The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has welcomed a proposed SEC measure designed to help shareholders engage with portfolio...Read more
Ben Maiden
Editor-at-large, Corporate Secretary

Ben Maiden is the editor of IR Magazine, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance issues affecting broker-dealers and asset management firms in the US and Europe. Before that, he was editor of Euromoney Institutional Investor’s International Financial Law Review and IFLR’s Americas editor, working in London and New York.
Latest articles
IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary are seeking nominations for the inaugural ESG Integration Awards with the final...Read more
Shareholders in The Wendy’s Company appear set to vote this spring on a proposal regarding the fast-food firm’s treatment of pigs. The...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors’ (CII) members approved revisions to the group’s corporate governance policies on shareowner...Read more
April 2022
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has welcomed a proposed SEC measure designed to help shareholders engage with portfolio...Read more
IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary are seeking nominations for the inaugural ESG Integration Awards with the final...Read more
March 2022
Shareholders in The Wendy’s Company appear set to vote this spring on a proposal regarding the fast-food firm’s treatment of pigs. The...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors’ (CII) members approved revisions to the group’s corporate governance policies on shareowner...Read more
A divided SEC on Monday voted to propose highly anticipated rule changes that, if approved, will require companies to make climate-...Read more
February 2022
Google parent company Alphabet is seeking the SEC’s go-ahead to exclude several shareholder proposals from its 2022 proxy statement,...Read more
January 2022
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is extending both the range of companies it expects to address women’s representation on boards...Read more
Last month, professionals gathered virtually at the ESG Integration Forum – US to discuss the ESG issues affecting governance and...Read more
December 2021
Many companies are setting ambitious environmental targets and are confident about their understanding of the issues – but are lagging...Read more
November 2021
Shareholders in Costco Wholesale Corporation appear set to vote on a proposal seeking disclosure on connections between structural...Read more
The SEC’s division of corporation finance has updated its guidance on the process whereby companies seek permission to exclude...Read more
October 2021
Citigroup has agreed to have a third party conduct a racial equity audit of the bank, six months after a significant number of its...Read more
Nike shareholders have given indications of significant support for a number of social measures – although none secured a majority...Read more
September 2021
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has urged FASB to make ESG-related disclosures one of its top priorities amid growing...Read more
August 2021
The SEC has given the green light for shareholders in Fox Corporation to vote this fall on a proposal regarding the company’s lobbying...Read more
Nike shareholders will vote on a proposal requesting disclosure around the company’s work to promote diversity and inclusion – and...Read more
The SEC on Friday approved Nasdaq’s plan to promote diversity on boards. The move opens the door for Nasdaq to require companies...Read more
SEC chair Gary Gensler has given issuers a heads up on when they can expect to see the agency’s plans for requiring companies to...Read more
July 2021
Boards are central to companies addressing ESG issues and should look to enhanced diversity and expertise to fulfill this role in a...Read more
June 2021
As thousands of people took to the streets last summer to protest the deaths of George Floyd and other black Americans at the hands of...Read more
SASB and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) today launched their new merged organization – the Value Reporting...Read more
May 2021
ExxonMobil acknowledged that shareholders at its AGM yesterday voted to install two director nominees from activist investor Engine No...Read more
President Joe Biden last week issued an executive order intended to gather information about the financial risks posed by the climate...Read more
The vast majority of IBM shareholders have given their support to a proposal – also favored by the board – seeking a report on the...Read more
April 2021
Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has launched an effort to overturn SEC reforms that change the shareholder proposal process and have...Read more
Chevron Corporation shareholders are set to vote on two climate change-related proposals after the SEC rejected efforts to exclude...Read more
March 2021
Shareholders in Sempra Energy appear set to vote on a proposal regarding the company’s lobbying in relation to climate change after...Read more
The SEC has rejected a request by The Wendy’s Company to exclude from its AGM a shareholder proposal seeking disclosure regarding...Read more
Acting SEC chair Allison Herren Lee has taken the latest in a series of swift steps to bring ESG issues onto the agency’s agenda, this...Read more
The SEC has accused AT&T of violating Regulation FD and has charged three of its investor relations executives with aiding and...Read more
Disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over the SEC’s role in addressing matters such as climate change, political spending...Read more
Acting SEC chair Allison Herren Lee has taken action on corporate reporting around climate change. Lee last week issued a statement...Read more
February 2021
The SEC has rejected a request from Johnson & Johnson that it exclude from its proxy statement a shareholder proposal that it...Read more
A new meta-study looking at a wide array of research from the past five years underlines the links between ESG and positive outcomes...Read more
At least six US companies have received investor requests to put proposals to a vote at their AGMs this year on the topic of employee...Read more
Dozens of business leaders this week committed their organizations to using a new set of ESG-related metrics and disclosures developed...Read more
January 2021
Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company will vote on proposals regarding two governance issues in the spotlight – lobbying activities...Read more
ESG-related reforms and tougher enforcement are among the potential items on the agenda for Gary Gensler, President Joe Biden’s pick...Read more
Nasdaq’s efforts to promote diversity on boards has received support from a variety of constituencies, with a number of commenters...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is ramping up the pressure for improved diversity and inclusion disclosures as part of its 2021...Read more
‘PepsiCo is a poster child for what people are trying to do’ in terms of ESG reporting, says one of the Corporate Secretary judges. It...Read more
December 2020
HP’s 2020 virtual AGM was not its first rodeo – the company has been holding its annual shareholder meetings online since 2015. But...Read more
Nasdaq is moving to increase diversity on the boards of its listed companies amid growing pressure from investors and state laws for...Read more
October 2020
Ceres on Wednesday launched a framework for what it hopes will be a decade of efforts by companies to make sustainability a central...Read more
September 2020
In a split-decision, the SEC last week approved changes to the shareholder proposal process that have sparked thousands of comment...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is adding to the growing social and investment pressure on corporations to take issues of racial...Read more
August 2020
Several groups have come together to urge US companies to increase diversity on their boards and present a framework for how such...Read more
The SEC’s plans to reform the process by which shareholder proposals reach a vote – or companies exclude them from the proxy statement...Read more
Corporate leaders have in recent years proclaimed their company’s employees as their greatest asset – statements that have sometimes...Read more
July 2020
The SEC yesterday voted to adopt measures governing the proxy advisory industry but drew back from more far-reaching requirements it...Read more
A coalition of major investor groups has called on the SEC to take action to avoid a repeat of what it says was a proxy season...Read more
June 2020
Two first-time ESG shareholder proposals – while not being approved – secured significant levels of support at Delta Air Lines’ recent...Read more
The 2020 proxy season has been unusual for many reasons, not least because hundreds of companies have switched to virtual AGMs as a...Read more
A group of senior Canadian businesspeople has launched a new council and initiative aimed at increasing racial diversity among the...Read more
SASB has put its weight behind a European regulatory project that the board believes may result in global standards for ESG reporting...Read more
May 2020
Shareholders in XPO Logistics last week rejected proposals including two that would have linked executive compensation at the company...Read more
CalPERS has voiced concerns that SEC disclosure reforms would leave investors lacking key information – and raise particular...Read more
A new paper from the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) argues that parts of the SEC’s proposed changes to Rule 14a-8 would have...Read more
April 2020
The Covid-19 outbreak is highlighting the importance of ESG issues for companies, and those that take such issues seriously stand a...Read more
Walmart shareholders will vote on a measure looking to add employee representation to the company’s board at a time when such ideas...Read more
The Covid-19 pandemic has yet to have much of an impact on shareholder engagement or Nuveen’s pursuit of ESG issues, according to...Read more
For investor relations teams, a major corporate transaction can be both a nerve-wracking challenge and an opportunity to showcase...Read more
March 2020
The SEC’s top enforcers have warned directors and executives against taking advantage of developments arising from the Covid-19...Read more
Global institutional investors are unanimous in seeing the growing influence of ESG issues in their business, according to a new...Read more
February 2020
Institutional investors see talent management and climate change as the stand-out issues factoring into companies’ strategic success,...Read more
Alcohol company Diageo has agreed to pay a $5 mn penalty to settle allegations that it failed to make necessary disclosures following...Read more
Trillium filed nine board or executive diversity proposals in 2019, up from four last year. What’s behind that focus?...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is running out of patience with boards that are not taking account of important ESG issues. In a...Read more
AT&T has been reporting on its ESG performance for the last 12 years. And just as the focus on ESG among investors and companies...Read more
January 2020
Governance professionals at companies, law firms and investors are beginning to find out how the SEC will apply its revised approach...Read more
BlackRock has this week made major announcements highlighting renewed efforts to integrate climate change into its investment process...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) is finding itself frustrated in its efforts to obtain SEC information about alleged...Read more
December 2019
Companies need to be able to customize and adapt their shareholder engagement efforts, both to meet investor needs and to catch the...Read more
Zevin Asset Management has complained to the SEC about its plans to raise thresholds for submitting shareholder proposals, while other...Read more
November 2019
Industry professionals in the US foresee no turning around from the direction companies and investors have been headed in recent years...Read more
The SEC on Tuesday voted to propose amendments to Rule 14a-8 , which governs the process for determining which shareholder proposals...Read more
October 2019
CalPERS is concerned about how companies would treat materiality in their regulatory disclosures under SEC plans to modernize...Read more
General Motors (GM) officials have raised concerns about aspects of SEC plans to revamp corporate disclosures. The commission in...Read more
SEC investor advocate Rick Fleming has urged the commission and US exchanges to take action against dual-class share structures...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has asked the SEC to seek authority enabling the commission to, in effect, require...Read more
Diversity and ESG issues have been prominent on investor and board agendas in recent years, but a new survey suggests some directors...Read more
US companies are continuing to ramp up ESG-related disclosures and visual presentations of board processes in their proxy statements,...Read more
September 2019
A bipartisan group of senators this week introduced a bill designed to expand the scope of protection for whistleblowers who bring to...Read more
Groups including Ceres and the Council of Institutional Investors have called for the SEC’s division of corporation finance to drop...Read more
Shareholders in The Kraft Heinz Company have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have pressed the food firm’s board to...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is seeing progress in its multi-year campaign to boost female representation in the boardroom –...Read more
The SEC’s division of corporation finance has caused a splash ahead of the 2020 proxy season by announcing a revised approach to...Read more
August 2019
WeWork has raised at least one set of seasoned corporate governance eyebrows with its CEO succession plans. The arrangement –...Read more
Boca Raton, Florida-based TherapeuticsMD has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty to settle allegations it violated Regulation Fair...Read more
The inclusion of human capital matters in regulatory plans to revamp corporate disclosures is likely to attract attention and require...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has welcomed plans by a start-up exchange to require member companies to develop policies...Read more
July 2019
Grant Thornton has raised concerns about a plan to exempt smaller companies from a key component of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act reforms,...Read more
The House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday voted to approve a bill backed by several Democratic presidential candidates that...Read more
June 2019
Nuveen launched a dedicated ESG strategy back in 1990. How did that come about? AOB: Nuveen – and TIAA more broadly...Read more
As a portfolio manager, how do you interact with other teams within CalSTRS on ESG issues? The group I’m in used to...Read more
Can you outline some of the key aspects of AllianceBernstein’s ESG philosophy? We think about ESG as simply good...Read more
This interview appeared in a special report on ESG engagement, reporting and integration by IR Magazine sister publication...Read more
Industry advisers say activist investing in Canada is very much still on the agenda despite a drop-off from last year’s mini boom, a...Read more
The turnover rate for CEOs rose globally last year, driven by increases in both planned and forced exits – notably for ethical...Read more
May 2019
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has filed a petition with the SEC urging the agency to fix what it says is a regulatory...Read more
April 2022
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has welcomed a proposed SEC measure designed to help shareholders engage with portfolio...Read more
IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary are seeking nominations for the inaugural ESG Integration Awards with the final...Read more
March 2022
Shareholders in The Wendy’s Company appear set to vote this spring on a proposal regarding the fast-food firm’s treatment of pigs. The...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors’ (CII) members approved revisions to the group’s corporate governance policies on shareowner...Read more
A divided SEC on Monday voted to propose highly anticipated rule changes that, if approved, will require companies to make climate-...Read more
February 2022
Google parent company Alphabet is seeking the SEC’s go-ahead to exclude several shareholder proposals from its 2022 proxy statement,...Read more
January 2022
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is extending both the range of companies it expects to address women’s representation on boards...Read more
Last month, professionals gathered virtually at the ESG Integration Forum – US to discuss the ESG issues affecting governance and...Read more
December 2021
Many companies are setting ambitious environmental targets and are confident about their understanding of the issues – but are lagging...Read more
November 2021
Shareholders in Costco Wholesale Corporation appear set to vote on a proposal seeking disclosure on connections between structural...Read more
The SEC’s division of corporation finance has updated its guidance on the process whereby companies seek permission to exclude...Read more
October 2021
Citigroup has agreed to have a third party conduct a racial equity audit of the bank, six months after a significant number of its...Read more
Nike shareholders have given indications of significant support for a number of social measures – although none secured a majority...Read more
September 2021
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has urged FASB to make ESG-related disclosures one of its top priorities amid growing...Read more
August 2021
The SEC has given the green light for shareholders in Fox Corporation to vote this fall on a proposal regarding the company’s lobbying...Read more
Nike shareholders will vote on a proposal requesting disclosure around the company’s work to promote diversity and inclusion – and...Read more
The SEC on Friday approved Nasdaq’s plan to promote diversity on boards. The move opens the door for Nasdaq to require companies...Read more
SEC chair Gary Gensler has given issuers a heads up on when they can expect to see the agency’s plans for requiring companies to...Read more
July 2021
Boards are central to companies addressing ESG issues and should look to enhanced diversity and expertise to fulfill this role in a...Read more
June 2021
As thousands of people took to the streets last summer to protest the deaths of George Floyd and other black Americans at the hands of...Read more
SASB and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) today launched their new merged organization – the Value Reporting...Read more
May 2021
ExxonMobil acknowledged that shareholders at its AGM yesterday voted to install two director nominees from activist investor Engine No...Read more
President Joe Biden last week issued an executive order intended to gather information about the financial risks posed by the climate...Read more
The vast majority of IBM shareholders have given their support to a proposal – also favored by the board – seeking a report on the...Read more
April 2021
Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has launched an effort to overturn SEC reforms that change the shareholder proposal process and have...Read more
Chevron Corporation shareholders are set to vote on two climate change-related proposals after the SEC rejected efforts to exclude...Read more
March 2021
Shareholders in Sempra Energy appear set to vote on a proposal regarding the company’s lobbying in relation to climate change after...Read more
The SEC has rejected a request by The Wendy’s Company to exclude from its AGM a shareholder proposal seeking disclosure regarding...Read more
Acting SEC chair Allison Herren Lee has taken the latest in a series of swift steps to bring ESG issues onto the agency’s agenda, this...Read more
The SEC has accused AT&T of violating Regulation FD and has charged three of its investor relations executives with aiding and...Read more
Disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over the SEC’s role in addressing matters such as climate change, political spending...Read more
Acting SEC chair Allison Herren Lee has taken action on corporate reporting around climate change. Lee last week issued a statement...Read more
February 2021
The SEC has rejected a request from Johnson & Johnson that it exclude from its proxy statement a shareholder proposal that it...Read more
A new meta-study looking at a wide array of research from the past five years underlines the links between ESG and positive outcomes...Read more
At least six US companies have received investor requests to put proposals to a vote at their AGMs this year on the topic of employee...Read more
Dozens of business leaders this week committed their organizations to using a new set of ESG-related metrics and disclosures developed...Read more
January 2021
Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company will vote on proposals regarding two governance issues in the spotlight – lobbying activities...Read more
ESG-related reforms and tougher enforcement are among the potential items on the agenda for Gary Gensler, President Joe Biden’s pick...Read more
Nasdaq’s efforts to promote diversity on boards has received support from a variety of constituencies, with a number of commenters...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is ramping up the pressure for improved diversity and inclusion disclosures as part of its 2021...Read more
‘PepsiCo is a poster child for what people are trying to do’ in terms of ESG reporting, says one of the Corporate Secretary judges. It...Read more
December 2020
HP’s 2020 virtual AGM was not its first rodeo – the company has been holding its annual shareholder meetings online since 2015. But...Read more
Nasdaq is moving to increase diversity on the boards of its listed companies amid growing pressure from investors and state laws for...Read more
October 2020
Ceres on Wednesday launched a framework for what it hopes will be a decade of efforts by companies to make sustainability a central...Read more
September 2020
In a split-decision, the SEC last week approved changes to the shareholder proposal process that have sparked thousands of comment...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is adding to the growing social and investment pressure on corporations to take issues of racial...Read more
August 2020
Several groups have come together to urge US companies to increase diversity on their boards and present a framework for how such...Read more
The SEC’s plans to reform the process by which shareholder proposals reach a vote – or companies exclude them from the proxy statement...Read more
Corporate leaders have in recent years proclaimed their company’s employees as their greatest asset – statements that have sometimes...Read more
July 2020
The SEC yesterday voted to adopt measures governing the proxy advisory industry but drew back from more far-reaching requirements it...Read more
A coalition of major investor groups has called on the SEC to take action to avoid a repeat of what it says was a proxy season...Read more
June 2020
Two first-time ESG shareholder proposals – while not being approved – secured significant levels of support at Delta Air Lines’ recent...Read more
The 2020 proxy season has been unusual for many reasons, not least because hundreds of companies have switched to virtual AGMs as a...Read more
A group of senior Canadian businesspeople has launched a new council and initiative aimed at increasing racial diversity among the...Read more
SASB has put its weight behind a European regulatory project that the board believes may result in global standards for ESG reporting...Read more
May 2020
Shareholders in XPO Logistics last week rejected proposals including two that would have linked executive compensation at the company...Read more
CalPERS has voiced concerns that SEC disclosure reforms would leave investors lacking key information – and raise particular...Read more
A new paper from the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) argues that parts of the SEC’s proposed changes to Rule 14a-8 would have...Read more
April 2020
The Covid-19 outbreak is highlighting the importance of ESG issues for companies, and those that take such issues seriously stand a...Read more
Walmart shareholders will vote on a measure looking to add employee representation to the company’s board at a time when such ideas...Read more
The Covid-19 pandemic has yet to have much of an impact on shareholder engagement or Nuveen’s pursuit of ESG issues, according to...Read more
For investor relations teams, a major corporate transaction can be both a nerve-wracking challenge and an opportunity to showcase...Read more
March 2020
The SEC’s top enforcers have warned directors and executives against taking advantage of developments arising from the Covid-19...Read more
Global institutional investors are unanimous in seeing the growing influence of ESG issues in their business, according to a new...Read more
February 2020
Institutional investors see talent management and climate change as the stand-out issues factoring into companies’ strategic success,...Read more
Alcohol company Diageo has agreed to pay a $5 mn penalty to settle allegations that it failed to make necessary disclosures following...Read more
Trillium filed nine board or executive diversity proposals in 2019, up from four last year. What’s behind that focus?...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is running out of patience with boards that are not taking account of important ESG issues. In a...Read more
AT&T has been reporting on its ESG performance for the last 12 years. And just as the focus on ESG among investors and companies...Read more
January 2020
Governance professionals at companies, law firms and investors are beginning to find out how the SEC will apply its revised approach...Read more
BlackRock has this week made major announcements highlighting renewed efforts to integrate climate change into its investment process...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) is finding itself frustrated in its efforts to obtain SEC information about alleged...Read more
December 2019
Companies need to be able to customize and adapt their shareholder engagement efforts, both to meet investor needs and to catch the...Read more
Zevin Asset Management has complained to the SEC about its plans to raise thresholds for submitting shareholder proposals, while other...Read more
November 2019
Industry professionals in the US foresee no turning around from the direction companies and investors have been headed in recent years...Read more
The SEC on Tuesday voted to propose amendments to Rule 14a-8 , which governs the process for determining which shareholder proposals...Read more
October 2019
CalPERS is concerned about how companies would treat materiality in their regulatory disclosures under SEC plans to modernize...Read more
General Motors (GM) officials have raised concerns about aspects of SEC plans to revamp corporate disclosures. The commission in...Read more
SEC investor advocate Rick Fleming has urged the commission and US exchanges to take action against dual-class share structures...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has asked the SEC to seek authority enabling the commission to, in effect, require...Read more
Diversity and ESG issues have been prominent on investor and board agendas in recent years, but a new survey suggests some directors...Read more
US companies are continuing to ramp up ESG-related disclosures and visual presentations of board processes in their proxy statements,...Read more
September 2019
A bipartisan group of senators this week introduced a bill designed to expand the scope of protection for whistleblowers who bring to...Read more
Groups including Ceres and the Council of Institutional Investors have called for the SEC’s division of corporation finance to drop...Read more
Shareholders in The Kraft Heinz Company have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have pressed the food firm’s board to...Read more
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is seeing progress in its multi-year campaign to boost female representation in the boardroom –...Read more
The SEC’s division of corporation finance has caused a splash ahead of the 2020 proxy season by announcing a revised approach to...Read more
August 2019
WeWork has raised at least one set of seasoned corporate governance eyebrows with its CEO succession plans. The arrangement –...Read more
Boca Raton, Florida-based TherapeuticsMD has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty to settle allegations it violated Regulation Fair...Read more
The inclusion of human capital matters in regulatory plans to revamp corporate disclosures is likely to attract attention and require...Read more
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has welcomed plans by a start-up exchange to require member companies to develop policies...Read more
July 2019
Grant Thornton has raised concerns about a plan to exempt smaller companies from a key component of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act reforms,...Read more
The House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday voted to approve a bill backed by several Democratic presidential candidates that...Read more
June 2019
Nuveen launched a dedicated ESG strategy back in 1990. How did that come about? AOB: Nuveen – and TIAA more broadly...Read more
As a portfolio manager, how do you interact with other teams within CalSTRS on ESG issues? The group I’m in used to...Read more
Can you outline some of the key aspects of AllianceBernstein’s ESG philosophy? We think about ESG as simply good...Read more
This interview appeared in a special report on ESG engagement, reporting and integration by IR Magazine sister publication...Read more
Industry advisers say activist investing in Canada is very much still on the agenda despite a drop-off from last year’s mini boom, a...Read more
The turnover rate for CEOs rose globally last year, driven by increases in both planned and forced exits – notably for ethical...Read more
May 2019
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) has filed a petition with the SEC urging the agency to fix what it says is a regulatory...Read more