CEL: A Code of Corporate Governance for Large Private Companies

In the wake of scandals such as BHS which revealed poor corporate governance practices and neglect of stakeholders’ interest, the Wates Review has been instituted to recommend best practices for large private companies in the UK. The UCL Centre for Ethics and Law is bringing together a panel of experts to discuss the interim report and principles recommended so far, and to address fundamental questions such as:

1. How far will such a Code promote better governed companies;
2. Will such a Code truly engage with stakeholders’ concerns;
3. Does the Code strike the right balance between the commercial freedoms that private companies wish to enjoy and the responsibilities expected of them?

Our panellists are:

• Dr Roger Barker, Barker and Associates Consulting Ltd, Director of Corporate Governance, Institute of Directors
• Dr Konstantinos Sergakis, Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow
• David Styles, Director of Corporate Governance, Financial Reporting Council
• Janet Williamson, Senior Policy, Corporate Governance and Responsibility, Trades Union Congress

Chair by Professor Iris H-Y Chiu, Director, Centre for Ethics and Law, University College London