Wells Fargo & Company announced regulatory and legal settlements in 2016 relating to its retail banking sales practices, which harmed customers.

Samsung Electronics manufactures a wide range of consumer and industrial electronic equipment and products, such as semiconductors, personal computers, peripherals, monitors, televisions, as well as home appliances, including air conditioners and microwave ovens. The company also produces internet access network systems and telecommunications equipment, including mobile phones.

Against the backdrop of rising populism and low levels of trust in UK businesses, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has been considering how to bring the voice of employees into the boardroom as part of its ongoing efforts to revise the country’s Corporate Governance Code. This follows on from the UK government’s work on the same topic as part of its corporate governance reform green paper in 2017. Unlike regulation in other European countries, UK law does not mandate board level employee representation. However, section 172 of the 2006 Companies Act requires directors to take into account the interests of employees and other stakeholders.

The eyes of the world have been on South Africa again, after the somewhat enforced resignation of former president Jacob Zuma and the swearing in of Cyril Ramaphosa as his successor. Corruption. While it is early days for him as a new president and the criticism of the African National Congress, the anti-apartheid party that has ruled since the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, continues, some are hopeful that he can turn things around in a country embroiled in widespread bribery and corruption.

Japanese companies, sometimes collectively known as Japan Inc, have made negative headlines of late. While some may argue there is no such thing as bad publicity, the scandals shine a rather embarrassing light on what seems to be routine practice. Several industrial companies, such as Kobe Steel, have been accused of falsifying test results on their products. Before that, car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda have had to recall millions of their vehicles. And in a case that is still pending a favourable outcome, industrial giant Toshiba came close to bankruptcy following a string of events that included misreported earnings and the failure of its US nuclear power branch.