Welcome to the Society for Corporate Governance!
You have made one of the most important decisions of your career: to join the premier organization dedicated to promoting excellence in the boardroom, achieving the highest levels of professionalism and setting standards for effective corporate governance.
Our goal is to provide you with the tools and resources for effective corporate governance through the exchange of information via online communities and chapter meetings, a weekly newsletter, benchmarking surveys, a member library and national educational programs.
Here is a summary of some of the resources available to you as a member:
Website
The Society website features access to resources such as the Member Directory, Member Libraries, Service Provider Directory, Career Center, Calendar of Events and our Mobile App. To learn more about the website, check out our webinar, Introduction to the Society Website.
The website also has a membership networking component called Society Connect. Society Connect allows members to exchange ideas and best practices in topic-based, online committees and communities. The Society Huddle, a community that includes all Society members, has become an active hub for member questions and dialogue.
Recognizing that those who perform an in-house corporate governance role need a venue to exchange candid opinions and seek advice on relevant – and sometimes sensitive – topics, the Society created an “In-House” Huddle reserved exclusively for our in-house members. Preserving the atmosphere of candor and trust is critically important to providing the Society’s in-house members with the confidence and comfort necessary to provide direct and useful feedback to each other without undue concern. Access to the posts on this board is restricted to in-house members only and should not be shared with anyone outside of the In-House Huddle membership (even those within the same organization). This includes forwarding emails, taking screen shots, printing or any other means of distribution.
Note that through the Member Directory, you have access to comprehensive member profiles. Use of this directory is intended for and limited to personal and confidential networking between individual members. At no time will this list be used in any way for direct marketing, including but not limited to telephonic solicitation, direct mail, or direct email. Be sure to update your own profile and most important – upload your photo.
Networking
Society Connect is a great networking tool, but nothing can take the place of face-to-face interaction with other members. The Society offers several avenues for member networking. At the local level there are chapter meetings. Each new member is assigned to a local chapter. Each chapter has officers who volunteer their time to plan and execute informative programs with networking opportunities. If you are unsure of which chapter you belong to or would like more information on how you can become involved at the chapter level, contact Member Services at membership@governanceprofessionals.org.
Educational Programs
Throughout the year, the Society sponsors many educational programs, facilitating learning and networking.
The largest and most ambitious program is the National Conference which takes place in June/July. The National Conference focuses on topical issues as well as timely issues relevant to the office of the Corporate Secretary.
Another popular program is the three day Essentials program in January. Focusing on the fundamentals, this program is designed for both new and experienced governance professionals. Essentials provides practical solutions on how to handle the responsibilities of the Corporate Secretary’s office at public, private and nonprofit companies.
Other educational programs include Essentials Express, a pared down version of Essentials, lasting 1 ½ days and Delaware Law Issues Update. This program which is co-sponsored with the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, focuses on Delaware corporate law issues essential to corporate secretaries, in-house and outside counsel.
The Society also holds numerous webinars on current topics and sponsors Governance Minutes, a monthly webcast of an interview with a governance expert.