A corporate board is only as good as the people who serve on it and their ability to work together effectively.

Weak or ineffective board members, or directors unable to collaborate for the good of the company, can make corporate governance dysfunctional and ineffective.

The role of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to recruit excellent directors and ensure the board is practicing effective governance.

A strong Nominating and Governance Committee ensures that your company's board is in a state of ongoing self-improvement. 

Meet the Expert

About James

  • 14 years, internationally-recognized leader advising in board governance: board structures, policies and practices, corporate governance education seminars, expert witness/litigation support, board and committee evaluations.
  • Served as the corporate governance expert witness in a major lawsuit against Enron (2008).
  • Founding member and director, Board Advisory Services of Kennesaw State University’s Corporate Governance Center, the oldest governance center in the U.S.
  • Clients include: Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Georgia Board of Regents, Diebold, Inc., Chubb Insurance, and Labaton Sucharow LLP.

Experience

Chief Executive Officer • Board Evaluation Services, Inc.
2008 — Present
  • Advises Boards and senior management in corporate governance issues, provides litigation support, and provides expert witness services
  • Works with publicly traded, non-profit, and quasi-governmental entities, emerging to large enterprise across multiple industries
  • Served as the corporate governance expert witness in a major lawsuit against Enron (2008)
  • Provided litigation support in several high profile cases include J.P. Morgan (London Whale) and Diebold (accounting restatements)
Director • Kennesaw State University, Corporate Governance Center
1995 — Present
  • Director of Board Advisory Services
  • Founding Member - 1995
  • The Corporate Governance Center is nationally recognized as a leading provider of corporate governance information to directors, CEO's and other senior executives, researchers, professors, and advisors
Professor • Kennesaw State University, Michael J. Coles College of Business
1994 — Present
  • Teaching undergraduate and graduate level finance and corporate governance courses, including International Financial Management, Advanced Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance and Executive MBA courses
  • Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching corporate governance and case study writing in Greece (2007).
Chief Officer • United States Merchant Marine
1979 — 1984
Officer on unlimited tonnage world-wide United States flag merchant vessels

Education

The Ohio State University
PhD, Finance, 1994

Thesis

Dividend Policy: Ten Years of Cash Flow Evidence
University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School
MBA, Finance, 1986
United States Merchant Marine Academy
BS, Marine Transportation, 1979

Academic Awards

with Honors

Awards

    • Michael J. Coles College of Business recipient of "Distinguished Teaching Award” for 2012/2013 Academic Year (March 2013).
    • Michael J. Coles College of Business recipient of "Distinguished Professor Award” for 2011/2012 Academic Year (January 2012).
    • National Association of Corporate Directors’ Directorship magazine: one of 34 “People to Watch” in corporate governance. The magazine recognized “a short list of movers and shakers who merit serious attention as potential boardroom influentials” (2010).
    • First Faculty Ambassador recipient of Michael J. Coles College of Business in recognition of work as Corporate Governance Expert Witness in 2008 Enron case (2009/2010) 
    • Senior Specialist Fulbright Scholar, Greece (2007)

            Boards

            • Board of Trustees, Life University; chairs Compensation Committee and member of Board Affairs, Audit and Finance, and Executive Committees.

            Committees

            • Chair, Department Faculty Council, Kennesaw State University (2011 - present)

            Panels

            • Corporate governance panelist on Enron lawsuit, American Bar Association (October, 2009)
            • Ad hoc referee for Journal of Finance, Financial Management, Journal of Banking and Finance, and other publications.
            • Journal of Financial Education, Editorial Board Member (January, 2000 - May, 2002)

            Academia

            • Graduate Teaching Assistant, The Ohio State University (1989 - 1994).

            Publications

            • Published numerous academic refereed journal articles in corporate governance as well as in practitioner outlets such as NACD’s Directorship.
            • “The Compensation Committee Process,” with James Tompkins, Rajaram Veliyath, and Shelly Ye, Contemporary Accounting Research, September 2012.
            • “21st Century Governance and Audit Committee Principles,” (with Paul D. Lapides, Dana R. Hermanson, Joseph V. Carcello, Mark S. Beasley, F. Todd DeZoort, and Terry L. Neal) adopted in textbook “Management” 10th Edition, by Stephen P. Robbins and Mary Coulter, Prentice Hall publishing, 2009

            • “Corporate Governance and Investor Reactions to Seasoned Equity Offerings”, with Rongbing Huang, Social Science Research Network, July 1, 2009

            • "The Peer Review Process in Finance Journals", (with Dana Hermanson and Charles Bailey), v34, Fall 2008, Lead Article, Journal of Financial Education

            What People Are Saying About James

            Like most companies, my company is going through some important changes and I needed to know how those changes affect our board governance. James Tompkins was the perfect expert to address my issues. I felt completely secure about discussing my expertise need.
            Tim Crane
            Member of the Board
            Crane & Co. Inc.
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