At the start of each year, C-Suite focuses on the critical governance issues boards and executive management will face in the coming months. Going into 2018, the implications and potential fallout from tax reform dominated corporate communications, while the CEO Pay Ratio was arguably one of the most talked about governance topics. This year, the conversations in boardrooms will undoubtedly center on satisfying key shareholder concerns on a host of topics, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, board composition, executive pay and much more.
With that in mind, this edition of C-Suite touches on a number of these issues. An interview with Michelle Edkins, Managing Director and Global Head of Investment Stewardship, and Ray Cameron, Managing Director and Head of Investment Stewardship, at BlackRock, sheds light from an institutional investor’s perspective on how companies can better adhere to sound governance practices. And Tim Ryan, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC, and Founding Member of CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion—the first CEO-led diversity and inclusion initiative—discusses how social equality across corporate America starts at the top of an organization.
The cover story, which highlights many findings from our annual Corporate Governance Outlook 2019 report, discusses the current state of investor scrutiny and how companies are using proxy disclosures to showcase shareholder value. Several other contributions from industry leaders cover strategies and tactics boards should implement to create value and reap the benefits of operating at a high level. Collectively, these perspectives paint a picture of what’s to come in 2019 and beyond.
If you’re joining us for the Board Leadership Forum at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, several industry experts and board members will weigh in on a number of these topics and discuss how boards should objectively evaluate board strategy, as well as the tools and programs required to ensure constructive interaction with key shareholders and advisors.
We wish you and your colleagues the best of success throughout 2019. Please enjoy this issue and, as always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any feedback.
David Chun
CEO and Founder, Equilar
dchun@equilar.com