Melbourne: IPO Network was pleased to hold an event on the theme of the Role of Governance in a Time of Crisis. Guest presenter and IPO Network member Barry Lewin recounted his experience in the role as Chairman of Praemium, along with a panel featuring Claire Willette and Jeremy Leibler.
The presentation and subsequent panel discussion was topical and engaging. Key matters discussed included the following:
- A board should really have a current pulse reading on the mood and preferences of its shareholder base – there is no implicit mandate from shareholders to the board to govern without any consultation with its shareholders;
- The need for a stronger regulatory environment governing the actions of Proxy Advisors, who more and more seem to adopt a “tick the box” approach, irrespective of the performance of the enterprise and the functioning of its governance arrangements; and
- The battle of diversity when so many boards come from a small influential Club based upon mutual personal connections and referrals, rather than a diverse mix of skills and experience necessary for strong and robust board cultures.
The IPO Network’s members, featuring SLM Corporate, The CFO Solution, QRA Lawyers, Boardroom, Collier Creative and William Buck would like to thank all audience attendees and our clients for their engagement with our Network. We believe 2017 has been (so far) a great year in capital markets for SME enterprises, with significant IPO activity and overall strong and compelling performances of new ASX entrants.
