GRC Insight: Governance, Risk, and Compliance in Context

GRC Insight is highlighting news, trends, and thought leadership in governance, risk, and compliance. We complement it with original opinion, research, and reviews. Save time, and stay on top of your profession.

Category: News Highlight

News Highlight

Private Equity Critiqued for Performance and Economic Contribution at New Policy Think Tank

Private equity – hedge funds, buyout firms, venture capital – is subjected to analysis at a new policy think tank. The focus is on performance and returns in addition to distortions of the American economy. The analysis highlights the subpar returns over and during the last decade. It calls into question the valuations, leverage, and risk that are standard practices. In doing so, it also raises questions of governance for private equity investors, particularly institutions, pensions, and endowments.

News Highlight

Employee Surveillance: Crossing the Line From Trust to Coercion

Working from home has surfaced numerous risks. First security, now productivity. Increasingly, companies are using employee monitoring tools to track and measure employee activity at home. The software may increase productivity, but also may compromise employee privacy or foster anger and distrust. Shortsighted surveillance decisions may risk a hard-won corporate culture, and the governance team should pay close attention.

News Highlight

Governance: Bringing Captive Supply Chains Home

A growing clamor for supply chain diversification and returning manufacturing to the US is going to land in the laps of the c-suite and board. It is starting with outrage at the vulnerability of medical supply chains. But the obvious weaknesses of current globalization are causing a review of all supply chains and their exposure to environmental and political risk.

News Highlight

Coronavirus Ethics in the Supply Chain Are a Risk for the Company, the CEO, and the Board

“We’ll get through this together” is statement of solidarity and shared sacrifice that is on the lips of many executives – an affirmation of corporate social responsibility. Does it also include the weak link in the supply chain – developing world suppliers? Hardball demands of suppliers threaten vulnerable workers, damage business relationships, and expose the CEO and board of directors to criticism and the company to reputation risk. Governance needs to take note.

News Highlight

Where Are the Masks? Supply Chain Reckoning Coming Post Pandemic

There is a coming reassessment of brittle and unresponsive supply chains prompted by the inadequate supply of medical masks. The masks, their non-woven fibers, ventilator parts, air cargo capacity, anticompetitive concentrations, government requisitions, and labor force disruptions are just a few of the third-party and supply chain risks revealed by Covid-19. Already in the U.S. there is strong sentiment to repatriate manufacturing and warehousing of medical goods.

News Highlight

Is There Growing Political Risk in Xi’s China

With factories restarting, is normalcy returning to China and its stable workforce and supply chain? Recent articles highlight signs of discontent among Chinese youth and within the Communist Party. The government’s handling of the coronavirus and its economic consequences, trade disputes with the U.S., and friction with Hong Kong are unpopular and bear watching for increasing third-party and political risk.

News Highlight

Twelve Activities to Focus the Board and Governance Team During Covid-19

A timely list of twelve key corporate governance issues for board members during our Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic calls for the usual director oversight plus extra vigilance for new threats and opportunities. Directors need to be well-briefed to permit quick comprehension and fast decision making.

Image; woman with thermometer
News Highlight

Covid-19: Health Data. User Tracking App. Industry Disruption. Thermometer?

A smart, connected thermometer may be providing early warning of Covid-19 fever clusters two weeks in advance of the CDC reporting system. With years of modeling data and potentially millions of real time data points, the thermometer network may be able to flag zip codes that would be a priority for corona virus testing.