AGRC Certificate in Corporate Governance

Whether you’re a board member or just curious about corporate governance, this AGRC certificate is for you!

Learn what it takes for any firm to build and maintain a robust, dependable, and responsible corporate governance backbone with this self-paced, online certificate delivered by LGCA.

The concept of corporate governance has featured regularly in discussions, both within the professional and academic community, since the 1990s and has become even more prominent following significant cases of corporate failure that had adverse effects on the global interconnected economy.

Additionally, the Certificate places emphasis on how internal control mechanisms need to be designed and underlines how helpful the three lines of defence model may be.

The certificate also covers the importance of maintaining strong and productive relations within the Board, ones that are based on trust and which allow for effective meetings and interaction to be achieved.

Lastly, emphasis is placed on the modern concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental Social Governance (ESG), and Sustainability, and how the Board needs to respond to these trends as they gain increased relevance and importance for the corporate world. Overall, the knowledge obtained by undertaking this Certificate is an invaluable asset for professionals looking to enhance their career prospects in Corporate Governance.

The link between poor corporate governance practices and the excessive taking of risks that led to the downfall or bail-out of important financial institutions necessitated a discussion on how to strengthen corporate governance and protect the economy against similar cases in the future. Effectively, new regulatory requirements have been established, while existing codes of governance have been revised.

Such efforts aim to focus on requirements that should be fulfilled by an organisation’s management body and enhance three areas of governance: remuneration, risk management, and internal control.

In this programme, participants will review key definitions of corporate governance and the benefits associated with the implementation of good corporate governance practices. More specifically, participants will look in greater detail at the Board of Directors, covering the duties and responsibilities of Directors, the composition of the Board, the role of key post-holders, the many Board committees and how they are structured, and how a Board’s performance can be evaluated.

The AGRC Certificate in Corporate Governance provides participants with a thorough understanding of a topic that has gained increasing significance and attention amongst corporations, regulators, and researchers. At the same, the Certificate offers guidance as to how corporations can best prepare in creating solid governance structures that will help them deal with the myriad of modern-day corporate challenges and risks. Syllabus: Introduction to Corporate Governance

• Definition of Corporate Governance
• Ethics and Governance
• Key Relevant Governance Theories
• Agency Theory
• Stakeholder Theory

The Benefits of Corporate Governance

• Board of Directors
• Duties and Responsibilities of Directors
• Specific Requirements for Financial Institutions
• Board Appointments and Composition
• Independent and Non-Executive Directors (INEDs)
• The Importance of Diversity in a Board
• Committee Structure
• Board Committees
• Committee Structure
• Audit Committee
• Risk Committee
• Nominations Committee
• Remuneration Committees
• Key Post-Holders in a Board
• Chair of the Board
• Senior Independent Director (SID)
• CEO (Ex-Officio Board Member)
• Evaluation & Continuous Development
• Knowledge of Industry and OrganisationInternal Control Mechanisms
• Internal Controls and Risk Management
• Three-Lines of Defence model

Intra-Board Relations

• Effective Meetings

CSR, ESG and Sustainability

• Definitions of Relevant Terms
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Environmental Social Governance (ESG)
• Sustainability
• The Business Case for CSR, ESG, and Sustainability
• ESG, Sustainability, and the Role of the Board