High Performance Boards: Improving and Energizing your Governance

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Cossin defines governance as the art of decision making at the top of organizations and says better-governed companies outperform their peers because they are better protected against downside risks and more agile and able to profit from upside opportunities. Cossin is the originator of the Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness methodology and an advocate of stewardship – the idea that leaders should aim to deliver positive long-term social and economic impact. A comprehensive guide to transforming boards and achieving best-practice governance in any organisation. The Center also offers a combination of open enrollment and custom programs aimed at empowering board members and enhancing board performance, and Cossin is Director of its High Performance Boards program, Board Practice Series (BPS), and Board Director Diploma.

He favors an adaptive and interactive approach to find distinctive solutions for organizations based on the social, geopolitical, technological, and economic transformations in different regions of the world. Corporate boards, he says, also need to factor in geopolitical risks, social evolution, and the long-term instability of the world, which is something they often do not give sufficient thought to.Cossin is President of the Stewardship Institute, whose goal is to support projects with positive social impact through ESG research and advocacy, and Chairman of BERG Capital Management, which manages investment processes for large asset owners using governance principles. He is also a member of the American Finance Association, the Eastern Finance Association, and the European Finance Association.

Cossin has worked as an advisor and executive teacher to supranational organizations (United Nations, European Central Bank, World Bank, IFC, International Olympic Committee) and sovereign wealth funds and state investors (PIF in Saudi Arabia, ADQ in Abu Dhabi, Temasek in Singapore), as well as ministries, central banks, wealthy families, and the boards or executive committees of corporations, financial institutions, and funds in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. He also advises non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross and IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature) on governance. He is currently Senior Advisor in Governance to UNICEF and to the International Organization for Standardization. High Performance Boards has inspired more than 3000 board members around the world. This book is essential reading for professionals and managers interested in governance and board members, senior managers, investors, lawyers, and students of governance. He is the author of two books on governance ( Inspiring Stewardship and High Performance Boards) and has published articles in leading journals such as Management Science, the Journal of Banking and Finance, the Journal of Computational Finance, and MIT Sloan Management Review. He is also a columnist for CEOWORLD magazine. When practising good governance, the board is the vital driver of organizational success, while fostering positive social impact and economic value creation. At all levels, executives around the world are faced with complexities rising from disruptive business models, new technologies, socio-economic changes, shifting political circumstances, and an array of other sources. High Performance Boards is the comprehensive manual for attaining best-in-class governance, offering pragmatic guidance on improving board quality, accountability, and performance.What impressed me most is the comprehensive coverage of every aspect of board work in a way that is solidly grounded in every day’s practice in boardrooms around the world. As such, the book is a must read for every aspiring board member, but also has a lot to offer for even the most seasoned board member with a curiosity for learning and continuous improvement.” – Gerard Kleisterlee, Chairman, Vodafone Group Plc; Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director, Royal Dutch Shell; Chairman, ASML Good governance transforms performance because it protects against downside risks such as reputational risks and integrity risks, and helps organizations to adapt, which creates upside opportunities. Didier Cossin brings huge direct experience to bear in his fascinating analysis of what makes a good board. Integrity, hard work, collegiality and independence of judgment matter hugely as personal attributes of board members as does a collective ability to focus on strategy, management support and risk in all its forms matters at the board level itself. And if that sounds easier said than done, read this book. This board member felt wiser and more daunted by the end.” – Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, Chairman, SGO (UK); Board Member of Investec, Seplat Petroleum and Kerogen; former Deputy Secretary-General and Chief of Staff, United Nations; former Minister of State in the Foreign Office Didier Cossin’s book explains how Governance can be a key factor for companies’ success. It’s a must-read for all board members!” – Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman, Société Générale; Board Member, TAGES Holding Discusses examples of board failures and challenges, including case studies from both for-profit and non-profit organisations including international organizations and state-owned agencies or even ministries