There is no substitute for a culture of integrity in organizations. Compliance alone with the law is not enough. History shows that those who make a practice of skating close to the edge always wind up going over the line. A higher bar of ethics performance is necessary. That bar needs to be set and monitored in the boardroom. ~J. Richard Finlay writing in The Globe and Mail.

Sound governance is not some abstract ideal or utopian pipe dream. Nor does it occur by accident or through sudden outbreaks of altruism. It happens when leaders lead with integrity, when directors actually direct and when stakeholders demand the highest level of ethics and accountability. ~ J. Richard Finlay in testimony before the Standing Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy, Senate of Canada.

The Finlay Centre for Corporate & Public Governance is the longest continuously cited voice on modern governance standards. Our work over the course of four decades helped to build the new paradigm of ethics and accountability by which many corporations and public institutions are judged today.

The Finlay Centre was founded by J. Richard Finlay, one of the world’s most prescient voices for sound boardroom practices, sanity in CEO pay and the ethical responsibilities of trusted leaders. He coined the term stakeholder capitalism in the 1980s.

We pioneered the attributes of environmental responsibility, social purposefulness and successful governance decades before the arrival of ESG. Today we are trying to rebuild the trust that many dubious ESG practices have shattered.

We were the first to predict seismic boardroom flashpoints and downfalls and played key roles in regulatory milestones and reforms.

We’re working to advance the agenda of the new boardroom and public institution of today: diversity at the table; ethics that shine through a culture of integrity; the next chapter in stakeholder capitalism; and leadership that stands as an unrelenting champion for all stakeholders.

Our landmark work in creating what we called a culture of integrity and the ethical practices of trusted organizations has been praised, recognized and replicated around the world.

Our rich institutional memory, combined with a record of innovative thinking for tomorrow’s challenges, provide umatached resources to corporate and public sector players.

Trust is the asset that is unseen until it is shattered. When crisis hits, we know a thing or two about how to rebuild trust— especially in turbulent times.

We’re still one of the world’s most recognized voices on CEO pay and the role of boards as compensation credibility gatekeepers. Somebody has to be.

A Wish for Easter

Easter is a time that brings with it the miracle of spring and the re-birth of the land and the trees, the return of the songbirds and the reappearance of the tulips and spring blossoms. For Christians, it marks a celebration of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of the lessons he taught his flock about peace, understanding, love and kindness towards others, and, especially, toward the least fortunate.

Whatever one’s faith, whether of the other great religions or simply of a private belief in the indomitable spirit of the individual, it is a time to reflect upon the values that are indispensable to a well-lived life, as well as a time to witness and be a part of the renewal of our planet. Whether through the teachings of our Prophets or Savior, or by the insistent call of our own conscience, we are reminded of our duty to find ways of bringing comfort to the afflicted and hope to the oppressed. It is a task that is even more keenly felt in a period that has seen so much suffering in economically torn communities and in far off lands that face starvation and terrible conflict.

We all have a place in the mystery and in the miracle that marks this time of year.