Governing in High-Stakes Moments
Wednesday September 16, 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM PT / 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM ET
 
Own the Room Track Leaders: Gayle Crowell, Sue Harnett, Sara Lord, Laura Provenzale
 
The crisis rarely arrives with notice. It begins with the unexpected call: the CEO has died suddenly—or has been arrested. A public official claims your product causes harm. Your product does cause harm, and people have died. A sudden run on your bank tests liquidity and confidence in real time. The company is hit by a ransomware attack. In these high-stakes moments, the board's judgment, independence, and courage to act before certainty exists shape what happens next. Under pressure, some boards hesitate. Some over-trust. Some wait for facts that will never be complete. Delay becomes liability.
Designed for experienced and aspiring directors alike, this session explores how governance either steadies or fractures when a black swan event becomes a major crisis. Participants leave with sharper instincts, stronger intervention strategies, and a practical crisis governance framework they can apply when the unexpected becomes a reality.
 
Moderator: Laura Provenzale
Speakers: Diana Purcell, Sharon Stern, Shannon Nash, Renu Agrwal