8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast + Registration
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Welcoming Remarks
Michael Bartels, President, Nasdaq Governance Solutions
Al Dominick, CEO, DirectorCorps
To welcome participants to Nasdaq’s new event space in New York City, we take a look at the current state of innovation, digital transformation and the re-imagination of business processes taking place across industries. In doing so, we tee up the unexpected challenges that confound leadership teams and anchor today’s program.
8:45 AM – 9:25 AM
Managing the Volkswagen Emissions Crisis
David Detweiler, EVP and General Counsel, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Robert Giuffra, Jr., Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Earlier this year, automotive giant Volkswagen found itself facing a regulatory investigation for the results of their diesel-emissions tests. For some, the ensuing negative headlines would have broken the company. Not so for VW, which has embraced the opportunity to learn from the experience, protect shareholder value and position itself for even better days.
9:25 AM – 9:55 AM
Five Questions Every Board Member Should Ask
Rhonda Barnat, Managing Director, Abernathy MacGregor
Kellie Huennekens, Head of Americas, Nasdaq Center for Corporate Governance
The best corporations nip a crisis in the bud. What are the common mistakes that lead to a crisis? This session focuses on how to prevent those common mistakes.
9:55 AM – 10:25 AM
Proactively Addressing Shareholder Activists
Steven Balet, Managing Director, Strategic Governance Advisors
Ariel Deckelbaum, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
What can the board do when a shareholder’s demands become more than a mere nuisance? What are the tools companies use when facing activists? What are the questions boards should ask during “times of peace?”
10:25 AM – 10:50 AM
Refreshment Break
10:50 AM – 11:20 AM
Preventing Accounting Missteps
Tony Klaich, Managing Partner, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Crowe LLP
Michael Shmerling, Chairman, Clearbrook Holdings Corp.
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, DirectorCorps, Inc.
Most companies find and fix issues when internal auditors or staff identifies a problem. What are the most common issues that create mistakes? And what happens when the mistake proves material? How should audit committees react — and what should corporations communicate to shareholders without destroying trust?
11:20 AM – 11:50 AM
Regulatory & Government Investigations
Roberto Gonzalez, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Andrew Stemmer, Americas Head of Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement, Deutsche Bank
Uncle Sam and state regulators can and do expect boards to understand key regulatory principles. What is the board’s role if the company is under investigation? How do you stay ahead of regulatory and legislative concerns?
11:50 AM – 12:15 PM
Balancing Purpose with Profits
Evan Harvey, Global Head of Sustainability, Nasdaq
Long-term shareholders expect both returns and significant commitments to sustainability and social purpose. Some companies have faced considerable backlash on issues that CEOs 20 years ago would have called “soft.” How can the board set the tone at the top — and how can you prepare your company to be measured?
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Avoiding Compensation Issues That Can Lead To A Crisis
Marc Treviño, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Moderated by: Mika Moser, President, DirectorCorps
Income equality social movements often end up in conversations about appropriate executive and board pay. Before you are targeted in the press, what can you do to ensure you don’t make headlines?
2:00 PM – 2:40 PM
Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence & Data: What You Should Know Now
Justin Bass, Chief Data Science Officer, Crowe LLP
Roberto Gonzalez, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Georgette Kiser, Operating Executive, The Carlyle Group
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, DirectorCorps
This session takes a look at the major issues and trends that corporate leaders must get their arms around.
2:40 PM – 3:20 PM
Three Keys to Crisis Communication
William Briganti, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, Nasdaq
Paul Scarpetta, Managing Director, Sard Verbinnen & Co
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, DirectorCorps
Your company needs to have a plan that spells out who speaks, when they speak and how they speak. This session surfaces three case studies to show how communication makes all the difference during challenging times.
3:30 PM
– 5:00 PM
Networking Reception
