Directors’ Consortium

In collaboration with Stanford Law School and University of Chicago Booth

School of Business

Dates: March 27 – 30, 2018

March 26, 2018: Finance and Accounting Basics Optional Session
Application Deadline: February 16, 2018
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. WHO SHOULD ATTEND
4-day Tuition: $12,600 USD / 5-day Tuition: $14,550 USD
Program tuition includes meals and materials. Lodging is not included. Housing is available on the Stanford The Directors’ Consortium is essential for
campus. Please contact the Program Director for details. directors who must make complex board
decisions. It’s specifically designed for:
OVERVIEW • Current board members of a public
Stanford Business. Stanford Law. Booth. Three of the world’s most prestigious academic company*
institutions. Four rigorous days of learning from world-class faculty combined with invaluable • Board members of companies that aspire
networking. Directors’ Consortium gives you the leading-edge strategies, frameworks, and to become public in the near future
best practices for making complex and crucial board decisions in uncertain times. • Board members who serve on boards of
foreign corporations that are or aspire to
Cybersecurity, shareholder activism, social media, financial literacy, liability risk. The list of be listed on U.S. exchanges
issues and responsibilities for board members is ever increasing and changing. Drawing on * The disciplines covered will also be relevant to
cutting-edge research, current governance issues, emerging topics, and practical knowledge, private, family-owned, and nonprofit
organizations, but not all of the specific
Directors’ Consortium goes beyond compliance to explore how directors can best represent
regulations and processes of public companies
shareholders and other stakeholders. You’ll learn about financial reporting, compensation, will apply to such entities.
fiduciary duties, CEO succession, and more. You’ll develop a greater understanding of the
board’s oversight and advisory roles. And you’ll examine real-world scenarios and formulate
action plans with a set of people who confront similar problems. SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE
Breakfast
KEY BENEFITS Full breakfast
Directors’ Consortium will help you: Morning Session I
• Understand your fiduciary, legal, and ethical oversight responsibilities Board Oversight and Spotting the
Warning Signs of Management Failure
• Explore shareholder activism and the impact of social media
Morning Session II
• Benchmark against best practices in corporate governance Director Liability Risk
• Evaluate the role of the board in strategy development, evaluation, and evolution Lunch
• Develop frameworks for prudent legal strategies to navigate litigious environments Buffet lunch
• Formulate strategies for managing CEO succession and evaluating executive compensation Afternoon Session I
Executive Compensation
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Afternoon Session II
Finance Tools and Concepts:
SHAREHOLDER ACTIVISM Analyzing a Company’s Performance
In this session you will examine the recent increase in shareholder activism and the Evening
controversies surrounding it. This session will provide a historical examination of activism and Cocktail reception followed by dinner
review whether activists have a short- or long-run orientation in their investment. Using cases, Dinner Presentation
you will explore some of the choices companies have made. Business leaders speak on relevant topics

BOARD OVERSIGHT AND SPOTTING THE WARNING SIGNS OF MANAGEMENT FAILURE


Boards of directors are charged with oversight of companies, a major part of which is risk
assessment, particularly in recent years. While there are many aspects of risk that are
important, the one area that tends not to be evaluated carefully is the strategy, leadership,
and process attributes of companies. In this interactive session, we consider why
organizations fail and what boards can do to spot the early warning signs for failure while
there is still time to do something about it.

gsb.stanford.edu/exed/directors EXECUTIVE EDUCATION / CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 “This program is outstanding. I set out to hear about a board member’s responsibilities.
The concise content and delivery both exceeded my expectations. I would recommend
it highly to others.”

Luther Tai | Senior Vice President | Con Edison

OPTIONAL FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING DAY

This optional full-day session at the beginning of the program provides an excellent foundation in finance and accounting basics for
directors with limited financial backgrounds or those who would like a concentrated refresher from a board-level perspective. While
those who are unfamiliar with basic accounting principles such as the relationships among the balance sheet, the income statement,
and the statement of cash flows will benefit the most, past participants have said that the day is enriching for even the most
experienced board members.

FACULTY DIRECTOR
TYPICAL PARTICIPANT MIX
Management Function David F. Larcker, the James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at
7% Finance/Accounting Stanford Graduate School of Business and Senior Faculty of the Arthur
83% General Management and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford,
7% Human Resources is a leading researcher in executive compensation and corporate
3% Sales/Marketing governance. He specializes in the design of compensation contracts and
the evaluation of governance choices by firms. He is also a Professor of
Industry
Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School.
3% Advertising/Marketing Services
3% Aerospace/Defense
3% Agriculture/Food/Beverages OTHER FACULTY
3% Chemicals Anne Beyer Michael Klausner
3% Construction/Engineering/Materials Associate Professor of Accounting, Stanford Nancy and Charles Munger Professor of
8% Consulting Graduate School of Business Business and Professor of Law, Stanford Law
3% Education School, Stanford University
5% Electronics Steven N. Kaplan
11% Financial Services/Insurance Neubauer Family Distinguished Service
8% Food Service/Lodging Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance,
3% Health Care Services University of Chicago Booth School
8% Internet Services of Business
8% Manufacturing
5% Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices
PAST GUEST SPEAKERS
8% Retail/Wholesale
Sarah Larcker
13% Software
Vice President, Brand Strategy & Planning
5% Transportation
at Digitas Health
Region
7% Asia
5% Australia/New Zealand EXPERIENCE THE STANFORD DIFFERENCE
5% Europe Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education programs offer executives from
2% Middle East around the globe an extraordinary opportunity to immerse themselves in an intensive,
79% North America
collaborative learning environment where the focus is continually on the future. Taught by
2% South America
Stanford’s world-renowned faculty and supplemented by guest speakers, participants acquire
the knowledge, vision, and skill to bring innovative leadership to their organizations while
advancing their personal and professional growth.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP

For more information, or to apply to the

Directors’ Consortium program, please
visit gsb.stanford.edu/exed/directors.

gsb.stanford.edu/exed/directors