Marcy Syms was the keynote speaker at this conference sponsored by Directors & Boards and Family Business Magazine, May 7-9 at the Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington, D.C. The conference covered corporate governance for directors, owners, and advisors of family-owned, closely-held and private-equity owned businesses of all sizes. Subjects included:

• Best practices for the successful private board meeting
• Governance for family-controlled companies
• The use and value of advisory boards
• Committees for private company boards
• Private board composition, evaluation and compensation
• The characteristics of effective private boards