The Conference Board
Encyclopedia
The Conference Board, Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan business membership and research group. It has approximately 12,000 executives in its network, from 1200 corporations in 60 countries. It holds conferences, convenes executives, conducts economic and business management research, and is seen as an important speaking venue. It holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States.
It grew from a 1915 meeting at the Yama Farms Inn in New York consisting of presidents of 12 major corporations and six of the foremost industry associations. The gathering included Frederick P. Fish
, Frank A. Vanderlip
and Magnus W. Alexander
, who would become the organization’s chairman and executive secretary. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss
The Conference Board convenes business executives from all kinds of private and public businesses to act as a research and lobby group for their interests. It also promotes its views of "best practice" in industry. Its four principal subject areas are "Economies, Markets & Value Creation"; "Human Capital"; "Corporate Leadership" and "High-Performing Organizations". Jon Spector is the current Chief Executive Officer. On April 1, 2008, Bart van Ark was appointed as the first non-U.S. Chief Economist. The Conference Board's board of trustees includes prominent chief executives who lead global corporations. About half of these business leaders are based outside the U.S. The Conference Board has its main office on Third Avenue, New York City
and other offices in Brussels
, Beijing
, Hong Kong
, and India
. A similar but separate organization exists in Canada
, the Conference Board of Canada
. The Conference Board also sponsors and manages more than 100 worldwide management councils.
for the United States, the United Kingdom, the Euro Area, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico and Australia. It also produces the Consumer Confidence Index, the CEO Confidence Index, the Help Wanted Online Data Series, and other major indicators that have an impact on both business and the financial markets. It also produces a definitive source of information about worldwide institutional investment trends and is a leading source of knowledge about corporate governance
, corporate performance, business ethics
, corporate security, human resources management and global corporate citizenship
.http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4321515 The Conference Board also publishes a magazine of ideas and opinion, which was called Across the Board from 1976 to 2006 and The Conference Board Reviewhttp://www.tcbreview.com/index.php henceforth.
In 2003, The Conference Board's Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise, which included 12 prominent leaders from business and other sectors of society,issued a wide-ranging series of recommendationshttp://www.sec.gov/pdf/confboardcptpe.pdf to help restore public trust in companies, their leaders and the capital markets. Many of these recommendations have been adopted. In 2009, The Conference Board convened a task force on executive compensation.
The Conference Board sponsors and manages the Ron Brown Award
, the only Presidential Award honoring outstanding corporate citizenship
, in White House ceremonies.
History
The organization was founded in 1916 as the National Industrial Conference Board.It grew from a 1915 meeting at the Yama Farms Inn in New York consisting of presidents of 12 major corporations and six of the foremost industry associations. The gathering included Frederick P. Fish
Frederick Fish
Frederick Fish may refer to:*Frederick Samuel Fish , American lawyer, politician and automotive executive at Studebaker*Frederick Perry Fish , American lawyer and executive, president of American Telephone & Telegraph Corporation...
, Frank A. Vanderlip
Frank A. Vanderlip
Frank A. Vanderlip was an American banker. From 1897-1901, Vanderlip was the Assistant Secretary of Treasury for President of the United States William McKinley's second term. In that office he negotiated with National City Bank a $200 million loan to the government to finance the Spanish...
and Magnus W. Alexander
Magnus W. Alexander
Magnus W. Alexander was a German-born American electrical engineer and a technical designer for the General Electric Company and the Westinghouse Electric Company...
, who would become the organization’s chairman and executive secretary. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss
the causes of the increasing strife between employers and their employees and the effect of the rapidly multiplying amount of restrictive labor and social legislation on the conduct of business . . . in order that a proper course of future action might be determined upon, alike beneficial to employers and employees and subservient to the welfare of the nation
Overview
The Conference Board's current mission states:The Conference Board's mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society.
The Conference Board convenes business executives from all kinds of private and public businesses to act as a research and lobby group for their interests. It also promotes its views of "best practice" in industry. Its four principal subject areas are "Economies, Markets & Value Creation"; "Human Capital"; "Corporate Leadership" and "High-Performing Organizations". Jon Spector is the current Chief Executive Officer. On April 1, 2008, Bart van Ark was appointed as the first non-U.S. Chief Economist. The Conference Board's board of trustees includes prominent chief executives who lead global corporations. About half of these business leaders are based outside the U.S. The Conference Board has its main office on Third Avenue, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and other offices in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. A similar but separate organization exists in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Conference Board of Canada
Conference Board of Canada
The Conference Board of Canada is a not-for-profit Canadian organization dedicated to researching and analyzing economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues....
. The Conference Board also sponsors and manages more than 100 worldwide management councils.
Products and services
The organization produces Leading Economic IndicatorsIndex of Leading Indicators
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index is an American economic leading indicator intended to forecast future economic activity. It is calculated by The Conference Board, a non-governmental organization, which determines the value of the index from the values of ten key variables. These...
for the United States, the United Kingdom, the Euro Area, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico and Australia. It also produces the Consumer Confidence Index, the CEO Confidence Index, the Help Wanted Online Data Series, and other major indicators that have an impact on both business and the financial markets. It also produces a definitive source of information about worldwide institutional investment trends and is a leading source of knowledge about corporate governance
Corporate governance
Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
, corporate performance, business ethics
Business ethics
Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.Business...
, corporate security, human resources management and global corporate citizenship
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
.http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4321515 The Conference Board also publishes a magazine of ideas and opinion, which was called Across the Board from 1976 to 2006 and The Conference Board Reviewhttp://www.tcbreview.com/index.php henceforth.
In 2003, The Conference Board's Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise, which included 12 prominent leaders from business and other sectors of society,issued a wide-ranging series of recommendationshttp://www.sec.gov/pdf/confboardcptpe.pdf to help restore public trust in companies, their leaders and the capital markets. Many of these recommendations have been adopted. In 2009, The Conference Board convened a task force on executive compensation.
The Conference Board sponsors and manages the Ron Brown Award
Ron Brown Award
The Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership is a U.S. presidential honor to recognize companies "for the exemplary quality of their relationships with employees and communities"...
, the only Presidential Award honoring outstanding corporate citizenship
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
, in White House ceremonies.