European Audit Committee Leadership Network

Audit committees play an extraordinarily important role in corporate governance. They are a critical player in establishing confidence and trust in capital markets by ensuring high-quality, reliable financial reporting. Many audit committees are now charged with overseeing additional risks, including vitally important areas such as cybersecurity.

Chairing the audit committee of a large, global public company is difficult due to the size and complexity of the organization. Success requires judgment, developed from personal experience and insight from others who have faced similar situations. 

Since 2004, the European Audit Committee Leadership Network (EACLN) has helped its members—the chairs of the audit committees at largest European public companies—succeed. Three times each year, EACLN members gather for a confidential group discussion. Meeting agendas are driven by the members’ interests and have typically focused on:

• Auditing and accounting issues

• Audit committee effectiveness and leadership

• Risk oversight

• Cybersecurity

• Engagement with policy makers, regulators, and standard setters. EACLN members have met in dialogue with European Commissioners, members of the European Parliament, chairmen of ESMA, CEAOB, IAASB and the IASB and member state regulators, such as the UK’s FRC and Germany’s AOC.

The EACLN works closely with the Audit Committee Leadership Network (ACLN). Once a year, members of the EACLN and ACLN meet jointly in an annual Summit.

Tapestry Networks orchestrates the network, building on 15 years of convening board leaders in meaningful conversations. Tapestry helps members prepare for meetings with insightful, original reading material that draws upon tailored research and pre-meeting interviews with members and other leading thinkers. Meetings are synthesized into post-meeting publications that can be shared with colleagues. Everything is done under a non-attribution agreement that ensures candor and protects personal and company confidentiality.

Our members include: