Proxy access
10 Tips for Dealing with Shareholder Activism
By Maureen Wolff, President and Partner, Sharon Merrill Associates For many companies, a looming activist shareholder is no longer the exception – it’s the rule. One reason is that an increasing number of hedge funds are using activism as a standalone strategy. Assets managed by activist hedge funds increased 42% in 2013 to $93 billion from $65.5…
Notes from a NIRI Annual Conference Attendee
By Dennis Walsh, Senior Consultant & Director of Social Media Last week, I attended the NIRI Annual Conference. It was very educational and an incredible opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with many of the approximately 1,300 investor relations professionals from more than 20 countries that attended the event in Seattle. NIRI organized more than…
What’s In/What’s Out for Investor Relations in 2012
By Jim Buckley To kick off the New Year, we decided to renew an old Sharon Merrill tradition and take a lighthearted look at what’s in and what’s out in investor relations and related areas in 2012. Hope you enjoy, and have a happy and successful 2012.
A Curious Tale from the Annals of Shareholder Activism
By Maureen Wolff, President and Partner Nothing has more power to change a boardroom’s dynamics than the election of dissident directors – especially when they arrive as a twosome. I had the honor of moderating a panel discussion on shareholder activism at the National Association of Corporate Directors New England Chapter breakfast event earlier this…
Activists and Boards Share Common Ground on Communications
When it comes to corporate governance, board members and shareholder activists are usually on opposite ends of the spectrum. But at separate conferences in New York and Boston this month, the two camps expressed a surprisingly similar view about the most effective way to deal with the anticipated increase in shareholder activism in 2011: better…
Prepare for Proxy Access Now – Avoid an Activist Horror Story Later
Hello again. We took a bit of a hiatus from blogging this summer, but we are now back to share a Halloween story sure to scare you straight! Unless you are one of the 33 Chilean miners that were trapped underground for the past two months, you have likely been watching the drama unfold on…
Winning the Gunfight at the Proxy Corral – Four Steps to Prepare for Shareholder Activism
The term “shareholder activism” can sometimes send a shiver down your spine and conjure up all kinds of unwelcome events – unhappy shareholders, proxy contests, shareholder proposals, 13D filings and withhold vote campaigns, to name just a few. I recently moderated a NIRI Virtual Chapter webinar on “Shareholder Activism Trends.” The participants, consisting mainly of IROs…
Proxy Access: Time to Get Ready for Profound Changes
Recently, Sharon Merrill Associates President Maureen Wolff and I spoke on “Navigating the New Proxy Access Rules” at the NYSE Euronext’s “Building Blocks for Successful Investor Relations” conference. The event attracted great attendance from CEOs, CFOs and investor relations officers – despite some obstacles getting downtown with the Yankees World Series victory parade taking place…