The diversity of boards has become a target of greater scrutiny. This scrutiny has come not only from activist investors seeking higher returns and better governance, but from governments and various interest groups outside the corporation. It has homed in
Majority voting and board diversity trends
As recently highlighted in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, a report (the Report) by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) found that majority voting practices and annual board elections, along with increases in
Board diversity update: Is female board representation on the rise?
Nearly seven months have passed since the formal amendments to National Instrument 58-101 – Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices and Form 58-101F1- Corporate Governance Disclosure were announced by securities regulators, imposing enhanced disclosure requirements with respect to female representation on
Diversity on Canadian boards: key trends and potential changes to disclosure requirements
Over the last decade, there has been a notable increase in the number of women on boards and in executive officer positions across Canadian issuers. This progress is reflected in the Canadian Securities Administrators’ (CSA) annual review of
The Gender Question: BC Securities Commission asks for comment on disclosure requirements with respect to board gender diversity
In late 2014, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) published “comply or explain” rules regarding female representation in director and executive officer positions. The requirements were codified in National Instrument 58-101 (the Disclosure Requirements) and created a positive
Ignoring board gender diversity is no longer an option
Discussions around board gender diversity are picking up steam in the lead up to the 2018 proxy season. Some of the leading proxy advisory firms, namely the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis & Co. LLC (
Overboard, under deliver?
We recently reported that Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released its 2018 Americas Proxy Voting Guidelines Updates (the Policy Update), which, among other things, establishes modified guidelines for determining whether a director serving on the board of multiple
Management diversity: will targets and quotas improve gender diversity?
On October 5, 2017, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) released Staff Notice 58-309 (Staff Notice) reporting findings of a review carried out by various Canadian securities regulators of disclosure regarding women on boards and in executive
Top board priorities for 2016
With 2016 upon us, boards are likely to reflect on the organizational challenges they expect to face in the coming year, and to develop effective strategies to tackle these challenges. A recent EY publication anticipates that in developing these strategies,
Management diversity: Do women in management lower a firm’s risk profile?
In an earlier post, we commented on the formal amendments to National Instrument 58-101 – Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices and Form 58-101F1- Corporate Governance Disclosure imposing enhanced disclosure requirements with respect to female representation on the boards and