Videos

Setting the Board Agenda: A Conversation with Dr. Homaira Akbari, Board Member Banco Santander and Landstar System
In the fifth episode of “Setting the Board Agenda,” Brian Stafford, President & CEO of Diligent, sits down with Dr. Homaira Akbari, Board Member of Banco Santander and Landstar Systems, to discuss the importance of cybersecurity at the board level.
Highlights from their conversation include:
- The importance of cybersecurity in board discussions has grown due to increasing breaches and their significant financial and non-financial impacts.
- Ransomware attacks do not differentiate between public and private companies, highlighting the universal need for robust cybersecurity measures.
- Boards face challenges in acquiring the right level of cybersecurity expertise. It is recommended to have at least one, but preferably three, board members with cybersecurity knowledge.
- Regular dialogue between the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and the board is crucial. CISOs should be comfortable discussing the cyber roadmap, challenges and gaps with the board, as boards are there to support them.

Setting the Board Agenda: A conversation with Lynn Martin, President of NYSE
In this episode of “Setting the Board Agenda,” Brian Stafford, President & CEO of Diligent, sits down with Lynn Martin, President of NYSE, to discuss the importance of building the right board and governance practices for companies looking to go public.

Setting the Board Agenda: A conversation with Dr. Dambisa Moyo, Chevron and Condé Nast Board Member
In the third episode of “Setting the Board Agenda,” Brian Stafford, President & CEO of Diligent, speaks with Dr. Dambisa Moyo, board member of Chevron and Condé Nast to discuss the way boards evaluate and prioritize geopolitical risks during an election year. Highlights of their conversation include:
- The uncertainty in geopolitics, the macro economy, and the general operating model is at the top of board agendas. Previously, boards would plan their investments for the next three to five years. However, now, the planning period has been reduced, with the primary concern being how the organization is going to survive the year ahead.
- The role of the board in overseeing an organization’s risks is crucial. The board should never be caught off guard. If there’s a surprise in the direction or magnitude of the risk, it should be manageable for the board to help the company weather the storm.
- No organization is immune to risk. Risk mitigation involves anticipating potential issues to ensure they don’t incapacitate an organization once identified. Risks should also be used to strategize and adjust future investments accordingly.
- Dr. Moyo’s recommendation for those attending their first board meeting: listen and observe. Attending your first board meeting is like showing up in the middle of a movie. You need to figure out the plot and characters before asking questions.

Designing resilient compensation programs
In this episode of Inside Today’s Boardrooms, Matt Seto, Principal at Meridian Compensation Partners, discusses how boards and compensation committees can design resilient executive compensation programs in the current macroeconomic climate. He talks through the benefits and challenges of diversifying incentive plans, the best practices for setting effective targets, and the types of analysis and data that compensation committees should request from management.
- How can diversification help compensation committees align executive pay with long-term performance and shareholder interests?
- What are the key factors and considerations for setting realistic and motivating targets in incentive plans?

Setting the Board Agenda: A conversation with Steve Hasker, President & CEO of Thomson Reuters
In this inaugural episode of "Setting the Board Agenda," Brian Stafford, President & CEO of Diligent, sits down with Steve Hasker, President & CEO of Thomson Reuters, to discuss the intricacies of AI, its monumental influence on ane organization and the inherent risks it presents.






