ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows three axes of engagement: between the the non-executive directors (NEDs) and the investors, between the NEDs and the executives, between the executives and the investors. It explores the first two of these axes that are evolving rapidly, and it is these that authors have been exploring intensively. Achieving this engagement in a constructive than destructive manner is a craft rather than a science, and exploring this craft, with the aid of many master practitioners, is the theme of the book. The book discusses the introduction of the independent non-executive directors (INEDs) into the picture that raises a further set of questions which are a central focus of the book. The obvious way in which the directors direct the business is that they take explicit decisions, individually and collectively, either about specific issues such as a major acquisition or about policies.
