The purpose of corporate governance is to facilitate effective, entrepreneurial and prudent management that can deliver the long-term success of the company.

To succeed in the modern world, businesses must move away from defensive old-style news management and corporate positioning. ICAEW argues that if companies embrace a positive approach to corporate governance that ensures they connect with and reflect society, they will reap many benefits.

A one-day CPD training course that examines in detail the principles of corporate governance in the UK and how they should be applied.

This ICAEW guide provides an overview of directors' duties and responsibilities, including on internal governance, transactions between a company and its directors or shareholders, and corporate administration. It also covers responsibilities in relation to insolvent or financially challenged companies, as well as penalties for breach of directors' responsibilities.

On this page members of the Corporate Governance Community can find more information on the role of chartered accountants who act as non-executive directors

The role that accountants and auditors play in working to mitigate the risk that large commercial organisations face as a result of the Modern Slavery Act's requirement to annually report on the risk of modern slavery in their business and supply chains.

This practical guide outlines the eight steps to follow to conduct a successful internal audit of culture.

The revised code focuses on the crucial themes of stakeholder engagement, culture, diversity and remuneration.

The UK Corporate Governance Code (formerly known as the Combined Code) sets out standards of good practice for listed companies on board composition and development, remuneration, shareholder relations, accountability and audit. The code is published by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).

The Wates Principles were published in December 2018 and gives guidance to large private companies that willhave to report their corporate governance arrangements from 1 January 2019. They can also be applied by companies outside of those included in the new legislative requirement.

The report ‘Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance Committee’ (usually known as the Cadbury Report) was published in December 1992 and contained a number of recommendations to raise standards in corporate governance. On this page you can access a selection of resources on the report.

Shareholder activism in UK quoted companies continues to be an important and topical issue. The context of this research is the investment scene in the UK and within this context over the last two decades it is clear that considerable change has taken place. The research report covers a variety of topics and provides an overview of some of the positive and negative implications of activism.

3 November 2020: Reporting on 2020 will be a challenge. The Financial Reporting Council Lab acknowledges this but also flags opportunities for the development of investor information despite the uncertainty.

Whistleblowing is central to a company’s system of checks and balances, It can help businesses to mitigate their risks, improve their culture, and ultimately increase their performance, argues ICAEW chief executive Michael Izza.