Unnecessary shareholder activism is a solution in search of a problem.

The success of a merger depends on identifying cultural differences at the outset and developing a strategy to manage them.

There is no shortage of priorities seeking a director’s time and attention today. Among the many topics ranking highly on the Gartner 2023 Board of Directors Survey are sustainability, digital transformation, DEI, and fiscal and monetary policy. Culture does not make it onto this list. 

To emerge unscathed from the turbulence, you need the right directors — and they should know how to help your company.

Success in the age of shareholder activism means knowing how activists operate, and perhaps welcoming them onto your board.

Following the example of Henry Ford, capitalism should generate corporate profits while also benefiting the people who make that profit possible. 

Board members must guide their companies toward solutions that their customers truly need, not products that have worked in the past. 

Directors must understand the impact of cyber solutions and the value they bring to the organization.

Not a week goes by, it seems, without a news headline discovering another cybersecurity breach — whether it affects U.S. lawmakers or millions of consumers. Constant cyber threats have captured the attention of boards of directors across the country, with 88% of them now viewing cyber incidents as a business risk, according to the 2022 Gartner Board of Directors Survey.

Directors should embody the traits and values of Martin Lipton and the late Ann Korologos.

For boards, special awards can be a vital way to retain high-level talent in a competitive marketplace.

When it comes to retaining executive management, boards face multiple hurdles: an active talent market, volatile stock prices, mixed financial performance and go-forward economic uncertainty. As a result, boards have a growing interest in special equity awards to fend off recruiters and partially compensate executives for target pay that was not fully realized. Are special awards a good solution?

Boards must make sure their CCOs are up to date on important policies and procedures related to corporate malfeasance, and that they take action.