Advanced Strategic Corporate Governance and Sustainability Excellence

Course Outline

Overview

By attending this course, you will consider the “people dimension” in sustainability. This includes the staff, customers, suppliers and communities that the organization is involved with and who benefit or suffer from its business practices. The course also examines sustainability within supply chains from a materials management perspective. Sustainability reporting is now an important way for companies to demonstrate transparently that they are taking non-financial measures into account when pursuing their business strategies. And we will apply the principles of risk management to corporate behaviour which could be seen as irresponsible.

This course will look at sustainability from a global, environmental perspective. Following on from the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is refocusing on global warming and climate change, and what actions companies and citizens can take to slow the negative impacts of CO2 emissions. Many organizations avoid the consequences of their unsustainable business practices, and seek to “externalize” – that is to say, transfer- the costs of pollution and climate change to others. Meanwhile the poorest countries suffer from poverty, poor sanitation, hunger or lack other fundamental human rights. Our training course considers collaborative initiatives from a range of corporate and global actors, such as the United Nations, allowing us to unpick the threads of sustainable development, globalization, climate change and environmental sustainability.

Our Leadership and Structures of Corporate Governance training provides an insight into the fundamentals of this fascinating subject. Corporate Governance is about what Boards do and how they do it- how Boards are structured, what their priorities should be and what international codes set out as best practice. This course will provide a foundation for an understanding of Corporate Governance and provide a basis for subsequent training.

When companies go off track – unexpected risks become reality, unplanned-for claims arrive without notice, a sudden vacancy appears among top management – shareholders look to the Board of Directors for an explanation and a remedy. But how do we know if directors are effective? And how should we measure their performance? This course examines ‘what good looks like’ for members of a board when carrying out their duties – including the Board chairman, the Company Secretary and non-executive directors.

By attending this course, you will examine new and complex issues that are taxing the skills of even the most-experienced directors. These include the potential for conflict between activist shareholders and the board, the emergence of Climate Change as a threat to global security, the requirements to report publicly on what is called the “stakeholder agenda”, and the increasing focus of regulatory bodies, such as the Financial Reporting Council, on how boards are managing risk.

The course will also include site visits to organizations relevant to the course so delegates can develop an understanding of how their contemporaries function in the real-world.

The course will wrap with a summary of the key learning points, followed by an action planning exercise with a view to apply the acquired knowledge and skills immediately upon your return to work. Post-course support is also available in relation to the implementation of your action plan, up to six (6) months following course completion.

Agenda

• The Responsible and Ethical Corporate Board
• Green Strategy and Sustainability
• Sustainability Reporting Standards
• Socially Responsible Investment
• Sustainable Development Principles
• Globalization and Corporate Sustainability
• Corporate Governance Fundamentals
• Role of the Board
• Board Composition and Structures
• The Effective Board Director
• Leadership, Independence and Governance
• Performance Measurement and Remuneration of Directors
• Institutional Investors and ESG Principles
• Regulation and Control on Corporate Behaviour
• Corporate Governance Models
• Site visits
• Action Planning

Target Audience

This course is suitable for:

• Non-Executive Directors wanting to understand their role;
• Other Board members wishing to refresh their knowledge and skills;
• Chairs of organizations, Chief Executives, Company Secretaries, Other Heads of organizations;
• Professionals, practitioners, and managers in corporate investment, as well as Leaders in state owned enterprises, public, voluntary, and non-profit organizations;
• those needing to get to grips with good governance such as Inhouse counsel and Regulatory and Compliance professionals.
• Community Relations managers and executives
• Health, Safety and Environmental managers and officers
• Risk managers and professionals
• Legal and compliance managers and professionals
• Managers and staff who wish to develop business practices to help their organizations act in a responsible way.
• Managers and staff concerned with influencing or implementing corporate strategies that consider environmental, social and governance issues.
• Managers and staff responsible for CSR projects.
• Managers and staff who plan and implement corporate policies in relation to community relations, environmental protection, health and safety, procurement and the supply chain.
• Any member of the organization who is tasked with developing sustainability or corporate responsibility initiatives or strategies.
• Executives tasked with delivering business results while at the same time protecting and enhancing their company’s reputation for responsible behaviour.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Dissect the ‘people dimension’ in sustainability.
• Consider how companies that behave irresponsibly risk damaging their staff, suppliers, customers or communities.
• Study the relevance of sustainability in the supply chain.
• Carry out a risk analysis concerned with unsustainable approaches in an organization.
• Construct an outline plan for sustainability reporting for their organizations.
• Understand how investors apply ESG measurement techniques when selecting investments.
• Consider the purpose of Sustainable Development and the global initiatives to deal with it.
• Debate the aspirations for a carbon-neutral economy to reduce the impact of Climate Change.
• Understand the fundamental principles of corporate governance, including:
• the role of the Board of Directors;
• how boards are structured and operate, including through Board Committees; and
• the benefits of board member diversity including gender, ethnic and ‘functional’ diversity.
• Describe what the legal duties of a director are.
• Recognize the characteristics of an ineffective Board.
• Review how to run an effective board meeting.
• Explain the roes and skills needed for key appointments to the board, including the chairman, company secretary and non-executive directors.
• Implement a performance measurement structure for individual directors and the board as a whole.
• Explain the wants and needs of institutional investors and how they may behave.
• Put into practice the duties of directors.
• Address the “stakeholder agenda”.
• Apply the FRC’s guidance on risk management and board effectiveness
• Explain how corporate governance can operate in different types of companies, including those owned by the state.
• Appreciate the emerging trends in corporate governance, such as ESG issues and Climate Change.
• Develop a practical perspective into contemporary work practices in your field.
• Implement an Action Plan at your workplace using the knowledge and skills acquired through the course.