Topic Overview

In the broadest terms, the fiduciary role is asset protection. Traditionally, fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities has meant complying with governing rules and regulations, behaving prudently, and taking only calculated risks - in short, playing defense. But as the saying goes, "the best defense is a good offense." And the best way to protect shareholders’ assets is to ensure these assets are stronger and more robust than those of your competitors. In this context, competitors are all alternative investments of comparable risk. A solid offensive approach for protecting shareholder investment requires our thorough understanding of the company's proposed strategies and related projections of costs and future earnings. These must be evaluated against alternative competitive strategies and investments, with their attendant costs and projected earnings.

This balanced approach to the fiduciary role - both defense and offense - creates an effective context for the advisory role of corporate governance, the topic of our October chapter meeting.

Guest Speakers

Claire L. Calandra, President, The CLC Group, LLC