2007 NACD Conference Features Session on Managing Pressures for Short-Term Performance

Business Wire,  Oct 5, 2007  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Expert Panel to Offer Guidance to Directors Facing Pressure for Short-Term Performance Versus the Longer View

Other Conference Speakers Include Congressman Barney Frank, Norm Augustine, Mike Oxley and Bonnie Hill

WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD: www.nacdonline.org) today announced a significant new session for the 2007 NACD Annual Corporate Governance Conference, October 14-16, in Washington, DC.

Kenneth Daly, NACD President and CEO, commented, "There is a growing sense in board rooms that short-termism may not always be consistent with the building of long-term value of companies. To complement a full conference agenda dealing with the governance challenges facing today's boards, we assembled a stellar panel to guide directors in navigating the pressure of the markets for near-term stock performance versus longer-term corporate goals."

The new session, Pressures for Short Term Performance from the New Capital Markets, will be moderated by Ira Millstein, a long time proponent of board responsibilities and senior partner of Weil Gotshal and Manges LLP. He will be joined by William Donaldson, former SEC Chairman, who has chaired a highly relevant Report by the Council on Economic Development. Donaldson will be joined by Judy Samuelson, who led the development of the Aspen Institute's Aspen Principles, recently endorsed by the NACD. Also joining the panel will be Anne Simpson, head of the International Corporate Governance Network, and Damon Silvers, Associate General Counsel, AFL-CIO.

"Directors have convened at this event for nearly 30 years because they want to be part of the greater voice on board practice," added Daly. "It's this kind of vetting among directors, boards and shareholders that leads to proactive and engaged board practice rather than reactive, compliance-driven behavior."

On a related note, the conference will open with a frank dialog on the board's relationship with shareholders. Bonnie Hill, director of Home Depot, and Ralph Whitworth, an investor who was influential with the Home Depot board during a period of highly-publicized investor discontent with the company, will share real lessons from the trenches. Norm Augustine, former Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin will moderate the panel, joined by Nell Minow of The Corporate Library.

The 2007 NACD Conference also offers highly practical guidance for board members on core issues such as:

* the board's role in corporate strategy

* new recommendations for the work of the governance & nominating committee

* leading practices for IT governance and other risks

* NACD's new benchmarking data on board practices from the 2007 Corporate Governance Survey - both public and private company data.

The 2007 Annual Conference marks the 30th anniversary of NACD. Sponsors include KPMG, Ernst & Young, Goodwin Proctor, Thomson Financial, Anderson Kill & Olick, and The Corporate Library.

To register for the 2007 Annual Conference, interested parties can visit www.nacdonline.org, or call 202-775-0509.

About NACD

The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the leading not-for-profit membership organization devoted exclusively to improving corporate director and board performance for public, private and not-for-profit entities. NACD conducts educational programs and standard-setting research, and provides information and guidance on a variety of board governance practices for its 9,600 director members and 21 chapters. NACD is the publisher of Directors Monthly and operates the NACD Directors Registry, a board recruitment tool. www.nacdonline.org.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning