Spotting Signs of Poor Corporate Governance. Part 2: ESG Management
Corporate governance is only one part of an overall phenomenon known as “ESG management,” or how a company handles environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues. “Research shows that companies that disclose more ESG information are more likely to enjoy a lower cost of capital,” said Max Zehrt, Senior Manager at Sustainalytics. He was addressing a noon-hour seminar of financial analysts and portfolio managers on the subject of corporate governance on May 8, 2013 at the offices of the CFA Society Toronto. His talk was the second part of a two-speaker panel moderated by Toby Heaps of Corporate Knights. Zehrt was […]
Spotting Signs of Poor Corporate Governance. Part 1: “Ask the Tough Questions”
“Good governance practices are important for the sound financial growth of a corporation—the board directs and protects,” said Stephen Kibsey, VP Equity Risk Management at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. On May 8, 2013 he addressed a noon-hour seminar of financial analysts and portfolio managers through remote link on the subject of corporate governance at the offices of the CFA Society Toronto. His talk was the first part of a two-speaker panel moderated by Toby Heaps, co-founder and president of Corporate Knights. Kibsey pointed out that concern over matters like environment, social and governance (ESG) issues within a […]
Stress Testing: Part 2. The Next Generation
There are five key considerations for the “next generation” of financial stress testing, said Tom Kimner, Head of Americas Risk Practice & Global Risk Products at SAS. He was addressing a webinar audience on May 7, 2013 as the second speaker in a panel organized by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). Modern stress testing must be measured against the key considerations of performance, efficiency, completeness, transparency, and compliance. The goal of turning stress testing into an “early warning system seemed futuristic only a few years ago,” admitted Kimner at the outset of his talk. He contrasted the world […]
Stress Testing: Part 1. Balance Numbers and Narrative
“Uncertainty is a fundamental part of business. Major shifts occur without warning, triggered by a single event, or combination of unrelated, contemporaneous events,” said Sanjiv Talwar, Managing Director, Risk Capital & Stress Testing at Bank of Montreal. He was addressing a webinar audience on May 7, 2013 as the first speaker in a panel organized by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). He summarized the categorization of uncertainty by Courtney et al. in “Strategy Under Uncertainty”, Harvard Business Review. There is a variety of tools available to help manage the uncertainty, Talwar noted: option evaluation, game theory, pattern recognition, […]
Volunteer Appreciation Night
National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize the efforts of volunteers across Canada. This year it took place April 21 to 27, 2013 and we dropped by “Volunteer Appreciation Night” hosted by CFA Society Toronto on April 25, 2013 to view some fine magic entertainment by Revel Magic (see magician with flaming business card below), and to hobnob with volunteers. CFA Society Toronto has 17 different committees, plus a board of directors, so there is ample opportunity for community-minded members to find an area to which they can donate their time and talent. Following are interviews with three members of CFAST […]
Bed-Time Tales for Business Folk
It’s a book that invites browsing. Open it to a random page and immerse yourself in one small business story. Riffle to a spot twenty pages earlier and taste another. It’s a book that can be enjoyed by someone on the go, someone only has time for, say, a ten minute skim before the next appointment. After a few chapters (sampled in non-linear fashion) I was reminded of Grimm’s Tales. The archetypes of the business world, in particular the entrepreneurial world, are practically the same. The plucky maiden, the resilient hero, the marrow-sucking ogre, the chastened warrior: they are present […]
Measuring the ROI of GRC. Part 2: Solutions to “Absorb Regulatory Demands”
An unprecedented amount of new regulations “has led to risk assessment fatigue,” said John Kelly, Market Segment Manager in Business Analytics at IBM. He was the second of two speakers who addressed a GARP webinar audience on March 28, 2013 on the topic of the return on investment (ROI) on governance, risk assessment, and compliance (GRC). Most of the presentation referred to the study “Guidebook: Understanding the Financial Value of GRC Management” released in October 2012 by Nucleus Research that was talked about by Hyoun Park in the first part of the presentation. When it comes to regulation, there is […]
Measuring the ROI of GRC. Part 1: “Your Mileage May Vary”
When looking at the return on investment (ROI), “it’s not about getting the highest number—it’s what is most defensible,” said Hyoun Park, Principal Analyst at Nucleus Research. Park was speaking on March 28, 2013 to a webinar audience on the topic of how to quantitatively measure the ROI on governance, risk assessment, and compliance (GRC). The two-speaker panel, convened by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), based their remarks on a study released in October 2012 by Nucleus Research (cover shown here). The report states “this research was conducted in context of the usage of IBM OpenPages, a software […]
Global Challenges in Chemicals & Energy: Standardizing & Accelerating R&D
“The iPhone of experimental chemistry” standardizes and simplifies experimental chemistry in a paradigm-shifting manner, according to Michael Schneider, SVP of Chemspeed Technologies, and the holder and author of more than 30 publications and patents. He was delivering a presentation on March 19, 2013, through a webinar organized by Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). “The iPhone of experimental chemistry” is based on a sleek desk-sized compartment that apportions chemicals in ”1-2-5” money analogously staggered (but in mmoles instead of cents) , ready-to-apply formats. It dramatically simplifies the experimental work in a multitude of “applications” in traditional experimental lab work and/or as […]
Foreign Asset Income Trusts
“Income trusts should be viewed as a story in capital markets innovation,” said Jon Northup of Goodmans LLP. He was speaking at a luncheon at the National Club in Toronto, sponsored by the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Society Toronto on March 5, 2013. The introduction of SIFT (Specified Investment Flow-Through) rules by the Canadian government in October 2006, “effectively eliminated Canadian income trusts,” Northup said. There are two exceptions: (1) a trust that does not involve Canadian real estate, immovable or resource properties used in carrying on a business and (2) a trust that qualifies as a REIT (real estate […]