ΠΕΡΙΓΡΑΦΗ

The presence of an effective Board and a strong corporate governance framework is increasingly critical to the success of every organization.

Boards are facing a complex new reality as a result of Covid-19. The new environment is characterized by pressures and demands from various stakeholder groups, digital economies, heightened expectations for societal engagement and corporate citizenship and radical uncertainty about the future. These factors are complicating board decision-making and challenging the shareholder-centric model of corporate governance that has guided boards and business leaders for the past several decades. A Board’s ability to deliberate in a thorough and thoughtful -but efficient- manner and to come to a considered conclusion around key issues will be a critical aspect of its effectiveness in the post-Covid era.

Furthermore, it seems that emerging challenges and Covid-19 are rewiring the rules of corporate governance. Κey stakeholders from shareholders and competent authorities to investors, consumers,

creditors, suppliers, employees, communities affected by the company’s activities exercise growing

activism and demand corporate governance excellence.

As boards go through their annual self-assessment process, they will want to review their capabilities and readiness to ensure -

• More Structured Attention to Stakeholders and ESG performance

• Sustainable performance and shared value creation for all stakeholders

• More Attention to Board Composition, effectiveness and resilience

• More attention to Director skills, gender, race and ethnicity and mind-sets

• More Attention to How Business strategy and Society Intersect

• More Comprehensive Approach to their employees wellbeing and compensation

• More Deliberative Decision-Making and effective risk management

• More transparency and compliance not just with the guidelines and letter of the laws but also their underline spirit.

• More attention to innovation and Artificial Intelligence

Board members as well as professionals, across many industries, who directly involved in Corporate Governance processes and assessments should be alerted and adequately trained to be able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

In this context, this training program will provide the participants, from Board members to Corporate Governance secretaries, Compliance and Risk officers a solid understanding of the good principles of Good Governance under the new norm and the knowledge and new skills required to challenge, assess, support and elevate the Corporate governance framework of their organisations

ΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΣΕΜΙΝΑΡΙΟΥ

The overall purpose of the Purpose of the program is threefold-

1. to trigger participants with the challenges that need to be managed by company boards to be able to lead sustainable businesses in the new norm.
2. to advance their knowledge, skills and mindsets, either as Board members or Corporate Governance professionals, so as to perform their duties and responsibilities more effectively
3. to equip and coach them to carry out Boards assessments and other critical corporate Governance processes and propose a road map to elevate the Corporate Governance framework of their organisations.

Some of the objectives of the program are the following.

• Upon completion of the training program participants will be able to:
• Define what is Corporate Governance.
• Describe key principles of an effective Corporate Governance framework.
• Analyse new challenges for the Board of Directors during and after Covid crisis.
• Outline key trends in the corporate governance landscape.
• Identify the key roles and responsibilities of the board and company’s secretary.
• Outline and compare key elements of Corporate Governance frameworks across various industries and types such as Banking, other listed companies, smaller size companies, nonprofit organisations, educational institutions etc.
• Give examples of best practices and effective corporate governance models.
• Analyse the key elements of an effective structure and composition of the Board.
• Outline essential parameters for proper Board functioning
• Define what is insider information and Board responsibilities to avoid market manipulation
• Describe the different types of Board assessments
• Identify possible types of conflict of interest at Board level
• Analyse key elements of Annual Corporate Governance reports
• Analyse the essence of Board oversight on ESG performance.
• Outline key elements of effective internal governance model.
• Describe the key control functions and their responsibilities
• Define the key stakeholders and perform materiality analysis

Also

• Perform Board evaluations based on pre-defined criteria and templates
• Assemble questionnaires to measure Board effectiveness, Board Structure and functioning
• Perform analysis of the three lines of defences model of an organisation
• Advocate the importance of ESG performance for business sustainability
• Assess the fit and probity of Board Members based on the relevant Directive
• Recommend actions for improvement in the Corporate Governance framework and Board functioning of their organisations
• Formulate the process for their Board assessments
• Evaluate and manage possible Conflict of interest at Board level
• Set up roadmap and an action plan with recommendations to further leverage their company’s Corporate Governance framework.

ΣΕ ΠΟΙΟΥΣ ΑΠΕΥΘΥΝΕΤΑΙ

Participants can be:

• Directors and members of the board
• Senior managers and Executives, General Managers, CFOs
• Heads of Governance or Governance officers
• Compliance Managers and officers
• Risk officers
• Lawyers and legal professionals
• Company secretaries, Executive assistants
• Internal Audit Officers and Managers
• Sustainability Professionals (Environment-Social-Governance)
• Consultants and Advisors
• HR Executives

Those participating may come from the following areas/organisations:

• Listed Companies in any Business sector
• Banks, Investment companies, Credit acquiring companies and other financial institutions
• Semi-public companies
• Charities and other non-profitable organisation
• Academic organisations
• Other organisations and organised bodies that aim for Corporate Governance Excellence

Participants are not required to have a certain profile and specific experience, but to make the most of the program there is a prerequisite for basic knowledge of the corporate governance framework and processes applied in the organization from which they originate. 

ΠΕΡΙΣΣΟΤΕΡΕΣ ΠΛΗΡΟΦΟΡΙΕΣ

Certification

A Certificate of Training will be given to the participants who will successfully complete the program. The performance of the Certificate will take place at the completion of the In-house part. Curriculum Issues

Trainer

Kalia Larkou

Kalia Larkou is a fellow member (FCCA) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and a holder of MBA in Financial Studies from Nottingham University.

She has long experience both in the accounting profession as well as extensive and hands-on experience in Financial and Banking industry and worked for 25 years for the largest banking institution in Cyprus. She served in senior positions in both front line and control functions. For the last 9 last years she was managing the Regulatory & Ethics Compliance and Corporate Governance department leading all significant aspects of compliance, ethics and corporate governance and ESG (sustainability) across various jurisdictions in which the Group operates.

She is an experienced trainer with hands on experience and exposed to best practices in multiple areas of Governance, risk, sustainability and compliance both in Cyprus and abroad, she in an approved trainer by ANAD and has delivered many projects and seminars both in Cyprus and abroad.

She is also an Executive and Business Coach, member of the Global Academy of Coaching. She is currently the Group Chief Risk, Compliance, Governance and Sustainability Officer of a global Group with companies and presence across the globe including Italy, Philippines, Chile, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Turkey etc.