After a recent hold on their nominations from Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.), Robert Jackson (Democrat), Columbia Law School Professor, and Hester Peirce (Republican), Senior Research Fellow at George Mason University, have been sworn in by the U.S. Senate and will join the SEC as its newest commissioners. Once sworn in, Jackson and Peirce will …
The new wave in fighting climate change: divest. That’s what New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, plans to push for this coming year, as he will seek to move the New York State Common Retirement Fund to divest from fossil-fuel investments in efforts to speak loud and clear to companies on climate change. State Comptroller Thomas …
CEO sexual-harassment scandals have now caused board directors across the country to take a much closer look at the vetting process when it comes to selecting their next CEO. There’s a shift taking place in the CEO recruitment process, and boards are now beefing up reference checks to ensure they have the right CEO in …
Reputation Management: CEO Searches Under New Scrutiny Amid Sexual-Harassment Scandals Read More »
See this insightful Q&A by Covington’s Keir Gumbs and SkyTop Strategies Christopher Skroupa, who discuss the impacts of how environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics play a role in investment decisions and company financial performance. Regarding ESG metrics, one comment by Keir Gumbs stood out to me, and is a great point that hopefully moves …
Q&A with Covington’s Keir Gumbs: Why Financial Performance Affects ESG Metrics Read More »
Davis Polk does a nice job of summarizing ISS’ most recently issued 2018 policy updates, which offers further guidance regarding: U.S. Equity Compensation Plans FAQ, U.S. Compensation Policies FAQ, and Pay-for-Performance Mechanics. Keep in mind, ISS’ 2018 Policy Updates are effective for meetings held on or after February 1, 2018. Read the full ISS Policy …
ISS Publishes Further Guidance Regarding 2018 Policy Updates Read More »
As a follow up to a previous blog post regarding the U.S. SEC’s new Staff Legal Bulletin 14I which outlines guidance regarding the shareholder proposal process, the SEC recently denied Apple’s request to exclude a shareholder proposal. Recall, the new shareholder proposal guidance allows companies to include a board analysis in efforts to build a …
Update: SEC Denies Apple’s Request to Exclude a Shareholder Proposal Read More »
A recent Bloomberg article has stated that more than 80% of S&P 500 companies produce sustainability reports. However, investors say the information is often tough to use and hard to compare. The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is in the final stages of preparing its standards and best practices for companies to use in reporting that may …
The Next Phase in Sustainability Disclosure is Coming Read More »
As we blogged previously, we now have an update on the recent proxy fight between Procter & Gamble and Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund Management. After a highly contested recount, votes cast by shareholders showed that nearly 50% were in favor of Nelson Peltz joining P&G’s board. P&G stated that due to an overwhelming response …
Update: Procter & Gamble Concedes, Adds Activist Investor Nelson Peltz to Its Board Read More »
As diversity is poised to take center stage this coming year in corporate America, especially in corporate governance, more companies are making strides to increase diversity at the top. Congratulations to Rashida La Landa for her new leadership role at Kraft Heinz. See this BusinessWire press release: Rashida La Lande will join Kraft Heinz as its …
This Spencer Stuart report: S&P 500 U.S. Board Index is worth a read as it recaps how boards are trending and offers research statistics on how boards fared in 2017. The leading topic for boards to be mindful of moving into 2018, is board composition, as shareholders will increasingly be paying close attention to the …
Board Trends: Spencer Stuart S&P 500 U.S. Board Index Report Read More »
