Corporate Governance - Advisory Board - Committees - Board Advisory Services -
Executive Director Recruitment - NXD Recruitment 

Corporate governance is a living thing. It is constantly evolving and improving. In the past, it applied mostly to large, listed companies. Today, its field of action has extended to include the entire fabric of the economy and touches all kinds of organizations: start-ups, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and family businesses, as well as large corporations and publicly traded companies.

The best-in-class boards partner with management 

The essential role of governance — through boards of directors, supervisory boards, and advisory committees — is to address human, strategic, and financial challenges and to manage short-, medium-, and long-term risks. This involves helping senior management teams to broaden their perspectives beyond short-term concerns and providing them with a space in which they can seek advice and insight as they reexamine their ideas.

As discussions about the appropriate standards of good corporate governance have clearly shown, board of directors & supervisory and advisory boards are becoming increasingly important for the success and credibility of corporate policy.

83% of German family companies surveyed have set up an Advisory Board! 

Leaders have always surrounded themselves with independent councilors to advise and assist them in running their businesses. Advisory boards play an increasingly important role in today’s corporate governance. The use of advisory boards in companies has not decreased. In fact, it is on the rise, especially in Germany and the United States. Advisory boards enable corporate executives and board members to fill gaps in their expertise, advance their strategic goals by providing a long-term perspective, and navigate growth cycles, while benefiting from critical, thoughtful, and, most importantly, independent advice.

Regardless of the path chosen, governance that is adapted to each stage of a company’s development is designed to create long-term value and to foster the coalescence of talent around a common project. (part I and part II) 

For a company to succeed and thrive,
its governance must be attuned
to each stage of its development.

Board composition: the best mix of competencies 

The combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the rapid development of technology and customer expectations, and the entry of new generations into the workforce have forced management teams to innovate at an unprecedented pace and scale. New needs and expertise have appeared. Collaborative networks have been strengthened, decision-making has become more responsive, and there is a call for outside experts to be brought in for areas such as geopolitics, risk management, and cybersecurity.

In the context of a turbulent world, with escalating external demands and internal expectations organizations must be sure that their boards offer the best mix of competencies to address the current issues and without losing sight of the strategy.

CEOs and Boards: moving toward a successful collaboration

The board is there to represent the interest of shareholders and to assist the CEO by giving sound advice. It can provide wisdom, experience, new perspectives, food for thought etc, all of which serve as extremely valuable feedback.

As a leadership advisor, BECHTEL-CONSULTING is an expert in recruiting exceptional leaders for board of directors and executive, supervisory, and advisory committees and boards. Our research, which emphasizes diversity and synergy, along with visionary and proactive skills, can be the decisive factor in attaining high levels of performance. It can guarantee sustainable advantages to companies facing global competition.