News
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People moves: Eric Groen takes up new role at Genelux
Plus, Valley National Bancorp, ONE Gas and Deutsche Bank expand their governance teams Genelux Corporation, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, has appointed Eric Groen as the company’s new general counsel, corporate secretary, chief compliance officer and head of business development. Groen enters the role having previously served as general counsel of Rani Therapeutics, a clinical-stage, publicly traded biotech. Prior to this he spent 20 years in the legal department at the biotech company Amgen. ‘Eric brings a powerful blend of legal expertise, global business development savvy and a strategic understanding of the biotechnology ecosystem,’ says Thomas Zindrick, president, CEO and chairman…
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‘Prevention is better than remedy’: majority of investors say governance gaps attract activists, research shows
New study finds that majority of investors think poor governance practices open door to activist attention The majority of institutional investors credit poor governance practices as the biggest driver of shareholder activism, a new study from shareholder advisory firm SquareWell Partners has found. Some 84 percent of investors polled, who hail from North America, Europe (including the UK) and Asia, said that poor governance was the main driver of activist investor attention. The findings of SquareWell’s report, titled The Long and the Short of It: Institutional Investors’ Views on Activism, center around three key themes, views on activism, evaluation criteria…
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The week in GRC: ISS joins Glass Lewis in backing SINOVAC Biotech in proxy war
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web —ISS has joined Glass Lewis in recommendingSINOVAC Biotech’s shareholders vote to keep the company’s current board of directors. The proposal came from SAIF Partners, SINOVAC’s largest single investor in close coordination with Advantech/Prime Success and Vivo Capital, who believe that the current board does not act in the interests of all shareholders. They also believe the current board lacks integrity, industry experience, management expertise and respect for the law necessary to fulfill its promises to shareholders, according to the latest release from SAIF Through the proposal SAIF aims to…
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People moves: NuScale Power welcomes Shahram Ghasemian as new legal chief and corporate secretary
Plus, Allegion, ConnectOne Bancorp and Fifth Third Bancorp all bolster their corporate governance teams US US nuclear power provider NuScale Power has confirmed the appointment of Shahram Ghasemian as chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Ghasemian joins NuScale from Centrus Energy where he served as senior vice president, general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary. Before this Ghasemian held several leadership positions within the federal government including the US Department of Energy, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and served as a senior legislative fellow on nuclear policy issues on Capitol Hill. Elsewhere Allegion, a global security and access company,…
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The week in GRC: SEC and US stock exchange operators in talks to ease listing requirements
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – The SEC is in discussions with US stock exchange operators on potentially easing regulatory requirements for public companies. According to Reuters (paywall), the regulatory reform seeks to attract more high value startups to list publicly, with discussions said to involve the SEC, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange. The reforms under discussion include reducing the number of disclosures required, lowering the costs of going public and making it harder for minority investors to put investee companies under pressure. The talks, which are several months in, come in…
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Geopolitical volatility has made governance more important than ever
Governance professionals do not have the luxury of being able to avoid political issues Governance professionals, from the corporate secretary to the IRO to the chief governance officer, are at the frontline for communication and engagement with shareholders. These roles are as complex as they are satisfying while navigating the constant turbulence. At any given time, new regulatory requirements, shareholder tendencies or political factors demand a response. As a public company and transfer agent to thousands of companies, Computershare has a unique perspective on numerous topics governance leaders face. In particular, the economic and social impact of the current geopolitical…
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Mark Pasko joins MAPFRE USA as EVP, general counsel and secretary
New hire previously served as chief legal officer of QBE North America American insurance company MAPFRE USA, a subsidiary of Spanish multinational MAPFRE Group, has appointed Mark Pasko as the company’s new executive vice president, general counsel and company secretary. Effective as of July 21, Pasko will oversee MAPFRE’s legal, regulatory and government affairs in the US, as well as compliance, state filings and corporate governance matters. Pasko enters the role with over 20 years of experience in the corporate counsel, insurance and managementspace. Before joining MAPFRE he served as chief legal officer of QBE North America, a global insurance…
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Phathom names Anne Marie Cook as new chief legal officer
Former general counsel at Sage Therapeutics joins the biopharmaceuticals firm New Jersey-based biopharmaceutical company Phathom Pharmaceuticals has named Anne Marie Cook as its new chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Cook takes up the role having previously served as SVP, general counsel of Sage Therapeutics from 2015 to 2024. During her tenure, Cookled all legal activities across the business, including commercialization, regulatory, compliance, intellectual property and corporate governance. ‘I’m delighted to welcome Anne Marie Cook to Phathom, she will play a key role in shaping our corporate strategy,’ says Steven Basta, president and CEO at Phathom Pharmaceuticals. ‘Her experience and…
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Five reasons why public companies should conduct post-shareholder meeting engagement
As the 2025 shareholder meeting season wraps up, companies must turn their attention to a critical next step: engaging shareholders after the meeting concludes The annual shareholder meeting marks a major milestone for public companies – but it is not the finish line. Instead, it offers a starting point fordeeper, more meaningful shareholder engagementthroughout the rest of the year. As expectations from investors continue to rise, here are five reasons why public companies must prioritize post-shareholder meeting engagement: 1. Understand the full story behind the votes While SEC-mandated N-PX filings reveal how most institutional investors voted, for the most part…
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The week in GRC: Informa attracts shareholder ire after shifting AGM from London to Nice
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – UK business publishing company Informa was widely criticized this week after shifting its AGM to take place in the French Riviera rather than its London headquarters. Informa’s decision to hold the event in Nice, France means its annual meeting will in effect be online-only for UK-based share owners as they would struggle to find the time – and in some cases the money – to attend, according to This Is Money. Catherine Howarth, head of investor lobby group ShareAction, described the decision as another example of ‘disappearing directors’,…