Heidrick & Struggles Governance Letter

Three critical questions you should ask about board evaluation
By Bonnie Gwin and Carolyn Vavrek
Doing a board assessment would seem to be a simple matter of conducting the assessment, plugging the results into a formula, and receiving a clear diagnosis. But it’s not. Know what it is you are aiming for before embarking on an evaluation process.

Directors Roster
Sponsored by Heidrick & Struggles

Roster: Tracking of 129 directors added to 104 company boards from July-September 2011

Director Recruiting 1977: Board diversity’s tentative progress. By Stanley C. Vance

1981: Women in the boardroom — salute to a new image. By Felice Schwartz

1983: How I joined the board (as the first woman director). By Douglas Ann Newsom

1985: Who should, and should not, be on the board. By Royal Little

1987: The rise of the nominating committee. By Henry Goodrich

1995: Being the ‘new kid’ on the board. By Robert Mittelstaedt

1996: The board as a portfolio. By Joseph Grundfest

1996: Recruiting Roberto Goizueta. By Henry Goodrich

1997: Blank slate: Seating a board for the spinoff of Eastman Chemical. By Earnest W. Deavenport Jr.

Columnists

Quiddities By Hoffer Kaback
Wisdom from Will: In the spirit of this special issue, the Bard takes the measure of the board.

It (Still) Takes a CEO By Leo Hindery Jr.
Today’s directors would do well to learn from the honorable individuals who preceded them — such as Edmund Littlefield.

Legal Brief By Doug Raymond
Take a long look in the mirror: Think carefully about your board’s composition, without being wedded to the way things always have been done.

Compensation at Work By Robin A. Ferracone
Has say on pay made a difference? Some compensation committees are finding they can stay the course, but others have work to do.

Risk Matters By Carol A.N. Zacharias
Nonbinding? Not totally: Say on pay votes apparently have more teeth than heretofore imagined.

Departments

From the Chairman By Robert Rock
American exceptionalism: What if Rip were to awake from 35 years of slumber?

Editor's Note By Jim Kristie
It really is all about people: Best practices? Yes. Best people? Absolutely!

Cover Story & Features

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