Our News

The action items list provides a mechanism by which the board or board committee can keep abreast of either the matters that it has resolved, or issues under consideration on which the board or committee is expecting further reporting or action.

21 May 2013

Companies can create a powerful risk culture without turningthe organisation upside down.

17 May 2013

This summary report of The 21st Century Investor: Ceres Blueprint for Sustainable Investing (the "Ceres Investor Blueprint") is a preview of a more detailed document Ceres will release later this quarter.

17 May 2013

Four steps to an effective supplier collaboration. As supply chains become increasingly complex, distant and opaque, the search for improved efficiency and lower costs spans the globe and often involves thousands of suppliers.

17 May 2013

A real life case study focuses on the complex conflicts of interest affecting association boards where the directors are representatives of industry participants.

17 May 2013

With the game-changing Financial Markets Conduct Bill (FMCB) expected to come into effect during 2014, directors of public issuers need to be aware of the significant changes that will increase their responsibilities and potential liability.

17 May 2013

The business environment in which boards of directors operate has grown increasingly complex over the past 10 years. With this change has come a corresponding increase in the board's role in the strategy of the organisation.

17 May 2013

The evolution of interconnection between infrastructure sectors has been accelerated by the spread of cyberspace, which has become the 'nervous system' linking them.

17 May 2013

The CICA's A Framework for Board Oversight of Enterprise Risk is a unique publication that focuses specifically on the board's role in risk.

17 May 2013

The map, published Wednesday by Aon in collaboration with London-based Risk Advisory Group PLC., shows that the threat of terrorist attacks is particularly prevalent in African countries, especially those in North Africa.

17 May 2013

Since our Technical Brief of 2 April 2013 how to close the gender gap, there have been three significant reports - from Australia, from the USA and from the UK.

14 May 2013

At the Waikato Management School graduation ceremony held on 7 May 2013 two students received their prizes for outstanding academic achievement from Jim Harknett, Acting Executive Officer on behalf of CSNZ.

10 May 2013

Tacit knowledge is critical for innovation - According to an early and frequently quoted aerodynamic model, bumblebees cannot possibly fly.

10 May 2013

An interview with Steve Case on risk taking. Q. What were some early leadership lessons for you?

When leaders substitute visions, missions, purposes, plans, or goals for the real work of strategy, they send their firms adrift by Ken Favaro.

10 May 2013

Pressure is mounting on JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon to surrender some of his power at the bank, after shareholder advisory group Glass Lewis called for his dual role as chairman and chief executive to be split.

10 May 2013

Understanding the real value of corporate strategy and the head office. Senior executives seeking to gauge the effectiveness of their company's corporate strategy might look at any number of factors: the company's shareholder returns.

10 May 2013

The legal and regulatory terrain has gotten rougher, yet the general counsel must not only keep up, but stay ahead. Trying to do so with the frameworks, thinking, and tools of the past can be frustrating. It is may be time to update, to move from giving your organization a sense of direction to providing more guidance and leadership in this area.

10 May 2013

This guide explores the challenges faced by Not-for-Profit Organisations in recruiting the right people to serve on their boards, as well as the importance of director education and development and regular assessment of the board and its members.

10 May 2013

The New Zealand Institute of Architects [NZIA] is seeking an Executive Administrator for administrative and corporate secretarial requirements, underpinning the work of the NZIA corporate governance requirements and support to the Council.

3 May 2013

'Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?'

3 May 2013

A small group of Cayman Islands "jumbo directors" are sitting on the boards of hundreds of hedge funds as demand for independent director's booms in the Caribbean tax haven.

3 May 2013

On a muggy February afternoon earlier this year, I visited the Rangiriri Battlefield with colleagues from the M?ori and Indigenous Governance Centre - Te Mata Haut? Taketake.

3 May 2013

Aspiring idea entrepreneurs are everywhere: in businesses, classrooms, and communities of all kinds, all over the world.

3 May 2013

Interviewers favour applicants who remind them of themselves.

3 May 2013

The list of attributes required of a non-executive director is so long, precise and contradictory that there cannot be a single board member in the world who fully fits the bill.

3 May 2013

Emerging technologies are poised to personalisethe consumer experience radically - in real time and almost everywhere. It's not too early to prepare.

3 May 2013

Although it doesn't show up explicitly in any personality test, some people seem to be more prone to creating complexity than others.

3 May 2013

Corporate governance was more straightforward back in the day when roles were defined simply as "management acts, the board oversees." But today, that approach may not hold up - not when boards are scrutinised from all sides by regulators, shareholders, the media, and analysts, to name a few.

3 May 2013

In looking at ways to promote an ethically responsible culture, Adamson identified three things, which include: setting the tone from the top; translating this into easily understood business practices; and supporting the right behaviours through performance management, employee development, and reinforcing culture through reward programmes.

3 May 2013

When the theory of emotional intelligence at work began to receive widespread attention, we frequently heard executives say - in the same breath, mind you - "That's incredible," and, "Well, I've known that all along."

3 May 2013

US regulators have called for new interest rate benchmarks to be found quickly to replace Libor, the interbank borrowing rate at the centre of a sprawling rate-rigging investigation.

3 May 2013

Analyses of the financial crisis of 2007-2009 and the continuing effects of a difficult investing environment have largely focused on factors such as the roles of failed and complex financial products, inadequate credit rating agencies, and ineffective government regulators.

30 Apr 2013

At one time, corporate leaders played a major role in developing pragmatic and moderate solutions to the nation's problems.

26 Apr 2013

Australia's inflation rate has fallen so low that the Treasurer is worried and the Reserve Bank is rethinking the economic outlook.

26 Apr 2013

The Bank of Japan just threw another log on the fire. Over the coming two years, it plans to inject the equivalent of $1.4tn into the system. And more could come as officials struggle to hit their newly imposed inflation goal.

26 Apr 2013

You walk into a meeting late and people are already in huddles. Colleagues glance over ever so briefly then turn back to their conversations.

26 Apr 2013

The tabling of the governance standards in the Australian Parliament offers charities the opportunity to assess and amend their governance frameworks and processes before the standards commence on 1 July 2013.

26 Apr 2013

Senior executives aiming to make their companies more innovative can seek inspiration in surprising places.

26 Apr 2013

One of the world's biggest engineering groups, best known for Earth-bound projects such as the Channel Tunnel, has joined space adventurers the Google founders and film director James Cameron in their venture into the final frontier.

26 Apr 2013

Despite the high failure rate of Kiwi enterprises, ANZ has pledged $500 million over two years to help fund the birth of thousands of businesses.

26 Apr 2013

New Zealand's private equity and venture capital market sank like a stone last year, recording a fifth of the previous year's levels.

26 Apr 2013

Launching a new enterprise - whether it's a tech start-up, a small business, or an initiative within a large corporation - has always been a hit-or-miss proposition.

26 Apr 2013

The Registrar of Companies has announced that from 22 April 2013 the Companies Office is implementing new standards for the registration of securities documents.

26 Apr 2013

Homegrown auditors are eroding the influence of established western firms in China.

26 Apr 2013

A new supplementary order paper (SOP) has been released making a number of substantive changes to the Financial Markets Conduct Bill (FMCB).

The head of the US audit regulator has made a fresh call for senior auditors to be stripped of their anonymity as details continued to emerge from the KPMG insider trading scandal.

26 Apr 2013

The European Commission (EC) has proposed changes to the current accounting legislation to improve transparency of non-financial reporting such as social and environmental information within annual reports.

26 Apr 2013

South Korea has become a global powerhouse, but its middle class is getting left behind- posing social and economic risks.

26 Apr 2013

Tricky problems must be shaped before they can be solved. To start that process, and stimulate novel thinking, leaders should look through multiple lenses.

23 Apr 2013

The belief that the only measure of value is what someone is willing to pay is wrong.

19 Apr 2013

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and the Institute of Directors in New Zealand (IoD) have today released 'A Director's Guide': a must-read for all current and aspiring directors.

19 Apr 2013

High Court judge who presided over one of the country's most high-profile finance company cases has reminded directors to "turn their brains on" when it comes to running their companies.

19 Apr 2013

Sure, you want your company to be a great place to work. Here's how to do it, starting today.

19 Apr 2013

Investors can only trust capital markets if they trust their auditors.

19 Apr 2013

In search of growth, banks are increasingly analysing the massive amounts of data they collect to sharpen their decision-making processes.

19 Apr 2013

On 17 April 2013, the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill narrowly passed its third reading by 61 votes to 60 - both the National and Act party voted against the Bill.

19 Apr 2013

Advancing women to the top may be a journey, but how to do so is no longer a mystery. New research points to four principles that can help just about any company.

19 Apr 2013

A senior Chinese auditor has warned that local government debt is "out of control" and could spark a bigger financial crisis than the US housing market crash.

19 Apr 2013

In one of the world's fastest-growing consumer markets, focusing on regional preferences is the key.

19 Apr 2013

A shareholders' agreement is a private contract between some or all of the shareholders of a company, and often the company itself.

19 Apr 2013

British citizens can browse the internet without fear of litigation, after the Supreme Court quashed a previous ruling that had exposed millions of people to claims of copyright infringement.

19 Apr 2013

On 26 October 2012, the England and Wales Court of Appeal delivered an important judgement in Petrodel Resources Ltd & Ors v Prest & Ors [2012] EWCA Civ 1395.

19 Apr 2013

The world's top commodities traders have pocketed nearly $250bn over the last decade, making the individuals and families that control the largely privately-owned sector big beneficiaries of the rise of China and other emerging countries.

19 Apr 2013

Cargill [ a private company] has warned the commodities industry that trading houses must embrace ethical and transparent business practices or risk being vilified by the public and regulators as banks have been.

19 Apr 2013

In the Employment Court's recent decision in Totara Hills Farm v Davidson, Chief Judge Colgan has confirmed that the Court can assess the business decision behind a redundancy to determine whether the decision, and how it was reached, were what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in all the relevant circumstances.

19 Apr 2013

In a recent decision of Hoff v The Wood Life Care (2007) Limited, Mrs Hoff was awarded over $6,000 in lost wages and compensation.

19 Apr 2013

A Marlborough Sounds resident was dumbfounded to read a letter from Inland Revenue advising that his "new special tax code" required him to pay 100 cents in the dollar.

19 Apr 2013

Governance is one of the newest professional disciplines and continues to advance in a widening sphere of influence. But many still see governance as a more altruistic influence reinforcing its major principles of transparency and disclosure.

16 Apr 2013

The New Zealand Productivity Commission lists a number of factors affecting the attainment of productivity in different countries. The Commission's website explains that productivity is a key factor in the progression of societies, and New Zealand has begun to lag other similar countries in productivity and performance.

12 Apr 2013

Acxiom is preparing to step out of the shadows. The consumer data broker, which tracks everything from a person's estimated income to his political leanings, shopping patterns and exercise habits, is readying a service that will reveal to people what it knows about them.

12 Apr 2013

By encouraging employees to both seek and provide help, rewarding givers, and screening out takers, companies can reap significant and lasting benefits.

12 Apr 2013

China's sovereign credit rating has been cut by a major international agency for the first time since 1999 with Fitch raising concerns that the country's rising debt problems will require a government bailout.

12 Apr 2013

As Japan has shown, shifting to a lower-growth model is risky.

12 Apr 2013

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has released Regulatory Guide 247, Effective disclosure in an operating and financial review , just in time for companies to implement the necessary changes to internal processes to ensure that the directors' report for end-of-June reporting dates is aligned with the guidance from ASIC.

12 Apr 2013

Indonesia's conventional borrowing costs have hit a record low after the country raised $3bn in dollar bonds amid strong demand from US investors.

12 Apr 2013

Corporate governance is still an issue of concern when investing in Asian markets and while international financial centres such as Singapore or Hong Kong have improved tremendously, there are still problems that need to be tackled.

12 Apr 2013

The tabling of the governance standards in Australian Parliament offers charities the opportunity to assess and amend their governance frameworks and processes before the standards commence on 1 July 2013.

12 Apr 2013

Calpers, with some $255bn in its care, is the largest public pension fund in the US. And it has been throwing its weight around.

12 Apr 2013

Ratings agency Fitch is warning that a potential bubble in the heated housing market could hurt the strength of the banks and lead to a ratings downgrade.

12 Apr 2013

ASX has released the final version of Guidance Note 8: Continuous Disclosure: Listing Rules 3.13.1B , and a Consultation Response which sets out its comments on submissions it received during the consultation process.

12 Apr 2013

It is now over four years since Part 5D of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act was enacted, bringing with it increased regulation of non-bank deposit takers (NBDTs).

12 Apr 2013

CSA has urged the Australian Government to adopt the UK model for disclosing executive remuneration, as investors are best placed to know what disclosures they want and they should be able to work directly with companies to formulate those disclosures.

12 Apr 2013

The International Labour Organisation describes whistleblowing as ' the reporting by employees or former employees of illegal, irregular, dangerous or unethical practices by employers'.

9 Apr 2013

Women on Boards NZ Inc. has a vacancy for a newly established position working with the Chair and CEO.

5 Apr 2013

Although we have recently experienced an unprecedented level of corporate failures, boards today are expected to be more engaged, more knowledgeable and more effective than in the past.

5 Apr 2013

In contrast with investors who focus on strong balance sheets and attractive financial ratios, "quality" investors look beyond these "bottom line" measures and focus on what a company is doing to generate current and future revenue growth.

5 Apr 2013

Companies can now tweet their earnings in 140 characters or less.

5 Apr 2013

Over the Easter weekend several legislative changes have come into force affecting employers' payroll obligations.

5 Apr 2013

Transparency key to informed decision-making and mitigating conflicts of interest.

5 Apr 2013

Apple has given in to intense pressure from Chinese state media about its customer service practices, apologising to consumers in its second-largest market.

5 Apr 2013

William George, former CEO of Medtronic and a veteran of ten corporate boards, reflects on common governance pitfalls and how to overcome them.

5 Apr 2013

Russia is gearing up for an oil boom on the same scale as the US, as the techniques that sparked the shale revolution are applied to Siberia's deposits of unconventional oil, according to one of the country's top oil executives.

5 Apr 2013

In the annals of shareholder democracy, it's hard to imagine a more compelling case against a company's directors than those who presided over the serial management calamities that have plagued the computer giant Hewlett-Packard in recent years.

5 Apr 2013

Regardless of company size or the level of experience on the board, an issue frequently encountered is the disconnect between senior management and the Board.

5 Apr 2013

"Fonterra directors' failure to use the dairy giant's stellar first half earnings to increase the full-year dividend guidance has confirmed predicted tension between farmer and external-investor interests in the new capital structure."

5 Apr 2013

To stop wasting a finite resource, companies should tackle time problems systematically rather than leave them to individuals.

5 Apr 2013

Gross profits of the five big UK banks were wiped out due to a mix of regulatory fines, redress of customer provisions, and accounting consequences, according to a report by KPMG.

5 Apr 2013

The Minister of Justice on 28 March 2013 gave notice that she intends to make recommendations that regulations are made to prescribe the various matters.

5 Apr 2013

Women have outnumbered men on US college campuses since 1988. They make up about 47% of law students and 32% of students in full-time MBA programs, with the percentage being even higher at elite schools.

2 Apr 2013