Author: admin

Many large U.S. companies decide to walk away from commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in 2024, while others recently ignore environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns Despite pressure to do so, the majority of S&P companies, 500, still incorporate ESG and DEI metrics into their executive compensation plans. Company board members approve all executive compensation plans, so the board is willing to use financial incentives to maintain the ethos of ESG and DEI initiatives over the long term without imposing quotas. It will be interesting to see if.McDonald's recently joined the list of major companies that have…

After a proxy season with the lowest say-on-pay failure rate since 2017, compensation committees could be forgiven for being relatively optimistic about the 2025 voting season. However, scrutiny of investor compensation practices remains weak. A closer look at the 2024 proxy season highlights how investors and proxy advisors continue to have high expectations of companies of all industries and sizes when it comes to paid program design and decision-making. .Research into the outcomes of companies that have struggled to receive Say on Pay support this year shows the need for stronger disclosures around remuneration, particularly in scenarios where investors could…

Warrendale, Pennsylvania-based Linback Holdings, a company that maintains and revitalizes HVAC, electrical and plumbing infrastructure in buildings, has seen its stock price double in the past year. A series of small acquisitions funded by operating cash flow helped, but so did a very clear approach to financial management.Leading this approach is Limbach CFO Jayme Brooks, a certified public accountant who joined the more than 120-year-old firm in 2019 after 14 years at Capstone Turbine. At Linback, Brooks strengthened the company's balance sheet, positioned it as a competitive advantage, and played a key role in converting newly acquired companies to Linback's…

All businesses will need legal advice and services at some point. However, many small and medium-sized growing organizations do not need (or cannot justify the cost of) a full-time general counsel, let alone an in-house legal department. However, these companies often need practical, “get it right” advice from skilled and experienced lawyers. have deep knowledge of their business When navigating the risks and opportunities associated with profitable, sustainable growth. Hiring a different lawyer or law firm for each new case or issue can be extremely cumbersome and inefficient, especially if you have to educate them about your business each time…

Leadership matters. It fundamentally informs our ability to progress individually, organizationally and societally. It provides the energy and direction to facilitate creation, transformation and evolution. Indeed, leadership is at the heart of our capacity to survive as a species, as we navigate increasing connection and interdependence, war, climate change, pandemics, proliferation of misinformation, genetic engineering, AI-driven technologies, and other challenges and opportunities. Good leadership has been proven to matter across domains. For example, great leaders can drive the economic success of their companies and influence technology innovation that can transform society and improve living conditions. At the same time, challenged…

T-Mobile's Peter Osvaldik, recipient of the 2024 CFO of the Year award from StrategicCFO360 and the CFO Leadership Council, reflected on his promotion from accounting and management and had the following message for the finance executives in attendance: said. The next generation of CFOs: “Be proud of all the effort you put in. You are entitled to it because you are here, but we have a responsibility to pay it back to those below you. Start. Give them the opportunity that someone gave you.” Speaking to finance executives gathered at New York's Rockefeller Center just before the holidays, Oswaldyk acknowledged…

As the 2025 voting season gets underway, dual-class stocks could once again become a common target for proxy rating firms and activist investors. These reflexive critics overlook the reality that dual-class shares are often important guardians of shareholder value and enable important structural benefits, such as:• More efficient capital allocation: Unlike nearly all of its peers, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has never paid a dividend, and Berkshire's dual-class stock structure allows Buffett to virtually ignore occasional sniping from speculators. It's done. Over time, we found that reinvesting retained earnings was 30 times more profitable for shareholders than if Berkshire paid…

Jim Benson, a veteran technology finance executive, joined publicly traded Dynatrace two years ago when the company was nearing $1 billion in revenue and entering a new phase of growth. The company, which was separated from Compuware five years ago, has generated positive net income, healthy cash flow, and annual sales growth of nearly 30%.”Philosophy of” [Dynatrace] “The leadership team was very aligned with my personal philosophy of we need to grow and we need to grow profitably,” Benson said of the appeal of the job. But as the former Akamai Technologies CFO and HPE alum says, “Just because you…

After 37 years with Northwestern Mutual, including 14 years as Chairman, President, and CEO, I am retiring. I love this organization, everything it stands for, and everything it has accomplished over the past decade and a half for the five million customers we proudly serve. I love you. At Northwestern Mutual, our mission is to help Americans build financial security, and we have lived up to that mission. We've grown our client base by 28% and our team of financial advisors by 26%, enabling organizations to generate “real growth” and truly thrive. Our revenues have increased from approximately $21 billion…

In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries at a breathtaking pace, board members are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities that require immediate action. That's the takeaway from a recent conversation at the Board of Directors Summit, said Florin Rother, who oversees AI and AI training as chief AI officer at 65,000-employee consulting firm Avanade. He emphasized the urgency of implementing AI. This means you are more comfortable taking risks and accepting the possibility of short-term failure. As AI moves from a cost-cutting tool to a revenue and innovation driver, understanding its medium- to long-term impact is not essential.…