Beefing up the board

Worldwide, there is a growing body of opinion that a fundamental reform of the boardroom is necessary if the corporate scandals of recent times are to be avoided in the future. If the board is to be the steward of a company's system of internal control, it is necessary to remove potential conflicts of interest that might inhibit the board's supervisory function or distort its focus. But how is it possible to ensure that the board is not filled with what Michael McAlevey, a partner at law firm