News and Articles
Directors' fee increase 'public relations disaster'
10/11/2008
Read William Whittaker's article (DominionPost 10 November 2008). There was widespread outrage at Contact Energy’s annual meeting two weeks ago at the prospect of simultaneous increases - 100 per cent in the directors’ fee pool and 10 per cent in power prices.
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NBR, 24 October 2008, Table Talk by Nicki Crauford
24/10/2008
During a downturn, a thoughtful acquisition strategy is particularly important, but many companies don’t have one. It’s gut-check time for directors and their chief executives
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Learning how to govern for high growth
23/10/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article, (The Independent 23 October 2008), Much has been written on the challenge of raising and maintaining New Zealand’s living standards and prosperity in a globalised world economy
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Voice of experience or silly old codgers?
29/09/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article (DominionPost 29 September 2008). Age is often cited as a determinant of suitability for office, youth being synonymous with inexperience and advanced years as an indicator of obsolescence.
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NBR, 26 September 2008, Table Talk by Nicki Crauford
26/09/2008
Funds used to play their proxy moves in private, leaving corporates and other investors guessing about their voting stances until the annual meeting. Expect that era to fade.
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Company success starts at the top
18/09/2008
The Independent (18 September 2008), In a time of corporate chaos and failed leadership, Nicki Crauford ponders the most important hiring decision - the boss.
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NBR, 29 August 2008, Table Talk by Nicki Crauford
29/08/2008
Paying for performance - PhiTrust Active Investors, the Paris-based fund manager, has come up with a no-nonsense approach to end fat executive payouts at companies that lose money.
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Sports gold - and not at the Olympics
18/08/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's latest article (DominionPost 18 August 2008). As we take in the pageantry and competition of the Beijing Olympics, it is timely to reflect on governance in sport.
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NBR, 18 July 2008, Table Talk by Nicki Crauford
21/07/2008
How to keep baby boomers - Don’t make assumptions that your senior workers want to retire completely...
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Why two into one doesn't always go
23/06/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's DominionPost article (23 June 2008). Electing a director to the dual role of company chief executive and chairman of the board is a route that may seem attractive but it can lead to potential difficulties
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Disclosure always pays
20/06/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's NBR article. (20 June 2008).
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New Zealand's Political Economy
9/06/2008
Read an article by Kerry McDonald published in the June edition of the IoD's Boardroom magazine.
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Nationalising the rail
26/05/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the NBR (23 May 2008). Restored government ownership of the railway operations will present some interesting issues to the incoming board
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It's not just the shareholders holding the whip
22/05/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the Independent Financial Review (21 May 2008). Directors must act in the company's best interests, and that can include considering its effect on wider society.
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Financial Advisors Bill
19/05/2008
Read the submission from the Institute of Directors on the additional consultation document released during April relating to the Financial Advisors Bill.
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Managing Conflict
13/05/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's DominionPost article on Managing Conflict (12 May 2008). Conflict of interest in the boardroom can represent a minefield for directors in a country with such a small population as New Zealand
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Conflicts of interest
28/04/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the NBR (24 April 2008). A simple pre-requisite for all board members is that they must rigorously and regularly check their own and each other’s interests for possible conflicts
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Poor governance lowers share price
14/04/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the NBR (11 April 2008). Companies that persistently flout corporate governance rules often make bad stock market investments.
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Balance essential to governance of co-operative enterprise
8/04/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's DominionPost article on governance of co-operative enterprises (7 April 2008).
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Board basics: Add value
27/03/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the Independent Financial Review (26 March 2008). A board's first priority is adding value to a commercial enterprise.
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Say on Pay
7/02/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's DominionPost article (7 February 2008). One issue which currently is very much alive in international governance is the “say on pay” movement, which is pressing for shareholder capability to propose and pass advisory motions on CEO and board remuneration.
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Directors and Board Diversity
1/02/2008
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the Independent Financial Review (30 January 2008). Calling for diversity on company boards is an attractive and easily made statement. It sounds so correct and incontrovertible.
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Directors walk fine line when companies fail
28/11/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's DominionPost article (22 November 2007). Failure is part of business. Some companies will thrive, others will fail.
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Of Nails and Finance Companies...
9/10/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's latest DominionPost article which comments on the recent spate of collapses among New Zealand's finance companies.
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2007 Distinguished Fellows
3/10/2007
Distinguished Fellow Awards are presented annually to members who have sustained a prominent and distinguished career as a director; or who have given outstanding participation and services to the IoD or eminent or special contributions to the community or business.
The Institute of Directors is pleased to announce the following Distinguished Fellows for 2007.
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Business Briefing
19/09/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's address to the New Zealand Business & Parliament Trust on 18 September.
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A Note on Directors and their Role
5/09/2007
Read an article from the September edition of the IOD's monthly magazine, Boardroom, by Kerry McDonald and Richard Baker, which makes some observations on the role of directors given two recent examples of less than stellar corporate performance - Bridgecorp and Stresscrete.
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Good Governance benefits all organisations
22/08/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's DominionPost article (20 August 2007). Recent governance news from England draws an interesting parallel for New Zealand.
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The Midavia Settlement
12/07/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's article in the Independent Financial Review (11 July 2007). The recently announced settlement of the Securities Commission’s action against Midavia Rail Investments Limited BVBA and David Richwhite is interesting for three reasons.
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Finding new directors
2/07/2007
Follow this link to read Nicki Crauford's comments in the Herald on finding directors in New Zealand
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Putting Your Faith in Directors of the State
26/06/2007
Read Richard Baker's DominionPost Article (25 June 2007).
Peter Drucker, the original management guru, remarked that whenever you see a successful business someone once made a courageous decision. Good decisions preface business success and quality decision making is the hallmark of an effective board of directors.
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Directors' Details
11/05/2007
The IoD has emailed all of its members requesting views on any issues relating to the disclosure of director information on the Companies Office Register.
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Trust and Conflicts of Interest
11/04/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's latest article in the DominionPost 9 April 2007.
Governance, at its essence, is all about the simple human quality of trust. One person entrusts another with assets of value to own and operate in accordance with an agreed set of expectations.
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Conflicts of Interest
30/03/2007
Read the transcript of Richard Baker's contribution to the panel discussion on conflicts of interest and the ADHB, National Radio Afternoon with Jim Mora, 29 March 2007.
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The Weldon Debate
23/03/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's article published on line in the New Zealand Herald (22 March 2007).
The current furore raging around NZX and its chief executive overlooks an important issue which has only partially surfaced in the discussion to date.
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Governance Snippet
9/02/2007
Regulation is often bemoaned in governance circles. Cost, complexity and risk see companies delisting from public exchanges or relocating to less stringently governed locations. Sarbanes-Oxley is a common culprit. Nice then to see some evidence which pricks this orthodox thinking!
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SOX and Globalisation
8/02/2007
Read Nicki Crauford's latest DominionPost article (5 February 2007) on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 and globalisation.
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Nicki Crauford - Vector Resignations
18/12/2006
Read the transcript of IoD's Nicki Crauford discussing the Vector resignations on National Radio's Morning Report on Monday 18 December 2006
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Richard Baker - Vector Resignations
18/12/2006
Read the transcript of IoD's Richard Baker discussing the Vector resignations on National Radio's Afternoon Panel programme on Thursday 14 December 2006
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Governance more than compliance
13/11/2006
(Dominion Post 13/11/2006) Dr Crauford, CEO of the Institute of Directors responds to Brian Gaynor's NZ Herald article "Directors need entrepreneurial spirit" of September 30th.
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Low Fees Reflect Conservatism
7/08/2006
(Dominion Post 07/08/2006) Dr Crauford, CEO of the Institute of Directors discusses directors remuneration.
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A Guide to Becoming a Director
19/06/2006
(Dominion Post 19/06/2006) Dr Crauford, CEO of the Institute of Directors gives a guide to becoming an independant non-executive director in a privately owned company.
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Three Golden Rules Put Thinkers on Board
16/05/2006
(Dominion Post 16/05/2006) Dr Crauford, CEO of the Institute of Directors discusses three main requirements for the role of a director.
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A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
7/03/2006
(Dominion Post 07/03/2006) Dr Crauford, CEO of the Institute of Directors discusses a governance case study on the Warriors Rugby League CLub board of directors.
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Variations on a Value Theme
1/08/2005
One way to view business is to see it as risk selection. Successful companies concern themselves only with risks they understand and that they can run profitably (idiosyncratic risk). Risks that are not understood, measurable or controllable are transferred, hedged or otherwise minimised (non-idiosyncratic risk).
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