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.

Citigroup Post-Pandit: Still the Calamity-Prone Board

One of the most disaster-plagued boards in corporate America has done it again. Right after the results of a third quarter that offered the first glimpse of a turnaround, it announces the departure of its CEO and COO the next day. It is a classic case of how not to handle a seminal change, if that’s what it is. No responsible board would permit a situation where the CEO is gone by noon after a sudden announcement in the morning, unless there is something terribly wrong. An orderly period of transition to help investors become acclimatized to the new faces typically occurs. The number one and number two executives never leave at the same time, unless the board is oblivious to the effects of harmful conjecture and divisive speculation, which is what the market will always resort to in the absence of credible and timely information. That’s been happening all day with Citigroup.

These pages have offered much criticism of Citigroup’s governance and leadership for many years. It has been a rolling disaster since the demise of Sandy Weill. Its stock still bears no relationship to what it once was, and is down some 90 percent under Vikram Pandit. The bank lags the performance of its peers. Its board has constantly misread red flags and warning signs has had a tin ear when it comes to how it is being perceived by regulators, investors and retail customers. Admittedly, there are new faces in Citigroup’s boardroom, but this latest event does not contribute to investor confidence and there is much speculation that lurks behind the departures, to say the least.

What is happening at Citigroup may be totally above board. But it is a clumsy way to handle it. And in that regard, nothing has really changed at Citigroup.