ICSB Foundation case studies
ICSB Foundation · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ICSB Foundation credential is an entry-level qualification for people who work with, or sit close to, boards and governance functions. It suits new and aspiring directors, company secretaries, governance analysts, risk and compliance staff, and executives who report to a board and want to understand how that room thinks. The ICSB Foundation case studies are 5 cases and about 2,704 words.
1The CEO Succession That Wasn't
The board of a mid-sized healthcare technology company (revenue $180M, 1,200 employees) is planning CEO succession. The current CEO, who founded the company 15 years ago, has announced she will retire in 18 months.
566 words, about 3 min2The Sustainability Report That Didn't Add Up
A publicly listed consumer goods company (revenue €2.5B) has committed to net-zero emissions by 2040. Its latest sustainability report claims a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2019, and a 15% reduction in Scope 3.
533 words, about 3 min3The Cyber Attack That No One Saw Coming
A regional bank (assets $15B) suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted customer account data and disrupted online banking for three days. The bank's board had received quarterly cybersecurity reports from the CISO, but these reports focused on compliance with regulatory checklists and did not include threat intelligence or incident response readiness.
509 words, about 3 min4The ESG-Linked Compensation Dilemma
A global manufacturing company (revenue $4B) has linked 20% of its CEO's annual bonus to ESG targets, including a 15% reduction in carbon intensity and a 10% improvement in employee safety metrics. The CEO is popular and has delivered strong financial results.
542 words, about 3 min5The Data Privacy Breach at the Board Level
A fintech company (10 million users) discovered that a board director had inadvertently shared a spreadsheet containing customer personally identifiable information (PII) with an external consultant via email. The director was using a personal email account because the company's secure board portal was down for maintenance.
554 words, about 3 min