Fall 2018 Directors Academy

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Directors Academy is the premier certificate program offering corporate governance for new board members. The program’s boardroom setting provides a small and targeted environment to foster interactive dialogue between participants and leading executives, corporate directors, and policy makers. In collaboration with Deloitte LLP, Directors Academy provides participants an understanding of the increasingly complex and ever-changing role of a corporate board member prepared to contribute to discussions occurring in the boardroom.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Tuesday, October 23rd 1pm-5pm

Wednesday, October 24th 9am-5pm

SESSION I: Board’s Role in Optimizing Shareholder Value

It is often said that a board of directors’ greatest responsibility is to thoughtfully optimize shareholder value, but how is shareholder value defined? It is up to the board and management to reach a consensus on how to measure that value, based on the long-term strategy of the company. Increasing long-term shareholder value may not always drive short-term shareholder happiness, so it is important for boards to consider, “What am I solving for and over what period of time?” then ask, “How will we communicate our value measure to shareholders and secure investor buy-in?”

SESSION II: The Evolving Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

Financial risk oversight is a well-established responsibility of the board. But as recent crises faced by companies such as Facebook and Equifax show, boards today are being held accountable for a more diverse range of risks that can include safety, environmental, technological, regulatory and reputational risks, among others. Given this setting, it’s a challenge for boards to feel comfortable that a risk is addressed appropriately; but, it’s a critical responsibility. Boards frequently delegate elements of risk oversight to the audit committee; but ultimately, the responsibility for risk oversight resides with the full board, and each director should understand the key risks facing the company.

SESSION III: Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise – What Directors Need to Know

Cyber warfare is an attack, and boards must treat it as such. Boards cannot rely solely on the CTO or CISO for guidance on these issues, but should instead be reviewing their work and asking them to enforce board-directed strategies. It is the role of the board to ask the tough questions, and to do that, directors must educate themselves on the risks of cyber-attacks and strategies to mitigate those risks. During this session, participants will engage in an abbreviated table top exercise to learn how to properly respond to a cyber event as a member of a board of directors.

CERTIFICATE IN DIRECTOR EDUCATION

Directors Academy is held twice annually in the fall and spring. Upon completion of two Directors Academy programs (equivalent to 24 credit hours), participants are awarded a Certificate in Director Education and walk away with an understanding of the increasingly complex and ever-changing role of a corporate board member prepared to contribute to discussions occurring in the boardroom.

KEY BENEFITS

• Earn credits towards a Certificate in Director Education alerting other corporate directors, investors, regulators, and stakeholders to your commitment to continued director education, leading governance practices, and board leadership.
• Earn up to 12 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits in the field of Business Management and Organization
• Display board biography on the Gupta Governance Institute’s website upon completion of the program as an additional resource for board searches