GCC BOARD DIRECTORS INSTITUTE 25th EDITION OF FOUNDATIONS OF DIRECTORSHIP WORKSHOP 25-26 APRIL 2017
At a time of unprecedented change for the region, board effectiveness is crucial for businesses to unlock growth in today’s market environment and stimulate economic diversification, as highlighted during the 25th edition of the Foundation of Directorship Workshop conducted by the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI) and hosted by SABIC 25-26 April 2017 at the SABIC Training Academy in Riyadh.
The program was well attended by Senior Directors and Executives from SABIC, Saudi Aramco, Maaden, Evonik, Al Mutlaq Real Estate Investments, General Organization for Social Insurance, Capital Market Authority, King Abdullah Medical City, King Fahad Specialist Hospital and King Saud Medical City.
“Today, board effectiveness is an integral part of every board’s reality; the success of most top tier companies – from publicly listed to government and family-owned businesses – is driven by an effective board structure and composition, with efficient board practices based on sound corporate governance principles ” Jane Valls, Executive Director, GCC Board Directors Institute (BDI) stated in her opening remarks.
“The purpose of the Foundations of Directorship workshop is to delve deeper into the changing roles and responsibilities, as well as the accountability of the board and its directors, unwrapping the secret of a successful board with the right operating model in today’s modern business environment.” Valls added.
At the Alumni Dinner, which took place on the first day of the Foundations of Directorship Workshop, the guest speaker, Abdulaziz Al Oudan, SABIC's Executive Vice-President for Corporate Human Resources, emphasized that the Board governance framework should go beyond the need to simply comply with regulatory requirements. He stressed that it should support the board's performance, bring clarity to the roles of the board and management and should support the long-term sustainable value creation of the organization.
The GCC Board Directors Institute, founded in 2007 as a Not for Profit Company, by Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Investcorp and Emirates NBD, along with the support of McKinsey, PwC, Allen & Overy, and Heidrick and Struggles, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. Since its inception, GCC BDI has established one of the region’s largest and most influential networks of more than 800 senior board members and executives. The Institute’s next editions of the Foundations of Directorship workshop will be conducted in Al Khobar 2-3 October 2017 and Riyadh 12-13 November 2017 and will engage participants in exploring and analyzing modern board dilemmas, potential solutions, tools and effective practices for boards and directors in the GCC, as well as sharing experiences.
For more information on GCC Board Directors Institute, please see our website www.gccbdi.org