Internal Controls

Few would dispute that these are remarkable times in the history of capital markets, as public companies undertake major accounting changes to meet new regulatory requirements. But to what lengths might companies go to protest? Exasperated by the enormity of it all—and resigned to the inevitability that they’ll have unfavorable reports to file—some public companies […]

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board provided additional answers to questions about Section 404 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Both statements, published in the form of “frequently asked questions,” addressed the recent extension provided to smaller issuers in meeting internal control requirements. In November 2004, the SEC gave […]

This 23-page report, compiled by the American Electronics Association, focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of SOX 404 on small companies.

This profile is the latest in a series of weekly conversations with executives at U.S. public companies who are currently involved in establishing and developing compliance programs. An index of previous conversations is available here. Hydro One’s risk management effort has an interesting history. Tell us about it. Well, I was hired to be head […]

A private sector group is answering the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission’s call for help in offering guidance to smaller companies wrestling to comply with new regulatory requirements. The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations is launching a project to give smaller companies some pointers on how to achieve compliance with new laws and regulations, most notably […]

This profile is the latest in a series of weekly conversations with executives at U.S. public companies who are currently involved in establishing and developing compliance programs. An index of previous conversations is available here. You’re director of compliance at Home Depot. Tell us what that entails. It entails quite a bit, actually. I manage […]

THE FILINGS The Disclosures View The Actual Weakness, Deficiency Disclosures Made During December According to a review of regulatory filings, 56 companies disclosed material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal controls during the month of December 2004. During the same month in 2003, only 14 companies made such disclosures. The December data bring the total […]

This profile is the latest in a series of weekly conversations with executives at U.S. public companies who are currently involved in establishing and developing compliance programs. An index of previous conversations is available here. Your background is in operations. How did you end up handling enterprise risk for Westcon as well? It’s probably rooted […]

This profile is the latest in a series of weekly conversations with executives at U.S. public companies who are currently involved in establishing and developing compliance programs. An index of previous conversations is available here. Tell us about your role as chief risk officer. What’s in your job description? Risk management is a function at […]