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Watch, Listen, Learn: Tesla’s Precedent-Setting ASM
Shareholders at Tesla’s annual meeting this week will vote anew on whether to approve Elon Musk’s 2018 performance-based compensation package. The package was revoked in April after a bench trial in Delaware Chancery Court. In the aftermath of Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick’s decision, Musk vowed to…
Read More > 06.11.2024
Briefs
The Impressive Rise of Climate Goals in Executive Compensation
Commitment to goals matters. A case study on Mastercard’s stakeholder incentives shows the extension of an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) modifier to all employee bonus plans globally—i.e., not just for executives. The expansion in 2022 was intended to encourage everyone to work together toward a common set of goals.
Read More > 05.28.2024
Briefs
Caps Off to Devon Furlong
Among the 2024 graduating class of Columbia’s MBA program is Farient Advisors’ Devon Furlong. Farient Founder and CEO Robin A. Ferracone applauded Furlong’s achievement and commended her for taking advantage of Farient’s educational program, which matches dollar for dollar the cost of an MBA: “This is…
Read More > 05.20.2024
Briefs
Beyond Pay: Comp Committees’ Remit Stretches Oversight Boundaries
It’s no longer just about pay. In the ever-evolving corporate governance landscape, the remit of compensation committees is at a tipping point. So says RJ Bannister, partner and COO at Farient Advisors, a compensation and corporate governance advisor with deep roots in how the work of compensation committees gets done.
Read More > 05.15.2024
Briefs
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval on Comp Plan, Relo to Texas
Elon Musk appears determined to win back his $56 billion compensation package rescinded in February by a Delaware Chancery Court judge ruling following a bench trial. In a preliminary proxy statement filed April 17 in advance of its annual meeting, Tesla asked shareholders to vote “for” Musk’s…
Read More > 04.23.2024
Briefs
Corporate Commitment to ESG Driven by Value Creation
There is no turning back. Corporate focus on long-term value inextricably links to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Despite “anti-woke” sentiment heightened by state and federal politics, the business case for adopting sustainability strategies is reflected by the growing number of companies in multiple geographies and industries that incorporate…
Read More > 04.23.2024
Briefs
BlackRock CEO Sees Looming Global Savings Crisis
Zero hour for retirement funding. BlackRock Chair and CEO Larry Fink’s annual letter to investors describes what he calls a global retirement crisis. BlackRock therefore has a sizable stake in spearheading solutions to the crisis: Half of the $10 trillion in assets managed by world’s largest asset manager are retirement…
Read More > 04.08.2024
Briefs
A Sign of the Times: Starbucks Drops ‘DEI,’ Favors ‘Talent’
Shareholders overwhelmingly approved Starbucks’ fiscal year 2024 compensation plan in a say-on-pay vote that received 90% yes votes. The 2024 pay program removes explicit diversity and sustainability goals from bonus considerations for top leaders and modifies the equity incentive plan around issues of talent and sustainability. Last…
Read More > 03.26.2024
Briefs
A Match Made in London Adds Depth and Scale to Farient
A desire to expand its geographic reach while providing greater opportunities for staff led Robin A. Ferracone, the founder and CEO of Farient Advisors, to undertake a combination between Farient and Remuneration Associates (Rem.n), located in London. The deal, announced in a March 6…
Read More > 03.12.2024
Briefs
SEC Wants to Know How Directors Oversee Climate Risks
After two years of vigorous debate, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 6 approved by a 3-2 vote the nation’s first climate disclosure rules—weaker than what was originally proposed in March 2022. Of note, the SEC dropped a controversial plan to require companies to…
Read More > 03.11.2024
Briefs
Tesla Case: Questions of Process, Independence
Judicial opinions rarely make for good reading. The Delaware Chancery Court decision rescinding Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $55.6 billion performance-based equity compensation package is an exception. In a 200-page judgment released after the market close on Jan. 30, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick cited Musk’s “extensive ties”…
Read More > 02.19.2024
Briefs
SEC’s Pending Rules Put Boards at the Ready
“Time is money. Time is risk.” So said U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler speaking at the European Commission on January 25, 2024, in reference to the timing of the clearance and settlement cycle for securities trading. Beginning on May 28, 2024, a rule…
Read More > 01.30.2024
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