Guidewire Software, Inc. provides software products for property and casualty (P&C) insurers. It offers a technology platform supports core insurance operations, including underwriting and policy administration, claim management, and billing. Guidewire is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on December 3, 2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked. I voted […]
Archive | November, 2015
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): How I Voted – Proxy Score 62
Microsoft Corporation (MFST), a technology company, develops, licenses, and supports software products, services, and devices worldwide. Microsoft is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is on December 2, 2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of five funds when I checked. I voted with the Board’s recommendations 62% of the time. View Proxy Statement. iiWisdom provides a nice interactive viewing platform […]
Program on Corporate Governance Seeks Post-Doctoral Fellows
Post-doctoral fellows and senior associates in the fields of corporate governance and/or law and finance: applications from highly qualified candidates who are interested in working with the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance are now being accepted. Post-Doctoral Fellows Applicants for a position of a post-doctoral fellow should be interested in spending between one and three years […]
Give Thanks: SEC Allows Shareholders to Hold Mutual Funds to Account
Publisher’s note: I wasn’t going to publish anything today but I couldn’t resist this recent news from Sanford Lewis, Esq. and Sonia Kowai of Zevin Asset Management about a denial of a no-action letter that allows shareholders to hold mutual funds to account. Imagine what the world could look like if mainstream funds lived up […]
Resolution: Report Public Policy on Climate Change
Recently, with the revelations about Exxon’s past support for climate denial organizations hitting the news, there has been a fresh interest in the ways oil companies have used their lobbying and contributions to oppose climate change solutions. For example most oil companies are members of the Chamber and American Petroleum Association, which recently sued the EPA […]
Small Gains by Women in California Companies
Women in California companies continue to make slight progress. More of California’s largest 400 public companies public companies than ever have women chief executive officers (CEOs), and fewer have no women in their C-suites and boardrooms. However, the annual University of California, Davis, study shows women still hold just one in eight of the senior […]
Comment: “Materiality,” File Reference No. 2015-300
Take Action: Bartlett Naylor of Public Citizen sent me the following draft sign-on comment letter to FASB/SEC regarding their concept release to redefine “materiality” from information that “could” be important to investors to information that “would” be considered important. If you agree with us that regulators shouldn’t be reducing the volume information that “could” be […]
Challenges of Pension Fund Chiefs: #CIIFall2015
This session was a transition between #ICGN15 and #CIIFall2015 conferences in Boston. Deborah Goldberg, the Treasurer of Massachusetts, provided the opening remarks. She was followed by a panel discussing the priorities and challenges of pension fund chiefs. Please feel free to point out any corrections, counterpoints and additional points using the site’s comment feature. (more…)
Vanguard: Stop Voting Against Disclosure of Political Spending
Corporations are channeling unprecedented amounts of secret money into our elections. Even worse, they’re doing it with our savings. Help stop retirement fund manager Vanguard from channeling our savings into secret-money politics. (more…)
Hain Celestial Group: How I Voted – Proxy Score 64
Hain Celestial Group Inc (HAIN) manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells organic and natural products in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Europe. Hain Celestial is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is on November 19, 2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked. I also checked CalSTRS, since their […]
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Welcomes New CEO, Josh Zinner
ICCR’s Board of Directors announced that Josh Zinner will be assuming the role of ICCR’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 4th2016. Josh Zinner comes to ICCR with 20 years’ experience as a non-profit leader, coalition-builder and policy advocate. For the past eight years Josh has co-directed the New Economy Project, an organization that works with community groups […]
Cisco Systems: How I Voted – Proxy Score 50
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) designs, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol (IP) based networking products and services related to the communications and information technology industry worldwide. Cisco is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is on November 19, 2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of four funds when I checked. I voted with the Board’s recommendations 50% […]
Clorox: How I Voted – Proxy Score 100
The Clorox Company (CLX) manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Cleaning, Household, Lifestyle, and International. Clorox is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is on November 18, 2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked. I voted with the Board’s recommendations 100% of the […]
ISS QuickScore Verification Due November 13
Many readers refer to and rely on QuickScores issued by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). It is in our interest to have those scores calculated using the best available data. Issuers have until Friday, 11/13/2015, 8 pm ET to submit updates and corrections through the ISS verification process. New scores are expected to be released on […]
All In For Impact: Proxy Access and Advocacy to Thriveability
At the recent #AllInForImpact SRI Conference – on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing I presented a “Topic Table.” These are informal gatherings of up to 10 people during lunch. Topics are submitted prior to the conference by any registrant who wishes to lead a discussion on an issue related to sustainable, responsible, impact investing. Mine was on […]
2015 CPA-Zicklin Index Expands to Cover S&P 500
More of America’s largest publicly traded companies are bringing sunlight to their corporate expenditures on politics, the 2015 CPA-Zicklin Index of Political Disclosure and Accountability shows on the eve of a blockbuster election year for political spending. For the first time, the 2015 CPA-Zicklin Index has been expanded to measure the transparency policies and practices of […]
Appleseed Fund: One of the All in For Impact Sponsors
The Appleseed Fund, a sponsor of the recent #AllinForImpact SRI Conference, leverages its role as a shareholder advocate to encourage boards and management teams to become more transparent and responsible with regard to ESG matters. They believe investors can have significant influence on the companies they own through informal engagement, proxy voting and submitting shareholder resolutions. (more…)
Video Friday: ICCR 2015 Event – On Leadership
Leadership transitions are the ideal time to think about what it means to lead. What is the role of leadership in building the “just and sustainable corporate world” the ICCR community envisions in its mission statement? During an interactive panel on Oct. 1, 2015, five dynamic leaders explored the role of corporate responsibility and the capital […]
Register for 2015 Millstein Governance Forum
You are invited you to join us for the 2015 Millstein Governance Forum. This year’s Forum, the 10th annual hosted by the Millstein Center, will focus on The Board-Centric Model in the Array of Shareholders and will take place on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at Columbia University in New York. (more…)
Parametric Announces Proprietary ESG Offering
Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC (“Parametric”), a majority owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE:EV) and a participant at the All In For Impact conference (#AllinForImpact) in Colorado Springs, announced the creation of two new proprietary responsible investing strategies, Parametric ESG Domestic and Parametric ESG International. (more…)
Broadridge Financial Solutions: My Vote – Proxy Score 64
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (BR) is a provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, mutual funds and corporate issuers. They are one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is on November 12, 2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked and voted. I voted with the Board’srecommendations 64% of […]
ICGN Boston 2015, Part 5: Stewardship Code + Ellen Kullman
This the fifth part of my coverage of this year’s ICGN event in Boston. I haven’t taken the time to edit the prose to make complete well-flowing sentences. Still, I hope you find them of some value. Here we touch on the idea of a Stewardship code for the US and I captured a few remarks from […]
ICGN Boston 2015, Part 4: Assessing Climate Change Risks
Assessing Climate Change Risks is part four in my coverage of this year’s ICGN event in Boston. These posts haven’t been checked for accuracy and I haven’t taken the time to make complete well-flowing sentences. Still, I hope you find them of some value. (more…)