Natalie Bannerman
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People moves: Agnieszka Gallagher to succeed Stillman Hanson as GC at Fortrea
Bank of Nova Scotia, Myers Industries and tZERO also grow their compliance teams Nasdaq-listed contract research group Fortrea has named Agnieszka Gallagher as its new general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary. Gallagher succeeds Stillman Hanson, who is leaving the company after a planned transition period. Before joining Fortrea, Gallagher served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Standard Biotools. Prior to this, she was general counsel, chief compliance officer and company secretary at OraSure Technologies, as well as chief compliance and ethics officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Over her 25-year career she also held roles at ViiV Healthcare,…
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SEC steps back from no-action reviews, leaving proxy season on unstable ground
Regulator will reduce oversight of shareholder proposal disputes in a step critics say will leave investors in ‘legal limbo’ The SEC has changed its rules around how companies seek permission to exclude certain shareholder proposals from proxies, in a move that will make it more difficult for activists to force votes on contentious issues. Earlier this week, the commission’s Division of Corporation Finance announced that it will not substantially review no-action requests under Rule 14a-8 for the 2025-26 proxy season, except for procedural exclusions it specifies in the legislation. The regulator blamed ‘current resource and timing considerations following the lengthy…
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The week in GRC: White House weighs up shareholder voting executive order as FTC launches probe into ISS and Glass Lewis
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web –US officials are reviewing an executive order that could reshape shareholder voting power by imposing curbs on major proxy advisory firms and index fund managers. As reported by the Wall Street Journal (paywall), the planned measures would target firms such as ISS and Glass Lewis, limiting their ability to issue vote recommendations for companies to which they also provide consulting services. According to people familiar with the discussions, the government would also place constraints on large asset managers like BlackRock, Vanguard Group and State Street – which collectively control…
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The politicization of governance and four other things we learned from the 2025 Corporate Governance Forum
The New York event brought together top governance professionals in an era when change can be quick and new stakeholders are entering the arena The governance and shareholder services community is mourning the passing of Joseph (Joe) Contorno, a long-time industry executive who passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 27, 2025. He was 79. Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Contorno was widely regarded as a trusted advisor, mentor and colleague across the proxy advisory and investor relations fields. He most recently served as vice president of sales at The Nuvo Group, a position he had held…
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A gifted storyteller and passionate musician: Remembering Joseph (Joe) Contorno, industry veteran and esteemed colleague
Long-serving governance professional passed away in October 2025 The 2025 Corporate Governance Forum brought together governance professionals, board members and advisers for discussions that included proxy disclosure, shareholder activism and the politicization of corporate decision-making. Across all panels, one theme stood out: governance has become more strategic, more transparent and perhaps, more political than ever. Here’s five takeaways from the event. 1. The proxy statement is a storytelling tool, not a compliance document During the first session of the day – Best practices for optimizing your proxy statement, streamlining preparation and improving disclosures – speakers from Murphy Oil, AIG and…
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People moves: Veralto names Kimberly Chainey as SVP and chief legal officer
Plus, Veon, Entergy and Fidelity Bank bolster their GRC teams Veralto, a provider of water and product quality solutions, has namedKimberly Chaineyas SVP and chief legal officer, effective December 1, 2025. Chainey joins Veralto from Aptar Group, where she oversaw global legal affairs as EVP, chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Before joining Aptar, Chainey held legal leadership roles at Panasonic Aviation Corporation, Avis Budget Group, the Hershey Company andMorgan Lewis. ‘It’s exciting to be joining such an impressive leadership team, a legal organization that is filled with top-flight talent and an enterprise that is making important contributions to our…
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The hidden backbone: Why entity management is key to strong corporate governance
Effective entity management has become a critical strategic function, but what happens when it’s neglected? Entity management remains the often overlooked yet crucial foundation supporting effective governance. Operating behind the scenes, entity management functions as the quiet engine that ensures transparency, mitigates risk and enables strategic agility across multinational enterprises. Despite its critical importance, it frequently remains delegated solely to legal or compliance teams, disconnected from the boardroom’s strategic oversight. This disconnect can expose companies to significant risks, from compliance failures and regulatory penalties to delays in M&A and erosion of corporate reputation. The starting point for recognizing entity management’s…
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The week in GRC: Elon Musk calls ISS and Glass Lewis ‘corporate terrorists’ over $1 trn pay package dispute as ICGN criticizes SEC policy changes
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – Elon Musk has labeled shareholder advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis as ‘corporate terrorists.’ The remarks came after both firms advised Tesla investors to vote against his proposed $55 bn pay package ($1 trn at its peak), a revived version of the 2018 deal that had been struck down earlier by a Delaware court for being ‘deeply flawed.’ As reported by Reuters (paywall), ISS and Glass Lewis argued that Musk’s compensation was excessive, diluted shareholder value and failed to align with long-term investor interests. Musk, however, sees their…
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California’s new climate rules to redraw the ESG reporting playbook
As companies brace for California’s climate reporting rules to come into force in 2026, we explore what this will mean for GRC professionals In 2026 the state of California is set to enforce two landmark climate disclosure laws: Senate Bill 253 (the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act) and Senate Bill 261 (the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act). As such, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) professionals will play a key role in integrating the regulatory demands into enterprise risk-management and reporting frameworks. The rule set SB 253 requires companies doing business in California with annual revenues exceeding $1bn to publicly report their greenhouse-gas (GHG)…
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People moves: Sarah Powell joins Planet Fitness as new general counsel
Plus, Starbucks, AXA and Stanley Black & Decker make new additions to their legal teams NYSE-listed Planet Fitness has appointed Sarah Powell as general counsel, effective November 17. A 25-year legal veteran, she served as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands). Prior to GoTo Foods, Powell served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Advance Auto Parts. Earlier in her career, she served on the legal team at Delhaize America. ‘I am excited to welcome Sarah and her deep franchising experience to Planet Fitness, where she will play a critical…