London, 20 February 2014
Michael Woodford to open ICSA Corporate Governance Conference.
On 19 March, at the 6th ICSA Corporate Governance Conference, over 200 delegates representing some of the UK’s most high profile companies will hear how businesses can establish a robust framework of trust and transparency by embracing the principles of good corporate governance.
Michael Woodford MBE, former CEO and President of Olympus Corporation is the opening keynote speaker, telling how he went from being the first non-Japanese CEO in Japan to one of the most senior corporate whistleblowers in history after he uncovered a 1.7 billion dollar accounting fraud at the company.
Michael’s story is a timely one. All over the world, companies are facing a crisis in public trust as issues such as executive pay and bonuses, corporate tax avoidance and the exposure of irresponsible business behaviour continue to hit the headlines. So how can companies prove to the world that they can act in a responsible, honest manner, and with integrity?
Taking place at ExCel London and chaired by broadcaster and journalist Sara Coburn, the ICSA Corporate Governance conference is the UK’s biggest and most influential governance forum, shaping the UK corporate governance agenda. Top industry figures such as David Pitt-Watson, a leading thinker in the field of responsible investment and business practice; Deborah Hargreaves, ex-Chair of the independent High Pay Commission; John Hurrell, Chief Executive of Airmic, and Martin Jordan, UK Head of Cyber Security at KPMG will explain how to improve trust and confidence through sound corporate governance, with topics ranging from shareholder activism, remuneration and conflicts of interest to board diversity, risk reporting and corporate tax avoidance. Afternoon keynote speaker Professor Colin Mayer, the Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford will consider the nature of company ownership.
Speaking about the importance of the conference, ICSA Chief Executive Simon Osborne says: “This is more than just a networking opportunity for governance professionals. The conference breaks down the governance process to ask how a company can create and maintain a culture of honesty and integrity, two essential elements in the long-term sustainability of any company. The conference reflects ICSA’s mission to support the governance professionals who steer their businesses through the difficult challenge of bringing these values to life. Our conference helps to show how this can be achieved, avoiding the ‘tick box’ mentality.”
The conference also provides an opportunity for businesses to meet with suppliers of specialist governance services and products. Mike Evans, Group CEO of ICSA Software and ICSA Boardroom Apps, comments: “We are delighted to be the headline sponsor at the ICSA Corporate Governance Conference 2014. Our global entity management, corporate governance and compliance software – Blueprint OneWorld, and BoardPad - our highly secure electronic meeting and document collaboration solution for the iPad and Windows devices – are used by some of the largest companies in the world who put good governance and security at the top of their governance agenda. We look forward to meeting delegates to discuss how we can support their governance needs.”
- Ends -
Media contact:
MariaBrookes
mbrookes@icsa.org.uk
+44 (0)20 7612 7072
+44 (0)7890 649 143
Notes to Editors:
- ICSA (the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) is the chartered membership and qualifying body for professionals working in governance, risk and compliance, including company secretaries. Our members work in all sectors and at every level of seniority. With over 120 years of experience, we champion high governance standards by providing qualifications, training, high-quality guidance and support (including technical resources, publications and software), and through our work with regulators and policy makers. Website: www.icsa.org.uk
- The ICSA Corporate Governance Conference ‘Acting with Integrity’ takes place at ExCel London on 19 March 2014. Full details can be viewed at www.icsa.org.uk/events/conferences/the-6th-icsa-corporate-governance-conference
- ICSA Software International is a software company of ICSA (the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators), an international qualifying body for chartered secretaries and a recognised authority on global governance and compliance. With more than 25 years of experience, thousands of users worldwide, across every conceivable industry, our client base features many of the largest companies in the world.
Blueprint OneWorld is a web-based entity management, governance and compliance solution, allowing you to access and manage your corporate compliance data 24/7, anytime, anywhere. For more information visit www.icsasoftware.com
ICSA Boardroom Apps is a software company of ICSA (the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators), and a sister company of ICSA Software. BoardPad enables secure meeting and document collaboration through an innovative combination of governance expertise and latest, user-friendly technology. Thousands of users in over 140 countries trust BoardPad to securely access and annotate their meeting papers.
BoardPad is available on an iPad and Windows 8 devices. For more information visit www.boardpad.com
