As the (virtual) ink dries on this (virtual) paper, there is shared Australian community outrage at the excessive, extensive and seemingly endemic bad conduct by employees of the major banks and finance houses.  However, whilst loss of community confidence in institutions was once seen as the domain of large corporations, loss of community confidence in not-for-profit organisations and institutions is at an all-time high in Australia.

Poorly managed conflicts of interest in the boardroom can cast long shadows. They can inflict lasting damage on the dynamic and operation of the board. For as long as boards are made up of people they are likely to continue to be one of the most common sources of boardroom tension and yet are still amongst the least well understood.

When it comes to many such decisions confronting boards today, too often the board feels at sea. Too much technical information and too little familiarity around the board table with the concepts concerned can result in the board not only failing to add value but instead subtracting value.