Strategy and Corporate Performance

Board oversight of corporate culture

Highlights and takeaways from KPMG’s Director Roundtable Series, which explored how boards can take a more proactive approach to understanding, shaping, and assessing corporate culture.

Recent issues

Leading with agility and purpose

Insights and highlights from the 2019 KPMG Board Leadership Conference, including the economic and geopolitical outlook; the CEO perspective; board engagement in strategy; technology, digital disruption, data risk, and privacy; long-term performance; shareholder versus stakeholder primacy; talent, diversity, culture, the workforce of the future; and hot topics for board committees.

The ESG journey: Lessons from the boardroom and C-suite

To build on our work in ESG, strategy and the long view, the Board Leadership Center interviewed directors and officers of major corporations, including Morgan Stanley, Tyson Foods, Ford Motor, Microsoft, Mars, and Whirlpool, among others.

Directors Quarterly: January 2019

A look at critical issues for board agendas, areas for audit committee focus, insights on integrating environmental, social, and governance issues into strategy, and more.

On the 2019 private company board agenda

Drawing on insights from our work and interactions with directors and business leaders over the past 12 months, we’ve highlighted seven items for boards of private companies to consider as they focus their 2019 agendas on the critical challenges at hand and on the road ahead.

Navigating disruptive risk

Dedicating time to think about the future is vital to navigating disruptive risks.

On the 2019 board agenda

Seven items for boards to consider as they focus their 2019 agendas on the critical challenges at hand and on the road ahead.

On the 2019 nom/gov agenda

Expectations for greater transparency about the board’s efforts to continually raise its game and help position the company for the future are putting the nom/gov committee squarely in the spotlight. Here are six items for nom/gov committees to consider as they focus their 2019 agendas.

How lead directors are helping their boards keep pace

Lead directors are focusing on board composition and diversity, and enhancing board operations and oversight processes.

Board oversight of corporate culture

Highlights and takeaways from KPMG’s Director Roundtable Series, which explored how boards can take a more proactive approach to understanding, shaping, and assessing corporate culture.

One share, one vote—or not?

The super-voting stock creates a disconnect between economic interest and voting power, and the holders of super-voting stock are typically able to control the board and all major decisions.

Directors Quarterly: July 2018

The July 2018 edition of Directors Quarterly.

Decision-making in the visionary boardroom

Board-level attention to the foundations of decision-making can help give companies an edge in today’s complex and competitive business environment.

Gauging corporate culture

The #MeToo movement and headlines announcing sexual harassment scandals and allegations have rightly put the topic of corporate culture front and center in the boardroom.

Making sense of A Sense of Purpose

As head of the world’s largest asset manager, Fink made clear BlackRock’s expectation for a new model of shareholder engagement, “that strengthens and deepens communication between shareholders and the companies that they own.”

Directors Quarterly: April 2018

The April 2018 edition of our quarterly publication for corporate directors.

Navigating uncertainty: The long view

It’s clear that, as the business and risk environment becomes more complex, the board’s ability to prioritize and devote enough time to substantive issues becomes more challenging

2018 global economic outlook

Wavering U.S. policy could dampen existing trade relationships and sour some reliable partners. Directors and executives who tuned in the for the Webcast appeared to agree with his observation

Accounting for growth

As an increasing number of firms are driven by intangible, knowledge-based assets and are more frequently funded through private investors, accounting choices are expected to play a more significant role in a company’s success.

On the 2018 investor agenda

Reflecting on the events of 2017 and recent conversations with members of the institutional investor community, several high-level themes related to board operations and board leadership on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are likely to be top of mind for investors this year.