“Initiatives For Strengthening Corporate Governance Of The Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group”

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group has published its “Initiatives for Strengthening Corporate Governance of the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group” , which is more advanced than other banking groups in various respects. It includes a requirement of one-third independent external directors, a monitoring role for those directors and a description of the board’s role, and provisions about director qualifications,, director training, and the formation of committees for nomination and compensation and also audit functions.

Thanks To Konan Insurance Brokers For Their Support Of BDTI!

Our friend Isaku Murakami, a strong supporter of BDTI, reports, that the 2015 BIO Tech Exhibitions was a huge success to hand out 400 candy-box including the Flower Designed Cards(insurance summary in the back) and also distribute 200 copies of BDTI's Corporate Governance Brochure during the 3-day convention held at the Tokyo Big Sight, which had 10,436 visitors.

The New York Times: “Many on Wall Street Say It Remains Untamed”

In the study, to be released Tuesday, about a third of the people who said they made more than $500,000 annually contend that they “have witnessed or have firsthand knowledge of wrongdoing in the workplace.”

Just as bad: “Nearly one in five respondents feel financial service professionals must sometimes engage in unethical or illegal activity to be successful in the current financial environment.”

One in 10 said they had directly felt pressure “to compromise ethical standards or violate the law.”

ShareAction: “Asset Managers Side With Company Management Too Often On Controversial Votes”

Many of the world’s best-known Asset Managers side too often with company management on controversial votes at company AGMs, even when there is a clear case for challenging company management on a vote, says sector watchdog ShareAction, which has compared the voting records of the largest 33 UK Asset Managers on a host of controversial votes made at a year’s worth of Annual General Meetings.

BBC: “The Problem With Super Stars”

Big personalities draw attention, ratings, and revenue. It doesn't matter whether it’s the world of entertainment, sport, fashion, or any other kind of business, charismatic personalities can be a real boon. But what happens if something goes wrong?

What happens if the person who has been so valuable to the company crosses an ethical line, behaves in a way that brings disrepute to the organisation, or acts in an inappropriate way? And what role does a company board play in such a situation?