4th Annual Aspen Critical Issues & Risk Forum

Rebuilding Trust: Effective Board Governance in Times of Public Scrutiny

This year’s Forum explored the causes of declining trust and leadership effectiveness of corporate boards.

With global disruption rapidly becoming the new norm, the need for influential, proactive, informed and diverse leadership on risk has never been greater. Yet, the data shows that many Boards continue to operate as as behaviourally monolithic, consensus-driven thinkers. This year’s Forum will explore some of the structural impediments to dynamic governance and constructive conflict as well as the mind-set of the risk savvy board of the future. The Forum will also offer new perspectives and approaches for boards to engage risk sustainably and adaptively. 

Topic Breakouts

  • Diversity of counsel, unity in command: encouraging constructive candour in the board room
  • Winning in the new normal:how to succeed in times of heightened change, uncertainty, and disruption (cyber-threats, global supply chain risks, collapsing oil prices, disruptive technology, macros political risks)
  • The incentives paradox: toggling between long-term strategy and short-term earnings pressure.

Tuesday 29 July 2015

Time

Session

09:15-09:30

Welcome

09:30-09:45

Introductions
Harlan Loeb, Global Practice Chair, Critical Issues & Reputation Risk, EdelmanProfessor of Crisis & the Court of Public Opinion, Northwestern Law School

09:45-12:00

Session 1: Crisis and Strategy for Board Governance

  • Diversity of Counsel, Unity in Command: Encouraging Constructive Candour in the Board Room
    Professor Daniel Diermeier, Dean at Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago
  • Whose Risk Is It Anyway: The Province of the Risk Committee
    Harlan Loeb, Global Practice Chair, Critical Issues & Reputation Risk, Edelman
    Professor of Crisis & the Court of Public Opinion, Northwestern Law School
    Download presentation (pdf, 1MB)
    Read Harlan’s blogpost, “Building Trust: Effective Board Governance in Times of Public Scrutiny”
  • The Incentives Paradox: Toggling between Long-term Strategy and Short-term Earnings Pressure
    Roxanne Decyk, Director, Petrofac, DigitalGlobe, Ensco, Alliant Techsystems
    Download presentation (pdf, 253KB)

12:00-12:45

Working Lunch: What 2016 Means for Smart Boards
Steve Schmidt, Vice Chairman of Public Affairs, Edelman & Political Analyst, MSNBC

12:45-14:15

Session 2: Connecting Culture and Operational Challenges

14:30–16:00

Session 3: Sustaining Intra and Inter Organisational Relationships

  • Patience and a Sense of Humor: Building Long Term Relationships in the Middle East and Asia
    Iain Twine, CEO, South East Asia and Australasia, Edelman
  • Closing Panel & Remarks
    Chair: Harlan Loeb, Global Practice Chair, Critical Issues & Reputation Risk, Edelman & Professor of Crisis & the Court of Public Opinion, Northwestern Law School

Harlan Loeb
Global Practice Chair, Critical Issues & Reputation Risk, Edelman; Professor of Crisis & the Court of Public Opinion, Northwestern Law School

Roxanne Decyk
Director, Petrofac, DigitalGlobe, Ensco, Alliant Techsystems

Michelle Tuveson
Executive Director, Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies

Daniel Diermeier
Dean, the University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy

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