Governance Center FAQs

Why should I join the Governance Center?

The Conference Board Governance Center provides the following benefits to its members:

Valuable networking.
Access to a global organization of major companies and institutional investors who share common interests and issues.

Relevant knowledge.
Opportunities to share perspectives with prominent senior executives from global companies in meetings, workshops and symposia. For institutional investors and their corporate counterparts, the non-confrontational environment creates opportunities for candid discussions.

High visibility.
Sponsorship opportunities for domestic and international events and research projects.

Team approach.
Forum for multiple executives within a company to participate together, encouraging teamwork and leveraging the individual experience.

Cutting-edge research.
The Governance Center conducts research on corporate governance trends and best practices, both in the United States and internationally.

For more information on membership benefits, click here.

How do I join the Governance Center or receive more information?

The easiest way to join is to complete a membership registration form. Many companies choose to send executives to our programs on an individual basis before deciding to become a Center or Advisory Board member. For more information about membership benefits, please contact Paul DeNicola, Center Manager, +1 212 339 0221 or paul.denicola@conference-board.org.

What types of programs do you offer and how can I participate?

The Governance Center offers a variety of programs for executives with corporate governance responsibilities. Most of our programs are geared toward corporate secretaries and general counsel of large-cap public companies, but we also offer programs for finance executives that work closely with audit committees, and risk and compliance executives. See our meeting calendar for more information about upcoming programs.

Why should I participate in your programs?

Our programs are unique in that they allow two executives from your company to participate in any of our programs. They also are the only programs that involve representatives from the institutional investor community on a regular basis in an effort to promote dialogue between corporate and institutional investors. All of our programs are in a roundtable format to promote interactive discussion and networking, and are practically-focused to promote maximum take-away knowledge. All of our programs are also invaluable networking events. While attending our conferences and workshops, you will find numerous opportunities to meet with other experts in the areas of corporate governance, ethics, legal compliance and risk management, from both the corporate and the investment communities. Also, by participating in our working groups and sponsoring one of our research projects you will be able to interact with your peers on a continuous basis.

Who should attend your programs?

Executives with corporate governance responsibility within their organizations, including corporate secretaries, general counsel, associate corporate secretaries/general counsel, other members of the senior legal team, Chief Governance Officers, Chief Risk Officers and senior risk executives, Chief Compliance officers and senior compliance executives, Chief Ethics Officers and senior ethics executives, executives responsible for internal controls. The Governance Center also welcomes participation by institutional investors, namely Chief Investment Officers and governance professionals from large public pension funds and asset management groups/mutual fund groups that are active in corporate governance.

Do I need to be a Conference Board member to join the Center or participate in programs?

Yes. The company must be a member of the Conference Board to join the Governance Center as an Advisory Board or Governance Center Member, or to participate in a working group. Executives may participate in an individual workshop after which Conference Board membership is required.

What is your current research agenda?

Our current research agenda is largely focused on collecting and dissemination developments in corporate governance best practices, which is informed by our various programs. Our Corporate Governance Handbook 2007 is a good example of this best practice-focused research. We are also pursuing research in the enterprise risk area, the role of the board in strategy, institutional investment trends and corporate/investor long-termism. See research reports page for recent corporate governance-related reports. Our members benefit from a “right of first refusal” to sponsor any research project we embark on, and can regularly contribute their knowledge to shaping such research. Sponsorships and knowledge contributions are specifically recognized in interim reports as well as in the final publication, which will be widely disseminated by The Conference Board. For more information on how to become a research sponsor, please visit our research sponsorship page.