Abstract

“Hollinger International - The Lord Black Saga” looks at the troubles at Hollinger International Inc. (HII), a large publishing house which owned several newspaper publications across the world like The Telegraph, The National Post, Sidney Morning Herald, Chicago Sun-Times. From 2001 onwards, there were a series of accusations of fraud, investigations, and lawsuits filed against HII’s top executives. The case deals with issues like personal greed, regulatory loopholes and failed internal controls that were responsible for a series of frauds committed by Black and his associates. The importance of corporate governance, shareholder activism and regulatory policies are also highlighted in this case.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Factors that lead to frauds being committed by top executives in a company.: Importance of corporate governance policies, board management and internal controls in an increasingly globalized business environment.

Keywords

Corporate governance, Internal audit, Accounting, Ethics, Hollinger International Inc., Tweedy Browne & Co., Conrad Black, Canada, USA, UK, British newspaper, Publishing, Newspaper, Fraud, Ravelston, Argus, Board composition, Shareholder activism, Executive pay, David Radler, The Telegraph, The National Post, Sidney Morning Herald and Chicago Sun-Times