So Far, Proxy Voting Reflects Changing Political Winds | Farient Briefings

May 30, 2025

So Far, Proxy Voting Reflects
Changing Political Winds

SEC Securities and Exchange Commission signage in front of building

 

A drumroll, please. May 22 was the peak of the 2025 proxy season with 782 companies holding annual meetings.

Mid-season analyses report a sharp decrease in the total number of shareholder proposals filed and a rise in the number of submitted proposals that the Securities and Exchange Commission omitted from ballots.

The number and nature of shareholder proposals varies greatly year to year, by industry, and company. Here are more takeaways from the first half.


Rapid Exits Rattle Kohl’s

Rare is a public dispute between a board director and manager that results in a public brouhaha. The ouster of its short-tenured CEO and resignation of a long-time board member has put Kohl’s squarely in an unfashionable spotlight.

Growing uncertainty at the national retailer ranging from a persistent sales slump, store closings, and the impact of Trump administration tariffs were — at least momentarily — overshadowed by the departure of Kohl’s Chief Executive Ashley Buchanan.

Hired to lead a turnaround just four months ago, Buchanan was fired for ethics violations after an investigation. Then, the resignation of long-time Kohl’s board director Christine Day created another firestorm when she challenged the timing and description of her departure to investors.


 

In the News

 

Boards Recruit More Specialists as Committees Face Pressure to PerformAgenda

Human capital is up and strategy is down among the skills sought by S&P 500 companies for new directors. Farient Advisors’ Founder and CEO Robin Ferracone cites the increasing specialization of board committees, particularly in compensation governance. Drawing on Farient’s analysis of the 50 largest US public companies, the Agenda article highlights how the number of compensation committee chairs with experience in human capital and workforce strategy has tripled in the past five years.

The article points to a growing trend: as committee charters expand in complexity and scope—from tech oversight to ESG and stakeholder engagement—boards are recruiting directors with increasingly specialized expertise. Ferracone’s insights affirm the need for forward-thinking governance that aligns workforce strategy with sustainable business performance.

Read more


We’ve Moved

Farient Advisors has completed its move to larger offices in Carnegie Tower. Make a note: Our new address is 152 W. 57th Street, Suite 41 N., New York, NY 10019.


Where to Find Us

 

Global Institutional Governance Network (GIGN)

Farient CEO Robin A. Ferracone and Sustainability Lead Brian Bueno will present findings from its research: 2025 Global Trends in Stakeholder Incentives: Climate Strategies and Incentives for Corporate Sustainability

London, UK (virtual)

June 12, 2025

 

NACD Leading Minds of Governance

Boston, MA

September 17, 2025

 

Directors & Boards

Compensation and Talent

Virtual

September 25, 2025

 

NACD Directors Summit 2025

National Harbor, Maryland

October 12-15, 2025

 

For more information, please email us at info@farient.com.


Understanding Climate Incentives

 

Exclusive: Around the globe, the heat is on to combat climate change while some political regimes denounce the veracity between greenhouse gas emissions and a warming planet. Nevertheless, large corporations are reporting Scope 1, Scope 2, and, increasingly, Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions and linking reductions to executive compensation, according to Farient Advisors’ newly published 2025 Global Trends in Stakeholder Incentives: Climate Strategies and Incentives for Corporate Sustainability.

Learn more about how the world’s largest companies are setting and achieving climate goals by linking climate measures to executive incentives by sector and geography.

Download PDF


About Farient Advisors 

Farient Advisors LLC is an independent premier executive compensation, performance, and corporate governance consultancy. Farient provides a full array of services, linking business strategy to compensation through a tailored, analytically rigorous, and collaborative approach. Farient has locations in Los Angeles, New York, and London and works with clients globally through its partnership in the Global Governance and Executive Compensation (GECN) Group. Farient is a certified diverse company and is recognized by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

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