Crisis Management

Economy: A Plan For All Seasons

June 5,2008 by David Katz and Laura A. McIntosh
Economic forecasts range from dire to optimistic, and the march of unexpected events continues without end in sight. In this current period of volatility, directors may be surprised at how quickly a company’s fortunes can change. They may find themselves in a difficult situation through no fault of their own or their board’s. Full Story

Viewpoint: If You Can't Beat 'Em...

June 5,2008 by Frederic W. Cook
Executive compensation and perceived abuses of the system by some companies have continued to put compensation committees under the microscope. To avoid the risk of a legislated advisory vote on pay, directors might consider a compromise. Full Story

Reputation in the Age of Media Chaos

May 1,2008 by Ed Fouhy and Morton Dean
The policy for corporations in trouble is to get the fullest possible version of the facts out as quickly and as transparently as possible. A company's reputation is one of its most valuable assets, and directors need to do everything them can to guard against damage to it. Full Story

Recruitment: Building the Right Board for the Times

April 1,2008 by Michael P. Kelly
Assembling the perfect board requires that directors undertake a periodic look at whether their composition is indeed in balance. Full Story

25 Years After Tylenol: What Have We Learned?

December 1,2007 by Robert Dilenschneider
Twenty-five years later, Johnson & Johnson’s reaction to the Tylenol product-tampering incident in 1982 is still the gold standard in crisis management. All boards should learn from the lessons of the Tylenol case and should be aware of new lessons that have emerged as events have changed the nature of the public marketplace. Full Story

CEO Succession: From Firefighting to Stewardship

December 1,2007 by Keith Meyer
Despite the critical importance of CEO succession, many boards find themselves unprepared when the inevitable actually comes to pass. As a result, what should be an orderly, well-planned transition often turns into a firefighting exercise more akin to crisis management than farsighted stewardship. Full Story

Editor's Letter: Battle Ready

December 1,2007 by Joseph McCafferty
Even Sherlock Holmes would furrow his brow trying to decipher how the following set of clues fit together: corporate lawyer Marty Lipton, Barbie doll, and Bo Xilai, the Chinese minister of commerce. Full Story

Mattel's Blues: Lessons from a Global Crisis Management Effort

December 1,2007 by Judy Warner
As the critical holiday shopping season bears down like a toddler on a Big Wheel and Mattel announces yet another recall, Chairman and CEO Robert Eckert finds himself repeating this mantra to customers, retailers, analysts, reporters, consumers, regulators, investors, and the board of directors—frankly, to anyone who will listen during the stormiest period in Mattel’s storied 62-year history. Full Story

Why Some Directors Want to Scream: Enough!

August 20,2007
Judging from our second annual board survey, directors are fed up with regulatory burdens that demand more of their time and push up opportunity costs to their companies for negligible economic benefit. Worse, one out of five worry that SOX has made CEOs risk adverse. Full Story

Getting Onto the Board

August 16,2007
For women and for first-timers, consider a non-executive director position. Full Story

Analysis Reveals Low Director Liability Risk

June 1,2007 by Michael Klausner
Board members’ angst over the risk of personal liability has been high ever since the outside directors of Enron and WorldCom had to pony up millions. But a careful analysis shows that the threat is vastly overblown. Full Story

How to Fill the Leadership Gap

February 1,2007 by Michael Watkins
Since the talent gap will be most significant at the top, corporate boards need to take a defining role in how their organizations build and sustain their leadership pipelines. A key part of the board’s overall responsibility is to ensure the company’s continuing success, so directors must focus their own and management’s attention on meeting the leadership challenge. Full Story