21st Century Corporate Board

The Lowdown on the Hottest Trends in Corporate Goverance—A Complete Blueprint for Tomorrow's Corporate Board Member Regulations, economics, shareholders, court battles—these factors have transformed the corporate board into a powerful, independent force in business. Now boardroom expert Ralph Ward deconstructs the "how and why" of this remarkable phenomenon, and offers a comprehensive, trenchant analysis of the tough issues which the 21st Century Corporate Board will bring to the table. You'll find in-depth coverage of all of the leading topics in board makeup, pay, training, operations, and organization, including:

• How the "new directors" will change the corporate equation—women, inorities, entrepreneurs, executives below the CEO level, and others
• The move toward increased professionalism, including director certification, accountability, and more
• The hidden minefield of stakeholder concerns, from employees to local communities
• The pros and cons of paying corporate directors in stock—do we really want directors who are major shareholders?
• Future regulations from the SEC, IRS, and major stock exchanges—gearing up for compliance
• The growing power of board committees, and what this means for the board as a whole
• The coming struggle among shareholder groups to set the board agenda
• The new corporate balancing act for directors—independent, but involved; powerful, but responsive; focusing on the short term, but keeping a long-term view