RALPH D. WARD is a nationally recognized writer and commentator on the roles of boards of directors and the future of corporate governance worldwide. He is publisher of Boardroom INSIDER, an online e-mail newsletter of firsthand advice for better boards, and edits the Corporate Board, an international journal of corporate governance. He speaks and consults extensively on boardroom issues in the United States and internationally, and is the author of 21st Century Corporate Board and Improving Corporate Boards, both published by Wiley.