OUR PRACTICES
Corporate Governance, Stewardship & Sustainability
At Cefeidas Group, we assist our clients to develop and strengthen sound corporate governance, stewardship and sustainability strategies that enhance business value, mitigate risk and bolster corporate citizenship.
We work with key leaders of regional companies and international investors across a diverse range of industries to introduce and strengthen sound corporate governance and sustainability practices through the use of innovative initiatives. We produce objective, sophisticated and in-depth research, assessments and implementation programmes, company-comparable benchmark analyses, due diligence work, strategic advice, corporate governance-related documents, and sustainability reporting.
Our vast expertise in corporate governance gives Cefeidas Group the advantage of advising corporate clients on how to holistically incorporate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and sustainability issues throughout their organization (including in their decision-making processes, risk management, control systems, corporate disclosure and stakeholder engagement). We assist clients understand which sustainability topics are materially relevant to their businesses or investments, and thus how they can adapt and adopt specific governance practices, and engage effectively with their various stakeholders. Our experts have advised regulators and other actors in this area.
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We offer our clients the following advantages:
- Use of international best practice methodologies: Cefeidas Group follows the Corporate Governance Development Framework (CGCF) approach, a common platform for evaluating and enhancing governance practices, in assisting clients on identifying key risks and improvement opportunities within their corporate governance and sustainability practices.
- Tailored services: flexibility to adjust easily to our clients’ needs and provide close client care. Our team prides itself on providing excellent, close support to our clients,
- Professional and experienced staff: expert staff drawn from a wide range of disciplines including law, business management, sustainability and finance, offering years of experience working with international and domestic companies and institutions, making our firm one of the region’s leading experts in the development of innovative improvements and solutions
- Family Owned Businesses
- Startups & entrepreneurs
- Public & private corporations
- State owned enterprises
- Financial institutions
- Development financial institutions
- Investment funds
Case Studies
Professionalizing and preparing a family-owned business for the future
Family members of the business had expressed interest in becoming professionally involved in corporate matters. In order to professionalize the company and create value – while allowing the family to stay involved – the FOB needed advice on succession planning, setting up a board and creating structures and policies. Cefeidas Group experts reviewed the company’s corporate governance activities, and in visits to Brazil, conducted face-to-face interviews with key company executives, external advisors, shareholders and stakeholders. Experts also completed an extensive analysis and review of corporate documents.
With this information, Cefeidas Group experts made a series of recommendations based on international best practice in corporate governance. Recommendations were also tailored to ensure both the client’s needs and the requirements of the international investor. The main areas of analysis focused on the company’s commitment to good corporate governance, its board structure and functioning, the control environment, transparency and disclosure and the treatment of minority shareholders. The company, with the help and guidance of Cefeidas Group experts, is now in the process of implementing corporate governance practice recommendations based on a two-year improvement plan. Once fully implemented, a board will have been created, policies established, a succession plan developed and control structures and procedures strengthened.
Aligning a financial institution’s corporate governance practices with national regulations and international best practice
Prior to the assessment, the financial institution had actively implemented a number of corporate governance practices. Cefeidas Group analyzed a series of documents on the institution’s corporate governance-related policies and practices. It also conducted a number of interviews with relevant parties. This process allowed the financial institution’s team to review its practices and processes. Once a number of key improvement areas were identified, Cefeidas Group recommended concrete measures to ensure advancement and benchmarking with industry. As the institution’s team was involved in all stages of the assessment, the exercise not only ensured compliance but also facilitated institutional learning.
Training SMEs to strengthen corporate governance and risk management
Development financial institutions regularly finance private small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs). As part of their service, DFIs often provide training focused on building SMEs’ capacity around corporate governance. A DFI hired Cefeidas Group to provide corporate governance and risk management training to private SMEs operating in Latin America.
Held in Paraguay, the Cefeidas Group training was both practical and interactive. Targeted at compliance officers across the region, it used adult-learning techniques to ensure participants turned their knowledge into practice. Discussions, team-based case studies and Q&As meant participants learned about corporate governance practices, internal controls and how best to implement these.
Cefeidas Group has also provided training and knowledge management on internal controls and other corporate governance topics to the World Bank Group, Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), and the Latin American Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LAVCA). We are internationally recognized as the leading experts in corporate governance capacity building in Latin America.