Certain high-profile events and wide-sweeping reforms have made the environment for corporate governance an enormously challenging one. Pressured by increasing demands for greater knowledge, independence, and accountability, corporate boards of directors are finding themselves under more intense scrutiny than ever. Strengthening the performance of both the board and the company management is now a formidable task that requires extraordinary leadership.

As part of the Harvard Business School (HBS) comprehensive Corporate Governance Initiative, HBS Executive Education offers the Corporate Governance Series to provide ongoing education for individuals involved with corporate boards. The series features three complementary learning opportunities, including two programs specific to board committees, and the School's popular general board program.

Each program draws on the faculty's in-depth research, collective expertise, and personal experience with boards to address a particular set of issues. Participants gain a sound understanding of their obligations as stewards of public corporations, through engaging in the School's hallmark case study method and other effective learning methodologies.

Course: Making Corporate Boards More Effective

Fee:

$6,750

Introduction | Program Objectives | Curriculum | Participant Mix | Faculty | Admission

Introduction

Corporate boards face greater challenges today than ever before. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the new stock exchange listing requirements pose one set of challenges, and the glare of investor and media scrutiny poses another. Today, corporate boards must accomplish a formidable list of responsibilities in a limited amount of time. These challenges include enabling a group of independent directors to understand their company's business so that they can approve the company's strategy, monitor its performance, evaluate and compensate their CEO, and assume compliance with laws and ethical standards.

"This is a practical review of the current ethical and structural corporate governance issues involved in the management of the interrelationships among the CEO, the board, and the shareholders. The sessions are stimulating and challenging, and expose the need for immediate review and action to avoid fallout from the structural tensions that exist at the top of all companies."
Christopher Naughton [Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director], Novogen Limited, Australia

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Programs, dates, fees, and faculty are subject to change.

In accordance with Harvard University policy, the Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:
Ms. Nancy Vena, Harvard Business School, Soldiers Field, Boston, MA 02163-9986

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