September 11, 2015 – Convene co-organized with the Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies (CHKLC) to find out how companies leverage on the right technology in the boardroom which fulfills rigorous levels of compliance requirements at the lunch seminar. Held at the Hopewell Centre in Hong Kong on September 10, the lunch seminar focused on the topic “Improving Board Performance with Technology — Myth and Reality” to give way to discussions of the key issues and opportunities in the adoption of technology in the boardroom.

Representatives of company secretaries and board chairpersons who attended the event shared valuable input which includes thoughtful questions and useful feedback. Board members in particular have asked the following:

• Does the technology really leverage effectiveness of meetings?
• Is technology worth the value?
• Can you prove that the information exchange is secure?
• Can the design of technology accommodate cultural differences?

This list points back to the primary concerns they have about technology, which include security at the top, followed by cost effectiveness, usability, sustainability, culture, and interactivity.

Regardless of these concerns, they have agreed that all tech-related issues go back to the common challenges faced by traditional board challenges. Ultimately, technology is only a tool and cannot change culture by itself. It is also not a one-size-fits-all answer — different organizations have different needs best addressed by digital tools that can be customised accordingly.

Overall, it was a successful event which we look forward to repeating in the near future. Through intelligent discussions, we will be able to address much more in order to drive technology into the boardroom at a faster rate.