"Technology, Turbulence and Trends" will be Focus of National Conference Of The Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals

NEW YORK, April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The 67^th National Conference of the Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals is set for July 10-13, 2013, in Seattle, Washington.  The theme of this year's conference is Governance | wired, featuring keynote addresses and panel discussions on core issues and practices as well as technology trends affecting corporate professionals.

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"This year, we are excited to focus on governance in a world being transformed by social media, big data and cloud technologies," said Conference Chairman Jim Brashear, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Zix Corporation. "At the same time, we will offer practical advice and tools to assist corporate secretaries in their ever-demanding roles."

This year's meeting offers a rich program including 30 breakout sessions on a wide variety of matters, from nuts and bolts to the hottest topics. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear panels focusing on legal, regulatory and governance issues, and learn how the issues will affect the role of the corporate secretary and governance professional.  Breakout sessions, designed specifically for private, public and non-profit entities, will provide discussion and networking opportunities for Society members and other attendees.

Program highlights include Bill Ayer, Chairman of Alaska Air, as a keynote speaker on "Leading Through Turbulence."  Vanity Fair contributing editor and New York Times bestselling author Kurt Eichenwald will speak at lunch, and  Steven M. Davidoff, Professor, Michael E. Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University and writer for the New York Times Dealbook column will speak at a Saturday brunch.  Other speakers include Jon A. Boscia, founder of Boardroom Advisors, LLC; former CEO of Lincoln Financial Group and former President, Sun Life Financial who will speak on CEO succession and management development, and Bob Zukis, Chairman & Social CEO of Saaskwatch Systems; Senior Fellow, Governance Center at The Conference Board and author of Social Inc., will speak on how social technology is disrupting existing business processes.

Another conference highlight will be a session with former SEC Division of Corporation Finance (CorpFin) heads since 1996, including Meredith Cross, Brian Lane, Alan Beller, David Martin, and John White.  Lona Nallengara, Acting Director of CorpFin, will also speak about current priorities.

Finally, a pre-conference Mock Proxy Battle and a Legal Ethics seminar led by highly regarded Professor David McGowan of the University of San Diego, on being "Reasonably Stubborn," are also included. 

The Society's National Conference typically draws 600-800 governance professionals, including corporate secretaries, in house counsel, outside counsel, investors, academics, and others, from the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia.    

Kenneth Bertsch, President and Chief Executive Office of the Society noted "We are gratified to have representatives from every size company and every type of entity—small to large cap, and non-profit to public authorities and quasi-governmental agencies, as well as companies and investors from across the globe, all of which can benefit from the lively discussions on good governance practices."

To learn more about the meeting or to register to attend, go to http://conference.governanceprofessionals.org/Conference2013/Home/  

The Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals, with more than 3,000 members, is dedicated to providing services that enhance the professional skills of its members, who are business executives involved in duties normally associated with the corporate secretarial function and corporate governance. The Society provides a forum for the exchange of information and networking through its chapters, national committees, conferences and educational seminars.

SOURCE Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals