We’ve come up with a series of key questions on a variety of topics geared specifically toward audit committee members and assembled these into a neat, easy-to-navigate format. Topics that are relevant to audit committees include onboarding, self-assessments, efficient meeting management, responsibilities and regulatory guidelines as well as collaboration with and oversight over both internal and external auditors.
A series of Audit Committee Questions
"The role of the Audit Committee is becoming increasingly demanding in a rapidly changing environment. Good corporate governance, which includes an external audit of the financial statements, is vital in safeguarding one of the most important corporate assets: Trust."
– Reto Eberle, Partner, Member of the Board Leadership Center, KPMG Switzerland
Interview with Phyllis Scholl, attorney-at-law and independent board member.
Phyllis Scholl is a lawyer who is at home in the energy industry and has gained extensive experience with M&A transactions in that sector. She also sits on boards of directors for both listed and unlisted companies in the energy industry and is president of a suburban municipality of Zurich. In this interview with Reto Eberle, she talks about the energy crisis currently gripping Europe and how we can make Switzerland’s energy production and energy industry sustainable.
Phyllis Scholl
Interview with Prof. Dr. Marlene Amstad Chair of FINMA’s Board of Directors, Honorary Professor at the University of Bern, Senior Fellow at Harvard and a board member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
In an interview with Prof. Dr. Reto Eberle, Prof. Dr. Marlene Amstad reflects on the past year. Recent events have led to a shift in the risk landscape for banks and insurance companies in Switzerland. Prof. Amstad emphasizes the importance of stability as the foundation of a future-oriented financial center.
Prof. Dr. Marlene Amstad
Interview with Anne Bobillier, member of the Board of Directors of companies such as Romande Energie Holding, Rolex and Skyguide
Hélène Béguin, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of KPMG Switzerland, talks to Anne Bobillier, independent board member and governance consultant, about her career and the current topics that are important for businesses and their boards, but also about the role of women in decision-making bodies.
Read the full interview (PDF in French)
Anne Bobillier
Interview with Ines Pöschel, member of the board of directors for companies such as Alcon, Implenia and Graubündner Kantonalbank
Over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up life as we knew it – with some dramatic consequences. Companies and organizations have also used this phase to make changes. Whereas the duties and responsibilities of the board of directors may be the same, the way the board works together has changed. Reto Eberle interviewed Ines Pöschel.
Ines Pöschel
Interview with Dorothée Deuring, non-executive board member and chairs or serves on the audit committees of Axpo Group, Lonza and Elementis (UK)
The pandemic has accelerated many trends that were already emerging before the crisis: the future of work, the importance of sustainability in corporate strategy and, last but not least, the value of transparent crisis communication. In an interview with Florin Krapp and Reto Eberle, Dorothée Deuring explains what these insights mean for the work of the board of directors.
Dorothée Deuring
Interview with Prof. Dr Michèle Sutter-Rüdisser
Today, more than ever, corporate governance demands innovative approaches and solutions. Prof. Dr Michèle Sutter-Rüdisser is an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Gallen where she heads the Network for Innovative Corporate Governance (NICG). She is also a long-term Visiting Professor for Banking and Insurance at the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, and serves on the board of directors of Helsana Group and Graubündner Kantonalbank as well as on the supervisory board and audit committee of Erste Group Bank AG in Austria. In an interview with Prof. Dr Reto Eberle, Prof. Dr Michèle Sutter-Rüdisser shares her experiences as a scientist, business leader, woman and mother in our changing world.
Prof. Dr Michèle Sutter-Rüdisser
Interview with Regula Wallimann, independent board member and head of the audit committee in various companies
The abrupt changes that upended the global economy and capital markets this year are having a major impact on both their work as well as corporate governance in general. But an optimistic attitude as well as a candid, transparent approach can help it make the right decisions. In an interview with Prof. Dr. Reto Eberle, Regula Wallimann talks about her audit committee experiences during this exceptional year.
Regula Wallimann
Interview with Barbara Heller, Managing Partner of SWIPRA Services
Board members are increasingly being expected to cultivate an awareness of their stakeholders’ various demands and to engage in active dialog on topics like sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Success comes to those who can credibly demonstrate the connection between the company’s strategy and these issues. The Coronavirus will only make this situation more obvious.
Barbara Heller is Managing Partner at SWIPRA Services, a service provider that advises companies on all aspects of corporate governance. In this interview with Prof. Reto Eberle, Partner at KPMG Switzerland, she discusses how well companies are succeeding in this.
Barbara Heller
Our newsletter provides cutting-edge insights on current topics and challenges to help board members face today’s boardroom challenges.
In this section, you will find specifically tailored pieces on accounting, reporting and auditing.
The AC News has now been expanded to include topics that are relevant for all board members. This newsletter will now be published three times a year under a new name: Board Leadership News. Explore our archive of past editions of the Audit Committee News:
