At the outset of the pandemic, employees were the top priority of boards, second only to continued liquidity. That focus intensified during the social unrest following the death of George Floyd. Now, the SEC’s new disclosure rules on human capital management (HCM) could further reinforce the focus on workers — at least temporarily.

This month the Administration made cybersecurity “top priority,” elevating it as “an imperative” across government (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NSC-1v2.pdf). Cybersecurity is also an urgent priority for corporations. Here are six questions boards should ask management following the SolarWinds hack, "the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen."

Boards are under increased pressure to better invest in the human capital of their companies. Directors now need to work with management in defining the key attributes of their future leadership team – not just to develop the right talent for their decision-makers, but to make sure that talent stays with the organization. This guest blog post by Seymour Burchman and Blair Jones contends that it’s all about building the team that can best support the company’s mission in the face of disruption.

The earnings game may be over, for good. A lot of companies are withdrawing earnings guidance amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. And some executives predict it won’t return.

In its most recent Connect and Reflect report, “Why Company Directors Should Use Social Media,” The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) describes the benefits of social media for directors and offers practical guidance about how to make a start.

Richard Parsons, a Senior Advisor at Providence Equity Partners as well as the former Chairman of Citigroup and Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Inc., recently joined our CEO Forum on Building a More Civil & Just Society. In our interview, we discussed the evolving role of public corporations and practical suggestions about making concrete progress in advancing both inclusion and equity in our society.

In this interview, Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, reflects on the death of George Floyd, the uprisings that have spread across America as a result, and the role of public corporations in fostering diversity and inclusion and driving social change.

The SEC’s proposal to “fix” Form 13F – the form on which large investment managers report their equity holdings of public companies – could have a significant impact on companies being aware of, as well responding to and engaging with, activist investors – especially at relatively smaller companies, which are are increasingly susceptible to activism.