Trust and transparency will drive board and audit committee agendas in 2022

Trust and transparency are top of mind for investors and other stakeholders as companies and their boards prepare for 2022.

Drawing on the KPMG Board Leadership Center’s research, insights, and interactions with directors and business leaders, On the 2022 board agenda and On the 2022 audit committee agenda highlight priorities from ESG and stakeholder focus to human capital management and global tax.

Stakeholders will watch how boards and audit committees oversee these priorities, which are fundamental to the business and critical to long-term sustainability and value creation.

The unprecedented events of the past two years have put board oversight to the test. A fast-changing regulatory landscape, economic and supply chain challenges, increased ransomware attacks and other cybersecurity risks, along with demands for action on ESG performance, and other factors impacting the global risk environment will continue to challenge even boards at the top of their game.

“Trust and transparency are more important than ever — not only to the functioning of the capital markets but also to customer relationships, brand reputation, and the health and well-being of employees,” said John Rodi, leader of the Board Leadership Center.

For shareholders and stakeholders, much of that trust and transparency is grounded in the quality of a company’s financial reporting and disclosures and the story they tell, said Stephen Dabney, leader of the KPMG Audit Committee Institute.

“The audit committee’s oversight role has perhaps never been more challenging,” Dabney said. “The crises of 2020 and 2021 and the disruptions they’ve triggered have added significant stress and strain to financial reporting processes and the risk and control environment, and that pressure is likely to continue.”