Organizing your Council

The organization of its Board of Directors!
You've decided to reorganize your board of directors. Until now, you've met very briefly once a year with your secretary, who is also your son. But after a discussion with another executive, you realized what a professionally organized board could truly offer:

• Gain access to complementary skills and benefit from regular support
• Anticipating risks
• Implement a medium- to long-term strategy
• Gaining perspective
• Benefit from an outside perspective
• To benefit from additional resources, with control over the company's environment, in the event of a crisis

In short, the long-term viability of your business!
Hiring an independent administrator:
So you have called upon an independent administrator to take risks with you, to be supported and to put in place good governance.
An independent administrator is not a consultant who provides advice and then leaves. An independent administrator is a partner who, alongside you, assumes the legal risks (criminal and civil) on a private basis.
Creating an annual schedule:
The first task you will undertake together is to understand the company's defined strategy, to conduct a risk analysis, and consequently to ensure that the appropriate and necessary governance measures are and will be taken into account to guarantee the company's long-term viability on the one hand, and to reduce the legal risk to directors on the other. You will therefore be covering a broad range of topics:

• Risk management
• Compliance with the major challenges of the industry
• Corporate policy
• Medium and long-term vision
• Budget
• Etc…
  

The date of your next board meeting is approaching and you don't really know what it would be wise to prepare.

Here are our tips:
Questions to ask yourself:

• What do you expect from this session?
• What should she bring to your company?
• What are the major short-term challenges?
• What are the sticking points that deserve to be discussed at the board level?
• What do you need to be clear about your business strategy?
• What about the risks?
  
  

Creating an agenda:
Based on this, the chairperson should prepare an agenda along with supporting documents and information so that members can come prepared. Be clear about your expectations and distribute the materials to everyone well in advance.
Also, allow for a session that is long enough to allow for thorough treatment of all points.

How to lead the session?
The chairperson votes last because they have the deciding vote, particularly in the event of a tie. The chairperson is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the debates, giving all participants an equal opportunity to speak, and their role is to encourage questions and stimulate discussion.
Once the meeting has concluded, the decisions must be formally recorded in minutes that outline the actions resulting from those decisions. The allocation of responsibilities and deadlines for implementation must also be clearly documented. It is the secretary's responsibility to handle all preparations before the meeting and all follow-up afterward. The secretary is responsible for the administrative management of the board of directors.

APIA SWISS is here to support you!

If you have any questions regarding the establishment or organization of your board of directors, please do not hesitate to contact us. Furthermore, you can engage Apia Swiss if you are looking for an independent director to assist you in organizing your boards.

APIA Swiss Team