Author: admin

You spent a lot of time preparing proxy statements, refining compensation disclosures, and presenting the clearest rationale for shareholder support, but in the end, ISS or Glass Lewis issued a “no” recommendation. This isn't what companies want, but it also doesn't mean they'll lose votes. On average, negative recommendations from ISS negatively impact support by about 20%, but most still pass. Companies that receive an adverse recommendation should develop a practical response plan to assess the issues raised, confirm their accuracy, correct misconceptions where necessary, and communicate clearly with shareholders to reduce the risk of an adverse vote outcome. Below…

Most compensation committees operate at a predictable pace. That means approving performance goals at the beginning of the year, evaluating performance at the end of the year, and finalizing disclosures ahead of proxy season. Work is often completed under time pressure, with little opportunity to revisit the architecture behind decisions or test whether they work as intended. However, adding a strategic retreat can shift the focus from results to design. The premise is simple. This means designing before making decisions. Rather than discussing pay or reacting to agent feedback, compensation committees spend their time dedicated to investigating the structural factors…

Krispy Kreme is in the midst of a quiet reinvention. With a presence in more than 40 countries, the nearly 90-year-old brand has modernized its business model and embraced new technology, all while striving to maintain the warm, nostalgic glow that has always characterized its donut boxes. Sitting at the center of that transformation is Marissa Andrada, an independent director on Krispy Kreme's board of directors and chair of the compensation and nomination committee. Andrada, Chipotle's first chief human resources officer and a veteran human resources and culture executive who held senior human resources roles at Starbucks, Universal Studios, Kate…

There is nothing more exciting than earning a profit while making a positive difference in the world. Hetu Patel is the CFO of a mission-driven company that does exactly that: Thrive Market. He joins Jack McCullough to share how the membership-based online platform for healthy food balances purpose and profitability to commit to their long-term goal of making sustainable living more accessible and affordable for everyone. Patel also shares what his 12-year tenure at Amazon taught him about fostering fungible talents, making bold bets and continuously improving decision-making. Listen by clicking below. The Q&A, lightly trimmed and edited for clarity,…

After a volatile start to the year with double-digit declines in CFO confidence in the first quarter, CFO confidence stabilized in the second quarter and is trending cautiously upward. CFO Leadership's Q2 CFO Confidence Index is based on a survey of 126 finance executives conducted April 22-26 and shows that sentiment about current business conditions is roughly flat (-2%) sequentially, while expectations for the year are up by a similar amount (+2%). CFOs rate the current business situation at 5.5 out of 10 (on a scale of 1 being 'poor' and 10 being 'excellent') and expect the situation to improve…

Kieran Read is more than just a former All Black player. he is one of the greats. Over a decade, he won 127 Test caps, captained New Zealand's All Blacks team 52 times, won the Rugby World Cup twice (2011 and 2015), and was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2013. But what struck me most about our conversation wasn't his resume, but the way he talked about leadership. I felt calm. Grounded. There is no theater. What I consistently heard was the idea that elite performance is built long before the spotlight shines on you. As Kieran…

The Lululemon Solution: Vision and Innovation vs. Product Expansion and Marketing – Corporate Director Skip to content Can mission, vision, and innovation create more value for a company than replicating marketing, cost-cutting, and financial strategies that have proven effective in the past? The current public dispute between Lululemon founder and majority shareholder Chip Wilson and the Lululemon Board of Directors raises an interesting question that board members in all industries may want to consider: Can mission, vision, and innovation create more value for a company than replicating marketing, cost-cutting, and financial strategies that have proven effective in the…

It can be tempting for companies to overinvest to scale quickly, but that enthusiasm can come back and hurt. says John Michael Reese, president and director of General Atlantic, a New York City-based private equity firm focused on investing in health care. Reese will share how healthcare companies in particular can scale more responsibly while avoiding common pitfalls. Prior to joining General Atlantic in 2017, Reese was an associate at GTCR in Chicago, where he focused on investments in the healthcare sector. He began his career as an analyst in the Leveraged Finance Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.…

Imagine your most productive financial analysts not sleeping, processing millions of trades in seconds, flagging risks before they materialize, and instantly telling you what the numbers actually mean for your business. It is not science fiction and is increasingly becoming a reality in today's financial functions. Having spent my career in finance and accounting, I have seen this change unfold firsthand. Organizations often focus on implementing AI tools, but the real transformation doesn't lie within the technology. It's in Redefine what it means to be a great financial professional. The companies that get this right aren't the first to automate.…

Audit committee responsibilities have become significantly more complex as companies face increasingly sophisticated risks, particularly those stemming from technology-driven and cybersecurity needs. To remain effective and efficient in this evolving environment, audit committees must continually adapt. Audit committee meetings are no exception. Audit committee meetings now address more important issues than ever before, despite a compressed schedule. of 2025 Audit Committee Practice Report (ACPR), a joint publication of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) and Deloitte's Center for Board Effectiveness, asked audit committee directors about their current committee priorities, challenges, and opportunities. To dig deeper into respondents' strategies for increasing…