Lauren Boehmke Comments on Uptick in Board Committees

Lauren Boehmke, a partner in S&C's General Practice Group, commented on the recent uptick in the numbers of new, targeted public company board committees in Agenda. Lauren notes that, despite the increased interest in topics such as AI and sustainability, "many boards don't necessarily have the bandwidth to add wholly new standing committee roles to their directors' plates."

Many issues that come across boards' desks cover topics that overlap with the duties of multiple committees, leading more boards to focus instead on improving coordination and information-sharing across committees. A recent S&C memo outlines these key topics most likely to be on boards' agendas in the coming year.

Lauren highlighted additional concerns around added oversight for niche topics. "While the creation of an additional committee may lighten the workload of the board's existing committees, the practical difficulties of constituting and scheduling meetings for an additional committee may weigh against their formation."

Read: "Boards Add Committees Despite 'Creeping' Concerns "