As we gingerly transition from the global pandemic to our new normal (fingers crossed), executives and board members are zeroing in on emerging corporate risks. The issues at the forefront before COVID-19 are still here—digital transformation, diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental impact, and human capital management, to name a few—and have even accelerated over the past two years.
Our feature interview with Jeff Brodsky, Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley, underscores how the future of business will be equally focused on people as it is on financials. As a senior advisor on strategic issues related to executive talent, succession, and diversity and inclusion while leading the company’s COVID-19 response, Jeff was on the front lines of what he refers to as “the CHRO’s crisis” of 2020 and 2021.
Meanwhile, investor and public interest continues to rise regarding how companies approach ESG issues. We spoke with George Paulin, Senior Managing Director & Partner with Meridian Compensation Partners, about the rise of ESG imperatives in executive compensation strategies, what levels of related risk boards have to consider in this new age and what makes a board-level compensation consultant effective.
Finally, cyberattacks continue to get more sophisticated and frequent. Though there are countless issues to consider when it comes to cyber readiness, Michael Xie, Chief Technology Officer and Board Member at Fortinet, answers 10 questions that will help you and your board build on its framework to understand today’s environment and how to approach cybersecurity risk as a constant and evolving governance issue.
I hope you enjoy our latest issue. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions.
David Chun
CEO and Founder, Equilar
dchun@equilar.com