Corporate Governance Symposium

man in suit shines torchlight on governance

Corporate governance, in its broadest sense, is an accountability mechanism by which modern corporations are managed and it defines relationships between various stakeholders. Naturally, research in corporate governance is interdisciplinary and transcends many disciplines; including accounting, law, management and finance. The Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University have a clear objective of developing a future research agenda in governance which recognises both its interdisciplinary nature and the absolute necessity to work with industry to address issues of concern to practitioners and stakeholders.

The conference is timely given the highly public failures such as those in the banking industry as identified by Commissioner Kenneth Hayne at the conclusion of The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking and Financial Services Industry. We also read about the similar governance issues in aged care, sport and the superannuation industry.

With amazing researchers, dedicated advocates of governance and experts in corporate governance, including lawyers, company directors and industry executives at the event, the Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University is well placed towards achieving its overarching objective of addressing industry relevant and industry embedded governance concerns.

Glasses with faded man. txt sustainability accountability

3rd Corporate Governance Symposium 2020 – Accountability, Governance and Sustainability

Friday 13 November 2020

As identified by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, when defining sustainable development goals and priorities for organisations, stakeholders must have opportunities to provide their views on the long-term sustainable development and how it should be achieved. In this respect, one of the key principles of accountability is transparency, making information about such processes accessible.

As we are in the grips of a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic, there is no better time to think about appropriate governance mechanisms across industries, which will ensure the financial sustainability of corporations whilst not at the expense of the broader society, community and environment. Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of financial sustainability and the importance that all stakeholders’ needs are addressed as much as possible. Over the last few decades, the role of governance has expanded beyond economic performance capturing both social and environmental performance of corporations. Recognising this, the United Nations has developed 17 Sustainable Goals emphasising the accountability and sustainability of corporations.

Given this, the theme for the symposium this year’s Corporate Governance Symposium is Accountability, Governance and Sustainability. We will specifically focus on a number of areas of both concern and interest to academics and industry practitioners.

Event details

Time: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Please arrive 15 minutes prior for registrations

Date: Friday 13 November 2020

Location: Curtin 137 St Georges Terrace, Perth (view map)

Download the 3rd Corporate Governance Symposium Event Program

Event information

The event comprises two key components;

  1. five research & industry presentations and;
  2. a panel discussion session

There will be five presentations over the course of the day. Each presentation will involve an academic and industry perspective with an overview of the empirical research on five key accountability & sustainability topics, The presentations will include a future research agenda on each of the topics followed by an industry perspective of this agenda. The five topics are as follows:

  • Governance and Accountability – Sports Governance
  • Indigenous Governance – Reimagining the Future of Aboriginal Governance: The imperative of self-determination
  • Governance and Financial Sustainability – Executive Compensation and Earnings Management
  • Information Governance – The Ethics of Ownership in the Information Age: res communis or res nullius?
  • Governance Facilitated Through Blockchain – Improvements in Accountability, Audit, Compliance and Transparency—A New Frontier

The symposium will conclude with a panel session from 4pm to 5pm comprising five members discussing the crucial global topic of “Accountability and Risk Management Challenges during COVID-19”. The panel will comprise a member from five key sectors: namely, the tertiary, not-for profit, for-profit, legal and auditing sectors.

Members of the panel will provide both expert and central commentary on how the various sectors are dealing with the pandemic from both a financial and non-financial perspective. This has important ramifications for key stakeholders such as employers, employees, the government including regulators, and citizens throughout Western Australia.

Presenters

Session 1: Governance and Accountability 

Session 2: Indigenous Governance

Session 3: Governance and Financial Sustainability

Session 4: Information Governance 

Session 5: Governance Facilitated Through Blockchain

Panel Session: Accountability and Risk Management Challenges during Covid-19

  • Mr Al Donald (Chief Legal Officer, Curtin University)
  • Mr Anthony Smith (CEO MercyCare)
  • Ms Alex Willcocks (Executive General Manager Group Accounting & Assurance, Wesfarmers)
  • Ms Aymee Mastaglia (Regional Manager at Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand)
  • Mr John Southalan, Independent Examiner (AusNCP); Adjunct Associate Professor, Curtin Law School

Registrations now open

Registrations for the 3rd Corporate Governance Symposium on 13 November are now open.

Please contact us if you have any further enquiries about this event.

Register now