Global Sustain Club successfully hosted the Roundtable: “Corporate Governance” for the Members of the Global Sustain Club.

The Global Sustain Club, recognising the importance of the “G” (Governance) in ESG in the daily operations of any modern business, held a Roundtable on “Corporate Governance”, which took place at Global Sustain’s headquarters (11 Amfitheas Avenue, Nea Smyrni) on March 11, 2024.

The Panel included:

• Mika Lalaouni, Partner, Drakopoulos Law Firm.
• Michalis Kosmopoulos, Partner, Drakopoulos Law Firm.
• Vassilis Petinis, Managing Partner, RSM Greece.
• Theoni Stylianou, Manager, Executive Search & HR consulting, RSM Greece.

The moderator of the discussion was Mr. Michael Spanos, Managing Director of Global Sustain.

Welcoming the guests and before giving the floor to the speakers, Mr. Spanos gave a brief introduction to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), highlighting the increasing importance of non-financial reporting and the role of corporate governance.

Taking the floor, Ms. Lalaouni and Mr. Kosmopoulos presented the corporate profile of Drakopoulos, the legal services it provides in Greece, Romania and Cyprus and the definition of corporate governance. Among other issues, they described the engagement methoda that companies develop with their stakeholders, the importance of corporate Policies (HR) and Code of Conduct, as well as the crucial role of the management in attracting clients and investors. Presenting case studies of companies that faced severe financial losses and damage to their Brand due to lack of corporate governance practices and strong management, they highlighted the importance of providing corporate governance services and conducting audits across the entire value chain.

In turn, Mr. Petinis and Ms. Stylianou presented the Audit, Governance and Assurance services provided by RSM Greece. They noted that, as a firm of Chartered Accountants, they conduct Third Party audits of companies on corporate governance issues. They stressed that an efficient system ensures that the relationships between the various parties are governed by transparency and honesty. Then, through examples of good practices of their client companies, they emphasized the fundamental role of corporate governance. They pointed out the need to cultural change in Greek companies as well as in the composition of their Board of Directors. Gender equality, diversity and board independence are indicative key pillars for a proper board composition.

The event was attended by employees and C-Level executives from various sectors such as Banks, Construction Companies, Manufacturing Companies, Food Processing, Health & Safety, Retail, Consulting, Communication, Media, as well as representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations.

To see the highlighted video click here.