David Chun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Equilar, will kick off the Board Leadership Forum.

The rapid pace at which technology changes and renders yesterday’s solutions obsolete is unprecedented. Boards are now assessing the impact and opportunities created by the most recent technological advancements in big data, artificial intelligence, and the sharing economy to name a few. During this session, a panel of experts will discuss how boards can take this opportunity to rethink their role in shaping corporate innovation in the digital age.

As a primary responsibility, boards are tasked with developing a comprehensive succession plan to ensure smooth CEO transitions. Companies and their boards should not be waiting for potential crises to think through CEO succession planning. Increased scrutiny and calls for greater transparency mandates greater focus and preparation from boards to maintain investor confidence. This panel will cover a complete framework for planning and evaluating a CEO succession strategy.

Attendee networking is an integral part of the Board Leadership Forum with opportunities to build relationships and engage with other influential business leaders to obtain intelligence, connections and innovative solutions to build a higher performing board.

Board composition changes are inevitable. Yet, there is plenty of research to show that many directors believe their current board composition is static and sub-optimal. External pressures for increased diversity, accountability, and fresh perspectives only add more complexity to this topic. This expert panel will share a holistic approach to board succession in an ever changing business context, as well as taking a data-driven approach to address underperforming directors.

Effective and proactive shareholder engagement can go a long way toward establishing open lines of communication and positive rapport with investors. During this session, governance experts will discuss best practices for engagement and specific case studies on today’s hot topics. They will share their insights on how best to facilitate a robust communications strategy, set the tone for shareholder discussions, and avoid potential pitfalls.

The day will conclude with closing remarks followed by a cocktail reception.