General commentary on European Union corporate governance proposals

Abstract

is a lawyer, certifi ed management consultant and Associate Professor of Law, Governance & Ethics at York University. He holds a PhD focusing on board of director effectiveness. He has published in leading academic and practitioner journals, advised regulators on corporate governance guidelines, and, as part of his external professional activities, has served as an external board evaluator and governance advisor for ASX, LSE, NYSE, NZ, NASDAQ and TSX companies, as well as in an expert witness capacity in litigation concerning corporate governance reforms. is Managing Director and owner of Artemis Management Group, a company specializing in investment banking services to small and emerging growth enterprises. Previously, John was a partner in a Toronto law fi rm and an investment banker with major investment fi rms in the United States and Canada. Bankes is a director of a number of listed companies, private companies and non-profi t enterprises. He is a graduate of Queen ’ s, York and Harvard Universities and has been an adjunct professor in corporate law at Osgoode Hall Law School. is a consultant to the fi nancial services industry. Among other clients, he has advised the Task Force to Modernize Securities Legislation in Canada and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) as well as fund managers and dealers. He has developed several courses for the IFSE Institute, the educational services arm of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada. He was previously an investment director at a major institutional investor where he acquired fi rst-hand experience of investment products. Fok Kam holds a BSc (Economics) with First Class Honours from the London School of Economics and an MBA from McGill University.