Courtesy of Society member Peter Swabey, Policy & Research Director, ICSA: The Governance Institute (the Society's UK equivalent), this new guidance: "Good practice for virtual board and committee meetings" is a must-read for corporate secretaries and other governance professionals who are tackling the challenges associated with organizing, facilitating, and documenting virtual board and committee meetings for the first time in connection with COVID-19.
The practical guidance addresses key considerations associated with:
- Selecting a meeting platform
- Pre-meeting logistics
- Meeting attendances, absences, materials, communications, leadership and decision-making
- Technical considerations
- Meeting alternatives (e.g., UWCs, committee delegations)
The Appendix further includes supplemental guidance and tips for board chairs, the corporate secretary and meeting presenters; suggested "ground rules" for participants; and a comparison of virtual meeting providers - Zoom, GoToMeeting, Skype, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts - across multiple dimensions including design and ease of use, annotating and whiteboarding, recording, messaging, and more.
As always, ensure that your planned remote/virtual practices conform to your governing state law, bylaws and other governance documents. See also Foley's "Virtual Shareholder and Board Meetings: Important Considerations for Companies" and these recent reports: "Virtual Board Meeting Minutes & Other COVID-19 Record-Keeping Tips" and "Virtual Board/Committee Meeting Considerations."
This post first appeared in this week's Society Alert!