It’s as easy as one, two…

A company directors’ handbook was launched by Ernst & Young, with Michael Katz as the guest speaker at an event in Gauteng last week, with guests including Noah Greenhill, manager of Altx, the recently launched junior board on the JSE.

Katz, who has sat on numerous committees within the country’s corporate governance reports (King I and II) is known for his tax expertise and is one of the architects of the sale of his legal firm to Nedcor for an estimated R400m several years ago.

Back to the book – E&Y launched The Company Director’s Handbook, a practical guide to a better understanding for directors and company secretaries on the issues that impact a director’s roles and responsibilities.

The book tackles the current corporate environment, legal trends and developments, duties, board effectiveness, conflict resolution risk management, corporate citizenship, listing requirements, and the like.

Jayne Mamatt - senior manager in the auditing department at E&Y, and co-author of the book: “A whole range of issues have contributed to the increased awareness of the director’s responsibilities.

“The sooner local companies comply and view corporate governance as an integral part of their business strategy, the better for all their stakeholders.

“Directors can no longer afford to misunderstand their duties, rely on others, without putting the rights checks and balances in place, or claim ignorance of the law.”

The business case for the handbook is compelling. At the moment there are 450 listed companies on the JSE, with the same number of company secretaries and over 3 000 directors, who are all required to keep current on corporate governance and regulatory developments.

Authors of the book: Jayne Mammatt, David du Plessis – senior manager in the outsourcing solutions division at E&Y, and Geoff Everingham, professor of accounting at the University of Cape Town.