Inaugural Sir Alexander Stone Lecture this October

Professor Esser was appointed to the Sir Alexander Stone chair in commercial law last year and will be hosting an annual lecture.

The lecture will examine how boards translate corporate purpose into long-term decision-making and sustainable value creation under conditions of uncertainty.

Drawing on empirical research of collaborative projects with the Institute of Directors and the FTSE Women Leaders Review, and academic work on corporate purpose and stakeholder governance, it will argue that purpose only becomes meaningful when boards possess the behavioural and institutional capacity to embed it within governance, strategy and collective judgement.

The lecture explores how the UK’s governance framework, including section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 and the UK Corporate Governance Code, provides a foundation oriented toward long-term value creation, yet significant gaps persist between formal compliance and substantive board effectiveness. It further contends that governance failures frequently stem from behavioural deficiencies rather than structural inadequacies alone, and that cognitive diversity, independent challenge and effective chairmanship are essential conditions for purposeful governance.

Register here