US companies considering the sale of a business are increasingly shifting their focus from meeting financial needs to meeting corporate strategic goals. But not enough are following the tactical considerations necessary to get the highest price or close the deal fast.
Although corporate boards are frequently reviewing CEO succession plans, practices vary widely with respect to who holds primary responsibility for oversight of these plans, a new survey of corporate secretaries shows. Responsibilities are split between the full board, the compensation committee and the nominating/governance committee.
While contingency planning for macroeconomic events remains a concern for internal auditors, another hot spot is strategy creation and execution. Research by the Corporate Executive Board details the top areas of concern for the next year. Strategy is an important one: Companies want to grow, but they often lack confidence in strategic decisions, fail to act quickly or fail to communicate how those decisions affect employees.
Global economic uncertainty, government response to debt and deficit, and overregulation are among the most worrisome things to CEOs these days, according to PwC’s annual global CEO survey. Find out what strategies they’re employing to protect their companies from the effects of each.
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), one of many organisations attempting to tackle this challenge, has issued a consultation paper, A Framework for Audit Quality, that it hopes will generate discussion and actions that will improve audits.
The senior executives often are the ones who make headlines when they act in ways that damage their companies. But behavioural risk to organisations actually decreases as seniority increases at the manager and professional level, according to new international research performed by talent measurement solutions provider SHL.
In the past six years, women joined boards of directors of S&P 1500 companies in increasing numbers, diversifying the boards’ expertise, skill sets and viewpoints. But one-fourth of boards still did not have women directors in 2012.
Ernst & Young research identified four areas in which high-performing companies did a better job handling the challenges of the harsh global economic conditions. Find out what lessons can be learned from high performers worldwide.
Companies doing business in Europe should prepare for a “lost decade,” new research suggests. Facing stagnant economic growth, low consumer demand and limited access to credit, companies must be prudent but they can’t miss out on opportunities.
The global IT governance group ISACA is drawing attention to three trends it says will “pose major challenges to businesses” in 2013. Cybersecurity threats are growing more sophisticated; interest in private or hybrid clouds, rather than public clouds, is expected to increase; and employees and consumers are growing more concerned about data privacy.
About half of the UK’s largest public companies have not complied with the country’s Corporate Governance Code. Some companies are showing more interest in certain aspects of governance, according to Grant Thornton research, but some are showing a “weariness or lack of commitment toward the concept of transparency.”
Average pay has increased by nearly 10% in the past year for directors of public companies, according to an analysis by BDO USA. Board retainers and fees make up about three-fourths of directors’ total compensation. Directors make the most, on average, in the technology sector ($177,249).
A survey by the Institute of Internal Auditors shows that most companies plan to maintain or increase staff and budget for internal audit. The report also takes a look at what risk categories audit executives will focus on in 2013.
New SEC regulations require US public companies to dig into their supply chain to trace the origin of the so-called “conflict minerals” of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. Experts are advising companies to build cross-functional, empowered teams to comply with the rule, which is aimed at choking off funding to oppressive warlords who run mines in Africa.
If your company does business overseas, you are about to feel the rapidly rising influence of the Asian consumer. Is your company prepared for this economic shift?
Technology considerations are significantly expanded in the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s updated internal control framework proposal. When issued in the first quarter of 2013, the framework will include significant guidance on how to manage risk while capitalizing on the benefits of technology in the era of big data.
Private-equity firms can no longer generate adequate returns for their investors by just leveraging debt and financial engineering. So they’re looking for untapped growth opportunities. A new survey reveals where they think they have found them.
Small and mid-size companies looking for business-friendly markets overseas could check out a World Bank report that tracks regulatory reform efforts in 185 countries. Many of the top improvers are rarely found among up-and-coming economies.
Companies are increasingly turning to internal auditors to identify operational risks, provide business advice and analyse information at the speed of light. With so much on internal auditors’ plates, effective communication can easily be overlooked. Here’s a look at why communication is such a vital tool in an internal auditor’s armoury.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a 120-page guide Wednesday providing a detailed analysis of the agencies’ approach to enforcement of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which is designed to prevent bribery and corruption of foreign officials by companies seeking to gain a competitive business advantage.
