The Centre
Bringing the Boardroom into the 21st Century
The Centre for Corporate & Public Governance is North America’s first fully independent think tank dedicated to improving boardroom practices and strengthening standards of accountability in major corporations and public institutions. It was created in the belief that only the well governed institution, driven by vigilant stakeholders, accountable leaders and ethical managers, is capable of meeting society’s growing demands for sustainable prosperity and the preservation of its freedoms. To that end, The Centre has been providing informed commentary for the media and academic community, promoting necessary changes in the governance culture of organizations and spearheading legislative reform where appropriate for the past 15 years.
Years before the onset of the Enron-era scandals that shook public confidence in the institution of the boardroom and in the functioning of the capital markets, The Centre warned repeatedly before legislative committees and in the press about the consequences of directors who did not direct and the dangers of excessive CEO pay, and it predicted the scandals to come. When these disasters struck, The Centre was much in demand by law makers, regulators and the media for its prescription for reform. It continues to vigorously champion efforts to empower stakeholders, to imbue a culture of accountability in the boardroom and to restore sanity in CEO compensation.
The Centre was founded by J. Richard Finlay, whose first-hand boardroom experience and pioneering voice on the responsibilities of capitalism over three decades have made him one of North America’s most sought after experts on modern governance practices. The Centre has been widely recognized for its contributions to landmark legislative and regulatory reforms, including frequent expert testimony before Canada’s Senate banking committee and the Toronto Stock Exchange and submissions to the committees of the United States Congress leading to the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Regularly quoted in the leading business publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg and Reuters, and in every major newspaper in Canada, The Centre’s forthright views and authoritative insights can now be regularly viewed at J. Richard Finlay’s on-line journal, Finlay ON Governance.
Read more about The Centre for Corporate & Public Governance and its mission at The Centre’s website.
