Governance Intelligence
Corporate Governance Awards

Corporate Governance Awards
Celebrating excellence in governance

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Cipriani 25 Broadway, New York

About the awards

On Thursday, November 7 over 400 industry professionals from the governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) community came together to honor the outstanding achievements that are shaping the future of the industry at the Oscars of Corporate Governace – the Corporate Governance Awards 2024.

Our annual awards celebrate the brightest minds and most pioneering organizations in GRC, recognizing those who set new standards of excellence, integrity, and innovation. Nominate yourself, your team or an industry peer—free of charge—to spotlight their dedication and achievements across various categories. You’ll find more details on the award categories, criteria and our rigorous judging process below.

Thank you to those who joined us at an unforgettable evening of networking, inspiration, and celebration, as we applauded the companies and individuals who are not just meeting the challenges of today but are actively pushing the profession forward. Attendees had a chance to connect with the best in the business, share insights and be inspired by those who are consistently raising the bar.

 

Book your place    View the 2024 nominees

Awards categories

For our awards, individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of corporate governance professionals and Governance Intelligence editorial team members.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

We are delighted to announce the list of 2024 winners. View the full list by clicking here or select a category below.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or +44 20 8004 5339.

Best AGM

Best AGM

In this category, the judges will be looking at the work of corporate secretaries, general counsel and governance teams in preparing for and running annual meetings – either in-person, virtual or hybrid – that meet the governance needs of both the company and shareholders. Consideration will be given to fulfilling regulatory obligations, training and preparing management and board members, and ensuring shareholders have the opportunity for engagement before and during the AGM.

Nominees

  • Hewlett Packard Enterprise

  • The Kraft Heinz Company

    WINNER

Best board assessment program

Best board assessment program

It is important that boards are periodically assessed so that changes can be made if necessary. These assessments are in many cases becoming more detailed and sophisticated. The judges will be looking for assessment programs that are thorough, innovative and tailored to a specific board where possible. Among other things, they will also be looking at whether feedback generated by an assessment has been acted on to help improve the functioning and/or composition of the board.

Nominees

  • PagerDuty

  • Prudential Financial

    WINNER

Best compliance and ethics program (small to mid-cap)

Best compliance and ethics program (small to mid-cap)

This award will look at coordination of governance, compliance, ethics and risk management processes across the entire corporation (including all subsidiaries). The judges will consider the level of understanding and integration of good governance principles across all disciplines and a truly non-silo approach to achieving an ethical governance environment.

Nominees

  • Coeur Mining

    WINNER

  • DocGo

  • Dun & Bradstreet Holdings

  • JLL

  • Robinhood Markets

Best compliance and ethics program (large cap)

Best compliance and ethics program (large cap)

This award will look at coordination of governance, compliance, ethics and risk management processes across the entire corporation (including all subsidiaries). The judges will consider the level of understanding and integration of good governance principles across all disciplines and a truly non-silo approach to achieving an ethical governance environment.

Nominees

  • ARM Holdings

  • PepsiCo

    WINNER

Best director training and education program

Best director training and education program

Boards need to be properly kept up to date with relevant information and fully trained to carry out their duties effectively. As such, a key role of governance teams is making sure their board is informed on necessary issues and best practices, often with the aid of outside specialists. The judges will be looking for evidence of a program that meets these requirements for a specific board by offering extensive, relevant, timely and tailored training and education. They will also be looking for innovation in how directors are given the information and skills they need.

Nominees

  • Nasdaq

    WINNER

  • Robinhood Markets

  • Sallie Mae

Best ESG reporting (small cap)

Best ESG reporting (small cap)

This entry should comment on the quality and robustness of ESG-related reporting. This includes exposure to environmental risk factors such as global warming, employee health and safety, foreign corrupt practices, consumer safety, social responsibility and corporate sustainability. The judges will also look at a company’s understanding of the role it plays in the community, both locally and globally. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Empire State Realty Trust

  • Fannie Mae

  • Lumen Technologies

  • The Greenbrier Companies

    WINNER

Best ESG reporting (mid-cap)

Best ESG reporting (mid-cap)

This entry should comment on the quality and robustness of ESG-related reporting. This includes exposure to environmental risk factors such as global warming, employee health and safety, foreign corrupt practices, consumer safety, social responsibility and corporate sustainability. The judges will also look at a company’s understanding of the role it plays in the community, both locally and globally. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • AMN Healthcare Services

    WINNER

  • Bath & Body Works

  • Dun & Bradstreet Holdings

  • Healthpeak Properties

  • JLL

  • Korn Ferry

Best ESG reporting (large cap)

Best ESG reporting (large cap)

This entry should comment on the quality and robustness of ESG-related reporting. This includes exposure to environmental risk factors such as global warming, employee health and safety, foreign corrupt practices, consumer safety, social responsibility and corporate sustainability. The judges will also look at a company’s understanding of the role it plays in the community, both locally and globally. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Applied Materials

  • Emerson Electric Co

  • HP

  • Nasdaq

    WINNER

  • PepsiCo

  • Verizon

Best global entity management

Best global entity management

In this category, the judges will be looking at the work of general counsel, corporate secretaries and their teams in creating and running effective and innovative global entity management programs that ensure the organization remains in compliance with all local laws. Issues for consideration include: using technology in new ways, ensuring efficiency in the program and adapting to new circumstances, rules and conditions.

Nominees

  • HP

  • JLL

  • Nasdaq

  • Prudential Financial

    WINNER

Best governance around a corporate transaction

Best governance around a corporate transaction

In this category, judges will be looking for innovative and effective governance work carried out before, during and/or after a corporate transaction such as an IPO, M&A deal or restructuring. This might include, for example, overhauling a company’s governance structure, combining the best elements of two companies’ arrangements or managing the regulatory and other risks arising from a transaction.

Nominees

  • Bunge Global

  • Summit Materials

  • Visa

    WINNER

Best proxy statement (small cap)

Best proxy statement (small cap)

This award will examine the completeness of legal disclosures, effectiveness of communication elements, readability, timeliness of filing, visual design elements and overall layout. Specific elements such as compensation discussion and analysis, CD&A, director profiles and ESG challenges will be given particular consideration. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Century Aluminum Company

    WINNER

  • Gentherm

  • Lumen Technologies

  • The Greenbrier Companies

  • W&T Offshore

Best proxy statement (mid-cap)

Best proxy statement (mid-cap)

This award will examine the completeness of legal disclosures, effectiveness of communication elements, readability, timeliness of filing, visual design elements and overall layout. Specific elements such as compensation discussion and analysis, CD&A, director profiles and ESG challenges will be given particular consideration. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Coeur Mining

    WINNER

  • Healthpeak Properties

  • Leidos Holdings

  • Murphy Oil Corp

  • Regions Financial Corporation

  • The Clorox Company

Best proxy statement (large cap)

Best proxy statement (large cap)

This award will examine the completeness of legal disclosures, effectiveness of communication elements, readability, timeliness of filing, visual design elements and overall layout. Specific elements such as compensation discussion and analysis, CD&A, director profiles and ESG challenges will be given particular consideration. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Booking Holdings

  • CVS

  • HP

  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

  • The Kraft Heinz Company

    WINNER

  • Visa

Best shareholder engagement (small to mid-cap)

Best shareholder engagement (small to mid-cap)

Engaging in dialogue with shareholders around governance issues has taken on new importance in the era of say-on-pay. This category, introduced in 2014, will focus on ways that companies are reaching out to proxy decision-makers, often outside of proxy season, to discuss their compensation strategy and other aspects of corporate governance. Formal programs, which may include governance roadshows, shareholder forums, independent director participation, surveys and other means of engagement, will be assessed for both qualitative and quantitative results such as strengthened relationships with institutional investors or a measurable increase in proxy voting support. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Lumen Technologies

  • Regions Financial Corporation

    WINNER

  • The Greenbrier Companies

  • Transocean

Best shareholder engagement (large cap)

Best shareholder engagement (large cap)

Engaging in dialogue with shareholders around governance issues has taken on new importance in the era of say-on-pay. This category, introduced in 2014, will focus on ways that companies are reaching out to proxy decision-makers, often outside of proxy season, to discuss their compensation strategy and other aspects of corporate governance. Formal programs, which may include governance roadshows, shareholder forums, independent director participation, surveys and other means of engagement, will be assessed for both qualitative and quantitative results such as strengthened relationships with institutional investors or a measurable increase in proxy voting support. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Discover Financial Services

  • HP

  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

  • The Allstate Corporation

    WINNER

  • The Kraft Heinz Company

  • Visa

Best use of technology

Best use of technology

The use of technology is becoming an integral part of the way corporate secretaries and other governance professionals communicate with their colleagues and with investors. Entrants should be able to show how their use of new technological tools, social media and the internet has helped to advance governance within their firm. Areas of consideration include, but are not limited to: the use of technology in board communications, shareholder engagement, company meetings, records management and information governance and the successful use of technology to facilitate transactions. The judges will also consider the accessibility of the corporate secretary, general counsel and board of directors using technology, and the quality of information distributed.

Nominees

  • Asana

  • JLL

    WINNER

  • Prudential Financial

  • Regions Financial Corporation

Governance professional of the year (small to mid-cap)

Governance professional of the year (small to mid-cap)

The judges will be looking for the most outstanding individual in a governance, compliance or legal function. Entrants should be able to show exceptional performance in advancing governance and compliance activities at their company. Areas of consideration include, but are not limited to: board structure, shareholder communications, regulatory filing, annual reports and all other areas of the company’s governance operations. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Seth Gastwirth, JLL

  • Henrique Bertolo Canarim, Leidos Holdings

  • Christina Lai, Robinhood Markets

    WINNER

  • Jeffrey Lipschutz, Sallie Mae

Governance professional of the year (large cap)

Governance professional of the year (large cap)

The judges will be looking for the most outstanding individual in a governance, compliance or legal function. Entrants should be able to show exceptional performance in advancing governance and compliance activities at their company. Areas of consideration include, but are not limited to: board structure, shareholder communications, regulatory filing, annual reports and all other areas of the company’s governance operations. Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Fernando Contreras, Baker Hughes

  • Laura Giacino, Johnson & Johnson

  • Kevin Bohl, Ventas

    WINNER

Governance team of the year (small to mid-cap)

Governance team of the year (small to mid-cap)

The size and scope of teams involved in achieving sound governance are growing. Some companies have dozens of people working solely on compliance and governance. This award will look at the best overall governance team in the country, and what it has achieved in the past 12 months. How does the size of the team compare with the size of the company? How have team numbers changed in recent years? Who is involved and what training do they get? Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • Bunge Global

  • Regions Financial Corporation

    WINNER

  • Robinhood Markets

  • Sallie Mae

Governance team of the year (large cap)

Governance team of the year (large cap)

The size and scope of teams involved in achieving sound governance are growing. Some companies have dozens of people working solely on compliance and governance. This award will look at the best overall governance team in the country, and what it has achieved in the past 12 months. How does the size of the team compare with the size of the company? How have team numbers changed in recent years? Who is involved and what training do they get? Market cap definition: Small cap = below US$2 bn / Mid-cap = between US$2 bn - US$20 bn / Large cap = US$20 bn and over

Nominees

  • HP

  • Nasdaq

    WINNER

  • PepsiCo

  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

  • Visa

Rising Star

Rising Star

The judges will be looking for the best newcomer to a governance or compliance role. This person will have been in the profession less than 10 years and have less than 15 years of professional experience, achieving demonstrable success in driving good governance or implementing change at his or her company, advancing academic thinking or making a significant contribution to the governance community at large.

Nominees

  • Mary Wheeler, Regions Financial Corporation

  • Megan Smagala, Sallie Mae

  • Nicole Fritz, The Kraft Heinz Company

    WINNER

Lifetime achievement

Lifetime achievement

We are thrilled to announce that the recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award is Helle Bank Jørgensen.

Nominees

  • Helle Bank Jørgensen

The judging process consists of three simple phases:

Phase one: Once the entry deadline has passed, the Governance Intelligence editorial team reviews all submissions and produces the short list

Phase two: The short-listed entries are shared with an independent judging panel made up of industry experts. The judges review each short-listed entry and select their top two picks per category

Phase three: The judges come together to discuss, debate and select the final list of winners who will go on to win an award

The judges’ votes are not made public, but their comments may be published in articles or reports after the event. Judges are not required to make comments against every submission.

​Market cap definition

  • Small cap = below US$2 bn
  • Mid-cap = between US$2 bn – US$20 bn
  • Large cap = US$20 bn and over

 

Lifetime achievement award

We are thrilled to announce that the recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award is Helle Bank Jørgensen.

Helle is a leading global expert on governance and sustainable business practices, with a 30-year record of turning environmental, social, and governance risks into innovative and profitable business opportunities.

Board members and executives in over 55 countries – many from Fortune 500 companies – have achieved a certification from Competent Boards, and have gone on to help their companies mitigate the risks and seize the opportunities presented by the ever-evolving governance landscape.

A business lawyer and accountant by training, Helle is an internationally recognised voice on governance, sustainability, climate and nature and serves at Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence’s Sustainability & ESG Insights Council; World Economic Forum (WEF) Expert Network for Corporate Governance, Leadership, and Emerging Multinationals; and as co-chair, global expert panel, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) established by HM King Charles III, among other roles.

Originally from Denmark, she now lives in Canada, where she was recognized in 2023 as a ‘Global Changemaker’ by The Globe and Mail and one of the ‘Top 50 Influencers to Follow’ by Onalytica. In 2022 she was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. She was also selected as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in the Green Economy and received the SustainabilityX® Magazine’s Global 50 Women in Sustainability Award.

In addition to Competent Boards, offering the world’s first globally accessible board training program, Helle has a few other brainchildren, including the world’s first green account, the first integrated report, the first holistic supply chain program and many innovative business solutions, and latest The Future Boardroom.

Her Amazon bestseller, Stewards of the Future: A Guide for Competent Boards, was published in 2022.

Meet the judges

Click on the photos below to view biographies.

Hall of fame

Past winners of our coveted Corporate Governance Awards are invited to be inducted into the Corporate Governance Awards Hall of Fame. This is an exclusive alum organization reserved only for individual winners of our awards including the categories – Best Governance Professional across all cap sizes and Lifetime Achievement award winners.

Click here to view the full list of honorees.

Highlights

View the highlights from the 2023 awards ceremony

Who attends our events

Attendees at our awards are leading practitioners from across the US. Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic GRC role within their company.

Some of our past attendees include:

Job title Company Job title Company
Associate general counsel ManpowerGroup Manager, corporate governance and securities Bunge
Attorney The Williams Companies Partner K&L Gates
Chief corporate governance officer Huntington National Bank Partner Vistra
Company secretary Willis Towers Watson Senior counsel The Williams Companies
Corporate paralegal Splunk Senior director, corporate legal Splunk
Corporate sustainability officer, Americas JLL Senior legal specialist Kyndryl Holdings
Deputy general counsel JLL SVP and general counsel The Williams Companies
Director, corporate governance Prudential Financial SVP, deputy general counsel & corporate secretary AIG
Director, environmental data analytics & reporting Phillips 66 Company SVP, general counsel and corporate secretary Avangrid
Director, ESG AT&T SVP, general counsel and secretary Gentherm Incorporated
Director, ESG program & strategy IBM VP & assistant corporate secretary Kyndryl Holdings
Director, investor relations IBM VP & deputy general counsel Microsoft
General counsel Willis Towers Watson VP, assistant general counsel & secretary IBM
General counsel and corporate secretary JLL VP, assistant general counsel, corporate secretary The Williams Companies
General counsel and secretary ManpowerGroup VP, compensation Voya Financial
General manager, ESG & sustainability Phillips 66 Company VP, corporate counsel and ESG Healthpeak Properties
Global chief sustainability officer & head of ESG Cognizant Technology Solutions VP, corporate governance Prudential Financial
Head, ESG First Horizon Corporation VP, deputy general counsel Hewlett Packard Enterprise


Request full attendee list

What our attendees say

"As was said by many, compliance is a critical function in today’s corporate world. Yet, those engaged in that effort receive insufficient attention. Corporate Secretary, generally, and this event in particular, shine appropriate light on not only the substance of ethics, compliance and good governance, but also put faces to the names who lead in this field."

Graybar Electric Company

"The flow and format of the event were excellent!"

Robert Half International

"I enjoyed the Corporate Governance Awards very much. Thank you for the invitation. It was a lot of fun and very well organized. Congratulations!"

Quanta Services

"It is important that the good work done by many members of the corporate governance community be highlighted, and I particularly appreciate the opportunity for recognition offered to smaller companies and rising stars."

Argyle

"The awards are external validation for the work being done by the governance groups within companies whose work might go unseen by the average employee. Having a physical trophy is a good representation of the hard work of those teams"

Lockheed Martin Corporation

"A great production!"

Broadridge

Become a partner

Why partner with us?

Our awards provide a unique opportunity to get in front of some of the most influential people in the GRC community. As a partner, you will gain an extensive amount of exposure through a wide range of print and digital marketing materials, both pre and post event, as well as on the day itself. Additionally, you can use the event to align yourself with GRC excellence and network with key decision makers from across the region – the ones pushing the profession forward through innovation.

Partnering with the event will provide:

  • A chance to network with qualified, senior decision-makers in the GRC community
  • Increased awareness and credibility through association with the region’s leading awards
  • New business opportunities through higher-brand presence among current and potential clients
  • The chance to entertain clients at the most respected event of the year
  • Exposure as the market leader in your chosen area by sponsoring the awards category that best reflects your area of expertise

All our partnerships are created using a mix of branding, thought leadership, lead generation and meetings with your target audience. You tell us your objectives and we will work with you to create you a package that makes sense for your company and will help you achieve those objectives. To find out more get in touch with Ian Richman or call on +1  212 430 6865.

Inquire about partnerships

Partners

Coalition for the Homeless

Governance Intelligence are long-term supporters of the Coalition for the Homeless. The Coalition is doing all in its power to ensure that homeless New Yorkers get the help and protection they need.

At our Governance Intelligence Forum during the day on November 7, we are asking delegates to bring along items to be given to those in need through the Coalition, which are outlined in the donation list link below. We also encourage guests find out other ways they can help by visiting coalitionforthehomeless.org.

 

 

[https://events.irmagazine.com/esgsummer/wp-content/uploads/sites/289/2024/04/Coalition-for-the-Homeless-donations.pdf]VIEW THE DONATION LIST[/btn]

Venue

We are pleased to be hosting our awards at:

Venue:
Cipriani 25 Broadway
25 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

Dress code:
Black tie

Warning: Please note the event may contain flashing lights or sudden loud sound effects.

Directions:
For transport options and directions to the venue, please click here.

Accommodation
Governance Intelligence has arranged preferential rates for awards attendees at nearby hotels. View the hotels and rates by clicking here.

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IR Media Group Ltd, the owner of IR Magazine, Governance Intelligence and IR Community, respect the privacy of every person who visits, registers with or subscribes to our websites and online publications, and is committed to ensuring a safe online experience. This privacy statement applies to all IR Media Group’s websites as listed under the heading ‘Sites’ and outlines the information IR Media Group may collect and how we may use that information. It also explains what we do with information about you when you register to attend one of our events.
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