- Search
Search
- LoginAccess your ApplicationFor current applicants
Or learn more about our programmes and applyAccess MyINSEADFor current participants and alumni
INSEAD Directors Forum
Governance in the Rise of Activism
22 October 2021, 9:30 CEST / 15:30 SGT (3hrs 40mins)
Overview
The activism landscape has evolved tremendously over the years with the rise in stakeholder activism and burgeoning power of activist hedge funds over their target company. The time has come for boards to commit in sustainable stewardship - recognising the environmental and social impact of their business activities, mitigating risks and driving change towards positive long-term value.
More than ever, boards must collaborate with their executive teams to actively manage the risks of an activism campaign by understanding the changing expectations from investors and other stakeholders to find the balance in the pursuit of purpose, impact, and performance. Excessive CEO remuneration coupled with lagging performance in shareholder’s return can create pay-for-performance misalignment in favor for intervention by shareholder activists. However, potential activism risks can become opportunities for strengthening engagement when boards know how to build an effective stakeholder communication strategy in the face of conflict. By leading the way in navigating the rise in the tide of activism activities, board directors can safeguard their companies from detrimental outcome should activism attacks occur.
Organised by the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, the thought leadership forum on “Governance in the Rise of Activism” will examine the shifts in the activism landscape and mounting pressure from both shareholders and stakeholders for a sustainable stewardship on governance. Through presentations by academic experts and panel discussions with guest speakers representing investors, regulators, activists, and boards community, we will glean insights from multi-faceted perspectives on the tactics that activists use to stimulate change, leading governance practices in managing such risks and strategy to strengthen stakeholder engagement for long-term value creation.
Agenda
The agenda is tentative and subject to changes. Be sure to check it regularly for updates.
Optional programmeFriday, 22 October 2021 | |
|---|---|
08:00 - 9:15 | Annual General Meeting of the INSEAD Directors Network (IDN) |
Official programmeFriday, 22 October 2021 | |
|---|---|
9:30 - 9:35 | Welcome & IntroductionSonia Tatar, Executive Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre & INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise |
| 9:35 - 9:55 | Keynote Address on "Activism and Purpose: Are They Compatible?"Colin Mayer, Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford |
| 9:55 - 10:40 | Academic Panel on "Building Effective Stakeholder Communication Strategy in the Face of Conflicts""Conflict – When the Shit hits the Fan" by Henning Piezunka, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise "In an Era of Activism: Why Stakeholder Centric Communication Has Never Been More Essential" by Ian C. Woodward, Professor of Management Practice in Organisational Behaviour Moderated by Jose-Luis Alvarez, Academic Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy, Senior Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour |
| 10:40 - 10:45 | Stretch Break |
| 10:45 - 11:30 | Panel Discussion on "Activism: A Catalyst or Dilemma in Driving Governance Change?”Bruno Bastit, Global Head of Corporate Governance and Senior Sustainable Finance Specialist, S&P Global Ratings Christina Carlmark, Key Account Manager “We Don´t Have Time”, Senior Sustainability Specialist, Volunteer Coordinator Climate Reality Project Nordic Region Nicolas Ceron, Portfolio Manager and Partner, Bluebell Capital Partners Steven Tebbe, Senior Advisor, Sustainability Stakeholder Engagement, European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) Moderated by Lily Fang, Dean of Research and The AXA Chaired Professor in Financial Market Risk, INSEAD |
| 11:30 - 12:15 | Panel Discussion on "Navigating the Rising Tide of Activism in the Boardroom"Hélène Auriol Potier, Board Director of Safran, ODDO BHF, Randstad, Mimecast; Co-Chair ESG, Institut Français des Administrateurs Moderated by Lucie Tepla, Senior Affiliate Professor of Finance, INSEAD |
| 12:15 - 12:20 | Stretch Break |
| 12:20 - 12:50 | Fireside Chat with Proxy Advisor on "Uncovering the Role of Proxy in the new Governance Paradigm"Loïc Dessaint, Chief Governance Officer, Proxinvest Moderated by Jose-Luis Alvarez, Academic Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy, Senior Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour |
| 12:50 -13:00 | Certification Celebration for New INSEAD Certified Directors in Corporate GovernanceJose-Luis Alvarez, Academic Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy, Senior Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour |
| 13:00 -13:10 | Wrap Up and Closing RemarksSonia Tatar, Executive Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre & INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise |
Optional Session (For new IDP certified directors, IDN members and INSEAD alumni - registration required)
Tuesday, 26 October 2021, 12:00-13:30 CEST
The INSEAD Directors Network (IDN) is hosting a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, 26 October 2021, 12:00-13:30 CEST to continue the discussion and digital dialogue on this topic. Register to learn more about the IDN alumni club and engage in peer-to-peer discussion faciliated by IDN Board members and ambassadors - all practicing board directors.
* Chatham rules will apply in these small group discussions.
Speakers and Panelists
Keynote Speaker
Academic Panel Speakers
Henning Piezunka
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise, INSEAD
Guest Panelists
Hélène Auriol Potier
Board Director of Safran, ODDO BHF, Randstad, Mimecast
Co-Chair ESG, Institut Français des Administrateurs
Bruno Bastit
Global Head of Corporate Governance and Senior Sustainable Finance Specialist, S&P Global Ratings
Christina Carlmark
Key Account Manager “We Don´t Have Time”
Sustainability Specialist, Volunteer Coordinator Climate Reality Project Nordic Region
Ieda Gomes Yell
Independent Director of Saint Gobain (France), Exterran Corporation (USA), Prumo Logistica (Brazil), The Institute of Directors and the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain (UK)
Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (UK)
Karen Hitschke
COO of the WHO Foundation and Board Member at Yunus Social Business Global Initiatives
Steven Tebbe
Senior Advisor, Sustainability Stakeholder Engagement
European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG)
Fireside Chat Speaker
Moderators
Jose Luis Alvarez
Senior Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour
The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy
Academic Director, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre
Lily Hua Fang
Dean of Research
The AXA Chaired Professor in Financial Market Risk
Lucie Tepla
Senior Affiliate Professor of Finance
Host
Sonia Tatar
Executive Director, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre
Executive Director, Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise
Fees
Only registered attendees will be provided with the link to access the webinar. Please refer to the table below for the applicable fee.
| Free |
| EUR 90 |
| EUR 130 |
| EUR 170 |
| Included |
| Included |
Practical information
Registration deadline
Please note that the deadline for registration is Thursday, 21 October, 9:00 AM (CET).
Technical requirements
Please click here to check in advance that you have the required system and technical configurations to support the webinar which will be hosted on Zoom conference platform.
Webinar access
The link to the webinar will be shared with registered attendees one day prior to the webinar by Thursday, 21 October 2020. We encourage you to join the webinar at least 5 minutes before the session begins to ensure that you have a proper connection ready.
Webinar recording
The webinar will be recorded and it will be shared with all registered participants.
Webinar etiquette
To facilitate smooth running of the agenda, please take note that:
- During the webinar, everyone will be muted and your video will be turned-off by default
- You can use the Q&A tab if you have a questions for the speakers
- The chat box will be disabled
For further technical support, you may consult the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below or contact us at [email protected] for assistance.
Pre-reading material
- An Unintended Side-effect of Hedge Fund Activism? Human Capital Loss
Philipp Meyer-Doyle, INSEAD Associate Professor of Strategy | October 12, 2021
Contact
If you have any questions related to INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, we are here to help.
