Unique International Conference to Examine Building a Better Board

HONG KONG, Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The art and science behind building the best-possible board of directors is under the microscope at this year's Corporate Governance Conference (CGC) of The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries to be held online on Friday 25 September 2020. Attendees at Corporate Governance Conference 2020 – Building the Modern Board: A 20/20 Vision will hear the experiences of leading members of the business community and take those practical lessons into their own professional lives.

The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries President Gillian Meller FCIS FCS said, "Every two years since 1998, our Corporate Governance Conference has drawn together inspiring business leaders and governance professionals to offer insights into quality governance practice and related topics. We have always tried to make our biennial conferences forward-looking too."

"The focus of this year's conference on Building the Modern Board is most appropriate as the unprecedented pandemic has posed and is still causing disruptions and challenges to all boards and corporations," said the Conference Chairman Peter Greenwood MA FCIS FCS. "The conference will help attendees prepare themselves for new challenges, new opportunities and new thinking which lie ahead for them, their businesses or organisations and even perhaps for the wider society of which they form part."

Attendees at CGC 2020 will take part in four online sessions involving 20 expert speakers and seasoned practitioners.

• Session One: How to bring the Board onboard
  This analysis of finding and recruiting the right board members will also address the transition from appointment to entering the boardroom for the first time.
• Session Two: How to bring the best out of the Board
  Boosting effectiveness by supporting a dynamic board and nurturing individual contributions begins with authentic processes.
• Session Three: How to protect the Board
  With safeguards against liability and non-compliance in place, the concerns of risk management, liability insurance and the rights of directors to indemnity come under the microscope.
• Session Four: How to build tomorrow's Board
  Change is the only constant, and as corporate responsibilities and shareholder expectations shift, this look ahead assesses the looming tasks for a modern board.

The four conference sessions are complemented by specialist panel discussions and question-and-answer time that ensure an engaging, interactive experience for attendees.

The Conference is open to serving directors, C-suite leaders, corporate governance officers, company secretaries, human resources directors, lawyers and accountants, and representatives of listed and non-listed companies, statutory bodies, non-governmental organisations.

The Honourable Christopher Hui Ching-yu JP, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of The HKSAR Government, will speak as Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony. Professor Mervyn King SC, Chairman Emeritus of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), will deliver the Keynote Address on The Future Board, and special guest speaker The Honourable Bernard Charnwut Chan GBS JP, Convenor, Non-Official Members of the HKSAR Executive Council, will be in conversation with Mr Greenwood on corporate governance matters.

The Conference's Day 2 programme 'ESG In Practice' scheduled on Saturday 26 September 2020 morning delivers hands-on lessons in environmental, social and corporate governance via case studies from Black Point Power Station of CLP Holdings Ltd, Hongkong International Terminals of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd, Ngong Ping 360 of MTR Corporation Ltd and Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Corporation. This Day 2 programme will be moderated by Ms Meller and Pat Dwyer, Founder and Director of The Purpose Business.

Tickets for one or both days are available for purchase online on https://app.norrayhk.com/cgc2020/index.html from now until 18 September 2020.

Corporate Governance Conference 2020 – Building the Modern Board: A 20/20 Vision is one highlight of the Corporate Governance Week of the Institute, a series of events to raise awareness of good governance, and the role of Chartered Secretaries and Chartered Governance Professionals as governance professionals in Hong Kong and the Mainland. More details are available on https://app.norrayhk.com/cgc2020/cgweek.html

About The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries

(Incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability by guarantee)

The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries (HKICS) is an independent professional body dedicated to the promotion of its members' role in the formulation and effective implementation of good governance policies as well as the development of the profession of Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional in Hong Kong and throughout the Mainland.

HKICS was first established in 1949 as an association of Hong Kong members of The Chartered Governance Institute, formerly known as The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) of London. It was a branch of The Chartered Governance Institute in 1990 before gaining local status in 1994 and has also been The Chartered Governance Institute's China Division since 2005.

HKICS is a founder member of Corporate Secretaries International Association Limited (CSIA), which was established in March 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2017, CSIA was relocated to Hong Kong where it operates as a company limited by guarantee. CSIA aims to give a global voice to corporate secretaries and governance professionals.

HKICS has over 6,000 members and 3,200 students.

For more information, please visit www.hkics.org.hk