On the Supplier Scene: 2018Q2
Computershare is set to purchase Equatex – “a Zurich based employee share plans administrator with a strong business across Europe [whose] 220+ employees provide a range of employee share plans administration solutions for over 160 clients…
AUDITOR RATIFICATION…THE NEXT BIG THING IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE? WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA
We have been saying for five or more years now that treating the vote on ratifying the selection of auditors as a “routine matter” is increasingly absurd, in light of the seemingly never-improving and clearly unsatisfactory number of audit failures reported each year by the PCAOB.
ONCE OVER IN APRIL, SHAREHOLDER MEETINGS ARE YEAR-ROUND EVENTS THESE DAYS
Ten years or so ago, when most public companies used the calendar-year as their fiscal year, virtually 100% of shareholder meetings were over by April 31st.
WANT TO GET YOUR BLOOD A’BOILIN’?? READ WHAT UK DIRECTORS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE SHORTAGE OF WOMEN LEADERS ON BOARDS…AND IN THE WORKPLACE
“All the ‘good’ women have already been snapped up.” “I don’t think women fit comfortably into the board environment” “There aren’t that many women with the right credentials and depth of experience to sit on the board—the issues covered are extremely complex” “Most...THE NIFTIEST NEW THING WE SAW THIS SEASON: ONLINE – AND MOBILE – “MEET THE BOARD” FEATURES
It’s been a while since we last reviewed EZOnlineDocuments web and mobile-optimized proxy statements…but we were absolutely bowled-over by the quick demo we saw at the Society conference this year…
OUR PREDICTIONS RE: THE 2018 MEETING SEASON WERE SQUARELY ON THE MONEY: HERE’S OUR ANALYSIS OF TOP DEVELOPMENTS – AND OUR ADVICE TO ISSUERS ON PREPARING FOR 2019
Our 2017 prediction that 2018 would indeed turn out to be “the year of the women” – at long last – was happily proven true, at least in the USA…
Zombies at your Shareholder Meeting?
THE SCARIEST IN-BOX ITEM SO FAR THIS YEAR
Hot Issues for Proxy Tabulation and Vote Reporting
Did you know that there are at least eight kinds of proxy tabulators out there these days?
PROXY FIGHTS SHRINK IN NUMBER…BUT THE INTENSITY GROWS BIG-TIME
The just-out issue of Broadridge’s Proxy Pulse newsletter reports that so far this year, proxy contests have decreased markedly vs. last.
Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
An Interview With Todd May SVP, Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
Early Returns from the 2017 Meeting Season
While it’s still early-days as we write this, the 2017 season is off to something of a roaring start, with howls of protests from activist investors about “Virtual Only” shareholder meetings.
On a Happier Note Re: 2017 Annual Meetings
Some of the best materials that have crossed our desk so far
An 8-Million-Vote Margin on 2.75 Billion Votes Cast
“How Could the Inspectors Possibly Confirm That The Numbers Were Right?
Our Top 5 Tips To Widen The Margin of Victory in Close Contests
Start with a rigorous, numbers-oriented analysis of your company’s shareholder base – ninety days before the record date, and again, as of the record date.
An Update on Virtual Shareholder Meetings
A Great Thing, But Look Carefully Before You Leap
MID-MEETING-SEASON SANITY CHECK
IMPORTANT REMINDERS ON THE MATH – AND ON THE “OPTICS” – AND ON THE “AUDIBLES” OF VOTE REPORTING
Our Predictions on the 2018 Meeting Season Were Squarely On The Money
HERE’S OUR ANALYSIS OF TOP DEVELOPMENTS – AND OUR ADVICE TO ISSUERS ON PREPARING FOR 2019
Annual Meeting Planning – 2018
Two other sets of developments this season also give us reason to think hard as we plan for 2018:
Misguided SEC “Guidance” On No-Action Letters
And on Allowing Non-Shareholders to Submit Shareholder Proposals as “Proxies”: Time for Some Tough Talk, We Say
Ever Think About a Tied Vote?
Or Of What To Say And Do If Some Results Seem “Too Close To Call?”….Very Smart To Do These Days
Financial Choice Act Passes the House, With Major Changes in Proxy Proposal Rules:
ISSUERS; BEWARE OF GETTING WHAT YOU WISH FOR, WE WARN…
“MINI-TENDER” OFFERORS ARE BACK AGAIN
“HEED THE JUDGE” IN A LANDMARK CASE, BEFORE TURNING OVER YOUR SHAREHOLDER RECORDS TO UNKNOWN AND POSSIBLY UNSCRUPULOUS “SERVICE PROVIDERS.”
The 2017 “Ficklefinger Award”
And the winner is……. It’s been quite a few years since we handed out our once-annual Ficklefinger Award. With so much focus on good corporate governance practices over the past few years, most public companies are extremely wary of flicking a finger at...“Diversity” and the Prevalence of “Old White Men” at Shareholder Meetings
In our last issue we predicted that “diversity” would be a hot topic during the 2017 Meeting Season, and we are indeed happy to see a much overdue and much increasing focus here. We noted the new initiatives at State Street, and at several of the public pension funds...Podcast Alert: Annual Meeting Season 2026 — Expert Advice from Carl & Peder Hagberg
Carl and Peder Hagberg of The Shareholder Service OPTIMIZER join Meredith Ervine from TheCorporateCounsel.net to discuss proxy season risks, virtual meetings, and shareholder engagement for 2026.
Listen to hear their insights on this year’s annual meeting season.