03 de desembre 2022

The roots of good governance (3)

 High Performance Boards: Improving and Energizing your Governance

Contents:

Part I: The Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness 1

Joanne Marker and Board Service 3

Chapter 1 The Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness 9

The First Pillar: People Quality, Focus, and Dedication 11

The Second Pillar: Information Architecture 14

The Third Pillar: Structures and Processes 15

The Fourth Pillar: Group Dynamics and Board Culture 17

Chapter 2 Governance Challenges around the World 20

Scientific Lessons from Natural Selection 22

What is Transformational Leadership? 23

Should We Trust Leaders? 24

The Governance DNA 26

Chapter 3 The Successful Director: Values and Character 28

Duty of Care 30

Duty of Loyalty 32

Integrity: A Key Characteristic of Board Directors 32

Chapter 4 The First Pillar: People Quality, Focus, and Dedication 35

Quality 35

Focus 38

Dedication 41

Chapter 5 The Second Pillar: Information Architecture 45

How Complete is Your Information? 46

Chapter 6 Board Structures and Processes 50

Processes 51

Committee Structure 52

Board Secretary 53

Lead Director or Vice Chair 55

Chapter 7 Group Dynamics and Board Culture 56

Understanding Group Dynamics 57

Coalitions Within a Board Are Inevitable – and they Feed into Politics 60

Boards Fall into Traps 63

Drawing Strength from the Board’s Potential 66

Developing Self-Awareness 67

Board Culture 69

Part II: Board Failures and Challenges 77

Chapter 8 Four Areas of Board Failure 79

Chapter 9 Risks and Ensuring the Right Board Risk-Philosophy 82

Chapter 10 A Board Member’s Practical Guide to Risk Thinking 85

The Physical Health Check: Technical Risks 86

The Mental Health Check: Behaviours 89

The Strategic Risk Check 93

The Governance Risk Check 94

Chapter 11 Elements of Advanced Risk Techniques for Board Members: From Quants to Cyber 97

The Why and How of Quantitative Risk Assessment for Boards 98

Integration of Risks 101

The Outcome of Risk Assessment 102

Cyber Risk 104

Chapter 12 Crisis Management 107

Crisis as a Turning Point 110

There is Work to Be Done In Peaceful Times 111

Communication Principles 111

Another Powerful Weapon: Gathering Information 113

A Crisis Will Shed Light On Boardroom Fissures 115

Procedure vs. Authenticity 117

Communicate Your Way to Rebuilding Trust 118

Chapter 13 The Four Tiers of Conflicts of Interest 120

Tier-I Conflicts: Individual Directors vs. Company 122

Tier-II Conflicts: Directors vs. Stakeholders 124

Tier-III Conflicts: Stakeholders vs. Other Stakeholders 131

Conflicts of Interest within a Group of Stakeholders 135

Tier-IV Conflicts: Company vs. Society 136

Chapter 14 High-Level Fraud and Active Board Oversight 141

Why Does High-Level Fraud Happen? 143

Injustice 147

Lax Oversight 148

Problematic Culture 149

Financial Illiteracy 151

How to Create an Effective Oversight Environment 152

Preventing Injustice: Broaden the Notion of Conflict of Interest 152

Preventing Lax Oversight: Build Appropriate Frameworks 153

Preventing Toxic Behaviours: Create a Positive Culture 156

Strengthen Board Oversight Expertise with Special Focus on Legal, Compliance, Risk, Fraud, and Financial Reporting 159

Tools For Anti-Fraud Activities: Assessment, Prevention, Detection, and Investigation 160

Assessment 161

Prevention 161

Detection 161

Investigation 162

Part III: Board Best Practices 165

Chapter 15 The Board as a Strategic Asset 167

Five Definitions of Strategy 168

Clarifying the Board’s Role 171

Taking Context into the Mapping Process 174

The Impact of Context on Strategic Views and Roles of the Board 175

The Board’s Ultimate Strategic Significance 176

Chapter 16 A Primer on Finance Essentials for Directors 177

Reading Financial Reports 178

Understanding Ratios to Analyse Operating Strategies 179

Interpreting Between the Lines of Financial Statements 181

How to Identify Red Flags in Financial Statements 182

Implementing Desired Capital Structure 184

Understanding Valuation Fundamentals 185

Making Better M&A Decisions 187

Overseeing Risk 189

Joanne Marker and Board Values at Comfre 193

Chapter 17 Board Leadership and Values 197

Quality Boards Live and Breathe Integrity 198

Which and Whose Values? 199

Board Values vs. Organisational Values 202

Family Values in Business 203

Chapter 18 The Intricacies of Subsidiary/Holding Governance 204

Structures 206

Culture 208

Chapter 19 Fostering Entrepreneurship from the Board 210

‘Best Practice’ Governance vs. Entrepreneurship 211

Boards Should Actively Encourage Entrepreneurship 212

Chapter 20 The Board’s Oversight Framework for M&As 217

Creating a Deal-Making Mindset 218

Seeing the Bigger Picture 220

Staging Deals with Maximum Precision 220

Integration 225

Confronting Litigation Involving M&As 226

Joanne Marker Confronts Failing Board Culture 229

Chapter 21 The Chair–CEO Relationship 233

The Role of the Chair 233

Chairs are Increasingly Active 237

Chair–CEO Dynamics – the Hallmarks of a Productive Relationship 238

Tests of the Chair–CEO Relationship 240

The Ideal Attributes of a Chair 242

Chapter 22 The Board–Management Relationship 244

Supervision 244

Support 246

Blurring the Board–Management Relationship 247

Writing Governance Codes is Easier Than Changing Behaviours 248

Chapter 23 Effective Diversity 251

Diversity is Good . . . But Why; and When? 251

Diversity as a Considered Choice 252

Gender 253

Culture 255

Personality 256

Age 257

Social Background 259

We Have Embraced Diversity . . . Now What? 260

The Chair’s Role in Building and Nurturing Diversity 262

Chapter 24 The Talent Pipeline 265

The Board’s Responsibility for Talent Management 265

The New Talent Dynamic: Culture, Values, Community 268

Chapter 25 Boards and Social Media 272

JP Morgan’s Failed Foray into Twitter Q&A 273

Why Boards Should Understand Social Media 274

What Boards Should Do 276

Chapter 26 Boards and Investors 279

The Move toward Increasing Shareholder Engagement 281

Chapter 27 Managing Stakeholders 283

Shareholders vs. Stakeholders: A Definition 284

How to Identify a Company’s Key Stakeholders 285

The Board Can Be Instrumental in Shaping the CEO–Stakeholders Conversation 285

Anticipating Stakeholders’ Influence and Impact 286

Chapter 28 Stewardship from the Board 289

Building Upon a Rich Cross-Disciplinary Legacy of Thought 291

Psychological, Organisational, and Cultural Influences on Stewardship 291

Steward Leaders Build on their Unique Strengths to Drive Stewardship 292

Steward Leaders Deliver Long-Lasting, Meaningful, and Inclusive Impact 293

Becoming a Steward Leader: What it Takes 295

Stewardship Risks 297

Boards Are Key to Fostering Stewardship 297

Conclusion 299




02 de desembre 2022

The roots of good governance (2)

 The Handbook of Board Governance: A Comprehensive Guide for Public, Private, and Not-for-Profit Board Members

Contents:

1 The Handbook of Board Governance: An Introduction and Overview 1

Richard Leblanc

I The Board’s First Responsibility: The Right CEO 43

2 CEO Succession Planning Trends and Forecast 45

Gary Larkin

3 CEO Succession Planning 58

David F. Larcker and Brian Tayan

4 CEO Succession: Lessons from the Trenches for Directors 77

Mark B. Nadler

Appendix 1 Model CEO Succession Planning Charter 98

Richard Leblanc

Appendix 2 Model CEO Position Description 105

Richard Leblanc

II The Board’s Second Responsibility: The Right Board Chair 111

5 The Nonexecutive Chairman: Toward a Shareholder Value Maximization Role 113

Henry D. Wolfe

6 Great Boards Don’t Exist Without Great Chairs 148

Elizabeth Watson and Heather Kelsall

7 What’s in a Name? The Lead Director Role at U.S. Public Companies 164

Richard Fields and Anthony Goodman

Appendix 3 Model Board Chair Position Description 192

Richard Leblanc

III Who is at the Board Table? Board Composition, Dynamics, and Decision-Making 197

8 Director Independence, Competency, and Behavior 199

Richard Leblanc

9 Board Behaviors: How Women Directors Influence Decision Outcomes 233

Dr. Mary Halton

10 The State of Gender Diversity in Boardrooms 253

Dr. Nancy Gianni Herbert

11 Every Seat Matters 269

Annie Tobias and Lina Pallotta

12 The Art of Asking Questions as a Director 283

J. Lyn McDonell

13 Board Succession, Evaluation, and Recruitment: A Global Perspective 301

Jakob Stengel

Appendix 4 Model Individual Director Position Description 319

Richard Leblanc

Appendix 5 Model Conflict of Interest Policy for Directors 323

Richard Leblanc

IV The Work of the Board 333

A. Climate governance 333

14 Climate Change and Directors’ Duties: Closing the Gap Between Legal Obligation and Enforcement Practice 335

Ellie Mulholland, Sarah Barker, Cynthia Williams, and Robert G. Eccles

15 Board Oversight and Climate Change: What Directors Need to Know 369

Patricia A. Koval

16 Responsible Boards for a Sustainable Future 398

Dr. Yilmaz Argüden

17 Corporate Governance to Advance Business and Society 434

Alice Korngold

B. Technology Governance 467

18 Technology and the Corporate Board 2020 and Beyond 469

Dr. Gary L. Evans

19 Responsive Governance in a Digital World: The Need to Up-Skill 492

Dr. Elizabeth Valentine, Dr. Steven De Haes, and Dr. Anant Joshi

20 The Impact of Blockchain Technology for Corporate Governance 526

Jack J. Bensimon

21 Blockchain: An Introduction for Boards of Directors 556

Dr. Elizabeth Valentine, Dr. Greg Timbrell, Lachlan Feeney, and Dr. John Puttick

22 Reflections of a Board Chair on the Christchurch Massacre: Governing Social Media 578

Drew Stein

C. Risk and Financial Governance 595

23 Financial Literacy and Audit Committees: A Primer for Directors and Audit Committee Members 597

Jason Masters

24 Corporate Governance in an Age of Populism 624

John Zinkin

25 A Call to Action for Geopolitical Governance 641

Sean West and Rohitesh Dhawan

26 Governing Boards, Risk Management, and Deliberative Thinking 655

Michael Useem

27 Lawyers’ Advice to Directors on Overseeing Executive Pay 672

Howard Levitt and Allyson Lee

28 Accountant’s Advice to Company Directors: Directors’ Obligations to Detect Top-10 Frauds 687

Dr. L. S. (Al) Rosen

29 Ten Tell-Tale Signs ofPossible Fraud: A Director’s Primer 704

James Hunter

30 100 Questions Directors Should Ask When Assessing the Effectiveness of Risk Systems 713

F. Edward “Ted” Price

31 Risk Oversight for Directors: A Practical Guide 719

Stephen J. Mallory

32 Risk Governance: Leading Practice and Demographic Impacts 739

Ingrid Robinson

D. Strategic Governance 759

33 Agile Governance 761

Scott Koerwer and Joseph Perfetti

34 The Three Dilemmas for Creating a Long-Term Board 786

Ariel Fromer Babcock, Robert G. Eccles, and Sarah Keohane Williamson

35 Strategic Blindspots in the Boardroom 815

Estelle Métayer

E. Human Capital and Compensation Governance 839

36 Winter is Coming: The Approaching Human Capital Management Storm 841

Solange Charas and Michael Young

37 The Effective Compensation Committee 861

Steven Hall and Steven Hall Jr

38 Compensation Governance and Performance-Based Executive Compensation 889

Paul Gryglewicz

39 Measuring and Improving Pay for Performance: Board Oversight of Executive Pay 906

Stephen F. O’Byrne

40 Designing Performance for Long-Term Value: Aligning Business Strategy, Management Structure, and Incentive Design 930

Mark Van Clieaf

41 Mind the Gap: How Human Resources Can Become More Integral to the Corporate Boardroom Agenda 953

Jay A. Conger and Edward E. Lawler III

F. Legal and Governance Responsibilities of Directors 967

42 Board Risk and Responsibility Under Regulatory and Criminal Law 969

Norm Keith

43 Riding Between Cars: The Position of the Corporate Secretary 987

Douglas K. Chia

44 Ensuring Good Governance and Business Success in International Subsidiaries 1004

Thomas C. Sears

V Shareholder Engagement and Board Accountability 1021

45 The Rise of Investor Stewardship 1023

Stephen Davis

46 Director/Shareholder Meetings 1049

Stephen Erlichman

47 Dual-Class Share Firms in Developed Market Economies 1066

Anita I. Anand

48 For Directors: The Long-Term Relationship Between Directors, Companies, and Institutional Investors 1088

Carol Nolan Drake

49 Proxy Scorecards Will Empower Investors 1111

James McRitchie

VI Not-For-Profit Governance 1127

50 Charitable and Not-for-Profit Organization Governance 1129

Donald J. Bourgeois

51 The Best of Boards, the Worst of Boards: The Not-for-Profit Experience 1145

Adam Quinton

52 Fundraising Best Practices for Not-for-Profit Boards of Directors 1164

Stephanie Cory

VII Small and Medium Company Governance 1179

53 Governance of Small and Medium-Sized Entities 1181

Jo Iwasaki

54 Private Versus Public Company Governance: Top-13 Questions for Board Members to Consider 1197

Carol Nolan Drake and Sally J. Curley

55 Cannabis Governance: Advice for Current and Prospective Directors in This Emerging Industry 1220

Steve Chan

VIII Global Corporate Governance 1229

56 Cross-Border Corporate Governance 1231

Hari Panday

57 Corporate Governance in Asia-Pacific 1260

John Zinkin

58 Boards of Directors of Chinese Companies 1287

David H. Zhu, Wei’An Li, and Yaowei Zhang

59 The Russian Corporate Governance Story 1316

Alexander A. Filatov

60 CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Governance 1333

Ronaele Dathorne-Bayrd

61 King IV: Taking Corporate Governance to the Next Level 1343

Parmi Natesan and Dr. Prieur Du Plessis




01 de desembre 2022

How to fix current public problems?

 Solving Public Problems. A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World

A radical rethinking of the role of the public servant and the skills of the public workforce, this book is about the vast gap between failing public institutions and the huge number of public entrepreneurs doing extraordinary things—and how to close that gap.  



26 de novembre 2022

Pharma and Medtech market access

 Commercializing Successful Biomedical Technologies


Contents

1 - The biomedical drug, diagnostic, and devices industries and their marketspp 1-35

2 - Markets of interest and market research stepspp 36-62

3 - Intellectual property, licensing, and business modelspp 63-103

4 - New product development (NPD)pp 104-171

5 - The regulated market: gateway through the FDApp 172-225

6 - Manufacturingpp 226-263

7 - Reimbursement, marketing, sales, and product liabilitypp 264-316





25 de novembre 2022

Wellbeing as a top priority


Open access book by Tim Besley et al.

Why not focus directly on increasing measured human happiness? Why not try to improve people’s overall quality of life, as it is subjectively seen by citizens themselves?

Contents:

 Introduction: Making Wellbeing Policies Effective

Timothy Besley & Irene Bucelli

Wellbeing as the Goal of Policy

Richard Layard

Accounting for Consequences and Claims in Policy

Paul Dolan

Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Public Policy: On the Dangers of Single Metric Accounting

Johanna Thoma

Wellbeing in Public Policy: Contributions Based on Sen’s Capability Approach

Paul Anand

Incorporating Wellbeing and Mental Health Research to Improve Pandemic Response

Michael Daly & Liam Delaney

COVID-19 and Mental Health and Wellbeing Research: Informing Targeted, Integrated, and Long-Term Responses to Health Emergencies

Annette Bauer

Health, Wellbeing, and Democratic Citizenship: A Review and Research Agenda

Christopher J. Anderson et al.

Health and Disability Gaps in Political Engagement: A Short Review

Mikko Mattila




24 de novembre 2022

Pharma competition and innovation

 My speech at the Reial Acadèmia de Medicina de Catalunya, 22/11/2022:

23 de novembre 2022

Reframing the human body as a cellular ecosystem

 The Song of the Cell. An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human

In The Song of the Cell, Mukherjee tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans. He seduces you with writing so vivid, lucid, and suspenseful that complex science becomes thrilling. Told in six parts, laced with Mukherjee’s own experience as a researcher, a doctor, and a prolific reader, The Song of the Cell is both panoramic and intimate—a masterpiece.

A must read!!! 



17 de novembre 2022

Personalized, stratified or precision medicine: the expectations behind a concept

 Contested futures: envisioning “Personalized,” “Stratified,” and “Precision” medicine

Rather than pinpointing which of these terms is the “correct” one or delineating the “true” meaning of each, to know how we should critically approach the concepts we need an awareness of the discursive contexts in which they are mobilized. This is because the context ultimately structures the social and ethical implications that “personalization,” “stratification,” or “precision” will have for medicine and healthcare systems, and for different stakeholders. As big health data, predictive and systems-level analysis are, themselves, emergent phenomena, the terminology applied in the discursive spaces around these new biotechnologies and approaches cannot be abstracted from their context. Rather, when we apply the “personalization,” “stratification,” and “precision” terms, we invoke particular associations, connotations, “hopes” and “truths” that are part of pre-existing epistemologically and ethically loaded discourses that reflect broader and weightier struggles over what is a good future.