10/07/2015
Melsa Ararat elected first and only academic member of the International Corporate Governance Network.
Sabancı University Faculty Member and Corporate Governance Forum Director Melsa Ararat was elected to membership of the board of governors of ICGN (International Corporate Governance Network), a community that brings together asset managers and investors representing USD 26 trillion of capital.
Sabancı University faculty member and Corporate Governance Forum Director Melsa Ararat was elected to the Board of Governors of the ICGN (International Corporate Governance Network) in the General Assembly held in London on June 3rd, 2015. Melsa Ararat is the first academic to be elected as a Governor of ICGN, joining a growing number of female Turkish nationals sitting on international boards of directors.
Melsa Ararat was nominated by members from leading institutions such as Aberdeen Asset Management, Deloitte and Harvard Law School, HHL, and Corporate Governance Society of Brazil. Ararat's nomination was vetted by ICGN founder and corporate governance reform pioneer Ira Millstein, and she received 90% of the votes in the General Assembly to be elected to membership.
As a member of the ICGN Awards Committee and Business Ethics Committee, Melsa Ararat said “I am pleased that Sabancı University became visible once again on an internationally recognized platform by this. During my term on the Board of Governors, I will strive to improve the relations of the Network with academia, and make women's empowerment and risks related to climate change more visible to investors." Ararat explained that human rights, diversity in governance and company models, and integrated reporting were among the most important issues in this year's ICGN conference, and that the transition phase in which the global finance sector finds itself became obvious in the annual conference following the general assembly.
Sabancı University School of Management Dean Professor Füsun Ülengin commented, “I congratulate Melsa Ararat for an achievement that advances the international success of our school one step further. I am proud that Melsa Ararat became the first and only academic member of the International Corporate Governance Network Board of Governors at a time when we must work with diligence on issues like women's empowerment and climate change today if we are to provide better living conditions to future generations."
Investor Relations Society of Turkey Chair Özge Bulut Maraşlı said, "Corporate Governance is a prerequisite that strengthens ties with investors and provides depth to capital markets. Dr. Melsa Ararat brought together national and international stakeholders like universities, regulators and industry representatives to nurture corporate governance in Turkey, produced permanent solutions through her work, and continues to provide solutions to pressing needs. Coming in the footsteps of her latest initiative, the Independent Woman Directors Project, Dr. Ararat's appointment as the first and only academic member of the ICGN Board of Governors and another Independent Woman Director from Turkey serving on international boards delights us, and we would like to commend her success."
Egon Zehnder International Istanbul Office Managing Partner Murat Yeşildere said, "Melsa Ararat's appointment as the first and only academic member of the ICGN Board of Governors makes us proud. Meanwhile, a Turkish national occupying a position of international management is especially inspiring for people like us who fight for gender equality in executive levels. Another important aspect of this appointment is ICGN's steps towards improving diversity in boards. I am confident that Melsa Ararat will enhance the diversity of the ICGN Board of Governors not just as an academic, but as a civil society volunteer liaising between academia and business, and a citizen of the world."
About the International Corporate Governance Network
ICGN is a nonprofit entity founded in London in 1995. ICGN brings together corporate governance professionals led by asset managers and investors representing USD 26 trillion in assets, and issues guidelines, statements and papers to influence investors and financial policies towards better corporate governance. ICGN is an active member of all platforms related to global capital markets and the finance sector.