????Mac電腦制造商蘋(píng)果是否會(huì)贊成董事會(huì)改組？

????《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》（ Wall Street Journal）上周發(fā)表的一篇文章稱(chēng)，蘋(píng)果（Apple）首席執(zhí)行官提姆?庫(kù)克正在物色新的董事會(huì)成員。如果這篇報(bào)道是真的， 那么庫(kù)克的做法便是在效仿史蒂夫?喬布斯欽點(diǎn)蘋(píng)果董事會(huì)成員的老路子，而由此組建的董事會(huì)對(duì)于庫(kù)克來(lái)說(shuō)可能只有名義上的監(jiān)管權(quán)。但是首席執(zhí)行官選擇董事會(huì)成員候選人是公司治理的大忌，因?yàn)槭紫瘓?zhí)行官得向董事會(huì)匯報(bào)，而且首席執(zhí)行官的任用和離職也是董事會(huì)說(shuō)了算。

????的確，蘋(píng)果董事會(huì)也該變一變了。Intuit董事長(zhǎng)比爾?肯貝爾自從1997年以來(lái)就一直在擔(dān)任蘋(píng)果的董事。在今年蘋(píng)果同意和解的工資補(bǔ)繳案的相關(guān)文件中，坎貝爾成為了重要人物。與這起案件相關(guān)的證詞還涉及蘋(píng)果董事長(zhǎng)亞瑟?萊文森，他于2000年開(kāi)始就一直是蘋(píng)果董事會(huì)成員。由于反壟斷的原因，萊文森于2009年退出了谷歌（Google）董事會(huì)。但去年9月，他成為了Calico首席執(zhí)行官。對(duì)于蘋(píng)果董事來(lái)說(shuō)，Calico是一個(gè)極具爭(zhēng)議的怪胎，因?yàn)樗耐顿Y人是谷歌。

????另兩位任期最長(zhǎng)的蘋(píng)果董事是：J. Crew首席執(zhí)行官麥琪?德勒克斯勒，他于1999年加入董事會(huì)；以及美國(guó)前副總統(tǒng)阿爾?戈?duì)枺尤攵聲?huì)的時(shí)間是2003年。德勒克斯勒和戈?duì)柌⒎且怨局卫矶Q(chēng)。2010年，德勒克斯勒擺脫了一場(chǎng)輿論危機(jī)。據(jù)稱(chēng)，造成這個(gè)危機(jī)的原因在于，他曾就潛在的公司出售事宜與其他方面進(jìn)行過(guò)深入探討，但他在7周后才將此事告知J. Crew董事會(huì)。戈?duì)栐I(lǐng)導(dǎo)了蘋(píng)果股票期權(quán)追溯案件的內(nèi)部調(diào)查，并發(fā)布了一篇被一些人認(rèn)為是用來(lái)掩蓋真相的調(diào)查報(bào)告。

????很多董事會(huì)認(rèn)為，重新審視提名和治理委員會(huì)的委員構(gòu)成非常重要，這樣有利于董事的離任并尋找最合適的候選人。一旦不擅長(zhǎng)治理的人或長(zhǎng)時(shí)間位居董事一職的人掌控了這些委員會(huì)，董事會(huì)可能會(huì)陷入重重的困境。對(duì)于技術(shù)公司來(lái)說(shuō)，擁有一成不變的董事會(huì)是個(gè)大忌，因?yàn)榭焖僮兓牟呗孕枰碌乃季S作為支撐。

????蘋(píng)果的董事會(huì)缺乏多樣性，而且在客戶(hù)群方面也不具有代表性。這個(gè)組合似乎跟不上最近公司新聘高管的步伐，包括博柏利（Burberry）前任首席執(zhí)行官安吉娜?阿倫德斯。董事會(huì)目前只有一位女性成員，而且蘋(píng)果所有獨(dú)立董事的年齡都超過(guò)了55歲。蘋(píng)果并未對(duì)置評(píng)要求做出回應(yīng)。

????自從2003年以來(lái)，蘋(píng)果公司的董事會(huì)提名和治理工作一直是由坎貝爾或萊文森以及德勒克斯勒和戈?duì)栘?fù)責(zé)。（蘋(píng)果2011到2014年的代理委托書(shū)顯示，董事會(huì)提名和治理委員會(huì)一直由坎貝爾這位任職時(shí)間最長(zhǎng)的董事?lián)沃飨渌蓡T包括德勒克斯勒和戈?duì)枴?003-2010年的代理委托書(shū)顯示委員會(huì)由萊文森、德勒克斯勒和戈?duì)柦M成。）

????在今年的年度股東大會(huì)上，蘋(píng)果股東否決了代理參與權(quán)議案。依據(jù)這份提案，股東董事會(huì)提名將由蘋(píng)果股東投票產(chǎn)生。不管怎么樣，提名委員會(huì)應(yīng)該征求股東的意見(jiàn)。

????因此，這對(duì)庫(kù)克來(lái)說(shuō)意味著什么？如果這位蘋(píng)果首席執(zhí)行官希望增加新的董事會(huì)成員，有兩條路可以走。他可以獲得董事會(huì)支持，讓提名委員會(huì)開(kāi)始行動(dòng)；或者他也可以建議董事會(huì)考慮改組委員會(huì)，打破老格局，從而讓新上任的獨(dú)立董事在提名過(guò)程中發(fā)揮更大的作用。

????不論在什么情況下，庫(kù)克作為向董事會(huì)匯報(bào)的首席執(zhí)行官，都不應(yīng)該插手董事會(huì)的組建工作。否則就屬于治理不善，可能會(huì)給未來(lái)埋下禍患。而且?guī)炜丝赡芤虼硕豢凵蠈儆诨萜眨℉P）前任董事長(zhǎng)雷?萊恩的帽子。雷曾違反董事會(huì)的治理章程，掌控了董事會(huì)的提名。

????喬布斯的時(shí)代已經(jīng)結(jié)束。對(duì)于蘋(píng)果和庫(kù)克來(lái)說(shuō)，這意味著開(kāi)展完善的公司治理的時(shí)機(jī)到了。除此之外，說(shuō)不定公司還會(huì)因此而獲得一些新理念。

????艾琳諾?布洛克斯海姆（Eleanor Bloxham）是The Value Alliance和Corporate Governance Alliance的首席執(zhí)行官。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

????Is the maker of Macs in for a board reboot?

????According to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook is looking for new board members. If the report is true, Cook’s search is reminiscent of Steve Jobs’ handpicking of an Apple board that would, perhaps in name only, oversee him. But CEO selection of board candidates is a governance no-no because CEOs report to—and are hired and fired by—the board.

????To be sure, the Apple AAPL 0.04% board is certainly ripe for an overhaul. Bill Campbell, the chair of Intuit INTU -0.11% , has served on Apple’s board since 1997. Campbell figured prominently in documents filed in the wage fixing case that Apple agreed to settle this year. The testimony related to that case also referred to Apple Chair Art Levinson, who has been an Apple board member since 2000. Amid antitrust concerns, Levinson stepped down from Google’s board in 2009. But in September of last year, he became CEO of Calico, a controversial gig for an Apple director since Calico is funded by Google GOOG 0.87% .

????The two other longest serving Apple directors are Mickey Drexler, CEO of J. Crew, who has been on the board since 1999, and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, a director since 2003. Drexler and Gore are not known as champions of good governance. Drexler survived a controversy in 2010 when he allegedly waited seven weeks to inform the J. Crew board of in-depth discussions he was holding related to the potential sale of the company. Gore led Apple’s internal investigation into stock options backdating allegations, issuing a report that some considered awhitewash.

????Many boards find it vital to reconsider the people who sit on their nominating and governance committees in order to facilitate director exits and find the best candidates. When the least governance-minded or longest-serving directors control those committees, boards can run into serious roadblocks. Tech firms have a heightened need to avoid stagnant board membership because fast-moving strategies require fresh thinking.

????Apple’s board is not diverse and not reflective of its customer base. The composition seems out of step with the company’s recent new hires, including Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry. The board currently has only one female member—and not a single independent Apple director is under 55. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

????At Apple, Campbell or Levinson, along with Drexler and Gore, have been responsible for board nominations and governance since 2003. (Apple’s 2011 to 2014 proxy filings show the board’s nominating and governance committee has been chaired by Campbell, the board’s longest serving director, with members Drexler and Gore. The 2003 to 2010 filings show the committee composed of Levinson, Drexler, and Gore.)

????At this year’s annual meeting, Apple stockholders did not approve a proxy access proposal that would have allowed shareholder board nominations to appear on Apple’s ballot. Nevertheless, the nominating committee should be seeking shareholder input.

????So, where does this leave Tim Cook? If the Apple CEO wants new board members, he has a couple of options. He can garner board support to get the nominating committee moving—or he can suggest that the board consider reconstituting its committees to shake things up and give newer independent members a bigger role in the nominations process.

????Under no circumstance should Cook, who as CEO reports to the board, be creating the slate. It’s bad governance that could backfire down the road. And it could tarnish Cook with the same brush that painted former HP HPQ 0.45% Chair Ray Lane when he took control of board nominations, contrary to that board’s governance charter.

????The era of Jobs is over. For Apple and Cook, that means it’s time for mature corporate governance. Along with it, perhaps the company will gain some fresh ideas as well.

????Eleanor Bloxham is CEO of The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance.