Board members should be briefed on Larry Fink’s latest perspectives on corporate purpose, social responsibility and governance, and the chief legal officer (CLO) is the logical corporate officer to conduct that briefing.
Mr. Fink, the influential chair of the asset management firm BlackRock, has for the last several years issued an open letter to corporate CEOs as a means of advancing his views on both the value of a long-term strategic vision, and on the social responsibilities of corporations. Collectively, these letters combine a persistent advocacy on behalf of corporate social responsibility with calls for more engaged governance and greater board diversity. These letters have become popular fodder for board-level discussion at public, private and nonprofit companies across industry sectors, not just those in which BlackRock holds a position.
