ESG – the initials that are transforming corporate missions, purposes and structures, fueled by stakeholder and investor demand.  It is a significant moment in corporate and stakeholder interactions.  Companies recognize the responsibilities but even more importantly, the opportunities, to build a sustainable and financially profitable organization. But there are significant changes that have to occur along with the ESG objective.  I am dubious about the...

If you follow my blog, you know that I am passionate about the compliance profession.  Chief compliance officers have unique talents, expertise and leadership qualities.  CCOs are committed ethics warriors.  No one else can claim that same mission. CCOs are the natural stewards of a company’s ethical culture.  Of course, a company can appoint a separate chief ethics officer to distinguish between the ethics and...

Chief compliance officers are creative professionals.  This is one of many areas of expertise.  But when it comes to corporate politics, many CCOs know how to package and promote their mission. CCOs faced real constraints and challenges during the pandemic. CCOs were challenged as to why compliance was an important function to preserve in the time of a pandemic which threatened many companies’ very existence. ...

ESG is firmly implanted in the corporate governance landscape.  Prosecutors and regulatory agencies are quickly adding ESG to their lexicon. The real question for every organization is “what are you doing to address it?”  ESG is a terrific opportunity to leverage an organization’s corporate culture to address a broad set of values beyond ESG principles. In this Episode, Michael Volkov discusses the ESG movement and...

Perhaps I am little bit behind.  That would be nothing new – but we are getting to the point where we no longer need to spell out ESG.  Everyone knows what it means – directors, officers, employees, investors, shareholders and other stakeholders can spell it out.  ESG is firmly implanted in the corporate governance landscape.  Prosecutors and regulatory agencies are quickly adding ESG to their...

Corporate governance sometimes is the subject of “fads,” or initiatives that gain traction with dubious evidence-based justifications.  Sometimes companies engage new theories or strategies because they “sound good,” or give corporate leaders a way to avoid or mollify tackling hard issues or difficult tasks. Corporations are quickly embracing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.  Whether this is “right” or the most effective use of corporate...