Corporate strategy is considered a central driver of the firm’s long-term orientation and a key lever for delivering financial performance. Corporate governance suggests that boards of directors have the duty to govern the firm and help develop it sustainably for the long term. Hence, boards are supposed to discuss the firm’s strategy and eventually make relevant decisions on corporate strategy.

In dealing with strategy, boards face a complex task. Board directors need to understand the businesses of the company, their industries, and the main issues in complex strategic decisions, such as digital transformation, decarbonization, or corporate restructuring. Moreover, the level of strategic uncertainties that companies and their boards face is also increasing.

The 2021 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference aims to discuss these issues from a cross-disciplinary ;IESE CCG and ECGI will bring together leading scholars -including a Nobel laureate- from the areas of corporate strategy, corporate finance and organizational economics, as well as CEOs and chair persons from top-tier companies.

The conference will take place October 4-5, 2021. There will be five sessions where a distinguished scholar will present a paper, followed by a discussant. There will also be two sessions with CEOs and chair persons to discuss the practical implications of boards’ involvement on these strategic issues.