The Giant Shadow of Corporate Gadflies, by Yaron Nili and Kobi Kastiel, (download at SSRN) is one of the more objective reviews of the recent influence of “gadflies” on corporate governance in America. It might have been even better if the authors had discussed their work with the subjects of their study – the gadflies. (Disclosure: […]
Redesigning Corporations: Incentives Matter
Redesigning Corporations: Incentives Matter (link) by Nicholas Benes is undoubtedly one of the most important corporate governance articles of 2020. Benes goes straight to the heart of irresponsible capitalism by addressing the unintended consequences of limited liability. A small tax on each trade of each company, refundable in 5 years if the company doesn’t declare bankruptcy, […]
25th Annual Moskowitz Prize: Call for Papers
25th Annual Moskowitz Prize 25th Annual Moskowitz Prize for Outstanding Quantitative Research in Sustainable and Responsible Investing submission deadline is June 30, 2020. As interest in impact and sustainable investing grows, so too does the recognition that such strategies can outperform, mitigate risk and be resilient in a crisis. That puts a premium on the […]
Henderson – Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire
Rebecca Henderson, Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire points to the real need for reform and offers several suggested improvements, primarily the need to focus on purpose. (link to Amazon) I review her book below and offer my own four cents of advice. Today (6/24/2020) Rethinking Capitalism: A fireside conversation with Rebecca Henderson and Ioannis Ioannou […]
Racial Equity: Investors in Solidarity
Racial equity is a serious issue. Investors, including Corporate Governance (CorpGov.net), must take action. The investor community has perpetuated and benefitted from systemic racism. We say it ends now. We’re proud to sign the Investor Solidarity Statement alongside 128 investors to end systemic racism in the sector. Join us at #RacialJusticeInvesting. (more…)
Pegasystems 2020: Simple Majority Vote
Pegasystems 2020 annual meeting is 6/23/2020 at 7AM Pacific virtually. They are using Computershare, so shareholders holding in street name have to get a legal proxy and submit it by June 18th. Since my broker sends those by snail mail, I would have had to initiate the process by about June 8. Pegasystems says that will […]
CEO Compensation was a Joke Before Covid-19
CEO Compensation was a Joke Before Covid-19, Now It is Just Obnoxious In an era of sacrifice, risk, and despair for many employees, one group of employees has yet again defied the norm, often with significant increases in actual compensation and wealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic and societal turmoil. Who are these […]
Assembly Bio 2020: Special Meetings
Assembly Bio 2020 annual meeting is 6/11/2020 at 8AM Pacific (update) virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Holubiak, Mahony and Ringo, Pay, Stock Plan, token Special Meeting 25%. Vote FOR real Special Meeting Right of 15%. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained […]
Salesforce 2020
Salesforce 2020 annual meeting is 6/11/2020 at 2PM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Benioff, Conway, Hassenfeld, Kroes, Robertson, Roos, and Webb, Equity Incentive Plan, Auditor, Executive Pay. Vote FOR Employee Stock Purchase Plan and Written Consent. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. […]
Activision Blizzard 2020
Activision Blizzard 2020 (ATVI) annual meeting is 6/11/2020 at 9AM Pacific virtually. (which looks very difficult, since my web browsers tell me going there involves security risk). Vote online by 6/10. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Bowers, Corti, Kelly, Kotick and Morgado, Auditor, Pay. Vote FOR Political Disclosure. See list of all virtual-only meetings […]
Caterpillar 2020: Written Consent
Caterpillar 2020 annual meeting is 6/10/2020 at 6AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance corporate governance and long-term value: Vote AGAINST Dickinson, Rust, Osborn, White, Reed-Klages, Wilkins, Schwab, Auditor, Pay. Vote FOR Report Lobbying, Independent Board Chair and Written Consent. See list of all virtual-only meetings […]
Zillow Group 2020: Proxy Scorecard
Zillow Group 2020 annual meeting is 6/9/2020 at 2PM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s control number found on the proxy card. Meeting password: ZG2020. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Maffei, Hoag, and Incentive Plan. Vote FOR Elect Directors by Majority Vote. I would advise voting online by 6/8, since I have often […]
Netflix 2020 Proxy Scorecard
Netflix 2020 annual meeting is 6/4/2020 at 3PM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST all Directors, Auditor, Pay, Stock Plan, EEO Ideology Risk Report. Vote FOR Political Disclosure, Simple Majority Vote. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. Vote by […]
Alphabet 2020 Proxy Scorecard
Alphabet 2020 annual meeting is 6/3/2020 at 9AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST all directors and Board items. Vote FOR All Shareholder Proposals. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. Vote by 6/2 or it will be too late, […]
Alarm.com 2020 Declassify Board
Alarm.com 2020 annual meeting is 6/3/2020 at 6AM Pacific virtually. To enhance long-term value: Vote FOR both directors, Pay, Elect Each Director Annually, End Supermajority Requirements. Vote AGAINST Auditor. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. Be sure to vote by 6/2 to have your vote count. Voting at the meeting or even asking questions […]
Chevron: Newground at AGM with Alec Baldwin, Roger Waters, Jody Williams
Chevron faced actor Alec Baldwin, rock star Roger Waters and Nobel Laureate Jody Williams arguing in support of shareholder proposals by Newground Social Investment aimed at improving the oil giant’s envirionmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. This is one for the corporate governance history books. How Trillium Asset Management voted at the meeting is displayed above. […]
Axon Enterprise 2020 Annual Director Election
Axon Enterprise 2020 annual meeting is 5/29/2020 at 10AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Kroll, Smith, Pay, Auditor. Vote FOR 4A&B Amendments, and Annual Election of Directors. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. Vote by 5/28 online or […]
Netgear 2020 Written Consent
Netgear 2020 annual meeting is 5/28/2020 at 10AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Lo, Graham, Roberts, Rossmann, Scherer, Auditor, Exec Comp, Equity Incentive Plan; FOR Written Consent. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. Vote by 5/27 to be […]
Facebook 2020 Shareholders Request Equal Votes
Facebook 2020 annual meeting is 5/27/2020 at 10AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Andreessen, Thiel, Zuckerberg, Auditor, Director Compensation. Vote FOR all shareholder proposals, especially Change in Shareholder Voting. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. Vote by 5/26 […]
Amazon 2020 Special Meetings & More
Amazon 2020 annual meeting is 5/27/2020 at 9AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Ryder. Auditor, Pay, 25% threshold, Viewpoint. Vote FOR all shareholder proposals except #12. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
Illumina 2020 Political Disclosures
Illumina 2020 annual meeting is 5/27/2020 at 10AM Pacific, a virtual-only meeting. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Dorsa and Epstin, Auditor and Executive Pay. Vote FOR Political Disclosures. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. To have your vote count, vote by 5/26 or at the meeting on 5/27. (more…)
NextEra Energy 2020 Political Contributions & Written Consent
NextEra Energy 2020 annual meeting is 5/21/2020 at 6AM Pacific, the in-person meeting will be webcast. I am not sure if shareholders will be able to vote online during the meeting. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Camaren, Dunn, Robo, Schupp, Swanson, Executive Pay. Vote FOR Political Contributions Report, Written Consent. See list of all […]
American Tower 2020 Political Contributions & Spcial Meetings
American Tower 2020 virtual annual meeting is 5/18/2020 at 9AM Pacific. I am not sure if shareholders will be able to vote online during the meeting. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Dolan, Sharbutt, Auditor and Executive Pay. Vote FOR Political Contributions Report, Special Meetings. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
Kansas City Southern 2020 Written Consent
Kansas City Southern 2020 annual meeting is 5/21/2020 at 7AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Druten and McDonnell. Vote FOR Auditor, Pay, and Written Consent. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
BlackRock 2020: Corporate Purpose
BlackRock 2020 annual meeting is 5/14/2020 at 5AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Einhorn, Ford, Gerber, Johnson, Mills, Nixon, Slim Domit, Auditor, & Pay. Vote FOR Report Corporate Purpose. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
Chipotle 2020: Shareholder & Worker Rights
Chipotle 2020 annual meeting is 5/19/2020 at 8AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Baldocchi, Niccol and Flanzraich, Auditor, Pay. Vote FOR Retention of Shares, Independent Chair, Report on Arbitration and Written Consent. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
JPMorgan 2020 Financing Climate Destruction
JPMorgan 2020 annual meeting is 5/19/2020 at 7AM Pacific virtually. Presumably we will be able to vote by entering our 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Burke, Pay, Auditor, #8. Vote FOR other directors, other shareholder proposals. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
Union Pacific 2020 Chair & Climate
Union Pacific 2020 annual meeting is 5/14/2020 at 6AM Pacific virtually by entering the eligible shareholder’s 16-digit control number found on the proxy card. To enhance long-term value: Vote AGAINST Card, Fritz, McCarthy and McLarty, Auditor, Pay. Vote FOR Independent Board Chair and Climate Report. See list of all virtual-only meetings maintained by ISS. (more…)
Lazonick Comments on Review of Predatory Value Extraction
The following extensive comments were submitted by William Lazonick, president of the Academic-Industry Research Network and UMass professor of economics emeritus, in response to my review of Predatory Value Extraction. This is dialogue a reviewer can only dream of, especially after already recieving a response from co-auther Jang-Sup Shin. More such exchanges with Shin, Lazonick, and others interested in […]
The Rhetoric and Reality of Shareholder Democracy
The Rhetoric and Reality of Shareholder Democracy was submitted by Jang-Sup Shin for publication in response to my post Predatory Value Extraction, a review of the book of that title by Professors Shin and Lazonick. Comments on The Rhetoric and Reality of Shareholder Democracy are invited in the box below. (more…)