Winter 2006 Boarda newsletter for members of the conferenceAsia board in asia Inside Two Conferences Focus on 2 Recent Conferences and Events Corporate Governance in China 3 Upcoming Conferences 4 Council News Carolyn Brancato, director of The Conference Beijing Bureau, used his keynote speech to rein- Board Corporate Governance Research Center, force the essential role of corporate governance 7 Recent Research led two major corporate governance conferences in ensuring the integrity of China’s banking sys- 8 Events in Beijing in October that were sponsored by tem. Wu Taishi, the head of research at the Bank Deloitte China and Towers Perrin. The first was of Communication and an instrumental player in the Forum on Corporate Governance, which was that bank’s successful public offering, spoke on developed in close partnership with the State- the pressing need for Chinese banks to seek Owned Assets Supervision and Administration joint venture partners who incorporate a high Commission (SASAC) and included more than standard of corporate governance throughout the 120 attendees from Chinese state-owned enter- organization before seeking external financing. prises (SOEs) preparing for privatization. In his keynote address, Liu Dongsheng, director-gen- eral of the Enterprise Reform Bureau of SASAC, explored the relationships in SOEs between state shareholders, the board of direc- tors and the supervisory board. More specifi- cally, he discussed how a clear definition of roles and responsibilities between SOEs and their holding companies is crucial to effective corporate governance and establishing a bal- ance between decision making and execution. Liu also stressed the need to set up a strong supervisory board composed of experienced directors who are not members of management to avoid some of the problems inherent in over- lapping roles. The Forum on Corporate Governance and Chinese Banking was held in association with the China Banking Regulatory Commission’s Beijing Bureau and attended by more than 60 senior representatives from major banks in Han Minxi of the China Banking Regulatory Commission China. Lai Xiomin, director-general of the gave the welcome address at the Forum on Corporate Governance and Chinese Banking. 2 the conference board Boardasia winter 2006 the conference board recent conferences and events Conference Examines Shared Services in China The 2005 Asia-Pacific Shared Services Conference, which was sponsored by The Amherst Group and TPI, gave participants an opportunity to explore the pros and cons of operating service centers in China. Speakers from Philips Electronics (Singapore), DHL Worldwide, Henkel Asia-Pacific, HP Services and the Aditya Birla Group addressed a variety of issues related to aligning shared service operations with business strategies. Attendees also had an opportunity to visit facilities run by Accenture and Honeywell. Gail Fosler Warns of a Possible Slowdown in 2006 During a December visit to Singapore, Gail Fosler, executive vice president and chief econ- omist for The Conference Board, shared her global forecast for 2006 at a briefing hosted by the Singapore Institute of Management. Noting that Andrew Crow, Vice President both the U.S. and Chinese economies are slowing in and CIO—Asia-Pacific for Philips tandem, she discussed the impact of the energy shock on con- Electronics (Singapore), spoke on the challenges his company faces sumers in the United States, Asia and Europe and suggested in aligning strategies across that there are signs of a significant slowdown in growth. 15 countries. Gail Fosler’s economic insights are available to Conference Board members through her monthly publication StraightTalk, which provides the research, forecasts, and objective analysis that regional executives need to make effective decisions within their markets. For more informa- tion, visit www.conference-board.org/economics/stalk.cfm Gail Fosler, Executive Vice President and Chief Economist for The Conference Board. New Series of Webcasts Announced In order to bring fresh ideas about urgent topics to busy executives, The Conference Board Asia- Pacific is launching a new series of Webcasts. These 60-90 minute online presentations will feature Conference Board researchers as well as leading thinkers from Asia-Pacific, the United States and Europe. Upcoming Webcasts February Developing an Ethical Corporate Culture March Human Capital Metrics: Aligning Measurement With Business Goals for Results That Matter April The China Workforce: 2006-2012: Where Will the Skilled Managers Come From? May Corporate Governance in Family-Owned Businesses: Secrets of Good Governance That Drive Market Value June Assessing and Minimizing Risk in Joint Ventures: How Can You Control Risk When You Aren’t the Controlling Partner? For more information, contact Hanifah Yu at [email protected] winter 2006 Boardasia the conference board 3 the conference board upcoming conferences Leading HR Through the Challenges of Growth Asia-Pacific HR Conference and Talent Management Forum February 28–March 2, Hong Kong Leading-edge thinkers and skilled HR practitioners from Asia and around the world will gather in Hong Kong to discuss HR strategy in the region. Specific topics on the conference’s agenda include the HR value proposition, change management, business challenges, leadership devel- opment, mergers and acquisitions and building and operating a business in provincial China. In addition to the conference sessions, attendees will have the option of taking part in a one-day Talent Management Forum for senior executives, which will specifically address talent identifica- tion, hiring, retention and leadership development in Asia-Pacific, and/or a half-day pre-conference workshop on maximizing rotational assign- ments. (Participants may select full packages or individual offerings.) Maximizing Branding and Communication Strategies for Asia Asia-Pacific Marketing and Communication Conference May 24–25, Hong Kong The theme of this year’s conference touches on three areas of critical importance to leaders throughout the region: supporting global brand management strategy from Asia and executing that strategy locally; gain- ing regional understanding and a focus on marketing and communica- tion, both internally and externally; and striving for competitive advantage by using technology to manage marketing operations and con- vey the company’s message. Participants will hear from marketing experts and representatives from some of the most innovative Asia- Pacific, U.S. and European companies. Asia-Pacific Risk and Ethics Working Group The rush of foreign investment into Asia-Pacific is increasing the need for careful manage- ment of legal and reputational risk. Although this problem isn’t unique to Asia-Pacific, there are issues that are region-specific. In managing risk and developing ethics programs and policies, companies accustomed to Western business practices are finding that they must be responsive to the expectations of diverse local constituencies as well as the concerns of multiple foreign stakeholders. The Asia-Pacific Working Group on Risk and Ethics is sponsoring research on effective gover- nance, risk analysis and ethics programs in the region and is seeking members who can con- tribute to the discussion of a range of urgent issues, including ethics programs and the role of the board, how to conduct compliance risk analysis, managing supply chain issues and maintaining company business conduct standards in joint ventures. The next meeting will take place in Shanghai in May and will be hosted by Hill & Associates. For more information, contact Meg Gottemoeller at 852 2804 2438 or [email protected] 4 the conference board Boardasia winter 2006 the conference board council news China Human Resources Council Shell China Limited hosted September’s council sessions at their offices in Beijing. After Lia Belilos, HR director of Shell China Ltd., provided an overview of the company’s business and its HR challenges in China, members examined expatriate compensation and benefits structures using frameworks that had been implemented at Ford and Nokia. The meeting also featured a discussion of best practices in the development of middle managers moderated by Elaine Lin of Baxter Healthcare and an inquiry into people strategy and resource planning led by Niklas Lindholm from Nokia and Elaine Wang from BP. When asked to list pressing HR topics in China, members flagged contributory social insurance, pension schemes, people mobility, shared service experiences, reward management, union involvement and avian flu preparedness. Next meeting April 19-21, Suzhou Asia-Pacific Human Resources Council November’s well-attended meeting was held in Kowloon Bay on the premises of MTR Corporation. In addition to participating in the council sessions, members had the opportunity to visit MTR’s learning facilities and operations centers. Paul Sakrzewski, HR services director in Asia for BOC Gases, gave a presentation on his com- pany’s selection, development and remu- neration policies for international assignees. This was followed by a dis- cussion of work/life balance led by Charles Lim, director of human resources for ASEAN, Australasia and India for P&G, who also provided an overview of P&G’s own substantial global program. Key points mentioned during this discussion included the four drivers that shape work/life initiatives: globalization, technological advances, Members of the Asia-Pacific Human customer responsiveness