What are some of the challenges facing board members in providing meaningful oversight? Christina Bresani, head of William Blair’s Corporate Advisory Team, is here to share her take. Host Tom Fox and Christina are going to delve into the current state of the corporate world, touching on the challenges faced by boards of directors. They’ll also discuss the increase of unsolicited offers and the importance of being prepared for them. This is a thought-provoking conversation that will shed light on the current landscape of the corporate world.
Christina Bresani is a seasoned investment banker with over 25 years of experience. She joined UBS right after graduation from Wellesley College where she studied economics and Spanish. After 20 years at UBS, she joined William Blair and currently leads the Corporate Advisory Team, a team that focuses on advising public companies on all things mergers and acquisitions.
Key points you’ll hear them discuss:
- Christina tells Tom, “About 85% of the transactions that we’re seeing right now start with an unsolicited proposal.” They are advising clients on being prepared for unsolicited proposals and valuations in an uncertain market.
- How William Blair works with clients to optimize their portfolio and their process for evaluating selling or spinning off businesses.
- ESG is a focus area for boards. It’s now considered a “must-have” and not a “nice-to-have”. Boards and management teams focus on ESG as a day-to-day part of their decision-making process. Christina is happy to see companies take a more holistic oversight around ESG at the board level.
- There has been an increase in shareholder activism and companies are worried about it and seeking help in preparing for it.
- “Ultimately, what companies need to be thinking about is how to create shareholder value,” Christina tells listeners. This is what should be top of mind for boards going forward, she remarks.
KEY QUOTE:
“There are always intertwined relationships between boards and companies, and the real goal is to get all the brains together in a room to figure out if a deal makes sense for both sets of shareholders.” – Christina Bersani
Resources
Christina Bresani on LinkedIn
