14 Mar 08

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Dr John Hood, is hosting the Oxford India Business Forum in Mumbai on 14 March 2008.

The Forum will provide a platform for global business leaders, academics and policy makers to debate and explore the role of corporate governance and capital markets across the globe, including India.

The Dean of the University’s Saïd Business School, Professor Colin Mayer, will give the keynote address. He is an expert in the field of corporate governance and a founder member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI).

Professor Mayer said: ‘Corporate governance has risen to the top of the policy agenda over the last few years. It is now recognised as being critical to both corporate and economic performance and at the heart of the competitive strength of nations.  We have witnessed in this past decade how major corporate scandals can have significant implications for the regulation of corporate sectors and financial markets in different countries.

‘Nowhere has this been more in evidence than in the US, and two of our speakers today, Paul Sarbanes and Michael Oxley, have been at the centre of recent reforms and debates.’

US Senator Paul Sarbanes and the Honorable Michael G Oxley co-authored the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. The Act holds companies liable for unethical actions and has transformed the business world and restored public confidence in Wall Street.

US Senator Paul Sarbanes led the charge to reform the business world and regain investor confidence following the corporate scandals involving Enron, Worldcom and many other firms. Co-author the Honorable Michael G Oxley was appointed Vice Chairman of the NASDAQ Stock Market Inc in March 2007. In this capacity, he serves the NASDAQ executive management team and Board with his expertise in public policy, corporate counselling, financial services and capital markets. He also works with NASDAQ listed companies to increase visibility of the exchanges’ market excellence, business and policy issues.

The other speakers at the event are James Turley, Chairman, Ernst & Young; Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Commerce, Government of India; Peter Sherratt, Vice Chairman, Chief Legal Officer Europe and Asia, Lehman Brothers; and Meleveetil Damodaran, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

The Forum is one of the annual activities of the Oxford University India Business Centre, which is located at the University’s Saïd Business School in Oxford. Dr Hood announced the establishment of the Oxford University India Business Centre and a new Chair in Indian Business Studies during his last visit to India in January 2008.