Corporate Governance Awards Entry Pack 2022
Access articles from past winners and gain tips for writing an award-winning entry
*Corporate Governance Awards*
Entry Pack 2022
Celebrate excellence
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Cipriani 25 Broadway, New York
**CorporateSecretary.com/CGA**
What it means to win a Corporate Governance Award
The euphoria of winning an award doesn't end when you collect your trophy on stage at the awards ceremony. Past winners have gone on to make outstanding contributions to the governance community by setting the standards for good governance, mentoring the next generation of governance practitioners and pushing the boundaries of excellence.
Outside of the awards, our past winners have been able to find better prospects when recruiting resources, have increased credibility within the community, received increased visibility within their company and not least - enjoyed better career opportunities!
2021 award winners include:
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Entry deadline
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Midnight (ET) on Friday, July 22
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Short lists informed
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September onwards |
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Short lists announced publicly
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Wednesday, October 12
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Virtual awards ceremony and winners announced
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Wednesday, November 9
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Who can nominate and be nominated?
Who can nominate and be nominated?
Corporate secretaries, general counsel, governance officers and compliance officers at any company listed and domiciled in the US can be nominated.
Entries can be submitted directly by an individual or company nominating itself, or by an outside law firm, vendor or service provider on behalf of a nominee.
There are no restrictions on the number of categories a company can be nominated for.
Category breakdown
Find out more about the category criteria
Please note: all submissions must relate to work carried out in the period July 2021 to June 2022.
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.
Best compliance and ethics program
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.
Best ESG reporting
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.
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.
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.
Best proxy statement (small, mid and 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.
Best shareholder engagement
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.
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.
Governance professional of the year (small to mid-cap and 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.
Governance team of the year (small to mid-cap and 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?
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
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
How to submit an entry
Find out more about the entry requirements and follow the checklist to start your submission
What are the entry requirements?
All work submitted must have been undertaken within the US or, in the case of overseas work, have been initiated or co-ordinated in the US.
The judges will be looking for demonstrable quantitative and qualitative results. Please submit all entries according to the following format:
Executive summary
The executive summary should showcase the nomination as this is the section that the judges will pay the most attention to.
This may include:
- a brief outline of the reasons the individual/team/company should be considered
- a summary of the activities the nominee has undertaken
- descriptions of the relevant circumstances, objectives, outcomes and timeframes
- other elements – such as cost-effectiveness, impact on company, share price effects, involvement of outside vendors or consultants and creativity of approach – are optional
Supporting documents
This may include:
- names and contacts of the decision-makers and governance leaders who can comment on a nominee’s governance best practices (that is, proxy decision-makers, community stakeholders, and so on)
- links to pertinent web pages or an expanded list of a nominees’ achievements. We recommend that you keep this to a maximum of four pages
- you may also upload or provide links to supporting documents such as memos, white papers, proxy statements, annual reports or ESG reports – particularly if they directly relate to the category you’re nominating in
Please note: all submissions must relate to work carried out in the period July 2021 to June 2022.
Special Report: Corporate Governance Awards 2021
This special report covers everything you need to know about best practices in a range of GRC fields, with our 2021 winners providing detailed insights into their cutting-edge governance programs. Read on to gain tips and ideas
Special Report: Corporate Governance Awards 2021
As we go through 2022, we want to share with you a special report which celebrates the winners of the 2021 Corporate Governance Awards.
This exclusive report features in-depth profiles and interviews with each of our previous award winners, disclosing the secrets of their success and taking a close look at what 2022 has in store.
Click here to read the report.
View the report and 2021 winners here
How to curate a winning entry
Top tips and advice from judges
Joan Conley and Eileen Kamerick
What makes an entry stand out from the crowd?
We asked judges Joan Conley, board member with EJF Acquisition Corp and Tigo Energy, and Eileen Kamerick, non-executive director at Associated Banc-corp, ACV Auctions, Hochschild Mining and Legg Mason Closed End Funds, about the type of things they do and don't want to see in your entries.
Why are the Corporate Governance Awards important within the US governance community?
Joan Conley: Both the role and the work of the governance professional has evolved over the past decade, most notably during the past three years. Both the board and the C-suite rely on the governance [team] more than ever before to peer around the corner and spot issues [then] identify and propose solutions.
The annual Corporate Governance Awards recognize innovative governance thought leaders and programs. Governance professionals, boards and C-suite members all learn from the noteworthy programs created by the Corporate Governance Awards recipients. The governance and ESG programs and disclosures of the annual award winners are the ultimate learning tool for a governance professional.
What is your advice for someone making a submission to the awards for the first time?
Joan Conley: Please tell your comprehensive story for the judges to review. As a judge, I conduct a deep dive review of the current proxy and the prior year’s proxy to identify enhancements and innovation as detailed in the submission. It is most helpful to have the submitter assist with highlighting learnings (content and sources) from prior years and enhancements.
Eileen Kamerick: My advice for making a submission for the first time is to be authentic and think about what is unique and a competitive differentiator for your company.
What are you not so keen on seeing - or what do you see too much of - on some entry forms?
Joan Conley: I am keen on seeing new and enhanced disclosures presented in a meaningful way based on engagement sessions with stockholders and stakeholders. I am also seeking innovative governance and ESG programs responsive to SEC rulemaking proposals and global governance trends.
Eileen Kamerick: It’s better not to write long reams of text but to have something that is visual in terms of your approach.
What can members of the governance community learn from putting together a submission and watching who wins the awards?
Joan Conley: There is an enormous learning opportunity in reviewing and conducting a deep dive on the content of the annual Corporate Governance Award winners. I used the innovative approach and content as a guide for many in my role. Learning from award-winners as recognized by the awards is the richest education a governance professional can have on an annual basis.
Eileen Kamerick: I think looking at what others have done and how they have approached specific governance issues can always be a teaching moment. That is one of the advantages of entering this contest.
What would you say to someone unsure about entering their work for an award?
Joan Conley: My counsel would be to look at the past year’s award winners, and conduct a gap analysis on your company programs and the award winner programs to determine if you have instituted an innovative program.
Eileen Kamerick: You don’t have to be a large cap company to win; we see lots of fantastic submissions from smaller companies.
What are you most looking forward to a return to an in-person awards ceremony this year?
Joan Conley: Hands down: in-person engagement with governance professionals and governance thought leaders!
Eileen Kamerick: I look forward to meeting all of the governance aficionados and learning what motivated them to enter the contest. I love hearing about people overcoming governance problems and turning challenges into opportunities.
The deadline for submissions is midnight (ET) on Friday, July 22. Submit your entries before the deadline here.
Click here to see a detailed review of last year’s winners and their work.
How much does it cost to enter?
For 2022, the awards are free to enter.
Can I start my entry online and finish it at a later date?
Yes you can. Our nomination form allows submitters to save their entry as a draft and add to it at a later date.
Can I amend my entry once I have clicked 'save and submit'?
No, entries cannot be amended once they have been submitted for the judges review.
What supporting documents are allowed?
We can accept most file types via the nomination form. If you have any issues uploading a file, please email it to lauren.wilson@corporatesecretary.com.
There is no limit or word count for supporting documents, but please avoid including superfluous documents if they are not relevant to the entry. Remember it is quality and relevance that matter.
Can I hyperlink text in the entry form?
No, the entry form does not allow for text to be hyperlinked. However, there is space in the supporting documents section to add links that support your nomination.
How will my entry be judged?
The judging process is made up of three simple phases:
Phase 1: Once the entry deadline has passed, the Corporate Secretary editorial team reviews all submissions and produces the short list
Phase 2: 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 3: 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.
Will my entry be shared with anyone else apart from the Corporate Secretary team and the judging panel?
Information from your entry (including any files you upload) may be made public after the awards to substantiate your nomination. If you do not wish for your entry to be shared in this way then you should mark it as confidential. There will be an opportunity to do this in the entry form.
When will I know if my entry has made the short list?
We will inform short-listed companies and individuals via email from September onwards.
I have a question that is not answered here. Who do I contact?
You can contact Lauren Wilson, head of event operations, by email at lauren.wilson@corporatesecretary.com or call +44 20 8004 5339.
I have all of the information I need. How do I start my entry?
Click here to go to the entry form and follow the instructions to start the process.
Good luck!
