Conference to debate effective corporate governance structures

Recent corporate failures have highlighted serious structural problems both within corporations and in the wider governance of financial markets.

At a major international conference to take place in September, Queen's University Belfast will bring together many of the key players at a critical stage in the debate to develop common standards in international accounting and effective corporate governance structures.

A global centre of excellence in the study of governance, the Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research at Queen's has organised the 'Governing the Corporation' conference to map what went wrong in corporate governance structures and what processes are required to change deficient institutional structures. Regulatory solutions that have been proposed will also be discussed.

Two of the most influential regulators in the world will be among those taking part: William McDonough, Chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; and Alexander Schaub, the Director General of Internal Markets at the European Commission.

The Head of the US General Accounting Office, David Walker, a former partner in Anderson, will join them in debating responsibility for past failure and the dilemmas involved in moving towards more stringent regulation.

"The management of the conflicted, dynamic and interdependent power relationships between the market and its key actors – the state, parties, regulators, corporations and the community of market professionals – has become one of the most pressing issues facing contemporary society," said Dr Justin O'Brien of Queen's University, the Academic Director of the conference.

"Corporate governance and its relationship with wider public policy are pivotal to a new research initiative here at Queen's, which includes post-graduate tuition as well as the facilitation of a transatlantic dialogue among regulators and practitioners. To be able to bring to the University such senior players in the regulation of financial markets for the conference is evidence of our increasing global capacity."

The conference is designed to be as interactive as possible, with a mixture of plenary sessions, roundtable discussions and master classes as well as panel discussions.

A range of disciplines will be represented with leading academics from fields as diverse as psychology and criminology joining colleagues from forensic accounting, management, law and political science.

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