From box-ticking to impact – good governance as the key to a sustainable future
- Jigsaw PR
- 14 minutes ago
- 3 min read
As businesses navigate an increasingly complex environment of geopolitical volatility, shifting trade dynamics, accelerating climate impacts and rapid technological disruption, corporate governance has become more than a compliance exercise; it is a strategic imperative for business sustainability.
Shifting the conversation from “box-ticking” to achieving good governance outcomes of ethical culture and organisational performance and legitimacy is the focus of the 3rd Corporate Governance Conference in Stellenbosch from 8-10 December.
Featuring local and international corporate governance and integrated reporting experts, the conference follows the release of the King V Code on corporate governance for South Africa in October. The updated code’s aim of enabling organisations to move beyond compliance to demonstrating commitment to long-term value creation and stakeholder inclusivity is a key theme of the conference.
A panel discussion on “King IV to King V: Moving Beyond a Tick Box Culture” will delve into how businesses can apply corporate governance as a strategic tool for building resilience and creating value for the environmental and social systems in which they operate.
King Committee chair Ansie Ramalho will participate in the panel, alongside international corporate governance and company law expert Prof Irene-marié Esser of the University of Glasgow, chief executive of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), Imre Nagy, and Prof Daniel Malan (Trinity College, Dublin). The discussion will be facilitated by Joy-Marie Lawrence, an experienced non-executive director and fellow of the Institute of Directors of SA (IoDSA).
Prof Esser, who is also an Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University, will present a keynote address on the evolution of non-executive director roles in the UK, offering international perspective and local insights from her research into corporate governance in the UK, European Union and South Africa.
International keynote speaker Michiel van der Lof, Global Corporate Reporting Services lead at international professional financial services firm EY, will deliver a keynote address on “Connectivity in Action: Complementing Financial Statements with Sustainability Reporting”.
Themed “Navigating the Future through Good Governance”, the conference is hosted by the Centre for Corporate Governance in Africa, a joint institute of Stellenbosch Business School and the School of Accountancy at Stellenbosch University, with EY as headline sponsor.
Prof Nicolene Wesson, head of the Centre for Corporate Governance in Africa and co-convenor of the conference, said the conference came at a time when organisations, “as significant contributors to the deterioration of socio-ecological systems”, are increasingly expected to assume responsibility and accountability towards the economic, social and environmental systems in which they operate.
“The 21st century has seen a shift in the approach to corporate governance, to a systems value model, in which organisations need to recognise that they are an integral part of broader social and environmental systems and should therefore create value for the systems in which they operate. Concepts like corporate citizenship, stakeholder inclusivity and integrated thinking encompass systems value creation, which recognises that collective human wellbeing depends on the health and resilience of the planet.
“The conference provides a critical platform to discuss shifting from mere compliance to conviction and commitment that delivers progress to an equitable society for all,” she said.
The conference brings together researchers, academics, practitioners and regulators to explore critical issues shaping the future of governance, with speakers drawn from the legal and financial professions, experts in fields such as responsible investing, and regulatory and professional bodies such as the IoDSA, the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
More than 40 papers will be presented by researchers on various corporate governance topics, including ethical culture and values, sustainable value creation, regulatory and internal controls, board oversight, corporate legitimacy and trust, and responsible citizenship.
Find more information, the conference programme and speaker profiles here.
