aimed to improve clarity for investors.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories:
Governance
| Tags: Board,
governance,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
women,
gender,
diversity,
UK Corporate Governance Code,
Europe,
guidance,
comply or explain,
debate
Last week the European Commission launched a public consultation into European corporate governance, its effectiveness and possible ways forward. On the discussion agenda are board effectiveness, gender diversity, short-termism and the failure of self-regulation prior to the economic crisis. Read on to join the debate.
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Thursday, September 23, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories:
Risk
| Tags: business,
governance,
recession,
report,
survey,
risk,
data,
business models,
Simon Lowe,
risk management,
questionnaire,
tools,
Business Risk Services,
Strategy
Our recent business risk report shows widespread complacency in company risk management processes. Check the risk maturity of your organisation with our quick online assessment tool.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories:
Risk
| Tags: business,
governance,
recession,
report,
survey,
strategy,
risk,
data,
business models,
Simon Lowe,
risk management,
questionnaire,
tools,
Business Risk Services
Why did so many risk processes fail to protect companies from the worst of the global downturn? And how can senior managers approach risk management afresh to help protect their business in future? Our latest research report has the answers. Plus, check out our tool to assess your own company’s risk maturity.
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Thursday, August 26, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories:
FRC,
Governance,
Risk
| Tags: governance,
risk,
FRC,
Simon Lowe,
financial reporting,
audit,
FRRP,
accounts,
internal,
external
Inconsistencies in annual reports between the corporate narrative and the external audit figures are becoming more of a focus for the Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP). The problem was highlighted in its annual report, out last week: of the 308 companies reviewed, 146 had been approached by the FRRP for further information or explanation.
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Friday, August 06, 2010 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
FRC,
Governance
| Tags: Board,
governance,
FRC,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
UK Corporate Governance Code,
NED,
ICSA,
Financial Reporting Council
A well designed decision making process is one of the most important characteristics of an effective board. As such boards should not allow themselves to be influenced by a dominant personality or have “no go” areas for non-executives.
Ask yourself - is such a situation familiar to you?
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Monday, March 01, 2010 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
Governance,
Non-executive director
| Tags: FT,
FRC,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
non-executive director,
Luke Johnson,
UK Corporate Governance Code,
Peter Butler,
corporate governance review,
Sir Christopher Hogg,
Seamus Gillen,
ICSA,
Financial Reporting Council,
Risk Capital Partners,
Owners
The Financial Times Non-Executive Directors Club is holding a twilight event on 11 March to discuss the implications to the non-executive directors’ role in light of recent governance releases.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
Governance
| Tags: Grant Thornton,
governance,
compliance,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
Corporate Governance Review,
Walker
The results are in for the 2009 Corporate Governance Review - is it job done for the FTSE 350?
- Companies comply with, on average, 91% of the Code’s provisions
- 68% of those who choose ‘explain’ now give more informed disclosure to support their non-compliance
- Of those who ‘explain’, 75% are compliant with all but one or two Code provisions
- 66% of the FTSE 350 produce a separate corporate responsibility report
Perhaps not….
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009 | Posted by: Simon Lowe
Categories:
Governance,
Non-executive director
| Tags: risk,
FRC,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
Non-executive director,
Walker review,
Governance,
Corporate Governance review
The recent release of the Walker Review and the proposed reforms to the Combined Code set out by the FRC see further challenges set for NEDs and increased engagement by institutional investors.
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
Governance,
Non-executive director
| Tags: governance,
FT,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
Corporate Governance Review,
Michelle Edkins,
Barclays Global Investors,
Financial Times
Interview with Michelle Edkins Managing Director, Head of Corporate Governance, Europe at Barclays Global Investors, at the launch event of the Financial Times Non-Executive Directors’ Club on 10 November 2009.
Simon Lowe, partner and author of the FTSE 350 Corporate Governance Review, was able to capture some pearls of wisdom on film, by speaking to Michelle Edkins about investor engagement and why she advises against talking about ‘corporate governance’
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Thursday, December 03, 2009 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
Governance
| Tags: governance,
FT,
compliance,
Corporate Governance,
Simon Lowe,
BP,
David Jackson,
Financial Times,
Non-executive director
Interview with David Jackson, Company Secretary BP plc, at the launch event of the Financial Times Non-Executive Directors’ Club on 10th November 2009.
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Thursday, December 03, 2009 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
Non-executive director
| Tags: FT,
Simon Lowe,
Corporate Governance Review,
Michelle Edkins,
BP,
David Jackson,
Financial Times,
Walker review
The re-launch event of the new Financial Times Non-Executive Directors’ Club, in association with Grant Thornton, provided the perfect opportunity for Simon Lowe, partner and author of the FTSE 350 Corporate Governance Review, to gain some insight into the future of governance in the wake of the Walker Review and the FRC’s review of the Combined Code.
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Thursday, November 26, 2009 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories:
Governance,
Non-executive director
| Tags: governance,
risk,
FT,
FRC,
Simon Lowe,
FTSE 350,
non-executive director,
listed,
NEDs,
Business Risk Services
FTSE 350 non-executive directors (NEDs) now have greater levels of direct sector experience and are more numerous than in 2003, a new study undertaken by business and financial advisers Grant Thornton for the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has revealed.
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