The proxy statement is the cornerstone of a company’s communication with its shareholders and other stakeholders including employees, regulators and customers. In recent years, this vital document has evolved from being a publication designed solely to comply with SEC requirements into something that conveys – often in novel ways – the company’s message and strategy. Now more than ever, companies face deep scrutiny of how they operate and the values they adhere to.
Crafting the content and design within proxy statements for success would not be possible without the process involving – at its head – the corporate secretary’s office and collaboration with an array of internal and external advisers who each bring their own insights and expertise.
In this Governance Playbook, we present actionable examples and advice from a range of governance professionals on how to make sure your company has the right process in place to help ensure that its next proxy statement carries successful messaging and disclosures to all stakeholders.
It includes:
- Tips on how to set the schedule for the proxy statement preparation process
- Advice for how to make sure internal teams are collaborating effectively
- Examples of the latest design and content developments
- Insight into how to harmonize your company’s disclosures
- A how-to guide for getting the most from external advisors and technology platforms
Featuring advice from leading governance professionals, including:
- Kristen Conley, head of corporate governance and board engagement with the office of the corporate secretary at Nasdaq
- Joseph Skrokov, executive director and assistant general counsel at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
- Todd Vogel, director of financial reporting at MasterCraft Boat Holdings
- Daniel Gordon, senior vice president and chief counsel for corporate legal at Visa,
- Linda Epstein, legal project manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Chris Weber, managing counsel for corporate, securities and governance and assistant secretary at McDonald’s
- Heidi Miller, corporate secretary and deputy general counsel for corporate governance and securities at Kraft Heinz
- Evan Barth, vice president, associate general counsel and assistant corporate secretary at Kyndryl
- Paul Sharobeem, associate general counsel and assistant secretary at Century Aluminum Company
- Jessica Lange, vice president and associate general counsel for securities and finance at Darden Restaurants
- Ron Schneider, director of corporate governance services at DFIN.
