Kathleen L. Casey, commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, spoke at the national conference of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals. Ms. Casey discussed the challenges of the current regulatory environment and the state of play at the SEC with respect to the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act. She noted her concerns about the federalization of corporate law and increasingly prescriptive rules.
Ms. Casey also highlighted other issues facing the corporate governance community, including recent whistleblower rules, proxy access, trading private shares on alternative trading platforms, and the need for a single set of high-quality accounting rules globally that incorporate International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for U.S. issuers.
At this year's conference, the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals elected John A. Seethoff, vice-president, deputy general counsel, Microsoft Corp., as society chairman for the 2011-2012 year.
Kenneth L. Wagner, vice president, assistant secretary and chief compliance officer of Peabody Energy Corporation was elected chairman for 2011-2012.