WASHINGTON, April 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 20,000 board members, today announced that its 2019 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) initiative will explore critical considerations and key requirements for board and committee leaders in an environment characterized by expanding board workloads and higher expectations for directors from nearly every constituency.

Over the next six months, a group of experienced directors, investors, subject-matter experts, and leading governance professionals will develop specific guidance on how to maximize the effectiveness of board leadership. The 2019 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission is led by cochairs Cari Dominguez (director, ManpowerGroup, Triple-S Management Corp., Calvert SAGE Fund, and NACD) and Lester Lyles (director, USAA, General Dynamics Corp., KBR Inc., Battelle Memorial Institute, and the NASA Advisory Council).

“Board leadership in the future will emerge as a pivotal driver of governance concerns that may focus not only on maximizing shareholder value, but also on wider-ranging issues affecting society. The rise in diverse board leaders, along with broadened board responsibilities and increased reliance on technology, will play a critical role in the evolution of board leadership. This topic was a natural choice for NACD to explore this year,” said Cari Dominguez, commission cochair.

“In a business environment characterized by volatility, uncertainty, and challenges associated with the rapid pace of innovation, board leadership has to go beyond roles on paper,” said cochair Lester Lyles. “The commission will focus on identifying practical recommendations and tools to help directors and the governance community as a whole.”

“Many NACD principles and positions about what constitutes good board practice, including recommendations from past BRC initiatives, are contingent on having strong, effective leaders in place,” said NACD president and CEO Peter Gleason. “For years, NACD’s Blue Ribbon Commissions have influenced boardroom practices and raised the bar on board leadership. We look forward to the insights and guidance that will emerge from the Commission’s work this year.”

The 2019 commissioners constitute a roster of distinguished corporate leaders and subject-matter experts. While subject to change, the NACD 2019 Blue Ribbon Commission currently includes the following members:

Cochairs:

• Hon. Cari Dominguez – Director, ManpowerGroup, Triple-S Management Corp., Calvert SAGE Fund, NACD
• General Lester Lyles, US Air Force (Ret.) – Director, USAA, General Dynamics Corp., KBR Inc., Battelle Memorial Institute, the NASA Advisory Council

Commissioners:

• Luis Aguilar – Director, Donnelley Financial Solutions Inc., Envestnet Inc., MiMedx Group Inc., NACD Atlanta Chapter board; Former Commissioner, US Securities and Exchange Commission
• Claudia Allen – Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center
• Janice Babiak – Director, Bank of Montreal, Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., GlobalLogic, GHD Group
• Chaitra Chandrasekhar – Partner, Oliver Wyman
• Suzanne Clark – Senior Executive Vice President, US Chamber of Commerce; Director, AGCO Corp., TransUnion
• Nicholas Donofrio – Director, Aptiv PLC, HYPR, the MITRE Corp., PeaceTech Lab, Quantexa, Syracuse University, NACD
• W. Roy Dunbar – Director, Humana Inc., Johnson Controls International PLC, SiteOne Landscape Supply Inc.
• Michelle Edkins – Global Head, BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship Group
• John Fletcher – Managing Partner, Fletcher Spaght Inc.; Director, Axcelis Technologies Inc., Metabolon Inc., MRI Interventions Inc.
• Margaret Foran – Chief Governance Officer, Senior Vice President, and Corporate Secretary, Prudential Financial; Director, Occidental Petroleum Corp.
• Maria Ghazal – Senior Vice President and Counsel, Business Roundtable; Director, INOVA Fair Oaks Hospital Quality Board
• Peter Gleason – President and CEO, NACD; Director, Global Network of Director Institutes, Nura Health Inc., NACD
• Holly Gregory – Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
• Deborah Hopkins – Director, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Union Pacific Railroad, Virtusa Corp., Deep Instinct, M3 Biotechnology Inc. (Advisory Board), SalesHero (Advisory Board)
• Gwendolyn King – President, Podium Prose; Former Director, Countrywide Financial Corp., Erie Family Life Insurance Co., Erie Indemnity Co., Lockheed Martin Corp., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Monsanto Co.
• Jannice Koors – Senior Managing Director and Western Region President, Pearl Meyer
• Brenda Lauderback – Director, Denny's Corp., Sleep Number Corp., Wolverine World Wide Inc.
• Michael Lorelli – Operating Executive, Falconhead Capital LLC; Director, Rita's Water Ice Franchise Co. LLC, Cannabiniers, CP Kelco US Inc., KPISOFT Inc., iControl Inc.
• Yvette Meléndez – Director, The MITRE Corp., Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, Connecticut Public, Connecticut Health Foundation, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Hartford HealthCare-Hartford Region
• Warren Phillips – Director, CACI International Inc., Institute for the Study of War
• John Streur – President and CEO, Calvert Research and Management; Director, Environmental Media Assoc.
• David Swinford – President and CEO, Pearl Meyer
• Kathleen Taylor – Director, Royal Bank of Canada, Adecco Group AG, Air Canada, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
• Dennis Whalen – Leader, KPMG Board Leadership Center
• Mary Winston – President, WinsCo Enterprises Inc.; Director, Acuity Brands Inc., Domtar Corp., Dover Corp., NACD Carolinas Chapter Board
• Alex Wittenberg – Executive Director, Marsh & McLennan Insights, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.
• Dona Young – Director, Foot Locker Inc., Aegon NV, Save the Children International, NACD

The titles and affiliations of commissioners in this list are selective and do not include all directorships. Commissioners participate as a service to the governance community and not as representatives of any organization.

The commission’s report is scheduled for release at the 2019 NACD Global Board Leaders’ Summit, Sept. 21–24, 2019.

About NACD

The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) empowers more than 20,000 directors to lead with confidence in the boardroom. As the recognized authority on leading boardroom practices, NACD helps boards strengthen investor trust and public confidence by ensuring that today’s directors are well prepared for tomorrow’s challenges. World-class boards join NACD to elevate performance, gain foresight, and instill confidence. Fostering collaboration among directors, investors, and corporate governance stakeholders, NACD has been setting the standard for responsible board leadership for more than 40 years. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org.