Andrew Shagrin and David Chekroun: Co-Founders of ICG at ESCP Business School in Paris
Drew Shagrin and David Chekroun are the co-founders and co-directors of the Institute of Corporate Governance at ESCP (École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris) Business School. Our conversation explores key contrasts between U.S., French, and broader European corporate governance practices. We discuss stakeholder dynamics, regulatory approaches to ESG, and boardroom diversity. Additionally, we examine distinctive governance features in France, such as the governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and employee representation on boards. We also address the transformative impact of AI on corporate governance and explore innovative models like the Entreprise à Mission and Public Benefit Corporations, highlighting the growing emphasis on balancing profit with social responsibility. Finally, Drew and David offer personal reflections and experiences, providing valuable insights into the ever-evolving landscape of corporate governance. If you like this show, please consider subscribing, leaving a review or sharing this podcast on social media. You can also contribute and subscribe to the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at evanepstein.substack.com This podcast is sponsored by the American College of Governance Counsel.
Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein · Andrew Shagrin, David Chekroun, Evan Epstein
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (cdn.simplecast.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
(0:00) Intro
(3:27) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.
(4: 14) Start of interview.
(4:56) Drew Shagrin's origin story.
(8:12) David Chekroun's origin story.
(14:15) About the Institute of Corporate Governance at ESCP Business School, based in Paris.
(19:13) The focus of ICG between students, alumni, execs, directors, investors, state representatives, judiciary, and regulators.
(24:57) Corporate purpose under French law: changed in 2019 to explicitly take into consideration E&S issues.
(27:53) Comparing ESG trends from France & EU. The G is rooted in each member state, but E&S falls under the EU green deal.
(33:50) On board diversity: differences between US, France & EU. Sources: Copé Zimmermann Law (2011), Gender Equality Index (2018): on gender pay gaps, and Rixain Act (2021).
(41:32) On State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and the role of the state in corporate governance.
(45:46) On the role of the state in promoting tech industry (startups and scale ups). BPI.
(48:55) On employee representation in the boardroom. In France, since 2013.
(54:19) On Entreprise à Mission structures and PBCs, balancing profit with social responsibility (in AI). The Danone case.
(58:24) Challenges of corporate governance in France: share value, board composition, and stewardship. AFEP and MEDEF.
(50:38) What are the 1-3 books that have greatly influenced your life:
- David:
- The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig (1942)
- Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language by Eva Hoffman (1989)
- The Anatomy of Corporate Law by Reiner Kraakman (2004)
- Drew:
- How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen (2012)
(1:03:48) Who were their mentors, and what they learned from them.
(1:06:11) Quotes they think of often or live their life by.
(1:07:22) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that they love.
(1:08:20) The living person they most admire.
You can follow Evan on social media at:
X: @evanepstein
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/
Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/
__
To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/
__
Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License