By: Lisa Patrick
Corporate governance can be a great way to increase a company’s worth and create a lasting legacy. However, very few truly understand how to harness it to elevate their business’s success. In his bestselling book, ‘Charged Governance: Transformative Corporate Governance Principles for Private Businesses,’ Andrew Usuki simplifies this complex subject and brings it to life, helping readers better understand corporate governance and its value.
With his extensive background as an investment banker, manufacturing executive, shareholder, and investor, Usuki pinpoints five crucial stakeholders: shareholders; directors; employees, customers, and suppliers; creditors and acquirers; and legacy founders. An especially interesting aspect of his work is how he shows founders how to address their personal anxieties and adopt top-notch governance practices to reduce stress and achieve impressive results.
Recently, we caught up with Usuki to learn more about corporate governance, his inspiration, and what’s coming next from this groundbreaking author and businessman.
What is your personal story, and how has it shaped your career?
My family has colorful Japanese and Italian immigrant roots. I was raised to value working hard but to also develop passions. The accountability, teamwork, and leadership that I started developing through part-time jobs at fourteen laid a foundation that I’ve built upon throughout my career. Regarding passions, self-awareness has been a helpful guide.
Tell us about your career path and how you discovered your passion for corporate governance.
My career started in investment banking on Wall Street, which honed my ability to understand value while advising businesses and governments on raising capital and selling and buying businesses. After receiving my MBA, I crossed over from finance to manufacturing at a Fortune 100 company, where I served in management roles learning first-hand how to run, grow, buy, and integrate newly acquired commercial business divisions.
Eventually, I felt I’d gained enough experience to strike out on my own as a business owner to advise others with the knowledge I’d accumulated. However, there was a remaining stress I faced when starting my business. Every so often throughout my career, there was an inflection point within a business regarding corporate governance, after years of marination and build-up. These inflection points had the ability to accelerate or destroy relationships and to grow or sink the business. To develop the wisdom to navigate through such an environment, I decided to earn a doctorate in law. I chose Delaware Law School in part because of its rich connection to the Delaware General Corporation Law statute and Delaware business case law. Also, the school offered evening classes so I could launch my business during the day.
What are the outcomes that founders can expect by building excellent governance practices in their private businesses?
Typical outcomes are a more powerful valuation, reduced anxieties, minimized legal liabilities, and a lasting legacy. Also, founders can find freedom from stressful business situations which continue to linger on their minds at home after the fast-paced workday is over by reordering some of the most important decisions inside their business through sound corporate governance.
Tell us about your approach.
Corporate governance can be murky, confusing, and encompass such a wide scope. But, we’ve taken this reputation and turned it on its head. We break the governance system into five areas, each representing one of the key business constituencies: shareholders; directors; employees, customers, and suppliers; creditors and acquirers; and legacy founders. With this specific focus, founders can achieve tremendous gains in their private businesses by enhancing corporate governance.
Do you have another project in the works that you can tell us about?
I’m sketching out a few early-stage writing projects—some business and legal, and some creative. I’m excited to see where they go.
You can pick up a copy of ‘Charged Governance’ on Amazon.
Published by: Khy Talara
