Against a backdrop of numerous high-profile corporate scandals, boards of directors around the world are facing increasing pressure to perform. Activist investors, changes in technology, and increasingly aggressive regulations are bearing down on corporate leaders like never before, and the dynamics of macroeconomics and geopolitics only add to their complex challenges.
The seemingly overwhelming task of operating a modern corporation can be greatly eased, however, by competent and creative executive management, strategic risk management, and independent assurance from internal audit. Yet, this tried-and-true formula for successful corporate governance often fails when the key players aren’t aligned or, worse yet, have conflicting agendas. …