Research suggests proxy advisors’ influence on shareholder votes is far more limited than critics claim, raising questions about whether restrictive executive orders are the right policy response.
Despite fewer campaigns being launched, activists are winning at unprecedented rates—and settling in record time. This shift signals a new era of shareholder activism where quality trumps quantity, leaving boards scrambling to defend their independence.
Activist campaigns continue at record levels but companies are increasingly willing—and able—to fight back effectively.
In a rare rebuke, investors voted to remove a long-serving Netflix director over poor board meeting attendance—despite his previously strong track record. As scrutiny of director engagement and executive focus intensifies, could this be a new trend?
The activist victory at Air Products underscores how even revered leadership, bold strategy, and past alliances offer no guarantees when boards fall out of step with shareholder priorities.
Allegations of misleading disclosures and profit-driven strategy spark a crisis of confidence—and offer a stark warning for boardrooms about the rising cost of opaque governance and ethically questionable practices.
