A. Further reading
Spencer Stuart has been publishing annual Board Indexes around the world for over 30 years. Spencer Stuart Board Indexes provide a unique analysis of the latest data and trends in composition, committees and director remuneration among the largest boards in each of the following countries: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Middle East, Netherlands, Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
We recently published Boards around the world, an interactive exploration of how boards around the world compare in terms of diversity, composition, compensation, etc., using data taken from the Spencer Stuart Board Indexes.
For an interactive exploration of how boards around the world compare in terms of diversity, composition, compensation, etc., see Boards around the world.
In addition, we regularly publish articles and papers on a wide range of topics relating to boards and board governance. Here is a selection:
More board-related articles, videos and audiocasts are available at Board Governance Trends.
B. Directors’ Forum
First launched in 1995, the Spencer Stuart Directors’ Forum is a unique educational programme that uses role play to provide the opportunity for potential and actual directors to develop their boardroom skills and better understand board process.
This is done by working alongside highly experienced leading figures from top corporate boards as a prompt to learning and exchanging best practice.
The programme revolves around 18 months in the life of a mythical company. Over the course of two days, a number of board and board committee meetings are staged and events unfold — some scripted, some not, but all informed by real life. The faculty are joined by the participants who play the role of non-executive directors to tackle the issues the company faces.
The Directors’ Forum faculty consists of the chairman, chief executive, finance director, chairman of the audit committee, chairman of the remuneration committee and chief legal officer. These roles are all played by leading business personalities, all of whom hold these exact positions in major publicly quoted companies.
Participants, who are carefully selected, typically fall into one of the following categories:
- Experienced executive directors who are seeking non-executive director positions or who simply want to broaden their knowledge of boardroom behaviour
- Recently appointed directors, both executive and non-executive
- Directors of subsidiary boards of major companies seeking to gain a better understanding of the issues dealt with by a public company board, perhaps prior to their appointment to the main board
- Senior figures from a variety of backgrounds, for example the public sector, wishing to join a public company board.
The programme is supported by a group of key advisors, all leading practitioners in the fields of banking, law, accountancy, media relations, etc., who both advise the company as role players and share their experience.
Spencer Stuart runs Directors’ Forum programmes annually in both the UK and Germany. We also host an annual Aufsichtsratsforum in Germany, where senior board directors, future directors and top executives gather to discuss governance challenges and share best practices.
All participants in the Directors’ Forum join an alumni group, providing a ready-made network of peers who exchange knowledge at a series of learning and discussion events.
If you are interested in attending a future Directors’ Forum event, or nominating a participant, please contact your local Spencer Stuart office.
C. Spencer Stuart offices worldwide
View a complete list of our offices
D. Spencer Stuart consultant contacts
Find a Spencer Stuart consultant specialising in board topics near you
E. Principal governance codes in Europe
Austria
Austrian Code of Corporate Governance (2015)
Belgium
The Belgian Code on Corporate Governance (2009, to be reviewed in 2017)
Denmark
Recommendations on Corporate Governance (2014)
Finland
Finnish Corporate Governance Code 2015 (2015)
France
AFEP-MEDEF Corporate governance code of listed corporations (2015)
Germany
Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex (2015)
Greece
Hellenic Corporate Governance Code For Listed Companies (2013)
Iceland
Guidelines on Corporate Governance (2015)
Ireland
The Irish Corporate Governance Annex (addition to UK Corporate Governance Code) (2010)
Italy
Corporate Governance Code (2015)
Netherlands
Dutch Corporate Governance Code (2016)
Norway
The Norwegian Code of Practice for Corporate Governance (2014)
Poland
Best Practice for GPW Listed Companies (2016)
Portugal
CMVM Corporate Governance Code (2013)
Spain
Good Governance Code of Listed Companies (2015)
Sweden
The Swedish Corporate Governance Code (2015)
Switzerland
Swiss Code of Best Practice for Corporate Governance (2014)
UK
UK Corporate Governance Code (2016)
This is not an exhaustive list, but seeks to identify the principal code of corporate governance in each country. In addition, domestic law imposes obligations, listing rules of stock exchanges are relevant to many companies and institutional investors and their respective associations also issue their own guidelines and best practice. Coupled with national regulators and the European Commission’s initiatives in this area, the field is crowded.
About Spencer Stuart’s Board Practice
At Spencer Stuart, we know how much leadership matters. We are trusted by organisations around the world to help them make the senior-level leadership decisions that have a lasting impact on their enterprises. Through our executive search, board and leadership advisory services, we help build and enhance high-performing teams for select clients, ranging from major multinationals to emerging companies to nonprofit institutions.
Privately held since 1956, we focus on delivering knowledge, insight and results though the collaborative efforts of a team of experts — now spanning 56 offices, 30 countries and more than 50 practice specialties. Boards and leaders consistently turn to Spencer Stuart to help address their evolving leadership needs in areas such as senior-level executive search, board recruitment, board effectiveness, succession planning, in-depth senior management assessment and many other facets of organisational effectiveness.
We have extensive experience conducting board assessments for a wide range of leading organisations throughout EMEA. Our consultants have deep knowledge of corporate governance laws, regulations and codes, as well as understanding the practices and behaviours that lead to true board effectiveness.