This session offers a practical and insightful overview of corporate governance, highlighting its vital role in fostering accountability, transparency, and long-term value of companies. The session outlines how strong governance structures support both corporate performance and investor confidence, while poor governance can lead to trust breakdowns and business failure. Real-world and current case studies will be used to discuss and illustrate the success and failures of corporate governance in the marketplace.
The session also explores the distinct roles of the board and management, the legal and fiduciary duties of directors, and the balance boards must strike between oversight and support. We will also look at the importance of director diversity, particularly cognitive diversity, in enhancing board effectiveness and strategic decision-making.
Lawyers who may aspire to be directors will also be guided on board service as a meaningful path of impact and growth, and the role they can play in underscoring the value of continuous learning and ethical leadership in shaping responsible, resilient organisations.
SPEAKER
Kay is an experienced board director and corporate lawyer with over 25 years in legal, corporate governance, technology, and sustainability.
She has served on SGX-listed companies and non-profits, guiding boards through change management, digital transformation, regulatory compliance, and governance challenges. She is an Independent Director at Grand Banks Yachts Ltd (SGX: G50), where she chairs the Remuneration Committee and serves on the Risk Management and Audit Committee. She is also Vice-Chair of the Singapore Heart Foundation, and Board Member at Red Pencil Singapore. She previously served on the boards of Nera Telecommunications Ltd, Breast Cancer Foundation, AWWA Ltd, and Passerelles Numériques. Kay’s corporate leadership included senior executive global roles at Aveva-Schneider Electric, VMware, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and Cloudera.
Qualified as a Barrister-at-Law in England & Wales, and admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor in Singapore, Kay has practiced law with Drew & Napier, Allen & Overy and Shook Lin & Bok. She holds law degrees from Sheffield, Cardiff, and NUS, with business certifications from Stanford, MIT, and Oxford.
A corporate governance expert, she is certified by INSEAD and SID. She is a frequent speaker on corporate governance matters, and lectures at NUS and SMU. Fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Malay, Kay is passionate about mentoring and advancing boardroom
leadership.
FEES
| a. | | Registration Fee |
| | | Registration fee of S$163.50* (inclusive of GST) applies |
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| b. | | Group Registration |
| | | Registration fee of S$147.15* (inclusive of GST) applies if there are at least 10 participants from the same organisation. |
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| c. | | SMU Alumni (LLB / JD / LLM graduates) |
| | | Registration fee of S$147.15* (inclusive of GST) applies for SMU LLB/ JD/ LLM Alumni |
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| | | *Please note that there will be no refund of any fees should the participant cancel the registration/ fail to attend the event. However, registration is transferable. Notice of any change in participant should be sent to the Academy via email by 2 July 2025. SMU Law Academy reserves the right to cancel or postpone any event. In such case, we will arrange for the refund of fees paid. |
