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The Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity to fix what’s wrong with corporate boards

Too many company boards show too little creativity — over everything except executive pay. If they do not reform themselves, big government may step in

The Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity to fix what’s wrong with corporate boards
Photo: Getty Images

Is corporate governance fit for purpose? Each company or market failure has spurred politicians and regulators to tinker with public company boards. Sometimes this means changing responsibilities, more recently it has been composition. But the pandemic has revealed broader failure.

The fragility of many businesses is clear; the crisis has shown the widespread failure of corporate governance to address operational and financial resilience. This calls for a more fundamental review of company stewardship.

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