News from the CGF desk

 

Did Durban weather scare SA companies away from WCS 2011? (06 Dec'11)

Johannesburg: CGF News

Having just returned from the World Climate Summit 2011 held in Durban between 03-04 December 2011 -- where CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd was selected as one of the Summit’s industry partners -- it was clearly evident that many of South Africa’s top businesses and their leaders were not in attendance.  One wonders if this was due to the erratic weather during the Summit and COP17, which would be rather ironic.

At the Summit, The Carbon War Room announced the 2011 Best-In-Class Gigaton Award Winners, again noticeably devoid of South African companies.  The categories of the Gigaton Award Winners were recognised and applauded for their outstanding business leadership in carbon emissions reduction, high standards of disclosure and the inspiration they have set in the hope that others will follow their example.

There were five Gigaton Award categories, namely; Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Industrials, Telecommunications and Utilities.  Out of the 25 companies from across the world who were nominated for the Gigaton Awards, the following companies won the respective categories: Tesco plc (United Kingdom) won the Consumer Discretionary award, Philips (Netherlands) the Consumer Staples award, Schneider Electric (France) the Industrials award, Swisscom (Switzerland) the Telecommunications award and Centrica (United Kingdom) the Utilities award.  The Gigaton Prize was awarded to Suntech, a Chinese solar energy giant and also represented in South Africa, whilst a special Gigaton prize was given to Germany, having been cited as a country that has been the most inspiring example for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments and deployments.

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Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings opens governance doors for its supply chain (02 Dec '11)

Johannesburg: Press Release Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings (Pty) Ltd has recently achieved Corporate Patron status with CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd, a specialist company involved in a wide range of corporate governance services. Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings is a provider of targeted consulting and implementation skills in the fields of Operational Intelligence, including Process, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Process Safety, Supply Chain, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Business Intelligence (BI).

Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings believes there are strong synergies between their operational focus and the governance speciality of CGF Research Institute as a means of enhancing South Africa’s competitive ability. “Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to be done in South Africa as we continue to limp ahead with low single digit GDP growth, estimated at approximately 3% p.a. compared to our key trading partners Nigeria (7.6% p.a.), Zimbabwe (9.0% p.a.) and China who have GDP growth rates of 9.6%,” says Terry Booysen, the CEO of CGF Research Institute.

“A competitive South Africa needs all its team players working together to build a nation with pride, one that is sustainable and established on a sound governance foundation,” continues Booysen.

As Booysen says, “For many years CGF has been advocating the need for businesses and government to openly support and adopt a culture for sound governance within its business
operations and structures. Typically there are two patterns of response to this call and challenge - one being a convenient denial that there could be any form of errant behaviour and therefore the status quo continues within an organisation, the other, a blissful ignorance of the topic with a business as usual approach.”

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CGF appoints lead contractors to provide competitive edge (18 Nov '11)

Johannesburg: CGF Press Release

As many businesses in South Africa -- large and small -- begin to unpack the necessary work they need to complete as a result of the new Companies Act 2008 which was introduced earlier this year, including the provisions of King III; they may find themselves in a position where an extra “set of hands” is required.  Of course, it’s not just an additional resource that companies will need when they consider the requirements of the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) or the affected policies and other key documents they must now produce; they will need a resource that has the requisite skills in these areas to assist them.

Expectedly companies will be placed under even more cost-cutting pressure going forward into 2012, considering their already tight margins as a result of the world economic slump.  Fuelling this situation will be the implications of last week’s downgrade on the outlook for South Africa's government debt, announced by the ratings agency Moody’s.  Considering these factors, there is hardly an optimistic short-to-medium term outlook for most companies in South Africa, and realistically there is even less chance that companies will be hiring any great numbers of employees in the next few months, even years. The fact that Moody’s has raised its concerns about the government’s ability to rein in spending and keep debt levels under control, suggests that the country’s down grading will create an adverse ripple effect throughout South Africa’s supply chain.  Undoubtedly smaller companies will be affected far quicker than their larger counterparts, and harder too.  Whilst small to medium companies bemoan these demanding times, the reality is that -- notwithstanding the economic pressures -- they are also required to perform their administrative and legal duties as required by the various laws and regulations to which they are expected to comply with.

“To assist our clients in staying abreast of the numerous requirements of the new Companies Act 2008, including King III, CGF Research Institute also provides companies the necessary assistance relating to company secretarial and strategic consulting services”, says Terry Booysen, the CEO of CGF.  The company commenced its operations in 2004 as a research institution, providing its clients such as the South African Breweries, ABSA, Goldfields and various government entities, monthly reports which are related to corporate governance matters.  However since the beginning of 2011, CGF has broadened its offerings to include additional services that assist companies to prepare and write their MOIs, or even guide them when designing their key policies such as ethics, conflict of interest, delegation of authority and similar documentation.  Considering the huge liabilities placed upon directors and prescribed officers, these matters are vital to any company, and failing to implement them -- or updating them -- could result in punitive actions against the company and its officers, not least reputational damage.   Accordingly, CGF has increased its ranks of professionals by appointing Lead Contractors to assist its clients in these complex areas.  CGF’s latest appointment is Andre Barwick, who spent the last nineteen years in the petroleum and oil industry sector as a Legal Adviser and Company Secretary.  Expectedly, CGF’s contractors are independent professionals and specialists in their respective fields of governance, risk and compliance.

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Rifle Shot Performance Holdings Bronze Patron status opens governance doors for its supply chain (27 Oct ’11)

Johannesburg: CGF Press Release

CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd, a specialist company involved in a wide range of corporate governance services, has announced the support of its latest Corporate Patron, Rifle Shot Performance Holdings (Pty) Ltd.

“For many years, CGF has been advocating the need for businesses and government to openly support and adopt a culture for sound governance within its business operations and structures. Typically, and with a few exceptions, there are two patterns of response to this call and challenge; one being a convenient denial that there could be any form of errant behaviour and therefore the status quo continues within an organisation, the other a blissful ignorance of the topic with a business as usual approach,” says Terry Booysen, the CEO of CGF Research.

Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to be done in South Africa as our country continues to limp ahead with single digit GDP growth, estimated at approximately 3% per annum. As compared to our key trading partners such as India and China with GDP averages at 8.9% and 9.6% respectively; South Africa needs all its team players pulling in the same direction if we are to build a nation with pride, and one that is sustainable and established on a sound governance foundation. Increasingly, the call for action has been made for an improved education system, job creation and crime reduction; yet few by comparison are actually willing to put their shoulders to the wheel. True partnerships make a significant impact when each party is willing to be held accountable to the other for its actions, rather than abdicating the responsibilities of the tasks at hand.

Rifle Shot Performance Holdings has most certainly shown their fortitude through their support and partnership with CGF; considering that neither of these companies are the heavy weights of the JSE. “Rather ironically and notwithstanding the size of our companies, CGF and Rifle Shot Performance Holdings is making a significant difference when it comes to assisting the major South African companies understand, and deal with the wide nuances associated with sound business governance practices”, adds Ian Huntly, the co-founder and CEO of Rifle Shot Performance Holdings.

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Tina Eboka: Adding some governance panache to CGF (26 Aug ’11)

Johannesburg: CGF Press release

CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd has established itself amongst many corporates and vertical business sectors as a leader in the areas of corporate governance research and reporting, providing its client base a practical understanding of numerous challenging business and regulatory matters.  Understandably, as the complexity of business continues in an ever increasing web of legislative and regulatory changes -- amongst many other geopolitical related factors -- so the need to consult in wider business circles becomes more critical if one is to act with good risk management and prudent decision making.  Indeed these actions adopted by CGF have allowed our company to gradually expand our credentials and to reach a wider market.  As more external thought processes and inputs continue to be applied by the Honorary Patrons within CGF, so the applicability and demand for further services continues to grow within CGF, thereby allowing our company to increase the value we provide our esteemed client base.

It therefore goes without saying that the selection of our Honourary Patrons -- each who serve a two year period -- is a critical component for CGF, as well as our client base.  Not only is the process of searching for Honourary Patrons an important feature of CGF’s strategy, it is also challenging to ensure that there is an excellent fit between the selected person’s experience and knowledge, which must compliment CGF’s own requirements and of course those of our clients.  Needless to say, when Tina Eboka’s profile was presented to fulfill our woman’s position as Honourary Patron, our executive management team was simply bowled over.  Ms Eboka’s credentials are literally world class, with an academic background that covers an MBA in Business Operations and Project Management which she obtained from Philadelphia University, in the USA.  She also obtained a BSc in Textile Engineering from the same university.  Prior to this, Tina also received a BSc in Applied Maths and Industrial Engineering from the State University of New York, as well as attending the Senior Executive Programme at the Harvard Business School.  From 1984 to 1986 she held the positions of mathematics adjunct professor at Philadelphia University.

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Bernard Peter Agulhas: Accountable to good governance (12 Jul ’11)

Johannesburg: CGF Press release

In the contemporary environment there is the undeniable need for organisations to be adequately informed and equipped in order for them to meet the increasing demands to adopt and implement sound governance practices.

This includes benchmarking against both local and international best practices.  The significance of having good governance practiced by the fiduciaries found within the nations’ leadership of both governmental and corporate spheres cannot be downplayed.   These individuals fly high the flag for good governance and set an example to encourage those around them.

CGF strives to support and advise its constituents to function soundly and sustainably, in line with good governance practices.  Central to this is looking at Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) as related to the strategy, people, processes and technologies of an organisation.

This is no small mission and assisting CGF in its role as educator are key individuals who have been carefully selected to stand as Honourary Patrons.  CGF regards its Honourary Patrons as iconic people; each one being highly regarded for the important contribution they make to society as well as for their ideals and their ethical leadership. The Honourary Patrons exemplify accountable citizenship and serve as models of good governance.

In partnering with CGF, these individuals play an essential part in assisting CGF’s campaign to see more people and organisations evolving to embrace and effectively implement sound governance practice.  They support CGF in its drive to ensure that good governance is laid down as a strong foundation within both the public and private sector.  CGF is proud to announce that Bernard Agulhas has joined the ranks of its Honourary Patrons, namely Dr. Mathews Phosa, Professor Shirley Zinn, Ms Devi Sankaree Govender and Mr Michael Judin.

Bernard’s extensive knowledge and experience, particularly related to the field of auditing, allows him to provide -- among other contributions -- an invaluable oversight function to CGF.

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Rewarding good school governance (20 Jan '11)

Johannesburg: Courtesy - Mail & Guardian Online Press Release - By Thabo Mohlala

An annual national award that recognises schools which promote principles of good governance and discipline has been launched in Johannesburg and is believed to be a first in South Africa.
The award is an initiative of the Proudly South African Campaign and the CGF Research Institute, an organisation concerned about raising the awareness and need for sound governance practices within business and government.  Known as the CGF -- Proudly South African School Governance Award, the initiative is the brainchild of CGF's Chief Executive Officer, Terry Booysen, who has been a governance specialist for eight years and a partner of Proudly South African.  Several of South Africa's municipalities as well as provincial education departments, (notably the Eastern Cape) are facing serious financial and management problems, partly because of the lack of management expertise and good governance.  Booysen said he "strongly believes that good governance is inextricably linked to discipline and that schools are the ideal places where this could be cultivated and promoted". He explained that schools that exercise a high level of discipline among its staff and learners perform well, academically and socially.

Booysen said that principals, as leaders of schools, should be held accountable because it is part of their function to promote and instill discipline among their staff, teachers and learners and this is what good corporate governance is all about.
"The recent incidences of intimidation, violence and crime in our schools across the country, point to a total breakdown of discipline. It means principals as the chief executive officers of schools are failing to instill discipline in their schools and its subjects. Surely, similar to other CEO's in the private sector, school principals also have fiduciary responsibilities and they should also stand the same scrutiny as their business and government counterparts," said Booysen.

The Call for entry for the Awards will be announced by the Proudly South African Campaign in due course.  For more information contact Dalene du Preez at: dalene@proudlysa.co.za / 011 - 327 7778

Source: Mail & Guardian Online Web Address:http://www.mg.co.za/article/2011-01-20-rewarding-good-school-governance

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CGF extends its governance services with new appointment (21 Jan '11)

Johannesburg: CGF Press Release

CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd is delighted to welcome Lucien Caron to the team as a Lead Contractor, where he will focus predominantly upon the company secretariat, regulatory and compliance areas.  Lucien has the following qualifications: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws; Advanced Diploma in Company Law and is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.

After being admitted to practice in the High Court of South Africa, Lucien specialised in commercial law and commercial litigation for a number of years.

After leaving legal practice, Lucien joined the commercial world and held the position of Group Company Secretary for both unlisted and listed companies. During the last 12 years, he has gained extensive experience in company secretarial and corporate governance matters. This includes support to the board of directors and committees, corporate governance and board advisory functions, board effectiveness evaluations, director training and orientation.

He has also gained extensive experience in the fields of regulatory compliance and affairs, legal drafting and opinions, risk management, annual reports,  group insurance portfolios, cover limits and exclusions and renewal processes.

With Lucien’s wealth of experience in both the legal and corporate environment, CGF has added to its unique client offering the knowledge and expertise to professionally meet client’s business needs in its extended governance services.  Moreover, Lucien’s skills complement the CGF offering to provide its clients with a holistic approach to governance, risk and compliance (GRC)

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CGF receives a governance boost from its Honorary Patron: J Michael Judin (19 Jan '11)

Johannesburg: CGF Press Release

For a number of years, CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd (‘CGF’) has become known as an organisation concerned about raising the awareness and need for sound governance practices within business and government.  In its earlier days, CGF was mostly involved in providing a few interested clients a set of hand-packed slides that would cover a few salient points regarding King I and thereafter King II.  Years later, CGF provides extensive coverage of governance reports via web based applications to many corporates, locally and internationally based, amongst other governance, risk and compliance related services.

In 2003, when CGF was in a start-up mode and still trying to establish its credentials and services, there was not a huge interest from the market and the company relied on any form of outside assistance it could receive to help it along in its journey.  Of course, similar to most start-ups, the journey was not only a tough pioneering one, but also extremely difficult considering that there was the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa who was an already established organisation and custodian of the governance arena, as well as the large auditing firms who provided various forms of consulting in this complex field.  Trying to find our way and establish our niche became easier when our clients became more aware of CGF’s objectives to impart governance related information at the “right time and right place” so to speak.  Of course, we also had great business partners, associates and friends which are still in place today, and who would guide the development process of what CGF has become today.

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iS Partners signs up as Bronze Patron of CGF Research Institute (11 Nov '10)

Johannesburg: iS Partners Press Release

iS Partners, the specialist Microsoft Business Intelligence, CRM and performance management solutions provider, is the latest organisation to become a Corporate Patron of CGF Research Institute (‘CGF’), an organisation that conducts research on corporate governance, risk and compliance.   “We are extremely proud to be associated with CGF and see our support of the organisation as an extension of our own corporate ethos, as well as being symbolic of what we endeavour to help our customers achieve,” says Grant van der Wal, CEO of iS Partners.

CGF Research Institute conducts desk-top research on corporate governance, risk and compliance related matters so that companies can better identify their risks and put in place measures to become more compliant, further understanding how to mitigate against various related risks.  iS Partners has signed on as a Bronze Patron of CGF, pledging financial support to the organisation, while boosting credibility by being affiliated with an entity that closely mirrors its business culture and objectives.

“iS Partners is making a significant statement to its customers and suppliers by aligning itself with CGF and our values of promoting good governance,” comments Terry Booysen, executive director of CGF Research Institute. “We believe we have found a strong and credible partner, not only in terms of iS Partners’ corporate values, but also by virtue of the services they provide that enable other companies to meet the growing demands of corporate governance and compliance.”

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Bronze Patron - iS Partners opens governance doors for its supply chain (11 Nov '10)

Johannesburg: CGF Press Release

There is a saying that says “when tough times prevail, the tough get going”. There has never been a truer word spoken for businesses in South Africa, as the economic slowdown has seen many industries take a ‘direct hit’, often resulting in heavy job losses, drastically cut production and sometimes even business closure. Indeed, to survive in these tough economic times; businesses will need to ensure that they deploy well considered and differentiated strategies, whilst at the same time being fully cognisant of their corporate governance practices, which so often get ignored when people become desperate to meet the business objectives and make their financial targets.

Partnerships of course can make a significant difference in the success of a business, particularly when times are tough. Clearly in heightened times of public scrutiny -- including a far greater informed institutional investor -- partnerships need to be established for the correct reasons, and not simply done for the sake of its camaraderie or ‘feel-good’ reasons. Real value must be found when collaborating with other businesses and failing to establish the common ground could waste precious time, money and in fact cause certain reputational damage.

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CGF receives Proudly SA Campaign Champion Award (30 Sep '10)

 
Rosebank, Johannesburg – Thursday September 30, 2010. 13:00

The Proudly South African “Buy Local” campaign of South Africa, which was launched in 2001 to boost job creation and national pride is now more than ever needed to change the economic landscape of our country. This campaign could not have run for the last nine years if it was not for the commitment and dedication of its members.

“Our Proudly South African members are a rare breed.  They are South Africans who believe in the values of integrity, honesty, and reliability and are enthusiastic about making positive contributions to the growth and development of our country”, says CEO, Herbert Mkhize.  He added that one such company who is the epitome of the Proudly South African ethos is CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd.  Since joining the campaign in 2004, CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd contributed extensively to the development and implementation of sound corporate governance principles within the campaign and its members.   As part of the Proudly South African week activities, CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd, headed by CEO Terry Booysen, was awarded for their continuous dedication not only to the campaign and its members, but also to the ethical development of businesses in South Africa.

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When women win, so too does the world (22 Jul '10)

Article issued by CGF Research Institute and the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (South Africa)

Gone are the days when the rights of women were restricted, and they were relegated to ‘second class citizens’, expected only to tend to the domestic chores around their home and taking care of their children.  With the abolishment of various draconian laws and abandonment of certain male dominant perceptions regarding the role of women in leadership -- increasingly -- we are experiencing the positive effects women bring to business, sport, politics and religion.  In a modern business world, which espouses the values of fairness and equality, it is essential that past prejudices against women’s abilities to lead and rule is eradicated and that key leadership positions are filled by women who have the skills, ability and appropriate credentials which are not pre-determined by gender issues.  Moreover, and particularly due to the fast pace of change in business and its competitiveness, employees generally require a lot more motivation and inspiration from their leaders in order to achieve their targets for success than previously.

Interestingly, such motivation does not generally come from male leaders who may tend to be more dogmatic in their leadership style and approach.  Predictably, most women leaders tend to be able to inspire their followers to achieve the required successes through their three basic leadership attributes, these being; motivation, reward and commitment. Considering these qualities are found amongst most women in leadership positions, and also that they tend to choose a particular course of action (or career) over a longer period than their male counterparts, one wonders why there are not more women placed in leadership roles where they can influence, and cause positive change in our society?   Further, it is admitted that women leaders are "more likely to be transformational leaders, defined as those who serve as role models, mentor and empower workers and encourage innovation even when the organisation they lead is generally successful" (Evanston, 2005).  In light of the importance that is attached to the role of women in corporate leadership (amongst their other positions), CGF Research Institute is proud to be strategically aligned to the largest international businesswomen’s network in the world, namely the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW International).  BPW (SA) is the premier business network for women who want the professional edge.

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CGF and HCI Africa: Bolstering Talent Management (21 Jul '10)

Article issued by CGF Research Institute and Human Capital Institute Africa

In order to remain competitive, modern day companies understand the critical importance and value attached to their ability to rapidly adapt their strategy and operations in a changing business environment.  A variety of academic studies have concluded that volatility within companies has increased between two and four-fold from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. To illustrate the point of change and adaption -- more so in the context of people and technology -- one only needs to consider the infamous Moores Law of 1965, predicting that the number of transistors on a chip would double about every two years, whilst the cost of the chip would halve.  Indeed this prediction of change has proved to be true time and again, with massive implications on companies, their employees and humanity at large.

Similarly, the past decades have witnessed changes regarding the manner in which companies deal with their human capital.  Amongst other, business owners and their management have become more closely aligned, technology has improved employee outputs, labour and working conditions have generally become more civil and companies are increasingly being called to provide integrated reports regarding their triple bottom line to extend the company’s spectrum of values. For a company to be able to prosper through these types of changes -- and particularly in a turbulent market -- their strategic plans and operational activities will require agility in order to quickly adapt for competitive advantage.  Clearly the increasing business complexities require a special breed of leadership, supported by talented management with appropriate skills to adapt to, and navigate the company through, ‘unchartered territories’.  Whilst many more corporations will undoubtedly falter due to inept leadership, inflexible strategies or scant governance decisions; those who underpin their structures with credible and appropriately skilled people, may well find themselves being catapulted ahead of their competitors.
 

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IBM plays pivotal role in governance (19 Jul '10)

Article issued by CGF Research Institute

For the years that CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd has been involved in the research, compilation and distribution of a wide range of governance related reports, so too have we recognised the critical need to provide companies a pragmatic understanding of the manner in which they should deal with the resultant changes which may be required.  So often -- and mostly through a lack of understanding -- companies will have a ‘knee jerk’ reaction and believe that achieving a state of compliance to good governance business practices, requires “all the boxes of governance to be ticked”.  This approach to ‘good governance’ is certainly questionable, particularly when companies do not apply their minds to addressing the issues for sound governance which is addressed in a meaningful and practical way.  Indeed many companies in South Africa complain about the excessive regime and burdening regulations placed upon their businesses, and that it is becoming more difficult to run their businesses efficiently.  Of course the laws must be observed and adhered to.  However it is important to remember that companies are mostly established to provide employment and  make money and even though they are doing these both legally and ethically, many businesses are experiencing increased difficulties staying afloat; mostly due to the increased burdens associated with legal and labour related issues.

Where companies and their leadership become frantic regarding the most appropriate manner to address their governance issues, they may be inclined to either over-react, or conversely not place a high priority on the topic.  In either of these extreme examples, this could lead to the company not prioritising the wide ranging disciplines of sound business principles as an underlying philosophy and practice within their strategy and forward direction.  Disregarding these basic building blocks of good governance within the company’s ethos will almost certainly end in disaster, both for the company and of course their directors in terms of their attached liabilities.

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CGF AND EO COLLABORATE TO ENHANCE SA DIRECTORSHIPS (15 Jul '10)

Article issued by CGF Research Institute and Executives Online

Since the release of the King Report on Governance for South Africa 2009 (King III) in March 2010, companies should know the standards of skill, ability and performance expected of directors.  When the prerequisite criteria are lacking from directors, or haphazardly applied, severe forms of penalties can be applied against the company and it’s failing directors.  And so it is not a surprise, particularly given the many examples of failed corporations -- exacerbated by corporate greed -- that some companies have taken to produce various forms of internal polices to guide their leadership in terms of considered good business practices and benchmarking.  One of the most recognised and recent Governance Codes is the King III Report, however there are other codes across the globe who equally espouse ethical business practices which include the Turnbull Report (UK:1999), the Codex (Germany: 2002) and the Higgs & Smith Reports (UK: 2003).

Common to all these governance codes is the need for companies and their leadership to not only exercise effective leadership, good corporate citizenship and sustainability; but indeed that these requirements of companies be evaluated to determine that they are living up to their commitments.  Achieving this will require, amongst other issues, a great team of directors who are knowledgeable, skilled and share a similar ‘chemistry’ found within sound corporate governance principles and practices. 

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CGF attracts another lady Honorary Patron - Devi Sankaree Govender (14 Jul '10)

There’s no doubt the axiom ‘dynamite comes in small packages’ holds true for CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd and its growing team of dedicated employees, who have established a strong market presence in the area of governance, risk and compliance reporting.  The company has been in operation since March 2004 and has seen a steadily growing customer base, with strong business strategic alliances.

Expectedly -- and within the arena of corporate governance matters -- CGF is placed in a position to assist its clients to making some very important, and often strategic decisions wherein governance issues are raised.  In this regard, whilst CGF is cited as a leading governance research establishment, there are times when the most well researched material cannot provide the answers sought after by our member clients and partners.  This is typically when one needs to apply the ‘old fashioned brain’ approach, which somehow still manages to override the most complex computer systems.  It is in this vein that CGF attaches its value to the loyal support of our Honorary and Corporate Patrons, each who play a special role within CGF and serve in an advisory capacity when called upon by CGF’s executive management.

Accordingly, we are delighted to announce that the well-known investigative journalist, Ms Devi Sankaree Govender has accepted an Honorary Patron role within CGF, and who joins the ranks of Professor Shirley Zinn and Dr Mathews Phosa.  Devi is certainly no stranger in the media, and whilst she has been a familiar face on M-Net’s award winning investigative programme, Carte Blanche, we are certain to receive much assistance regarding her invaluable business insights and experience which will bring a new and dynamic dimension to CGF’s business of governance desktop reporting.

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CGF appointed nominating partner for AllWorld Network: South Africa Fast Growth 100 (06 Apr '10)

Advertorial by CGF Research Institute

Whilst a lot of dedication and self belief are required to establish a vibrant business, many people have no idea about the personal sacrifices made by those budding start-up entrepreneurs to ensure that their business dreams become a reality, and that the enterprises they begin are profitable and sustainable.

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CGF goes MAD with six world class rugby captains (12 Jan '10)

We are delighted to announce that CGF Research Institute (Pty) Ltd has become a "friend" of the MAD Foundation which was established in 2003, and is chaired by Francois Pienaar. MAD gives academically talented youngsters from less fortunate backgrounds an exceptional educational opportunity to reach their full potential as leaders and role models in South African society.

About MAD

The Make a Difference (MAD) Foundation is a South African based charity organisation which seeks to develop a select cadre of high performance individuals who can be active role models and inspire others, as well as support each other in the future.  MAD’s eventual aim is to create an alumni group of MAD beneficiaries who create positive change in an emerging democracy.

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