Corporate Board Member’s Board Leadership Awards will recognize outstanding individuals and boards who go beyond the basic requirements of governance, regulation, and compliance, aiming for and obtaining excellence and serving as models for other companies and individuals to emulate. The awards underscore the role that corporate governance and effective board leadership play in driving a company’s success and a board’s contribution to long-term value.

After a year of unprecedented challenges, the Awards seek to shine a light on those boards who are making a positive impact serving all of their stakeholders—shareholders, employees, customers, partners and communities.

Independent Director of the Year
This award will recognize a non-executive chairman or lead director who has demonstrated a passion for advancing the principles of good governance. The honoree has the ability to objectively solve the most difficult boardroom challenges, as well as the proven experience to offer independent, sound guidance when the company faces hurdles and opportunities. The honoree effectively leads the board in its interactions with the CEO/management to create a collaborative culture.

Courage in the Boardroom
This award will recognize an individual director or full board that has demonstrated exemplary leadership in overcoming a significant challenge or a making a bold strategic change for the business. The award recipient will exemplify a well-constructed response to a major incident, took a big risk or made a transformative decision in response to business conditions. Examples could include, but are not limited to, an unexpected CEO departure, proxy battle, reputational crisis, a customer crisis, financial turnaround, or how the organization responded to Covid-19, social unrest or other major societal disruptions of 2020 in a positive way. The individual director or full board may have executed a difficult decision in the face of differing opinions within the board or between the board and management.

Through the response, the award recipient sets an example for other boards to follow when faced with unforeseen challenges. Throughout the challenge, the company will have demonstrated uninterrupted business operations in the midst of an adverse or crisis situation.

Greatest Impact On Corporate Boards
This award is open to boards, investors, regulators (past and current), and other corporate governance leaders. The award recipient’s actions will have significantly influenced how all public company boards think about an emerging issue.

Examples could include, but are not limited to:

• a board with exemplary board diversity initiative with transparent board refreshment efforts
• a board with exemplary ESG program implemented and communicated to shareholders
• a board that places high value on shareholder relations through demonstrated willingness to participate in meaningful, transparent dialogue with shareholders to work through shareholder engagement challenges
• an investor whose perspectives have had a recognizable impact on board behaviors and opinions
• a governance thought leader whose work has had a demonstrated positive impact on how boards approach a certain governance issue

Independent Director of the Year:

Non-executive Chairmen and Lead Directors of publicly traded companies

Courage in the Boardroom:

Public Company Board

Greatest Impact on Corporate Boards:

Individual director of public company; investor, activist, regulator, academic, corporate governance adviser, or other influencer in corporate governance

Entries may be self-nominated or submitted on behalf of an individual or corporation by those who work with them, or by outside vendors and service providers.

Materials submitted in support of nominations should relate to qualifications and activities from January 1, 20202 through December 31, 2020. All entries must be received by May 1, 2021 to be eligible for consideration. Eligible entries will consist of an entry form and executive summary. The judges panel will reach out for any necessary supplemental information.

The award recipients will be selected by an independent panel of public company directors.

All award finalists will be provided a complimentary registration to attend Corporate Board Member’s 17th annual Boardroom Summit in September 2021 at the Grand Hyatt in New York. The winners in each of the 3 categories will be invited to participate in a panel discussion shining a light on their achievements and learnings for other directors. A gala reception will be held in honor of the winners during the Summit. Each award recipient will be profiled in the Q4 2021 issue of Corporate Board Member magazine.