Boardroom

CEO Mary Barra had a minor pay bump after steering the automaker through a year of regulatory hurdles General Motors’(GM) board ofdirectors’decision to neutralize the impact of tariffs in its executive bonus calculations is now clearer in both structure and scale, with newly disclosed pay figures showing how adjusted metrics flowed directly into compensation outcomes for its top leadership. In its2026proxystatement,GMdetailed how its compensation committee applied a $3.1 bn upward adjustment to EBIT-adjusted performance to offset tariff-related costs tied to policies introduced underPresidentDonald Trump. The tariffs, part of a broader policy push targeting imported vehicles,componentsand raw materials, were designed to…

Boards risk falling behind as AI adoption outpaces governance, experts warn during Governance Intelligence briefing Leading with the concept of the agentic enterprise, Governance Intelligence’s latest briefing highlighted a fundamental shift in how organizations must approach governance, strategy and operations in the age of AI. During the session titledBringing in AI: global perspectives of AI oversight, which was held in partnership withNasdaq,panelists emphasized that this transition is not incremental but structural, requiring boards and executives to rethink long-standing models. Steven Wolfe Pereira, CEO and founder of Alpha, framed the discussion by pointing to a widening gap between traditional governance and…

This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – BP faced a significant shareholder revolt at its 2026 AGM, with investors rejecting key board proposals and signaling unease over the company’s climate strategy shift. As reported by Reuters (paywall), shareholders voted down resolutions to allow fully virtual AGMs and to remove existing climate disclosure commitments, both failing to secure majority backing. According to The Financial Times (paywall), support for chair Albert Manifold was notably weaker than usual, with more than 18 percent of investors opposing his re-election amid criticism of governance and transparency. The backlash reflects broader…

AI is pushing boards into a new era of constant vigilance and sharper judgment, trade group’s boss says ahead of annual conference AI is creating a sustained test of board capability, demanding sharper oversight, deeper expertise and stronger alignment with management. That is the view of Paul Washington, president and CEO of the Society for Corporate Governance, who warns that boards must operate at a consistently higher level as AI moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment. Founded in 1946, the Society for Corporate Governance represents more than 3,700 governance professionals supporting around 1,700 organizations, including approximately 1,000 public companies. Its…

As AI adoption reaches 39 percent across compliance functions, most organizations still cannot explain its impact On a gray Wednesday morning in London, LRN, a provider of ethics, compliance and corporate culture solutions, gathered a group of women from across the compliance profession for a breakfast discussion on the evolving role of women in the field. The conversation moved easily between themes of authenticity and intelligent risk-taking, anchored by a fireside chat between Rebecca Mayfield, chief compliance officer and senior counsel at Merlin Entertainments, and Patsy Doerr, chief people and culture officer at LRN. It was during that discussion that…

Companies and investors are preparing for heightened scrutiny across governance, compensation and ESG practices as market changes alter shareholder expectations Board oversight of AI is emerging as the defining theme of the 2026 proxy season, reflecting how quickly the technology has moved from an operational tool to a core governance priority. According to Glass Lewis, ‘AI governance and related disclosures will likely be top of mind for issuers and investors’ as companies face growing pressure to demonstrate effective oversight, risk management and transparency. The findings form part of Glass Lewis’ 2026 Proxy Season Preview: Notes on North America report, which…

This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – Lululemon founder Chip Wilson has ramped up his campaign against the board of Lululemon Athletica, accusing its board of directors of weak governance and ‘strategic drift’ as he presses for widespread boardroom changes. As reported by The Wall Street Journal (paywall), Wilson wrote in a letter to shareholders that months of private engagement with the board had failed to produce meaningful reforms, arguing the company lacks the creative and brand expertise needed to sustain growth. Wilson launched a proxy fight in December and hopes to replace three directors…

The investment bank becomes the latest corporation to retreat from formal DEI initiatives in the US The Goldman Sachs Group plans to scrap DEI criteria from the way it evaluates potential board members, a move that aligns with a general pullback on formal diversity initiatives across the corporate US. According to The Wall Street Journal, the bank will no longer explicitly factor race, gender or sexual orientation into its board selection framework, shifting its focus to professional experience or other qualifications instead. It marks a clear change in tone from prior years, when many large US companies publicly embraced measurable…

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…

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,…