Summary
Ibec Academy Global in partnership with Competent Boards
Gain the ESG mindset leaders of today need to adapt, transform and pivot to a new global reality.
Join online dialogues with renowned global leaders focusing on crucial ESG issues. Gain access to carefully curated reading lists, original case studies and thought provoking
questions to help you create value, enhance resilience, and establish good governance.
Prepare for the next decade of corporate decision making:
- Upgrade your ESG Competencies with the knowledge that investors, nomination committees, and recruiters are looking for
- Achieve the Global Competent Boards ESG Certificate and Designation (GCB.D)
- Learn with and from world-renowned leaders and build a global network without having to travel
- Get the insights and tools needed to be confident in providing oversight and foresight on the ESG issues all board members, investors, and executives must master
- Learn how today’s leaders are turning pandemic problems into post pandemic prosperity
- Enrich your understanding of the critical components of good ESG performance, and enhance important competencies essential to be an effective, insightful Board Director or Senior Business Professional
- Learn how to better respond to new enterprise risk, business complexity, technological disruptions, and social and environmental obligations
- Get equipped to ask the right questions and effectively participate in discussions around the fast-evolving international ESG landscape
- Get up to speed on global trends and developments, and what’s likely to gain greater relevance going forward
- Have greater visibility into what other leading companies are doing and why
This programme is for:
This ESG training programme is designed by board members and for senior business professionals. It is a professional development opportunity for senior business professionals to identify and act upon the most material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects of their businesses.
Approach
Learn with an international network of peers discussing real cases and challenges. Receive insight from over 150 globally renowned leaders, recommended readings, tools, emerging best practices, case studies, and questions that will help you create value, resilience, and enhance good governance that reflects the latest in public discussion.
- Provided in an interactive online setting for your convenience
- Twelve 1.5-hour sessions, hosted bi-weekly
- Upon successful completion, receive the Global ESG Boards Certificate and Designation (GCB.D)
Session Preparation Materials
- Concise videos/podcasts featuring interviews with global leaders, and in-depth fireside chats
- A list of questions to help you evaluate whether your approaches appropriately consider changing risks and opportunities
- Real life case studies to be discussed with peers during the session
- Recommended readings, reports, tools, and frameworks
- Bios and head-shots of the global dialogue session attendees
Session Agenda
- Discussion of preparation material provided
- Discussion of the session topic with global faculty members
- Brief presentation of the session case study
- Breakout session with 4-6 people per group
- Question and discussion period
- All sessions are held under Chatham House Rule
Programme Contains
- 12 concise videos/podcasts featuring interviews with global leaders on pressing board issues
- In-depth fireside chats with global leaders on how they deal with the strategic subjects
- Recommended readings, reports, tools, and frameworks
- Set of questions to evaluate whether your approaches appropriately consider the changing risks and opportunities
- Real life case studies to be discussed with peers during session
- Bios and head-shots of session attendees
- Certificate upon course completion and test evaluation (written and oral)
- Designation upon course completion and test evaluation (written and oral)
- 12 online sessions with global peers discussing the strategic imperatives
Programme Assessment
Participants are required to complete a group assessment following the completion of their 12 sessions. Requirements include:
- Participants are assigned to a group of 4-6 and work together to review a case study. The case study will have a number of questions which will be assigned to each participant
- The group will prepare a presentation which is presented to a panel. The panel consists of programme alumni and a representative from Competent Board. Each participant will present the answer to their question (6 minutes) and will receive questions from the panel (5 minutes)
- Participants are also required to submit a two-page summary to support their presentation
- Assessment dates are typically 1-2 week after final programme date. The group assessment is 1hr30mins. Dates will be communicated after day 1
Designation
Course attendance and assessment completion will earn participants a Global Competent Boards Designation (GCB.D) which can be added to LinkedIn, business cards, email signatures etc.
Attendance
All sessions will be recorded and made available on the LMS platform. Full attendance is advised, so that participants benefit from the discussions and case study work in groups. However, a maximum of 4 of these sessions can be missed to be still eligible to take part in the final assessment and to receive the Global Competent Boards Designation (GCB.D). If a participant misses more than 4 interactive global dialogues, they will not be invited to the final evaluation and will no longer be eligible to obtain the Competent Boards designation. However, participants can still attend the remaining on line discussions and complete the self-guided ESG Certificate programme. A recording of each of the 12 on line sessions will be provided to all participants after each session.
Programme Overview
Session 1: New risks and expectations considering geopolitical issues and threats to global peace
- Organisational purpose— how does it add value?
- Trust and integrity
- Mega-trends
- The impact of regulations and the law
- New disruptive business models
Session 2: Dealing with challenges and turning risks into opportunities in an unpredictable world
- Business continuity planning in light of major geopolitical events and business disruption
- Strategy and the role of the board
- Balancing short-term and long-term goals
- Dealing with changing stakeholder expectations
- Incentives
Session 3: Using Sustainable Development Goals as a Strategic Tool
- What are the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)?
- Embracing the SDGs for innovation
- SDGs risks and opportunities
- The link between purpose and the SDGs
- Communicating with stakeholders using the SDGs
Session 4: Impacts of Climate Change and Accountability
- Reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities
- How to manage transitional and political risks including carbon tax versus cap-and-trade programs
- Growing expectations from investors
- Voluntary initiatives and ratings and rankings – regulatory and non-regulatory bodies in the climate reporting and disclosure space
Session 5: ESG Oversight and Foresight
- Growing expectations and future trends of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) disclosure
- ESG disclosure issues - class actions and greenwashing
- Understanding ESG ratings and materiality risk assessments
- ESG reporting
Session 6: Human Rights, Environmental issues and Resilience in the Supply Chain
- Identifying human rights risks in your supply chain
- The impact of your products: water scarcity, air pollution, deforestation, etc.
- The impact of environmental and social disasters on your supply chain
- Power of procurement with incentives and emerging regulations
Session 7: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
- The talent pipeline, culture, diversity and dealing with misconduct
- Mental health and wellness – the future of work
- Barriers to progress and practices that work for DEI in the workplace
- The business case for diversity and identifying innovation potential
- Performance evaluation, incentives, and accountability
- The value of diversity of thought
Session 8: Building Trust Through Anti-corruption, Integrity, and Transparency
- Anti-corruption, ethical business practices and transparency
- Developing an anti-corruption compliance programme
- Reducing fraud and corruption
- Public disclosure and self-disclosure
- Managing and overseeing investigations
Session 9: Responsible use of Data, Digitisation, DAO and Cybersecurity
- Impact of the digital revolution eg. blockchain, crypto, AI, metaverse and DAO
- How cyber risks and company reputation is perceived
- Antitrust laws, cyber propaganda and ‘fake news’
- Cybersecurity and how it can be linked to the SDGs
- Increased organisational and personal data-protection
- Disaster containment, recovery, and business continuity
Session 10: Tax, Investment, and Pay in an ESG-Focused World
- How to incentivise ESG leadership for short and long term
- How to question the socioeconomic impact of potential business decisions
- When tax optimisation is no longer responsible
- What’s next: changes in global tax policies
- Capital investment and capital expenditure
- When executive compensation is hurting the business
Session 11: Shareholder and Stakeholder Engagement and Disclosure Communicating with shareholders and stakeholders
- What are the future trends in reporting?
- Shareholder activism proposals
- Engagement strategies before the proxy season
- The most commonly-used standards and frameworks
- SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) and Stock-exchange requirements
Session 12: Good Corporate Governance: Becoming a Steward of the Future
- A summary of the previous weekly topics and what they mean for the future of good governance, the role of the board, executives and stakeholders—including shareholders
Programme Facilitator
Jackie King, Executive Director, International Business, Ibec
Jackie King is a visionary business executive with over two decades building high-performing teams and transforming organisations for the future. An expert in managing risk for organisations with international exposure, Jackie works with executives, their boards, and public-sector officials in every sector of the global economy to protect and enhance reputation and deliver results for businesses and communities.
