Tag archives: board gender diversity

CEO Activism: A Double-Edged Sword?

In a recent study published on SSRN by the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University, authors David F. Larcker, Stephen Miles, Brian Tayan and Kim Wright-Violich argue that CEO activism – the practice of CEOs taking public positions on environmental, social and political issues not directly related to their business – is a … Continue reading

Exploring the Link between Gender, Governance, and Shareholder Activism

By Kaitlin Shung on August 10, 2018 Posted in Corporate Governance, Shareholder Activism

A study conducted by global consultancy firm Alvarez and Marsal (A&M) showed that companies with more women on their boards attract fewer activist investors. In particular, the study, which surveyed 1,854 public groups, revealed that companies not targeted by hedge fund activists had on average 13.4 per cent more women on their boards. Despite being … Continue reading

The Gender Question: BC Securities Commission asks for comment on disclosure requirements with respect to board gender diversity

By Geoff Mens on June 14, 2018 Posted in Compliance, Corporate Governance, Shareholder Activism

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 duty for issuers in participating jurisdictions to disclose the details of female representation, including issuers’ targets, policies, and … Continue reading

Ignoring board gender diversity is no longer an option

By Michael Viner (Toronto) on January 10, 2018 Posted in Corporate Governance, Shareholder Activism

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 (Glass Lewis), appear to have caught wind of the discussions – both firms added a voting policy in … Continue reading

Glass Lewis’ 2018 Canada Policy Guidelines on Proxy Advice

By Victoria Riley (Toronto) on January 4, 2018 Posted in Corporate Governance, Proxy Access, Proxy Battles, Shareholder Activism

Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (Glass Lewis), a leading governance and proxy voting firm, has recently released its 2018 Policy Guidelines for Proxy Advice in Canada. The following are three of its key changes from the 2017 Policy Guidelines: Board Gender Diversity In the new year, Glass Lewis will not make voting recommendations solely on the … Continue reading