WASHINGTON, April 07, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the advocate for the profession of directorship, today announced that the 2016 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission will explore building and maintaining a strategic-asset board, focusing on issues such as board composition and diversity, succession planning, board-evaluation processes, and ongoing director-skills development.
Throughout the spring and summer, more than 25 experienced directors, investors, and leading governance professionals will develop specific guidance for boards on how to calibrate their current and future capabilities against their organizations’ strategic requirements.
“NACD has a wealth of programs and resources to help board members up their game in everything from improving board diversity to director recruitment to evaluation processes to education on emerging issues,” said NACD’s CEO Ken Daly. “The 2016 Blue Ribbon Commission report will build on that existing thought leadership, and I look forward to the new findings and guidance that will emerge from the commission’s work this year.”
The NACD Blue Ribbon Commission will be led by co-chairs Bonnie Hill, a director of California Water Service Group and former lead director of Home Depot Inc., and Richard Koppes, a director of NACD and former deputy CEO and general counsel of CalPERS.
“The commission’s aim is to help directors move beyond the traditional approaches to board refreshment and develop a continuous-improvement plan that keeps board skill sets and processes in tune with the company’s strategic needs,” said Bonnie Hill, commission co-chair.
“We believe that the mission of the board of directors is to serve as a strategic asset of the company measured by the contributions it makes to the long-term success of the enterprise,” said commission co-chair Richard Koppes. “The commission’s recommendations will help boards to achieve this mission.”
The 2016 commissioners constitute a roster of distinguished corporate leaders and governance experts. While subject to change, the NACD 2016 Blue Ribbon Commission currently includes the following members:
- Bonnie Hill, co-chair; director, California Water Service Group
- Richard Koppes, co-chair; director, Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute, NACD
- Betsy Bernard, director, Principal Financial Group, Sito Mobile Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc.
- Jean Birch, director, Cosi Inc., Darden Restaurants Inc., Papa Murphy’s Holdings Inc.
- Glenn Booraem, principal and treasurer, the Vanguard Group Inc.
- Sue Cole, director, Martin Marietta Materials Inc., NACD
- Kenneth Daly, CEO, NACD
- Nora Denzel, director, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Ericsson, Outerwall Inc.
- Cari Dominguez, director, ManpowerGroup Inc., Triple-S Management Corp., NACD
- Nicholas Donofrio, director, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Delphi Automotive PLC, BNY Mellon Corp., NACD
- Ted Dysart, vice chairman, Heidrick & Struggles International Inc.
- Charles Elson, director, Bob Evans Farms Inc., HealthSouth Corp.; Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair in Corporate Governance and director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, University of Delaware
- Peter Gleason, president, NACD
- John Gorman, director, Assure Holding Corp.; partner, Luse Gorman PC
- Holly Gregory, partner, Sidley Austin LLP
- Edward Hanway, director, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.
- Karen Horn, director, Eli Lilly and Co., Norfolk Southern Corp., Simon Property Group Inc., T. Rowe Price Mutual Funds, NACD
- David Jackson, partner, Mercer International Inc.
- Edward Kangas, director, Intelsat SA, Tenet Healthcare Corp., United Technologies Corp.
- Reatha Clark King, chair, NACD
- Patrick Lee, senior advisor, KPMG Audit Committee Institute
- William McCracken, director, MDU Resources Group Inc., NACD
- Linda Mills, director, AIG, Navient Corp.
- Charles Noski, director, Avon Products Inc., Microsoft Corp., Priceline Group Inc., NACD
- Anne Sheehan, director of corporate governance, CalSTRS
- David Swinford, president and CEO, Pearl Meyer
- Dennis Whalen, partner in charge, KPMG Board Leadership Center
- William White, director, ContextMedia Inc., NACD; professor, Northwestern University
- Ralph Whitworth, founder, Relational Investors LLC
The titles and affiliations of commissioners in this list are selective and do not include all directorships. Commissioners participate as a service to the governance community and not as representatives of any organization.
The commission’s report is scheduled for release in September 2016.
About NACD
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) helps more than 17,000 directors lead with confidence. As the recognized authority on leading boardroom practices, NACD aspires to a world where businesses are sustainable, profitable, and respected, and where stakeholders trust directors to develop strategies that create long-term value and provide effective oversight. World-class boards join NACD to elevate performance, gain foresight, and instill confidence. Fostering collaboration among directors, investors, and governance stakeholders, NACD has been shaping the future of board leadership for more than 35 years. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org. To become an NACD member, please contact Steve Kalan at Join@NACDonline.org or 202-572-2089. If you are already a member, contact your NACD Concierge at Concierge@NACDonline.org to ensure that you are receiving the best value from your membership.