Month: March 2015

Thai IOD Director Certification Program (DCP)

Thai IOD Logo

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Director Certification Program, Class 203/2015 (AEC), which was conducted by the Thai Institute of Directors (Thai IOD). This 5-1/2 day residential program (Sunday through Friday) is a very serious, intensive program to provide Directors with the skills and knowledge to participate on the Boards of public and listed companies, and to very clearly understand the duties and responsibilities of being a member of a Board of Directors.

This program is very demanding, and I can honestly say that I was truly exhausted every evening after a full day of classroom lectures, discussions, and case studies, plus completing reading assignments to prepare for the next day’s program. I think it is fair to say that this program is expensive, but the Thai IOD and their expert facilitators make it worth every satang. My fellow classmates also greatly contributed to the learning process, as all participants contributed their extensive experience in a broad range of industries, disciplines, and nationalities.

I strongly recommend this program to any professional who serves as a Director of any company or organization, or any Executive / Sr. Manager who wishes to best serve their organization and enhance their career opportunities. This program is a requirement for Thailand Directors serving on the Boards of public or listed companies. It is not a requirement for the Directors of LImited Companies (LTD), but I firmly believe that every Director should very seriously consider enrolling in this excellent program. This program will enhance your ability to perform as a Director and to serve your organization and shareholders. It will also provide you with a very clear and precise understanding of your duties and responsibilities, which also give rise to potentially very serious civil and criminal liabilities. If you are a Director, you can’t afford not to successfully complete this DCP training program.

Frank T.

The Death of Money: James Rickards 2014

Death of Money

 

I recently completed reading “The Death of Money”, which is a fascinating book that explores the Global Monetary System and the dangers inherent in the current system of Fiat Currencies.

I found the book to be entertaining, informative, and in some cases, frightening. I am very pessimistic about the current stability and sustainability of our Global Financial System, and I genuinely believe that the past century has witnessed a number of terrible economic decisions which have led directly to our current unstable “house of cards” monetary system. I continue to be amazed at the resourcefulness of the US Fed and other Central Banks to keep the house of cards from collapsing. However, I am also convinced that the fundamental problems that led to the 2008 Global Economic Crisis have yet to be addressed or resolved, and the day of reckoning has merely been postponed.

James Rickards argues quite effectively for a return to the Gold Standard. He successfully debunks the assertion that the Great Depression was caused by the Gold Standard. He clearly explains that the monetary system at the time of the Great Depression was not based on the Gold Standard, but in fact was based on the “Gold Exchange Standard”, which was “at best, a pale imitation of a true gold standard and, at worst, a massive fraud. …”

Rickards explains that “A gold standard is the ideal monetary system for those who create wealth through ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and hard work. Gold standards are disfavored by those who do not create wealth but instead seek to extract wealth from others through inflation, inside information, and market manipulation.”

I highly recommend this book to executives and managers who have any interest or curiosity in our current global monetary system.