SOC Takes on SBUX: Finally, The First ESG Proxy Contest Under UPC For over a year, we and others speculated that ESG proponents would pounce on universal proxy cards (UPC) as a way to escalate efforts to exert influence over companies. Since UPC became mandatory in September 2022, we have seen exactly zero proxy contests […]
GS Ascertain Client Voting Preferences is a shareholder proposal filed by James McRitchie at Goldman Sachs (GS). We want Goldman Sachs to advance democratic corporate governance, to be aware of and report on the reputational and financial risks it faces over a misalignment between the proxy votes it casts and its client’s values and preferences. […]
ABT Fair Treatment of Shareholder Nominees is an update of my (James McRitchie) effort in the recent proxy season to address the growth of abusive advance notice bylaws aimed at disadvantaging shareholder nominees under universal proxy rules. (see Procter & Gamble Fair Elections and Procter & Gamble 2023: Our Proxy Votes, which won 43% of […]
BAC Ascertain Client Voting Preferences is a new type of proxy proposal for the 2024 season from James McRitchie, premiering first at Bank of America (BAC). It asks BAC to report on the feasibility of offering granular proxy voting preferences so that clients can maximize portfolio-wide returns by pursuing voting strategies designed to push certain […]
Procter & Gamble 2023. Our proposal for Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before or during the Procter & Gamble (PG ) annual meeting on October 10, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific. Attend the annual meeting online. I always recommend that you vote in advance. However, you will also […]
Sociological Imagination: Origin The term, sociological imagination, was coined by C. Wright Mills to describe the ability to “think yourself away from the familiar routines of everyday life.” I’m trivializing disciplines, but whereas psychology delves mostly into issues of the individual — how they develop and fit into society — sociology addresses wider issues involved […]
Settlement with Broadridge reached to include the language below in their proxy. I then withdrew my proposal, and they withdrew their no-action request. (SEC file) After considering issuer practices during virtual shareholder meetings and to respect the voice of our shareholders, during our annual meeting we will pause to allow time for stockholders to ask […]
AVAV 2023. Board Declassification is just one of several issues to be voted on before or during the AeroVironment (AVAV) annual meeting on September 29, 2023, at 9:00 am Pacific. Attend the annual meeting online. Vote in advance. To vote in person at the virtual annual meeting, you must first obtain a valid legal proxy […]
Fair and Balanced was the motto of Fox News. In 2017 they moved to a slightly more accurate “Most Watched, Most Trusted.” Most boards of directors, especially pension funds, like CalPERS, with a fiduciary duty to members that elect some directors and influence the election of others, want to at least appear fair and balanced […]
CII 2023 Fall Conference. I hope to see many of you there. I’m excited about the theme, “Next Frontiers in Governance.” CII offers unprecedented opportunities to network, share best practices, and learn from others. The CII 2023 Fall Conference will be in-person only. Register for the conference in Long Beach, California. In preparing to meet […]
SGI Celebrates 50 Years. Milwaukee, WI – On September 12th, the Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment (SGI) will celebrate fifty years of service for people and the planet. Founded in 1973 by pioneers in corporate shareholder engagement, Fr. Michael Crosby, O.F.M., Cap., Sr. Alphonsa Puls, S.S.S.F., and Sr. Charlita Foxhoven, S.S.S.F., SGI members […]
Broadridge No-Action Request Threatens Democracy Broadridge No-Action request threatens democracy, so it deserves a second post because of its critical importance. At an in-person meeting, everyone can easily see a show of hands when the moderator asks if anyone needs more time to vote. Not so at virtual shareholder meetings, which have quickly become the […]
Many were not surprised when the SEC, under Trump appointees, made it more difficult for retail shareholders to submit proposals. Read about our ongoing efforts to overturn that roadblock at Restore Shareholder Proposal Rights. However, most will be surprised that Broadridge Financial Solutions filed a no-action request that could end meaningful proxy voting at meetings, […]
Electronic Arts 2023. Ratification of Termination Pay is just one of several issues to be voted on before or during the annual meeting on August 10, 2023, at 2:00 pm Pacific Time. Attend the annual meeting online. Vote AGAINST all directors except Kofi Bruce; Against pay, auditor; FOR proposal #5 Require Termination Pay Ratification. (more…)
Veeva Systems 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 8:00 am Pacific on June 21, 2023. Vote AGAINST Paul Sekhri; FOR Fair Elections #4. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Caterpillar 2023 Lobbying Disclosure is up for a vote at the AGM at 6 am Pacific on May 10, 2023. Vote AGAINST directors except for Fish & MacLennanand, auditor, pay; FOR #7 Lobbying Disclosure & all other shareholder proposals except #9. Don’t count on voting at the meeting if you hold your shares through a […]
Yelp 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before or during the annual meeting at 9:00 am Pacific on June 9, 2023. Vote FOR all items, especially fair elections. I will vote against the nominating committee next year if they fail to increase board diversity. Join the meeting with […]
Impinj 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 9:00 am Pacific on June 8, 2023. Vote AGAINST Gibson, Padval, and Sanghi; FOR other items, especially fair elections. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Cognizant 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 6:30 am Pacific on June 6, 2023. Vote AGAINST Bali, Deskus, Mackay, Jr., Patsalos-Fox, Velli, Wijnberg, pay, incentive plan; FOR employee stock plan, auditor, fair elections, ratify termination pay. Join the meeting with your control number. […]
Alphabet 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before or at the annual meeting at 9:00 am Pacific on June 2, 2023. Vote AGAINST board items except for Chavez; FOR all shareholder proposals except #& & #14. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Walmart 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 8:30 am Pacific on May 31, 2023. Vote AGAINST Flynn, Harris, Horton, Mayer, Penner Stephenson, pay, auditor, #8, #11; FOR Fair Elections #9 and most other shareholder proposals. Join the meeting with your control number. I […]
Chipotle Mexican Grill 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 8:00 am Pacific on May 25, 2023. Vote AGAINST Baldocchi, Engles, Fili-Krushel, Gutierrez, Niccol, Winston, pay, auditor; FOR Fair Elections #5, Free Association #6. You cannot just join the meeting with your control number. […]
Teladoc Health 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 9:00 am Pacific on June 2, 2023. Vote AGAINST Gorevic, Mckinley, Paulus, Snow, Pay, Stock Incentive; FOR Employee Stock, Auditor, Fair Elections #6. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Amazon 2023. Fair Elections is just one of many issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 9:00 am Pacific on May 24, 2023. Vote Against Bezos, Cooper, Gorelick, Huttenlocher, McGrath, Rubinstein, Stonesifer; For Fair Elections #15 & many shareholder proposals. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Union Pacific 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 6:00 am Pacific on May 18, 2023. Vote AGAINST Delaney, Dillon, Edison, Finley, Fritz, Hopkins, McCarthy, Villarreal, auditor, pay; FOR Fair Elections #5, independent chair #4, and paid sick leave #7. Join the meeting with […]
CVS Health 2023. Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 5:00 am Pacific on May 18, 2023. Vote Against Brown, Farah, Finucane, Million, auditor, pay, proposal #9; FOR shareholder proposals #5, #6, #7, #8. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Charles Schwab 2023. Pay Equity Disclosure is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 9 am Pacific on May 18, 2023. Vote AGAINST Marianne C. Brown, Frank C. Herringer, auditor, pay; FOR Pay Equity Disclosure. Unlike most companies, you can’t just join the meeting with your control number. […]
DexCom 2023. Pay Equity Disclosure is the only shareholder proposal to be voted on before the annual meeting at 2:00 pm Pacific on May 18, 2023. Vote AGAINST Vote Against: Altman, Collins, Dahut, Kahn, Malady, auditor, and pay; For #5 Pay Equity Disclosure. Warning: You need to register in advance to attend the meeting. (ugh) […]
Proto Labs 2023 Fair Elections is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 6:30 am Pacific on May 17, 2023. Vote AGAINST all directors except Greiner, auditor, pay, incentive plan; FOR Blodgett, Fair Elections #5. Join the meeting with your control number. (more…)
Marriott 2023 Pay Equity Disclosure is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 5:30 am Pacific on May 12, 2023. Vote AGAINST Goren, Henderson, Hippeau, Hobart, Lee, Lewis, D. Marriott, McCarthy, Rozanski, Schwab, auditor, pay, incentive plan; FOR#7 pay equity disclosure. (more…)
Free Proxy Advisor? Yes. As You Sow and iconik have teamed up to offer free, set-it-and-forget-it, ESG-aligned proxy voting to enable shareholder democracy for millions of individual investors. The same service is also available to small institutional investors for a very small fee. (more…)
Stryker 2023 Political Disclosure is up for a vote during the AGM at 6 am Pacific on May 10, 2023. Vote AGAINST all directors, auditor, and executive pay; FOR #5 Political Disclosure. (more…)
Kellogg 2023 Pay Equity Disclosure is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 10 am Pacific on April 28, 2023. Vote AGAINST Burns, Cahallane, pay, auditor & audit looking for discrimination against white males; FOR#6 pay equity disclosure. (more…)
Intuitive Surgical 2023 Pay Equity is just one of several issues to be voted on before the annual meeting at 3 pm Pacific on April 27, 2023. Vote AGAINST Levy, Johnson, Ladd, Nachtsheim, Reed, Pay; FOR#5 pay equity disclosure. (more…)
Procter & Gamble Fair Elections is an updated version of the Fair Elections proposals James McRitchie filed at dozens of companies for the 2023 season to improve corporate governance. This Procter & Gamble Fair Elections proposal is the result of negotiating with many companies. We believe it is a proposal that no company can reasonably […]