Speaking Out on Hot Button Topics : How Boards Can Steer CEOs and Companies in Choppy Waters

Corporate leaders encounter significant challenges when addressing public debates on contentious topics. They must strike a balance between the pressures to speak out or remain silent while navigating the polarized nature of today’s discourse and the powerful, diverse interests of shareholders, employees, consumers, and civil society groups. Join the Robert Zicklin Center for a talk featuring Lawrence Cunningham, Director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. Mr. Cunningham will argue that corporate leaders should adopt a pragmatic approach rather than adhering to a fixed or ideological stance on whether to take public positions. He will emphasize evaluating the specific context and circumstances of each situation. By drawing on the history and law of corporate governance, as well as practical experience, Cunningham will demonstrate that the best strategy for each board and CEO will vary based on the unique characteristics of their corporation, its leadership, its shareholder base, its workforce, the markets it serves, and how these factors interact with public debates.