Proxy Advisors: From Punching Bags to Boardroom Assets | Farient Briefings
October 27, 2025
Proxy Advisors:
From Punching Bags to Boardroom Assets
Often seen as board adversaries, proxy advisors can become allies. Savvy companies are turning the expertise of firms, such as ISS and Glass Lewis, to their advantage. By proactively engaging with proxy advisors, understanding their published policies, and leveraging their benchmarking data, boards and management teams can better anticipate vote recommendations, improve disclosures, and align governance practices with investor expectations.
Instead of bracing for criticism, organizations can use proxy advisor insights to enhance shareholder engagement, navigate controversies, and drive better long-term outcomes. Farient Director Trey Poore provides essential tips for improving relations.
Transform Succession Risks Into Strategic Advantages
Are boards underestimating the risks tied to sudden executive departures? Corporate Board Member, in collaboration with Farient Advisors, reveals how boards can better prepare for unexpected executive exits in a new report drawing on survey data from nearly 100 board members at large U.S. public companies.
The research exposed a stark contradiction: While 59% of those surveyed say they experienced at least one sudden departure of a top 10 executive in the past two years, 72% believe that the likelihood of a recurrence is less than 50%.
Included within the report is an “Implementation Roadmap” that considers the most important elements of immediate, mid-term, and long-term succession planning.
In the News
Repeat Offenders: Where Investors Rejected Say on Pay Again—Agenda
Persistent shareholder dissent over executive pay is rare but revealing. Only nine S&P 500 companies have failed their say-on-pay votes more than once since 2021, according to data analyzed by Agenda.
Farient CEO Robin A. Ferracone told Agenda that these situations often reflect a deeper challenge: “The biggest headwind boards face is the tug-of-war between trying to satisfy and reward the talent and make sure they have alignment with shareholder interests.”
When support dips below 70%, she added, it’s a clear signal that boards must intensify shareholder engagement and refine pay programs to restore confidence.
Read moreWhere to Find Us
NACD Carolinas Chapter
Executive Perspectives on Top Risks
To thrive amid rapid change, knowledge is power. Farient Partner Jarret Sues leads a timely discussion on risks with Marcia Avedon, director of public companies Cornerstone Building Brands, Acuity, and Generac Holdings; Lowe’s Cos. CHRO Janice Dupré; and Protiviti Managing Director Fran Maxwell. For additional information on how to attend virtually, contact us at info@farient.com.
Quail Hollow Club
3700 Gleneagles Road
Charlotte, NC 28210
October 29, 2025
5 p.m.-7 p.m.
NACD Board Leadership Exchange
Compensation Committee Leader Exchange
This invitation-only, semi-annual directors’ forum allows candid off-the-record conversations and rare access to Fortune 500 board leaders tailored to various committee roles. Compensation Committee Chairs discuss the latest strategies for aligning compensation with performance, predicting turnover, building strong leadership pipelines, and more.
New York City
November 19, 2025
2025 Directorship 100 Gala
Celebrating Excellence in Board Leadership
Farient’s Robin A. Ferracone and R.J. Bannister will be among the 100 honorees recognized for outstanding leadership in governance and the boardroom.
Cipriani
25 Broadway, New York, NY 10004
December 11, 2025
6-10 p.m.
For additional information on any of these events, please send an email to 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.
About Farient Advisors
Farient Advisors LLC, a GECN Group Company, is an independent premier executive compensation, performance, and corporate governance consultancy. Farient provides a full array of services linking business and talent strategy to compensation through a tailored, analytically rigorous, and collaborative approach. Farient has locations in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, New York, Louisville, 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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