The Institute of Directors Malta Branch (IoD) have launched a series of education and networking events called the 08:59 Club, with the first event being led by former HSBC CEO Mark Watkinson, who is a chartered director. The session, on Thursday, will focus on board performance and will include a panel moderated by Mr Watkinson that features Farsons Group chairman Louis Farrugia and former PWC senior partner John Bonello.

Board performance is vital to the success of an organisation and will be the departure point for Mr Watkinson’s presentation which will be accompanied by breakfast. To ensure the board is a strategic asset, it must have the right mix of skills and knowledge as well as the ability to work effectively as a team.

Today’s rapidly changing business environment also requires boards to be flexible and responsive in order to meet unexpected needs and challenges. The Centre for Corporate Governance in a recent report outlined a number of factors hindering effective board performance, including skill deficits or lack of genuine independence on the board; a poor relationship with the CEO and senior management which can impede information flow; conflicts of interest or factional interests on the board, as well as poor chairmanship and in-adequate processes leading to inefficient use of time.

The inaugural IoD 08:59 Club event will be held at EY Malta and will start at 7.30am sharp, ending no later than 8.59am to allow busy directors and entrepreneurs to get in a full day’s work.

Today’s rapidly changing business environment requires boards to be flexible and responsive

IoD Chairman Edwin Ward said: “The board can assist directors in keeping up to date with trends and changes by providing opportunities for training and development, thus enhancing its intellectual capital.

“The skills needed for 21st century boards are not necessarily those that sufficed in the past and we will get real world information about this from our distinguished panel.”  

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