Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the investment arm of the Norwegian central bank and asset manager for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund and the Government Petroleum Insurance Fund managing over NOK1,000bn (£107bn) in equity investments, has filed shareholder proposals at four US companies calling for independent chairmanship. Meetings at Harris Corporation (23rd OCtober), Parker Hannifin (28th October), […]
Read MoreWith the AGM of Fairfax Media due to be held on 10 November, Fairfax directors John B Fairfax and his son Nicholas have released a public statement indicating that the will vote against the re-election of the Chairman, Ron Walker, at the AGM. This follows comments by Walker on Thursday in the Australian Financial Review […]
Read MoreA research study by Manifest’s US partners, PROXYGovernance Inc(PGI), reveals some interesting trends about US board governance. PGI’s review of Russell 3000 companies holding their 2009 annual meeting prior to July 1 reveals that boards of financial services firms have added fewer new directors since the sub-prime credit crisis began than boards in any other major sector. […]
Read MoreThe Investors Working Group, a bi-partisan panel of experts created in February 2009 by the Council of Institutional Investors and the CFA Institute Centre for Financial Market Integrity, has released its recommendations for reform and modernisation of the US financial markets. According to the report, strengthening existing regulatory agencies, closing gaps in the regulatory structure, […]
Read MoreThe Bundesrat is expected to ratify Gesetz zur Angemessenheit der Vorstandsvergütung – VorstAG today, following its approval by the Bundestag on 18 June 2009. The new law will then come into effect upon its publication in the German Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt). One key change resulting from the Act, which translates as the Act on […]
Read MoreA new study prepared by Manifest’s US partner, PROXY Governance with sponsorship by the IRRC Institute, “Effectiveness of Hybrid Boards,” analyzes 120 “hybrid boards” formed from 2005 through 2008 to evaluate their effectiveness in two areas: changes in business strategy and corporate governance structures; and changes in shareholder value measured both absolutely and relative to […]
Read MoreDid the Lloyds board act with sufficient care on the HBOS deal? Manifest takes a look at the legal aspects of directors’ duties in the context of one of this century’s most politically charged takeovers. The 2006 Companies Act for the first time codified a number of long established common law principles relating to the […]
Read MoreHalf of Europe’s biggest banks have changed their chief executive or chairman in the past 12 months, leaving question marks over their leadership experience just as the first signs emerge of an economic recovery. Ten of Europe’s 20 largest banks by market capitalization or scale of investment banking operations have appointed new heads during the […]
Read MoreThe notice of the AGM of AMP Ltd, the Australian life assurance company, has been amended and re-issued in light of recent board changes. Meredith Hellicar resigned from the Board following the court judgement in the James Hardie case. Hellicar was one of seven James Hardie non-executive directors who Justice Ian Gzell found to have […]
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