The Aftermath of WorldCom and Enron

Has Corporate Governance Really Changed as a Result of Sarbanes-Oxley Act?
 

Tuesday, April 9, 2019
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Uris Hall, 1st Floor, Room 142
​Columbia Business School
Register Here
Lunch will be provided with RSVP.

After the downfalls of WorldCom and Enron in the early 2000’s, the United States passed a federal law which set new and expanded requirements for all U.S. public company boards, management and public accounting firms. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was enacted as a direct reaction to a number of major corporate and accounting scandals, including Enron and WorldCom. But, has much really changed in regards to corporate governance as a result of SOX? This panel will answer that question and more as it provides a firsthand look at the background and behavior that led to SOX and will reflect on changes in corporate governance and audit oversight in light of the bill.

Speakers Include:

• Steve Harris, Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Senate Banking Committee; A principal author of Sarbanes-Oxley
• John White, Chair of the Corporate Governance and Board Advisory Practice, Craveth, Swaine & Moore; Former Director of the Corporate Finance Division, SEC
• Douglas Maine, Former CFO, IBM and MCI (led the sale of MCI to WorldCom)
• Professor Wei Jiang (Faculty Moderator), Arthur F. Burns Professor of Free and Competitive Enterprise, Finance Division

This event is co-sponsored by the Student Leadership and Ethics Board, The Finance Division, and Government and Business Club as part of Leadership and Ethics Week 2019.