Sudden decline. Sudden acceleration. As we go to press with this issue of NACD Directorship, Wall Street and Main Street are wrestling with high-speed problems of unprecedented scope and scale. On May 6, securities markets experienced a roller-coaster dip when the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 998.5 points in a single afternoon, the largest one-day drop ever. And on May 13, the judicial process began for In re Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
In this fast-changing world, where directors are asked to defend shareholders and stakeholder interests against all foreseeable risks, they need more than the usual array of products and services to help them. They need help that is customized, relevant, comprehensive and, most important, “just in time.”
This is why by September, NACD will announce a new array of significantly increased benefits exclusively for active directors.
Chairmen, lead directors and key committee chairs will be granted an Exclusive Board Leaders Passport. This is a special package of benefits for board leaders, which invites them to participate in chairman’s knowledge exchanges and committee roundtables and forums; provides access to an exclusive research hotline; and provides just-in-time guidance on current and emerging issues, customizable committee guidance and board succession planning.
In addition, these new benefits—available to all active directors—will include an online searchable NACD content library with access to benchmarking analysis, NACD publications and archives, board leader task forces, on-demand research and much more.
We have listened to your comments and understand your needs, and have developed a valuable portfolio of benefits that will help both you and your board set the standard for exemplary board leadership. These benefits are designed to help you do your job more effectively and efficiently on what can be a perilous terrain. See you on the speedway. And drive safely!
Kenneth Daly is president and CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors