With the dynamically changing corporate governance environment, the company secretaries need to adapt themselves to not only stay relevant but to assume leadership roles, said S. Subbiah, Vice-Chancellor of Alagappa University here on Monday.
Inaugurating the 10th Southern India Regional Conference of Practicing Company Secretaries organised by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), Mr. Subbiah said that corporate governance was increasingly being taken over by youngsters, who are brimming with ideas and equipped with latest technologies.
“In such a dynamically changing environment, professionals like the corporate secretaries are constantly expected to reassess and enhance their knowledge and skills so as to guide the company management and board rooms effectively,” he said.
Stating that the future looked bright for company secretaries, Mr. Subbiah said that the Companies Act of 2013 had widely enhanced their scope in terms of employment and practice.
He said that company secretaries had come a long way from being conscience keeper of the companies to compliance officer and now governance professionals.
“Having earned the trust of government, regulators and corporates, time has now come for the corporate secretaries to assume leadership roles and guide the corporates in strategy and vision,” he said.
Mr. Subbiah also recollected the long association Alagappa University had with ICSI. “Around twenty members of ICSI in the past have obtained their doctorates from Alagappa University,” he said.
He also appreciated ICSI for instituting gold medal for the topper and registration fee waiver for top three students graduating from the Department of Corporate Secretaryship in the university.
Speaking at the function, Shyam Agarwal, vice president of ICSI, urged for more research work to be carried out by the institute. He said that the roll out of GST will open up lot of opportunities for company secretaries. Other senior office bearers also spoke at the inauguration of the conference, which will come to an end on Saturday.
