In the UK legal landscape, the role of the auditor has a particularly important and specific role – not to aid efficient trading markets – but to support the stewardship of the company. With the increased regulatory focus on the role of shareholders in the stewardship process it is particularly apt timing that the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation […]
Read MoreIn the wake of several prominent companies – including Apple Inc. Exelon Corp., Duke Energy, PG&E and PNM Resources – dropping their memberships in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or the National Association of Manufacturers over differences with these trade associations’ positions on climate change legislation, a group of 43 social investment organizations and funds […]
Read MoreConsultations and accounting news appears to be a bit like London buses, there’s not one for ages and then three of them arrive all at once. This week the FRC got busy with a slew of announcments, notably the Auditing Practices Board (APB) looking for input on the vexed issue of non-audit work for auditors. […]
Read MoreThe Australian Corporate Governance Code is up for review. Under the auspices of the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), a number of amendments are under consideration, most notably improved disclosures about gender diversity and executive pay.
Read MoreEuro investor activism at US firms continues International pension funds appear ready to continue to pressure U.S. companies to appoint independent board chairs, a leadership structure now commonly adopted by European boards but still relatively rare in the United States. According to research by Proxy Governance only 25% of U.S. companies now have an independent board chair. […]
Read MoreLondon based investor relations advisor HQB Partners has released its 2010 pre-season survey of corporate governance teams at 23 leading institutional investors in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands. In all the respondents manage assets in excess of US$ 11.1 trillion. According to the survey, three issues were identified by more than […]
Read MoreFrom Polly Peck to Satyam, recurring audit failures have undermined investor confidence in corporate governance. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Financial Reporting Council hope to address those concerns through its newly published “Audit Firm Governance Code”. This comply or explain Code will apply to the eight largest U.K. accounting firms which collectively are responsible […]
Read MoreThe Korean Justice Ministry stated this week that Korea has ‘made hostile M&A attacks easy by removing a ceiling on foreign stock investments, but it has not had any means to prevent hostile M&A’. It has announced public hearings to consider proposals to provide for the use of poison pills. Reuters reported that business groups […]
Read MoreThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has issued its draft international standard for social responsibility ISO 26000. The guidance in ISO 26000 draws on best practices developed by existing public and private sector social responsibility initiatives, according to ISO. ISO 26000 has been drawn up in consultation with many of the leading CSR thinkers and […]
Read MoreWill Oulton is leaving his role as director of Responsible Investment at FTSE Group to join Mercer’s investment consulting business as European Head of Responsible Investment. Oulton will start his new role at Mercer in May when he replaces Emma Hunt, Mercer’s former head of responsible investment for Europe who left to join rival advisor Towers Watson […]
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