In July this year the US House Financial Services Committee passed a bill on to the main chamber that, if ratified, will drastically...Read more
Ben Ashwell
Editor

Ben Ashwell is the editor at IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary, covering investor relations, governance, risk and compliance. Prior to this, he was the founder and editor of Executive Talent, the global quarterly magazine from the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants. Before moving to the US, Ben was the vice president and editor at Executive Grapevine, overseeing a daily news website, ten annual supplements and HR Grapevine, the UK’s leading HR and talent management magazine. In his spare time, Ben writes fiction, poetry and arts and culture reviews. Eyewear Publishing recently named him in their list of the Best New British and Irish Poets.
Latest articles
Can you explain As You Sow’s history of shareholder advocacy on climate-related issues? We’ve been working on climate for more than a...Read more
December 2021
In July this year the US House Financial Services Committee passed a bill on to the main chamber that, if ratified, will drastically...Read more
November 2021
Can you explain As You Sow’s history of shareholder advocacy on climate-related issues? We’ve been working on climate for more than a...Read more
October 2021
In the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, nearly 190 US companies suspended contributions through their political action...Read more
September 2021
More than 600 companies from the S&P 1200 index now use the SASB standards in their external communications to investors,...Read more
August 2021
After what has proved to be an arresting proxy season with several surprises, the investor relations and corporate governance...Read more
In recent years, definitions of ESG materiality have evolved very quickly. This rapid evolution asks more of corporate boards in terms...Read more
July 2021
The number of companies targeted by an activist during the first half of the year was at its lowest level in more than six years,...Read more
On July 29 the US House Financial Services Committee voted to advance a new bill that would shorten the 13F filing window and require...Read more
– Pharmaceutical executives, lobbyists and consultants are working to prevent a global corporate tax rate of 15 percent that was...Read more
June 2021
As activist activity shows signs of picking up relative to last year, there’s scope for issuers to learn lessons from the forced...Read more
As Coinbase prepared for its direct listing earlier this year, it was clear that the company was approaching the process a little...Read more
May 2021
While investors are increasing their scrutiny of executive compensation packages again this year, the pandemic may not be playing a...Read more
– Reuters reported that activist investor Starboard Value launched a proxy contest to take greater control of cloud services provider...Read more
April 2021
Luminar Technologies has announced the appointment of Alan Prescott as chief legal officer and Trey Campbell as vice president of...Read more
March 2021
If certain ESG metrics have a material impact on a business’ performance – which is widely accepted – then it follows that investors,...Read more
February 2021
The adoption of ESG reporting has increased significantly since 2016, with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) being the most-used...Read more
January 2021
At Bank of America, shareholder engagement is well established and supported across the executive and non-executive teams. For many...Read more
December 2020
At Nasdaq, the proxy statement is produced internally by a cross-functional working group whose members all have additional jobs to do...Read more
The legal team at Coeur Mining is proud of the evolution its proxy statement has gone through since 2015. Last year the company won...Read more
At Home Group went public in 2016 and filed its first proxy statement in 2018. At that time ‘there was no color, no cover page, no...Read more
When the Business Roundtable released its Statement on Corporate Purpose in August 2019, it was met with equal praise and skepticism...Read more
As investor demand for ESG information continues to increase, a group of ESG experts believe pressure will build on issuers to seek...Read more
As off-season shareholder engagement continues to rise, buy-side corporate access teams are stepping in to assist with the meetings –...Read more
How many people make up the Federated Hermes engagement and responsible investing team? We have more than 60 global team members...Read more
November 2020
The SEC’s controversial proposal to relieve 89 percent of asset managers from filing quarterly ownership forms could be ‘shelved,’...Read more
October 2020
How large is the stewardship team at BlackRock? It’s about 45 individuals across the globe. We have three regions: Americas, EMEA and...Read more
September 2020
As the formal comment period for the SEC’s proposed changes to the 13F filing thresholds closed, the commission had received more than...Read more
More than half (58 percent) of companies on the S&P/TSX Composite Index have published a sustainability report this year – a rise...Read more
August 2020
Chevron decided to hold a virtual shareholder meeting this year. Had you held one before? This was our first virtual shareholder...Read more
– The SEC started investigating trading activity at Kodak last week, following a temporary 2,190 percent increase in the company’s...Read more
Boardrooms across the country are increasingly discussing human capital management issues, as investors bring subjects like diversity...Read more
A proposed SEC rule change that would allow almost 90 percent of investors in US public companies not to make 13F filings would have...Read more
July 2020
The SEC’s proposal to significantly change the thresholds for investors required to submit 13F filings has drawn the ire of issuers...Read more
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) will work together to provide guidance...Read more
June 2020
A number of socially responsible investors across America are in active discussions about how they can further support the movement to...Read more
On May 21, 1971, shareholders at General Motors’ (GM) annual general meeting voted on an unusual resolution put forward by the...Read more
As many companies across the US take today – the anniversary of when the final group of former slaves were told they were free – as a...Read more
Almost two thirds of investors say they are open to talking to activist investors about a company they have a position in, according...Read more
Former SEC commissioner Robert Jackson says he is troubled by the ‘increasing evidence of manipulation through short-selling’, and...Read more
March 2020
With the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index falling around 12 percent on March 16, activist investors are seeing the opportunity...Read more
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) – the umbrella organization for regulatory bodies from 10 provinces and three territories...Read more
February 2020
For IBM, shareholder engagement is nothing new. Evan Barth, senior counsel at the company, says that when he joined IBM in 2008, there...Read more
January 2020
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has reportedly seen the number of companies using its standards double since late...Read more
AT&T’s ESG reporting team takes a two-fold approach to managing relationships with ESG data providers, by actively engaging with...Read more
As the SEC considers how issuers should report on certain material ESG issues and the House of Representatives waits to discuss a...Read more
When Betty Liu joined the NYSE in July 2018, she hit the road. In her newly created role as executive vice chairman of the exchange...Read more
GM won the best proxy statement (large cap) category for the second consecutive year at the 2019 awards. Its entry showed clear...Read more
As proxy statements continue to evolve into glossier, more visually engaging publications, the number of people involved can increase...Read more
As a small-cap company, Coeur Mining doesn’t have the same resources that many past winners and nominees of the best proxy statement...Read more
The number of requests that institutional investors receive for meetings outside of proxy season continues to rise, as IR, legal and...Read more
December 2019
The theme of this year’s ESG Integration Forum focused on moving beyond a discussion about ESG trends and toward positive action...Read more
The week in GRC will be taking a week off for the holidays. It will return on January 3. From all at Corporate Secretary , happy...Read more
When Corporate Secretary caught up with Angela Hilt, vice president, corporate secretary and deputy general counsel at The Clorox...Read more
It’s been one year since the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) launched its 77 industry-specific reporting standards,...Read more
Carol Ward was the worthy recipient of the lifetime achievement award at this year’s Corporate Governance Awards and, in a brief...Read more
– Jefferies has agreed to pay almost $4 million to draw a line under accusations it mismanaged its ADR program, according to the Wall...Read more
GM’s securities counsel John Kim says he is proud of how the company worked cross-functionally to deliver its award-winning proxy...Read more
When Jessica Olich joined AXA Equitable Holdings as its vice president, senior assistant secretary and associate general counsel in...Read more
Off-season governance engagement continues to evolve , and for Regions Financial Corporation that means directors are increasingly...Read more
Korn Ferry was nominated for the best proxy statement (mid-cap) award at the recent Corporate Governance Awards, having won the...Read more
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) launched an internal Center of Excellence for Corporate Governance earlier this year to initiate a...Read more
When Marsh & McLennan Companies faced a governance investigation by the Australian Royal Commission, it sent Connor Kuratek to...Read more
Companies are grappling with how much time to spend on their own ESG reporting compared with completing surveys and engaging with ESG...Read more
October 2019
Shareholder activism hit record highs in Canada during 2018 and, while the activity has trailed off somewhat this year, speakers at...Read more
July 2019
What are Neuberger Berman’s assets under management? As of December 2018, $304 billion. When did you join the firm and what is the...Read more
June 2019
What is the history of Spouting Rock and who are its clients? Spouting Rock began as a single family office. It was founded by our...Read more
The vast majority of US companies (86 percent) now include a ‘Governance Highlights’ section in their proxy statement, which is a...Read more
As investors integrate ESG into decision-making and proxy-voting processes, the ESG efforts at North American public companies appear...Read more
March 2019
Earlier this week, the world’s second Fearless Girl statue was installed in London, just feet away from St Paul’s Cathedral. As is the...Read more
January 2019
ESG is on the minds of investors – both active and passive – and it’s incumbent on IR teams, corporate secretaries and other in-house...Read more
This article originally appeared in the latest Corporate Secretary special report. Click here to view the full publication . Around...Read more
General Motors’ proxy statement for 2018 has to be seen in context of what the company was going through in order to fully appreciate...Read more
Investors are increasingly looking for issuers to communicate their ESG strategy. In the US, the formation of the Investor Stewardship...Read more
December 2018
More than 50 corporate secretaries, general counsel and other in-house legal professionals gathered in New York City last month to...Read more
November 2018
When Rakhi Kumar joined State Street Global Advisers (SSGA) in 2011, the notion of off-season engagement didn’t exist. But by mid-...Read more
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) today launched its 77 industry-specific reporting standards for companies to...Read more
Leading institutions in non-financial reporting – including the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the Climate...Read more
The SEC could be open to imposing a review period for issuers to assess the accuracy of proxy advisory firms’ reports prior to...Read more
Corporate Secretary and IR Magazine are inviting their audiences to come together to discuss ESG integration early next month in New...Read more
October 2018
Companies that choose to insert financial figures into the headline of their earnings releases experience a three-day share price bump...Read more
September 2018
IEX Group has announced that Interactive Brokers Group will be the first company to list on its venue, with the listing expected to...Read more
Investors’ approach to say on pay is maturing as they take a more in-depth look at relevant metrics, according to Don Delves,...Read more
US firms Gap and Bristol-Myers Squibb are the only non-European companies to make the top 10 in a list of the most diverse and...Read more
August 2018
The US chapter of The 30 Percent Club celebrated its four-year anniversary in June with bang - by announcing that female board...Read more
Micro-cap boards tend to be less diverse and smaller than boards at Russell 3000 companies, according to new research, which its...Read more
Rakhi Kumar, global head of asset stewardship and ESG with State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), has warned that her firm’s patience is...Read more
Investors are voting against executive compensation packages at small-cap companies this year, with say-on-pay failures at a three-...Read more
July 2018
When forward-looking statements are accompanied by a legal disclaimer, inexperienced investors are more likely to forgive a company...Read more
Virtual shareholder meetings (VSMs) are often cited as an effective way to expand the reach of a shareholder meeting, and new data...Read more
Issuers, investors and national stock exchanges are divided over the need for – and process behind the creation of – an SEC pilot...Read more
The US Senate Banking Committee began proceedings in late June to hear the Corporate Governance Reform Act – also dubbed the Proxy...Read more
June 2018
NIRI has announced an updated policy statement on earnings guidance that prioritizes a longer-term view of company performance. The...Read more
It has been well documented that the number of US public companies has halved since its peak in 1997 , with many potential reasons...Read more
May 2018
This spring, US companies are for the first time reporting their CEOs’ pay relative to median worker pay. But despite months of...Read more
The SEC faces potential standoffs on party political lines following the announcement that Michael Piwowar will be stepping down from...Read more
Investors at Banco Santander may have been given a glimpse of the future of proxy voting at the bank’s AGM this year, where they were...Read more
Governance decisions at US companies could be influenced by the recommendations of proxy advisory firms, according to a new report...Read more
The growth in passive investing is driving collaboration between activist investors and index managers on initiatives intended to seek...Read more
Two independent consultants have produced what they say is a rebuff to critics of integrated reporting: a 40-page integrated report...Read more
April 2018
The New York City comptroller is calling for a move toward what he calls ‘board accountability 2.0,’ having written to 250 companies...Read more
March 2018
The number of proxy contests in Canada has remained consistent over the last few years, but 2017 was the first time since 2014 that...Read more
More than 150 corporate, investment and regulatory leaders last week issued a call to action intended to help the markets take a less...Read more
Environmental and social (E&S) shareholder proposals – covering issues such as climate change and political spending –outnumbered...Read more
Until now, gun control in the US has largely been a concern from a corporate governance and IR perspective just in terms of faith-...Read more
February 2018
With the SEC’s pay ratio rule now in effect for US public companies, new research from Equilar suggests that large disparities between...Read more
ISS, the world’s largest proxy advisory firm, has announced two new developments that will change how it provides voting...Read more
January 2018
Congress has moved closer to potentially reforming the proxy advisory business, with advocates and opponents of change gearing up for...Read more
As proxy statements have evolved from purely legal documents into broader communication tools, the role of visuals, graphics, images...Read more
KBR’s proxy statement immediately grabs the reader’s attention with a bold cover, showing an astronaut walking across a seemingly...Read more
Honeywell’s recognition for best shareholder engagement is a testament to being proactive. ‘I’d learned that if you wait for an...Read more
Eli Lilly & Co has a team of 150 ethics and compliance people around the world, tasked with the mission of driving the integration...Read more
In a week when Xerox’s CEO has been singled out by an activist investor, FactSet data shared with Corporate Secretary sister...Read more
The rising star award is intended to identify individuals who will be key contributors to the future of the profession. It is awarded...Read more
December 2017
Audit committees face a range of testing changes in the new year, ranging from revised revenue reporting and CEO pay disclosure to new...Read more
Hundreds of issuers and investors are coming together in support of a voluntary reporting framework, led by Michael Bloomberg, that...Read more
The percentage of directors that are unsatisfied with their fellow board directors is on the rise, with 46 percent saying that one or...Read more
The cosmetics company Estée Lauder has launched a shoppable annual report, giving shareholders and analysts insight into new and...Read more
- The House of Representatives and the Senate voted to approve the $1.5 trillion US tax bill on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The bill...Read more
As the ball drops in Times Square during the first seconds of 2018, a new investor stewardship framework will come into effect that...Read more
November 2017
As US investors take a stance – or begin to vote in favor of shareholder resolutions – on issues ranging from board diversity and...Read more
The best and brightest in US corporate governance took center stage last night at the 10th anniversary Corporate Governance Awards,...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), which kicked off a high-profile campaign this year to boost the number of female directors by...Read more
A selection of institutional investors put their money where their mouth is this proxy season, but US investors still lag behind their...Read more
The growing movement of money from active to passive funds means that boards should more actively engage with shareholders on...Read more
October 2017
Boards need to ensure they have sufficient oversight of their company’s ethics and compliance policies and procedures, including data...Read more
The SEC has given US brokers a 30-month reprieve from having to make tough decisions on complying with the research unbundling...Read more
September 2017
– Reuters reported that at least 24 federal lawsuits had been filed against Equifax by September 10, following a cyber-breach that...Read more
Morrow Sodali has appointed Charles Koons as managing director of its activism and contested situations advisory group. Koons most...Read more
Vanguard is the latest investment manager to raise climate risk and gender diversity as governance issues that can influence long-term...Read more
Robert Jackson, a prominent professor at Columbia Law School, will be nominated for the SEC’s remaining vacant Democratic commissioner...Read more
A new report – issued amid the fallout from a cyber-security breach potentially impacting 143 million Equifax customers – suggests...Read more
August 2017
Businesses need to be aware of the potential conflicts between two of the EU’s largest upcoming regulatory changes, a technology...Read more
The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) has joined the list of those asking for greater regulation of proxy advisers’...Read more
Virtual reality (VR) can be a powerful, low-cost way of giving board directors and senior executives a tour of key corporate sites, as...Read more
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Corporate Governance Awards, and it is set to be the most competitive yet, with more than...Read more
– A total of 131 class-action securities suits were filed in federal court in the first six months of the year, a historic high,...Read more
Shareholder activists’ director picks to join company boards are on average whiter, younger and more likely to be male than their...Read more
July 2017
US companies could be at risk of multi-million-dollar fines if they do not respond to the upcoming changes in EU data privacy, with...Read more
The number of Fortune 500 board appointments increased in 2016 along with the percentage of board seats that turned over, according to...Read more
Although the growth of gender diversity in Fortune 500 boardrooms stalled last year ( CorporateSecretary.com, 7/19 ), the percentage...Read more
June 2017
CEO remuneration structures are too complicated, put too much of a strain on corporate governance and are not in the best interest of...Read more
One of the trends to emerge from this year’s proxy season has been the growing success of climate change-based shareholder resolutions...Read more
Activist investors have been behind several of this proxy season’s more hotly contested proxy fights, and FTI Consulting data shows...Read more
The investment community is split by size over Republican plans to replace the Dodd-Frank Act, according to new research. Forty-three...Read more
For every woman placed on a Fortune 500 board last year, three men were appointed, according to new research from executive search...Read more
May 2017
The focus of institutional investors on long-term value creation is driving a greater interest in companies’ non-financial performance...Read more
The American Institute of CPAs (Aicpa) has launched a reporting framework designed to help directors, management and investors assess...Read more
As the Trump administration starts to assess which parts of the post-financial regulatory landscape to change, new research suggests...Read more
Industry professionals told an SEC forum earlier this week that regulation is not the key to the declining US IPO market, citing...Read more
Data analysis firm Splunk has promoted Leonard Stein to senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief legal officer (CLO) and...Read more
CEOs may sometimes seem to be unassailable corporate leaders, but new research shows a growing number of them are facing the axe for...Read more
Activist shareholders are casting their eyes beyond the boardroom to focus on the corner office, fueled by an increasing focus beyond...Read more
April 2017
A large US investor group has voiced its opposition to Republican plans to roll back large chunks of the post-financial crisis...Read more
Environmental, societal and governance (ESG) issues should be a consideration for boards as part of their oversight of strategy and...Read more
RJ Bannister Median total compensation for the CEOs of some of the largest companies in the US rose by 6 percent in 2016 despite flat...Read more
Boards are increasing their oversight of strategy, risk and shareholder sentiment, although not necessarily shareholder outreach,...Read more
March 2017
Snap’s IPO last week will likely be the biggest and most controversial on the NYSE in 2017. The operating company in charge of...Read more
The number of shareholder resolutions in the US is on the rise in 2017, but companies’ legal teams are fighting back by increasing the...Read more
Nominating and governance committees are taking leadership roles with regard to board governance, effectiveness and assessment, as...Read more
In the first two parts of this video series, Josh Black, editor-in-chief of Activist Insight , discusses how activists performed in...Read more
February 2017
This year is Splunk’s fourth as a public company. During that time it has seen its employee base quadruple and its legal team grow...Read more
It’s been a busy few years at Korn Ferry. The acquisitions of Lominger, PDI Ninth House and Hay Group have almost doubled revenue from...Read more
According to new research, the US has moved backwards in terms of boardroom diversity when compared with Canada and Western Europe...Read more
Feb 07, 2017
Aaron Briggs was originally nominated in the rising star award category, but the strength of his submission prompted the judges to...Read more
Microsoft’s leadership team is used to leading from the front, embracing technological innovations to transform consumer behavior. The...Read more
Adam Kokas’ broad range of responsibilities at Atlas Air includes management of governance, compliance and ethics operations, board...Read more
GE’s approach to shareholder engagement is both disciplined and innovative. Each summer it compares its output with that of other Dow...Read more
‘We see good governance as a business imperative,’ says Karen McCarthy, director of investor relations at RBC. ‘It impacts performance...Read more
In the last two years Xcel Energy has marked several milestones: increasing its wind power capacity by 15 percent by 2015, being...Read more
Graybar was founded in 1869 and has been owned by its employees for more than 85 years. While the company is not listed on any...Read more
In October 2014, HP’s CEO Meg Whitman announced plans to split the firm into two Fortune 100 companies: HP and Hewlett Packard...Read more
The Allstate Corporation’s compliance and ethics program is built to influence all levels of the company and maintain a continuous...Read more
This award is the latest in a long list of highlights from Bob Lamm’s broad career. His dedication to governance spans time spent at...Read more
Is it possible to rapidly increase shareholder value and promote diverse boards at the same time? Is a homogeneous board an indicator...Read more
‘The IPO was a watershed moment for us to have a new code of conduct and raise awareness about ethics and compliance,’ says Jean Weng...Read more
Just over one in five retail banking and insurance executives (21 percent) are highly confident their firm could detect a data breach...Read more
‘On the way to the awards I had a reflective moment,’ says Tracey Heaton, senior vice president and chief corporate counsel at Visa. ‘...Read more
For Goldman Sachs, this award caps several years of proxy statement refinement, striving toward a more engaging document. The first...Read more
A strong US dollar, undervalued asset prices and increased global scrutiny of corporate governance practices are contributing to an...Read more
January 2017
More than 160 investors in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have asked the bank to create a shareholder committee to improve the bank’s...Read more
Audit committees are buckling up for a rocky year, citing the effectiveness of their companies’ risk-management programs as their...Read more
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Internet Security Alliance (ISA) have called for greater board oversight...Read more
Investors in the real estate industry ‒ and specifically in real estate investment trusts (Reits) ‒ want more clarity about firms’ CEO...Read more
Andrea Goodrich Lincoln Financial Group has announced that Andrea Goodrich has joined the company as senior vice president and...Read more
Paul Tufaro CIT Group has appointed Paul Tufaro to serve as executive vice president and chief compliance officer. Tufaro’s...Read more
December 2016
Increased regulatory scrutiny and cyber-security concerns are leading many companies to become more sophisticated in their approach to...Read more
December 2021
In July this year the US House Financial Services Committee passed a bill on to the main chamber that, if ratified, will drastically...Read more
November 2021
Can you explain As You Sow’s history of shareholder advocacy on climate-related issues? We’ve been working on climate for more than a...Read more
October 2021
In the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, nearly 190 US companies suspended contributions through their political action...Read more
September 2021
More than 600 companies from the S&P 1200 index now use the SASB standards in their external communications to investors,...Read more
August 2021
After what has proved to be an arresting proxy season with several surprises, the investor relations and corporate governance...Read more
In recent years, definitions of ESG materiality have evolved very quickly. This rapid evolution asks more of corporate boards in terms...Read more
July 2021
The number of companies targeted by an activist during the first half of the year was at its lowest level in more than six years,...Read more
On July 29 the US House Financial Services Committee voted to advance a new bill that would shorten the 13F filing window and require...Read more
– Pharmaceutical executives, lobbyists and consultants are working to prevent a global corporate tax rate of 15 percent that was...Read more
June 2021
As activist activity shows signs of picking up relative to last year, there’s scope for issuers to learn lessons from the forced...Read more
As Coinbase prepared for its direct listing earlier this year, it was clear that the company was approaching the process a little...Read more
May 2021
While investors are increasing their scrutiny of executive compensation packages again this year, the pandemic may not be playing a...Read more
– Reuters reported that activist investor Starboard Value launched a proxy contest to take greater control of cloud services provider...Read more
April 2021
Luminar Technologies has announced the appointment of Alan Prescott as chief legal officer and Trey Campbell as vice president of...Read more
March 2021
If certain ESG metrics have a material impact on a business’ performance – which is widely accepted – then it follows that investors,...Read more
February 2021
The adoption of ESG reporting has increased significantly since 2016, with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) being the most-used...Read more
January 2021
At Bank of America, shareholder engagement is well established and supported across the executive and non-executive teams. For many...Read more
December 2020
At Nasdaq, the proxy statement is produced internally by a cross-functional working group whose members all have additional jobs to do...Read more
The legal team at Coeur Mining is proud of the evolution its proxy statement has gone through since 2015. Last year the company won...Read more
At Home Group went public in 2016 and filed its first proxy statement in 2018. At that time ‘there was no color, no cover page, no...Read more
When the Business Roundtable released its Statement on Corporate Purpose in August 2019, it was met with equal praise and skepticism...Read more
As investor demand for ESG information continues to increase, a group of ESG experts believe pressure will build on issuers to seek...Read more
As off-season shareholder engagement continues to rise, buy-side corporate access teams are stepping in to assist with the meetings –...Read more
How many people make up the Federated Hermes engagement and responsible investing team? We have more than 60 global team members...Read more
November 2020
The SEC’s controversial proposal to relieve 89 percent of asset managers from filing quarterly ownership forms could be ‘shelved,’...Read more
October 2020
How large is the stewardship team at BlackRock? It’s about 45 individuals across the globe. We have three regions: Americas, EMEA and...Read more
September 2020
As the formal comment period for the SEC’s proposed changes to the 13F filing thresholds closed, the commission had received more than...Read more
More than half (58 percent) of companies on the S&P/TSX Composite Index have published a sustainability report this year – a rise...Read more
August 2020
Chevron decided to hold a virtual shareholder meeting this year. Had you held one before? This was our first virtual shareholder...Read more
– The SEC started investigating trading activity at Kodak last week, following a temporary 2,190 percent increase in the company’s...Read more
Boardrooms across the country are increasingly discussing human capital management issues, as investors bring subjects like diversity...Read more
A proposed SEC rule change that would allow almost 90 percent of investors in US public companies not to make 13F filings would have...Read more
July 2020
The SEC’s proposal to significantly change the thresholds for investors required to submit 13F filings has drawn the ire of issuers...Read more
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) will work together to provide guidance...Read more
June 2020
A number of socially responsible investors across America are in active discussions about how they can further support the movement to...Read more
On May 21, 1971, shareholders at General Motors’ (GM) annual general meeting voted on an unusual resolution put forward by the...Read more
As many companies across the US take today – the anniversary of when the final group of former slaves were told they were free – as a...Read more
Almost two thirds of investors say they are open to talking to activist investors about a company they have a position in, according...Read more
Former SEC commissioner Robert Jackson says he is troubled by the ‘increasing evidence of manipulation through short-selling’, and...Read more
March 2020
With the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index falling around 12 percent on March 16, activist investors are seeing the opportunity...Read more
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) – the umbrella organization for regulatory bodies from 10 provinces and three territories...Read more
February 2020
For IBM, shareholder engagement is nothing new. Evan Barth, senior counsel at the company, says that when he joined IBM in 2008, there...Read more
January 2020
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has reportedly seen the number of companies using its standards double since late...Read more
AT&T’s ESG reporting team takes a two-fold approach to managing relationships with ESG data providers, by actively engaging with...Read more
As the SEC considers how issuers should report on certain material ESG issues and the House of Representatives waits to discuss a...Read more
When Betty Liu joined the NYSE in July 2018, she hit the road. In her newly created role as executive vice chairman of the exchange...Read more
GM won the best proxy statement (large cap) category for the second consecutive year at the 2019 awards. Its entry showed clear...Read more
As proxy statements continue to evolve into glossier, more visually engaging publications, the number of people involved can increase...Read more
As a small-cap company, Coeur Mining doesn’t have the same resources that many past winners and nominees of the best proxy statement...Read more
The number of requests that institutional investors receive for meetings outside of proxy season continues to rise, as IR, legal and...Read more
December 2019
The theme of this year’s ESG Integration Forum focused on moving beyond a discussion about ESG trends and toward positive action...Read more
The week in GRC will be taking a week off for the holidays. It will return on January 3. From all at Corporate Secretary , happy...Read more
When Corporate Secretary caught up with Angela Hilt, vice president, corporate secretary and deputy general counsel at The Clorox...Read more
It’s been one year since the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) launched its 77 industry-specific reporting standards,...Read more
Carol Ward was the worthy recipient of the lifetime achievement award at this year’s Corporate Governance Awards and, in a brief...Read more
– Jefferies has agreed to pay almost $4 million to draw a line under accusations it mismanaged its ADR program, according to the Wall...Read more
GM’s securities counsel John Kim says he is proud of how the company worked cross-functionally to deliver its award-winning proxy...Read more
When Jessica Olich joined AXA Equitable Holdings as its vice president, senior assistant secretary and associate general counsel in...Read more
Off-season governance engagement continues to evolve , and for Regions Financial Corporation that means directors are increasingly...Read more
Korn Ferry was nominated for the best proxy statement (mid-cap) award at the recent Corporate Governance Awards, having won the...Read more
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) launched an internal Center of Excellence for Corporate Governance earlier this year to initiate a...Read more
When Marsh & McLennan Companies faced a governance investigation by the Australian Royal Commission, it sent Connor Kuratek to...Read more
Companies are grappling with how much time to spend on their own ESG reporting compared with completing surveys and engaging with ESG...Read more
October 2019
Shareholder activism hit record highs in Canada during 2018 and, while the activity has trailed off somewhat this year, speakers at...Read more
July 2019
What are Neuberger Berman’s assets under management? As of December 2018, $304 billion. When did you join the firm and what is the...Read more
June 2019
What is the history of Spouting Rock and who are its clients? Spouting Rock began as a single family office. It was founded by our...Read more
The vast majority of US companies (86 percent) now include a ‘Governance Highlights’ section in their proxy statement, which is a...Read more
As investors integrate ESG into decision-making and proxy-voting processes, the ESG efforts at North American public companies appear...Read more
March 2019
Earlier this week, the world’s second Fearless Girl statue was installed in London, just feet away from St Paul’s Cathedral. As is the...Read more
January 2019
ESG is on the minds of investors – both active and passive – and it’s incumbent on IR teams, corporate secretaries and other in-house...Read more
This article originally appeared in the latest Corporate Secretary special report. Click here to view the full publication . Around...Read more
General Motors’ proxy statement for 2018 has to be seen in context of what the company was going through in order to fully appreciate...Read more
Investors are increasingly looking for issuers to communicate their ESG strategy. In the US, the formation of the Investor Stewardship...Read more
December 2018
More than 50 corporate secretaries, general counsel and other in-house legal professionals gathered in New York City last month to...Read more
November 2018
When Rakhi Kumar joined State Street Global Advisers (SSGA) in 2011, the notion of off-season engagement didn’t exist. But by mid-...Read more
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) today launched its 77 industry-specific reporting standards for companies to...Read more
Leading institutions in non-financial reporting – including the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the Climate...Read more
The SEC could be open to imposing a review period for issuers to assess the accuracy of proxy advisory firms’ reports prior to...Read more
Corporate Secretary and IR Magazine are inviting their audiences to come together to discuss ESG integration early next month in New...Read more
October 2018
Companies that choose to insert financial figures into the headline of their earnings releases experience a three-day share price bump...Read more
September 2018
IEX Group has announced that Interactive Brokers Group will be the first company to list on its venue, with the listing expected to...Read more
Investors’ approach to say on pay is maturing as they take a more in-depth look at relevant metrics, according to Don Delves,...Read more
US firms Gap and Bristol-Myers Squibb are the only non-European companies to make the top 10 in a list of the most diverse and...Read more
August 2018
The US chapter of The 30 Percent Club celebrated its four-year anniversary in June with bang - by announcing that female board...Read more
Micro-cap boards tend to be less diverse and smaller than boards at Russell 3000 companies, according to new research, which its...Read more
Rakhi Kumar, global head of asset stewardship and ESG with State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), has warned that her firm’s patience is...Read more
Investors are voting against executive compensation packages at small-cap companies this year, with say-on-pay failures at a three-...Read more
July 2018
When forward-looking statements are accompanied by a legal disclaimer, inexperienced investors are more likely to forgive a company...Read more
Virtual shareholder meetings (VSMs) are often cited as an effective way to expand the reach of a shareholder meeting, and new data...Read more
Issuers, investors and national stock exchanges are divided over the need for – and process behind the creation of – an SEC pilot...Read more
The US Senate Banking Committee began proceedings in late June to hear the Corporate Governance Reform Act – also dubbed the Proxy...Read more
June 2018
NIRI has announced an updated policy statement on earnings guidance that prioritizes a longer-term view of company performance. The...Read more
It has been well documented that the number of US public companies has halved since its peak in 1997 , with many potential reasons...Read more
May 2018
This spring, US companies are for the first time reporting their CEOs’ pay relative to median worker pay. But despite months of...Read more
The SEC faces potential standoffs on party political lines following the announcement that Michael Piwowar will be stepping down from...Read more
Investors at Banco Santander may have been given a glimpse of the future of proxy voting at the bank’s AGM this year, where they were...Read more
Governance decisions at US companies could be influenced by the recommendations of proxy advisory firms, according to a new report...Read more
The growth in passive investing is driving collaboration between activist investors and index managers on initiatives intended to seek...Read more
Two independent consultants have produced what they say is a rebuff to critics of integrated reporting: a 40-page integrated report...Read more
April 2018
The New York City comptroller is calling for a move toward what he calls ‘board accountability 2.0,’ having written to 250 companies...Read more
March 2018
The number of proxy contests in Canada has remained consistent over the last few years, but 2017 was the first time since 2014 that...Read more
More than 150 corporate, investment and regulatory leaders last week issued a call to action intended to help the markets take a less...Read more
Environmental and social (E&S) shareholder proposals – covering issues such as climate change and political spending –outnumbered...Read more
Until now, gun control in the US has largely been a concern from a corporate governance and IR perspective just in terms of faith-...Read more
February 2018
With the SEC’s pay ratio rule now in effect for US public companies, new research from Equilar suggests that large disparities between...Read more
ISS, the world’s largest proxy advisory firm, has announced two new developments that will change how it provides voting...Read more
January 2018
Congress has moved closer to potentially reforming the proxy advisory business, with advocates and opponents of change gearing up for...Read more
As proxy statements have evolved from purely legal documents into broader communication tools, the role of visuals, graphics, images...Read more
KBR’s proxy statement immediately grabs the reader’s attention with a bold cover, showing an astronaut walking across a seemingly...Read more
Honeywell’s recognition for best shareholder engagement is a testament to being proactive. ‘I’d learned that if you wait for an...Read more
Eli Lilly & Co has a team of 150 ethics and compliance people around the world, tasked with the mission of driving the integration...Read more
In a week when Xerox’s CEO has been singled out by an activist investor, FactSet data shared with Corporate Secretary sister...Read more
The rising star award is intended to identify individuals who will be key contributors to the future of the profession. It is awarded...Read more
December 2017
Audit committees face a range of testing changes in the new year, ranging from revised revenue reporting and CEO pay disclosure to new...Read more
Hundreds of issuers and investors are coming together in support of a voluntary reporting framework, led by Michael Bloomberg, that...Read more
The percentage of directors that are unsatisfied with their fellow board directors is on the rise, with 46 percent saying that one or...Read more
The cosmetics company Estée Lauder has launched a shoppable annual report, giving shareholders and analysts insight into new and...Read more
- The House of Representatives and the Senate voted to approve the $1.5 trillion US tax bill on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The bill...Read more
As the ball drops in Times Square during the first seconds of 2018, a new investor stewardship framework will come into effect that...Read more
November 2017
As US investors take a stance – or begin to vote in favor of shareholder resolutions – on issues ranging from board diversity and...Read more
The best and brightest in US corporate governance took center stage last night at the 10th anniversary Corporate Governance Awards,...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), which kicked off a high-profile campaign this year to boost the number of female directors by...Read more
A selection of institutional investors put their money where their mouth is this proxy season, but US investors still lag behind their...Read more
The growing movement of money from active to passive funds means that boards should more actively engage with shareholders on...Read more
October 2017
Boards need to ensure they have sufficient oversight of their company’s ethics and compliance policies and procedures, including data...Read more
The SEC has given US brokers a 30-month reprieve from having to make tough decisions on complying with the research unbundling...Read more
September 2017
– Reuters reported that at least 24 federal lawsuits had been filed against Equifax by September 10, following a cyber-breach that...Read more
Morrow Sodali has appointed Charles Koons as managing director of its activism and contested situations advisory group. Koons most...Read more
Vanguard is the latest investment manager to raise climate risk and gender diversity as governance issues that can influence long-term...Read more
Robert Jackson, a prominent professor at Columbia Law School, will be nominated for the SEC’s remaining vacant Democratic commissioner...Read more
A new report – issued amid the fallout from a cyber-security breach potentially impacting 143 million Equifax customers – suggests...Read more
August 2017
Businesses need to be aware of the potential conflicts between two of the EU’s largest upcoming regulatory changes, a technology...Read more
The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) has joined the list of those asking for greater regulation of proxy advisers’...Read more
Virtual reality (VR) can be a powerful, low-cost way of giving board directors and senior executives a tour of key corporate sites, as...Read more
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Corporate Governance Awards, and it is set to be the most competitive yet, with more than...Read more
– A total of 131 class-action securities suits were filed in federal court in the first six months of the year, a historic high,...Read more
Shareholder activists’ director picks to join company boards are on average whiter, younger and more likely to be male than their...Read more
July 2017
US companies could be at risk of multi-million-dollar fines if they do not respond to the upcoming changes in EU data privacy, with...Read more
The number of Fortune 500 board appointments increased in 2016 along with the percentage of board seats that turned over, according to...Read more
Although the growth of gender diversity in Fortune 500 boardrooms stalled last year ( CorporateSecretary.com, 7/19 ), the percentage...Read more
June 2017
CEO remuneration structures are too complicated, put too much of a strain on corporate governance and are not in the best interest of...Read more
One of the trends to emerge from this year’s proxy season has been the growing success of climate change-based shareholder resolutions...Read more
Activist investors have been behind several of this proxy season’s more hotly contested proxy fights, and FTI Consulting data shows...Read more
The investment community is split by size over Republican plans to replace the Dodd-Frank Act, according to new research. Forty-three...Read more
For every woman placed on a Fortune 500 board last year, three men were appointed, according to new research from executive search...Read more
May 2017
The focus of institutional investors on long-term value creation is driving a greater interest in companies’ non-financial performance...Read more
The American Institute of CPAs (Aicpa) has launched a reporting framework designed to help directors, management and investors assess...Read more
As the Trump administration starts to assess which parts of the post-financial regulatory landscape to change, new research suggests...Read more
Industry professionals told an SEC forum earlier this week that regulation is not the key to the declining US IPO market, citing...Read more
Data analysis firm Splunk has promoted Leonard Stein to senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief legal officer (CLO) and...Read more
CEOs may sometimes seem to be unassailable corporate leaders, but new research shows a growing number of them are facing the axe for...Read more
Activist shareholders are casting their eyes beyond the boardroom to focus on the corner office, fueled by an increasing focus beyond...Read more
April 2017
A large US investor group has voiced its opposition to Republican plans to roll back large chunks of the post-financial crisis...Read more
Environmental, societal and governance (ESG) issues should be a consideration for boards as part of their oversight of strategy and...Read more
RJ Bannister Median total compensation for the CEOs of some of the largest companies in the US rose by 6 percent in 2016 despite flat...Read more
Boards are increasing their oversight of strategy, risk and shareholder sentiment, although not necessarily shareholder outreach,...Read more
March 2017
Snap’s IPO last week will likely be the biggest and most controversial on the NYSE in 2017. The operating company in charge of...Read more
The number of shareholder resolutions in the US is on the rise in 2017, but companies’ legal teams are fighting back by increasing the...Read more
Nominating and governance committees are taking leadership roles with regard to board governance, effectiveness and assessment, as...Read more
In the first two parts of this video series, Josh Black, editor-in-chief of Activist Insight , discusses how activists performed in...Read more
February 2017
This year is Splunk’s fourth as a public company. During that time it has seen its employee base quadruple and its legal team grow...Read more
It’s been a busy few years at Korn Ferry. The acquisitions of Lominger, PDI Ninth House and Hay Group have almost doubled revenue from...Read more
According to new research, the US has moved backwards in terms of boardroom diversity when compared with Canada and Western Europe...Read more
Feb 07, 2017
Aaron Briggs was originally nominated in the rising star award category, but the strength of his submission prompted the judges to...Read more
Microsoft’s leadership team is used to leading from the front, embracing technological innovations to transform consumer behavior. The...Read more
Adam Kokas’ broad range of responsibilities at Atlas Air includes management of governance, compliance and ethics operations, board...Read more
GE’s approach to shareholder engagement is both disciplined and innovative. Each summer it compares its output with that of other Dow...Read more
‘We see good governance as a business imperative,’ says Karen McCarthy, director of investor relations at RBC. ‘It impacts performance...Read more
In the last two years Xcel Energy has marked several milestones: increasing its wind power capacity by 15 percent by 2015, being...Read more
Graybar was founded in 1869 and has been owned by its employees for more than 85 years. While the company is not listed on any...Read more
In October 2014, HP’s CEO Meg Whitman announced plans to split the firm into two Fortune 100 companies: HP and Hewlett Packard...Read more
The Allstate Corporation’s compliance and ethics program is built to influence all levels of the company and maintain a continuous...Read more
This award is the latest in a long list of highlights from Bob Lamm’s broad career. His dedication to governance spans time spent at...Read more
Is it possible to rapidly increase shareholder value and promote diverse boards at the same time? Is a homogeneous board an indicator...Read more
‘The IPO was a watershed moment for us to have a new code of conduct and raise awareness about ethics and compliance,’ says Jean Weng...Read more
Just over one in five retail banking and insurance executives (21 percent) are highly confident their firm could detect a data breach...Read more
‘On the way to the awards I had a reflective moment,’ says Tracey Heaton, senior vice president and chief corporate counsel at Visa. ‘...Read more