Author: Mak Yuen Teen

Last year, after the third part of the Batman Trilogy, I wrote this “fun” piece on corporate governance. This reflects my love for movies but I also feel that while corporate governance is a serious subject, we have to ask ourselves from time to time “Why so serious?”. I have used this in my corporate governance and ethics course at NUS as a first week reading to get the students to not think that the subject need necessarily be dry. I hope you like it. Warning: Do not read this if you do not have a sense of humour.

MANY of us must have watched The Avengers and Captain America. What some investors expect of independent directors (IDs) is like Captain America: strong, courageous, and noble, who only think of the wellbeing of others and not about themselves. They could do almost the impossible. So, the expectations of some investors about IDs are very high.