Natalie Bannerman
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The week in GRC: SEC’s Atkins reviews shareholder proposal rules as US AG’s launch energy investigation into tech giants
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web —SEC chair Paul Atkins has urged the commission to revisit rules requiring companies to include shareholder proposals on ESG issues in proxy statements. Speaking at the University of Delaware, Atkins said his Shareholder Proposal Modernization initiative aims to reduce political debates in shareholder meetings and refocus on essential corporate matters like director elections. He argued that many ESG proposals address topics unrelated to a company’s core business, creating unnecessary costs and distractions for management. Atkins asked SEC staff to review whether Rule 14a-8, first adopted in 1942 to enable…
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Glass Lewis to ditch ‘benchmark’ or ‘house’ policies from 2027: what’s behind the shift
Proxy advisor changes course on standard voting package in favor of customized or thematic plans Glass Lewis has announced plans to retire its long-standing practice of issuing single, default ‘benchmark’ voting recommendations based on a fixed house policy. Instead, the firm will offer clients a choice of perspectives aligned to management, governance, activism or sustainability. The shift marks a move from a ‘one size fits all’ model to a fully customizable framework. The decision follows a similar development by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which recently launched governance research services that exclude voting recommendations, providing clients with customizable data, analysis and…
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People moves: SomniGroup promotes HR chief to legal as Shopify names new GC
Plus, Northwest Bank, Silver Elephant and Plato Income Maximiser bolster their legal teams As investor expectations continue to evolve, the proxy statement has become more than a regulatory requirement: it’s now a strategic tool for corporate storytelling and stakeholder engagement. The newly released playbook, titled ‘From compliance to confidence: Proxies that win trust and votes’ and written in partnership with DFIN, offers a timely and comprehensive guide for companies looking to strengthen their proxy disclosures ahead of the upcoming season. Click hereto download the report >> The playbook features insights from leading governance professionals and proxy advisors, highlighting best practices…
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The week in GRC: Elon Musk’s X reaches settlement with former Twitter execs as Atkins readies ‘innovation exemption’ crypto law
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web —SEC chair Paul Atkins is preparing to codify an ‘innovation exemption’, a regulatory carve-out designed to allow crypto and tokenization projects to operate under lighter oversight while the SEC crafts new rules. As reported by decrypt, the exemption would grant conditional relief from certain legacy securities requirements to facilitate product launches, new trading models and decentralized finance innovations that don’t neatly align with traditional regulatory frameworks. Atkins first floated the idea publicly in mid-2025, saying that staff are ‘considering what other changes may be appropriate… including an innovation exception…
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Nominees for the 2025 Corporate Governance Awards announced
Governance Intelligence is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 18th annual Corporate Governance Awards. Taking place in New York City on November 6, the gala ceremony will be held at Cipriani 25 Broadway and is expected to be attended by 400 industry professionals from the world of governance, risk and compliance. The ceremony will follow the Corporate Governance Forum, also on November 6, which will bring together experts to share their insights on the implications of recent market and regulatory changes on the role of governance professionals and provide a platform to share best practices before the end of…
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People moves: Equitable Holdings promotes Kurt Meyers to legal chief as NioCorp welcomes new a GC
Plus, changing the guard at Constellation Brands, Greif and Appian NYSE-listed financial services company Equitable Holdings has promoted Kurt Meyers to the position of chief legal officer and corporate secretary. In addition to his new role, Meyers will also join Equitable’s management committee and report directly to president and CEO, Mark Peason. Before his promotion, Meyers served as Equitable’s head of life Insurance and before that as the company’s deputy general counsel. Prior to joining Equitable, Meyers was a partner at the law firm McGuireWoods and worked for theUSDepartment of Justice in the Western District ofNorth Carolina. Meyers succeeds José…
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A career of influence: Hope Mehlman’s enduring legacy in corporate governance
Chief legal and corporate affairs officer at Ally Financial awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to the industry Hope Mehlman, chief legal and corporate affairs officer at Ally Financial, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award – a recognition that honors her enduring commitment to the practice and principles of corporate governance. The award reflects not only her personal accomplishments but also the collaborative nature of her journey. ‘It is deeply meaningful to me,’ says Mehlman. ‘I feel really honored and humbled to be recognized. This really is a crown jewel…
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The week in GRC: ExxonMobil gets pushback on retail investor voting plan as Trump calls for Microsoft legal chief to exit
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – Shareholder advocacy groups As You Sow and ICCR have filed a formal letter with the SEC requesting that it rescind its no-action relief allowing ExxonMobil to implement its proposed Retail Voting Program. The scheme would allow retail shareholders to automatically vote in line with the board’s recommendations at annual meetings, aiming to counter activist shareholder campaigns. In the letter, the groups argue that the program may result in many retail votes being automatically cast in favor of management – unless shareholders actively opt out or override – effectively…
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Preparing the board for 2026: More than half of directors want a peer replaced, survey finds
The boardroom has reached a new inflection point – directors need to level up or risk being left behind. Boards must be braced for significant change and radically rethink their skills coverage, according to a recent survey that suggests that more than half – 55 percent – of directors at listed US companies believe that at least one of their peers should be replaced. The findings PwC’s 2025 annual survey of 600 public company directors, collected in its report titled Driving a culture of accountability in the boardroom, paint a clear picture: many boards are not yet positioned to meet…
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People moves: Michael Kaplan rejoins StandardAero as legal chief as Jenifer Kamocsay moves over to Carlsmed
Plus, Trane Technologies and Everest Group appoint new general counsel NYSE-listed aviation firm StandardAero has confirmed that Michael Kaplan will rejoin the company as chief legal officer, effective as of October 6. Kaplan formerly served as SVP, general counsel, chief security officer and secretary at the company and is returning to succeed Steve Sinquefield, who is retiring after holding the position for more than ten years. Before rejoining StandardAero, Kaplan served as senior counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright. He also spent more than ten years as chief legal officer at MDC Holdings and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. ‘We are delighted…