Corporate boards

Share of female board chairs at top 100 SGX listcos edges up to 10%: diversity council

With progress being made on gender diversity, the council is looking at other aspects such as skills, experience and age 

SGX RegCo CEO Tan Boon Gin last week unveiled proposals for new disclosure rules on executive remuneration, dividend policies and investor relations.
HOCK LOCK SIEW

More disclosures tied to value creation could be just the ‘culture shock’ the market needs

Entrenched mindsets that fester in short-term thinking about corporate governance could exact a steep cost

The percentage of female chairs on the STI comes in at 10%, falling below benchmarks in Australia and the UK.

Gender diversity, tenure length remain governance gaps among STI company chairpersons

Just three of the 30 constituents on Singapore’s blue-chip barometer are chaired by women

Routine work will be automated. Information will become more accessible. But the enduring value of the lawyer will not disappear.
THE BROAD VIEW

Why the best general counsels shape risk, not avoid it

In today’s boardroom, what matters is judgment, trust and the ability to guide risk with clarity and integrity

Boards and management teams of listed entities should always think of small, loyal shareholders, including retirees
SENSE & CENTS

A loyal shareholder reflects on riding through tough times in equities markets

Holding onto Singapore stocks may be irrational, but the hope is that doing so will pay off in the long term

The debate on executive remuneration should not be reduced to a binary choice between unquestioning acceptance and blanket scepticism.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Corporate scrutiny must be disciplined and evidence-based

Governance should continue to rest on a framework that combines expert input, fiduciary accountability and transparent disclosure

Regulators like the Singapore Exchange and investor rights groups have recently started urging companies to provide forward guidance, as long as these are made in good faith and are not misleading.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Time for AGMs to be more forward-looking

A forward-looking approach to the annual general meeting helps instil shareholder confidence

SGX made it compulsory for companies to disclose the exact remuneration of CEOs and directors in their annual reports for financial years ending on and after Dec 31, 2024
HOCK LOCK SIEW

Are CEOs paid too much? An NUS study offers insights that hopefully changes more than rules

Investors should look out for the shortcomings in remuneration practices highlighted by the study in the companies in which they own shares

Tow Heng Tan is retiring to “pursue his personal interests and passions” after a 50-year career in corporate and executive leadership, says Sembcorp Industries.

Sembcorp chairman Tow Heng Tan to retire; Andreas Sohmen-Pao to succeed him from Jun 1

Yap Chee Keong will also step down as director and chairman of the audit committee on Apr 29, with Steven Phan taking over thereafter

In more dynamic talent markets, domain-switching is not merely tolerated; it is treated as evidence of range and adaptive capacity.
STEWARDSHIP MATTERS

The ‘CV trap’: Why Singapore must hire for potential, not pedigree

If the city-state is to turn AI into a national advantage, companies must rethink how they evaluate talent