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People moves: Jonathan Kuai promoted to legal chief at Korn Ferry
Plus Stanley Black & Decker, SiriusXM and Rolls-Royce add to their legal teams Global consulting firm Korn Ferry has promoted Jonathan Kuai to the position of chief people and legal officer. Kaui was formerly general counsel, corporate secretary and managing director of ESG and business affairs at the company. After joining Korn Ferry in 2010, it was under his tenure that the company won the trophy for best proxy statement (mid-cap) at the 2025 Corporate Governance Awards in New York. In a LinkedIn post, Kuai writes: ‘I am deeply humbled and honored to step into the role of Korn Ferry’s…
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Academics put pressure on SEC for formal rules on foreign insider disclosures under HFIAA
A rulemaking petition is urging the regulator to close long standing disclosure gaps for insiders at foreign companies On the latest episode of the Governance Matters podcast, senior reporter Natalie Bannermanrounds up the most compelling stories from the end of 2025 well into the new year. Top of the bill are President Trump’s proxy advisor executive order targeting ISS and Glass Lewis and the changes to Rule 14a-8, the shareholder proposal rule which will change the outlook for the 2026 proxy season. Elsewhere, we look at how California’s AI legislation will curb lawyers’ use of generative technologies, the sharp shift…
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Proxy season 2026: What to expect from rule 14a-8 changes
Governance experts share their predictions for the upcoming proxy season following the SEC’s pullback around shareholder proposals Among the tumult of 2025 wasa November announcement from the SECstating that it would reduce oversight of shareholder proposal disputes. Blaming ‘current resource and timing considerations following the lengthy government shutdown,’ the regulator said that it would end ‘substantial’ reviews of no-action requests under rule 14a-8, with the change applying to the proxy season running from October 2025 to September 2026 – as well as anything it hadn’t got to before the decision was made. You canread more about the SEC’s decision here.…
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The week in GRC: Wells Fargo brings its shareholder voting recommendations in-house as SEC dismisses Gemini crypto lawsuit
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – Wells Fargo’s wealth and investment management division has ended its relationship with proxy advisory firm ISS, ahead of the 2026 proxy season. Instead of relying on ISS’s external recommendations on shareholder votes, the bank will now use an internal system powered by its own policies and supported by technology from Broadridge Financial Solutions. As reported by the The Wall Street Journal (paywall), the news comes as conservative lawmakers and business leaders argue that proxy advisory firms overly emphasize social and climate issues, sometimes at odds with corporate boards.…
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As You Sow leads criticism of SEC’s updated restrictions on smaller shareholders
The SEC quietly updates its Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations to roll back a filing that arguably silences the majority of investors As You Sow has led a chorus of critics after the SEC reversed its long-standing practice of allowing smaller shareholders to file Notices of Exempt Solicitation on the SEC’s EDGAR system, calling the move a ‘significant setback for shareholder democracy and informed capital markets.’ This change was carried out via a revision to Question 126.06 of the SEC staff’s Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (C&DIs) on proxy rules. Andy Behar, CEO of As You Sow, is among the voices criticizing…
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People moves: Bruce Czachor joins Stardust Power as new general counsel
Plus LB Pharmaceuticals, Central Garden & Pet Company and Homeland Nickel expand their legal teams Thinking back to last year, it was during the WSJ Leadership Institute’s inaugural Board of Directors Council Summit that Dan Schulman, CEO of Verizon Communications, captured the defining governance challenge now facing boards. As AI accelerates into every corner of enterprise decision-making, he warned that leaders are operating in unfamiliar territory. ‘I’ve never seen technology change as fast as it is right now,’ Schulman told The Wall Street Journal. That pace has moved AI from an operational experiment to a board-level mandate. In the past…
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Are corporate boards ready to govern AI at speed? Governance leaders are already feeling the shift
As AI shifts from experimentation to mandate at major public companies, boards are being forced to confront whether their governance models can keep pace The Nasdaq-listed battery developer Stardust Power has appointed Bruce Czachor as its new general counsel. Reporting directly to founder and CEO Roshan Pujari, Czachor will oversee all legal, regulatory and corporate governance matters for the company. He enters the role with over 30 years of experience, having most recently served as EVP and chief legal officer at Piedmont Lithium. During his tenure he oversaw the cross-border public merger between Piedmont Lithium and Elevera Mining (formerly Sayona…
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Corporate Governance Awards 2025: On the red carpet with Ventas
Governance Intelligence recently presented its18th annual Corporate Governance Awardsat a gala ceremony this past November in New York City. Live from the red carpet, we spoke with several esteemed guests from across the world of GRC, includingKevin Bohl,senior vice president, deputy generalcounseland assistant corporate secretary at Ventas. In our discussion, Bohl describes the company’s nomination as a ‘great honor’ while sharing some of the big themes that Venta’s shareholders have been engaging with in 2025. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements by the governance profession in areas such as hosting AGMs, compliance and ethics programs, ESG reporting, entity management, use of…
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Corporate Governance Awards 2025: On the red carpet with Sallie Mae
Jeffrey Lipschutz reflects on his personal awards nomination Governance Intelligence recently presented its18th annual Corporate Governance Awardsat a gala ceremony this past November in New York City. Live from the red carpet, we spoke with several esteemed guests from across the world of GRC, including Jeffrey Lipschutz, senior director, associate general counsel & assistant secretaryat Sallie Mae. Lipschutz shares his advice for companies wanting to enter the awards this year and credits his making the shortlist forGovernance Professional of the Yearto his amazing team while praising colleague Megan Smegala on her Rising Star nomination. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements by…
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Corporate Governance Awards 2025: On the red carpet with Murphy Oil
Tricia Hammons on Murphy Oil’s ‘secret sauce’ Governance Intelligence recently presented its18th annual Corporate Governance Awardsat a gala ceremony this past November in New York City. Live from the red carpet, we spoke with several esteemed guests from across the world of GRC, includingTricia Hammons,director of governance & legal services, assistantcorporate secretary atMurphy Oil. In our conversation, Hammons reflects on the company’s Best Proxy Statement (mid cap) nomination, why people are the ‘secret sauce’ and what topics she will be engaging shareholders on this year. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements by the governance profession in areas such as hosting AGMs,…