BDO in the Boardroom

Join BDO's Center for Corporate Governance Amy Rojik and Paula Hamric and Meghan Depp of BDO’s National SEC Practice office as they discuss the financial reporting and accounting considerations that audit committees and boards need to understand when contemplating special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) transactions. Key Takeaways Don’t underestimate impact considerations – both on the front en...

Join BDO's Center for Corporate Governance Amy Rojik as she sits down with Lara Lee, Fortune 50 executive and now seasoned independent board member, to discuss how boards can reframe ESG by taking a strategic, holistic approach that moves beyond the obligations of disclosure and mitigation toward the opportunities of innovation and enhanced reputation. Lara is an expert in turning disruption, chal...

Join BDO's Center for Corporate Governance Amy Rojik as she discusses the significant transition senior management undergoes when leaving the C-suite and stepping into the boardroom with Cindy Fornelli, current board of director at TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp (NYSE: TPVG) and former Executive Director of the Center for Audit Quality. Key Takeaways Gaining an understanding of the business i...

Join BDO's Center for Corporate Governance Amy Rojik as she discusses the ins and outs of small- cap corporate governance and the important role of the board with Adam Epstein , former institutional investor and founder of Third Creek Advisors, LLC. Key Takeaways Governance is not a one-size fits all approach, education for directors shouldn’t be either Board members need to be as “expert” as poss...

Join BDO's Center for Corporate Governance Amy Rojik as sits down with Sheila Ronning , CEO and Founder of Women in the Boardroom to discuss thoughts on how to not only get more women to the boardroom but peel back and understand self-imposed hurdles that both men and women need to scale in order to get those covered director positions. Key Takeaways Networking is your way to the board – understan...

Join BDO's Dan Newton in discussion with Nathan Goldman , Ph. D., assistant professor of accounting at North Carolina State University, and co-author of a recently released research study Board Risk Oversight and Corporate Tax-Planning Practices . Key Takeaways When board members get involved in understanding the tax strategy and tax risk of the company, corporate tax burdens go down Companies dis...

Join BDO in discussion with Gavin Isaacs , the Board of Directors of DraftKings, Inc. (DKNG) and Galaxy Gaming Limited (GLXZ). Key Takeaways The skill sets you need to be thinking about and the types of strengths you bring to a board committee. The pursuit of further education when you’re on a board. Diversity and the importance of it in the boardroom. The difference between board responsibilities...

Join BDO in discussion with Yvonne Wassenaar , CEO of Puppet and Board of Director for Forrester (FORR) and Anaplan (PLAN). Key Takeaways Be crystal clear about the type of boards you want to serve and the value that you can bring to those individual boards Focus on both those in your network who can put you in front of boards you are seeking but also those who will serve as references for you Whe...

Join BDO in discussion with Don Springer and Dennis Cagan , the Managing Directors for GovernX. Key Takeaways Boards provide important checks and balances that can foster sound governance within an organization Boards should be formed with the organization’s needs in mind in advance of significant transactions Board members can be thought of as affordable consultants and may provide first class ad...

Join BDO in discussion with Jessica Denecour , Board of Director for MobileIron (MOBL) and former Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Varian Medical Systems. Key Takeaways Engage in outreach and conversations to let people know you are looking and then listening to functionality that is expected Study up on areas you don’t have deep knowledge while also identifying what you bri...

Join BDO in discussion with Erin Dwyer , Deputy Director & Stakeholder Liaison at Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Key Takeaways Audit committees continue to seek more education about the PCAOB inspection and reporting process and the PCAOB is continuing to provide more transparency and timely reporting in this area. Investors are becoming more focused on accounting and repor...

Join BDO in discussion with Mercedes De Luca , Chief Information Officer at Pebble Beach Resorts and Board of Director for PFSweb, Inc, and INETCO Systems Limited. Key Takeaways Truly needing to have a strategy on landing a board seat and be proactive Understanding board service will be both rewarding and challenging Being persistent and resilient – it is going to take a while and feel daunting Us...

Join BDO in discussion with Julie Bell Lindsay, Executive Director of The Center For Audit Quality. Key Takeaways Focal areas that help drive audit quality promoted by the Center for Audit Quality: Understanding and successfully implementing new auditing standards via proactive dialogue among the profession, the regulators and management and audit committees Audit firms focus and investment in the...

Join BDO in discussion with Coco Brown, Founder and CEO of the Athena Alliance. Key Takeaways The rise of the feminine architype – roles that women have historically embodied – are increasing board role opportunities for female directors. Organizations like the Athena Alliance are helping women develop their strategy for board service by defining their strengths and presenting and articulating whe...

Join BDO in discussion with Alexa King , Board of Directors at Vocera Communications and EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for FireEye. Key Takeaways Change director recruiting perceptions from seeking traditional, tangible “roles” to recognizing and valuing broader skillsets, capabilities and characteristics Seek out sitting directors as champions and pay it forward by mentoring others...

Join BDO in discussion with Betsy Atkins , three-time CEO and serio entrepreneur, board of director of numerous corporations, founder of Baja Corp and author of Be Board Ready and Behind Boardroom Doors , as she shares her thoughts on: Defining your strategy in seeking board service and ask yourself “why not me?” Pay forward value and receive value in return Prepare yourself and where you may have...

Join BDO in discussion with Bob Tirva , Audit Committee Chair of Resonant and CFO of Sonim Technologies. Key Takeaways Proactively seek out opportunities to continue education and expand your existing networks in meaningful ways Be patient and open to positions that play to your strengths – including skills and industry experiences Adjust to sitting in the role of oversight versus the role of mana...

Join BDO in discussion with Christine Heckart , CEO of Scalyr and Board of Director for 6sense and Lam Research. Key Takeaways In order to add value to a board, needing to first absorb what is going on at the board level Taking time to listen and formulate good and meaningful questions/comments Seeking input on your performance Spending time with executives within the organization Investing in boa...

Join BDO in discussion with Julie Cullivan , Chief Technology and People Officer, ForeScout Technologies and Board of Director for Axon. Key Takeaways Get started early – recognizing it takes time to find a good board fit Identify your “superpowers” that you can bring to a boardroom to differentiate yourself and make positive impacts Recognize if you have been on one board, you have been on one bo...