On January 1, 2019, the Investor Stewardship Group (ISG) an investor-led initiative comprised of more than 60 of the largest U.S.-based institutional investors and global asset managers representing in excess of US$31 trillion AUM, marked the one-year anniversary of its Framework for U.S. Stewardship and Governance.
Join many of the ISG investors at the First Annual ISG/Corporate Issuers Conference, which will provide unique opportunities for ISG investors and corporate issuers to:
Learn more about the Investor Stewardship Principles and Corporate Governance Principles
Participate in breakout sessions that will include both ISG investors and corporate issuers
Hear the latest on the New Paradigm and the importance of ISG from keynote speaker, Marty Lipton from Wachtell, Lipton Rosen & Katz
Enjoy many informal networking opportunities
The ISG Fall Conference Committee invites you to attend what promises to be an informative and exciting conference, which is co-hosted with the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, on the campus of the University of Delaware.
Register early as space is limited.Also, make your hotel reservation early as hotel space on campus can sell out quickly.Information about campus hotels can be found on the “More Info” page.
The focus of the 2019 Corporate Governance Symposium will be “Governance Issues of Critical Importance to Boards and Investors in 2019.” The symposium will begin with an address by our John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker – Indra Nooyi, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo.
Ms. Nooyi will be followed by a Special Speaker – Robert J. Jackson, Jr., Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Commissioner Jackson will be followed by a panel who will focus on the most critical governance issues for boards and investors in 2019. The confirmed panelists are:
Glenn Booraem, Investment Stewardship Officer and a principal, Vanguard
Aeisha Mastagni, Portfolio Manager, California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS).
Steve Odland, President and CEO, The Conference Board
Eric Shostal, Vice President, Investor Stewarship Team, BlackRock
Myron T. Steele, Partner, Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP; former Chief Justice, Delaware Supreme Court
Moderator: Charles M. Elson, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair of Corporate Governance; Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance; and Professor of Finance
The panel will be followed by a luncheon speaker – William D. Cohan, New York Times best-selling author, special correspondent at Vanity Fair, and a former senior Wall Street M&A investment banker at Lazard Frères & Co., Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase
The presentation of academic papers on topics that are of critical importance to boards and investors will occur in the afternoon. The following papers will be presented:
“Audit Process, Private Information, and Insider Trading,” by Salman Arif, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University; John Kepler,The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Joseph Schroeder,Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and Daniel Taylor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Presenter)Discussant – W. Robert Knechel, Fisher School of Accounting, University of Florida
“Investors’ Attention to Corporate Governance,“ by Peter Iliev Penn State University; Jonathan Kalodimos, Oregon State University; and Michelle Lowry, Drexel University (Presenter)Discussant – Alan Crane, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
“Investor-Driven Governance Standards and Firm Value,” by Yonca Ertimur, University of Colorado Boulder; and Paige Patrick, University of Washington (Presenter)Discussant – Fei Xie, Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware
“Shareholder Voting on Golden Parachutes: Determinants and Consequences,“ by Albert H. Choi, University of Virginia Law School (Presenter); Andrew C.W. Lund, John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship, Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law; Robert Schonlau, Farmer School of Business, Miami University
On March 20, 2019, the 2019 Corporate Governance Symposium took place which focused on “Governance Issues of Critical Importance to Boards and Investors in 2019.”
John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker – Indra Nooyi, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo.
The John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker, Indra Nooyi, former Chairman and CEO, PepsicCo., was interviewed by Charles Elson, Director of the Weinberg Center. For more information, view the video.
Special Speaker – Robert J. Jackson, Jr., Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The Symposium’s Special Speaker, Robert J. Jackson, Jr., Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was interviewed by Charles Elson, Director of the Weinberg Center. For more information, view the video.
Panel
A panel, featuring leading experts in corporate governance, focused on governance issues of critical importance to boards and investors in 2019. For more information, view the video.
Luncheon Speaker – William D. Cohan, New York Times best-selling author, special correspondent at Vanity Fair, and a former senior Wall Street M&A investment banker at Lazard Frères & Co., Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase
The luncheon speaker was William D. Cohan, a New York Times best-selling author, special correspondent at Vanity Fair, and a former senior Wall Street M&A investment banker at Lazard Frères & Co., Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase For more information, view the video.
Academic Papers and Additional information
Four academic papers were presented at the Symposium. The John L. Weinberg Best Paper award was presented to Dan Taylor and Joseph Schroeder for their paper, “Audit Process, Private Information, and Insider Trading.” Not present were co-authors Salman Arif and John Kepler.
Read more aboutthe Symposium, including the participants, materials and the papers that were presented.
The Weinberg Center recently hosted a discussion on the impact of Federal Reserve Board sanctions on the financial services industry and what boards at all financial services companies and all public companies need to know. Participating in the discussion were the following;
David Wright is Managing Director, Banking and Capital Markets at Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Charles Elson, Director of the Weinberg Center, moderated the discussion. Professor Elson is also Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair in Corporate Governance and Professor of Finance at the University of Delaware
Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM @Gore Recital Hall, CFA :
Co-sponsored with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
While dual-class stock has existed at companies for some time, Snap’s issuance of non- voting stock has raised new concerns. The corporate governance and legal implications have been at the forefrontof the investor, regulator and governance conversation for the better part of the past year. Using Snap as a backdrop, we invite you to a roundtable discussion on issues and questions regarding the use of stock with limited or no voting rights, such as: the benefits and risks posed by such shares; the effect on good corporate governance; the effect on capital formation; and whether the courts’ application of the business judgement rule to director conduct in such organizations remains appropriate. These are issues that apply both to companies with non-voting shares and to dual-class stock companies. This roundtable, comprised of experts from all sides of the debate, will discuss these and other related issues.
The confirmed participants are:
Donna F. Anderson, Vice President and Head of Global Corporate Governance, T. Rowe Price
James Andrus, Investment Manager, CalPERS Investments, Execution Services & Strategy
David J. Berger, Partner, Litigation, Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati
Ken Bertsch, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
Richard M. Brand, Partner and Co-Chairman of the Corporate Group, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
P. Clarkson Collins, Jr., Partner and Chair of the Litigation Practice Group, Morris James LLP
Craig K. Ferrere, Former Edgar S. Woolard Fellow in Corporate Governance, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance
George S. Georgiev, Assistant Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
Henry T.C. Hu, Allan Shivers Chair in the Law of Banking and Finance, University of Texas Law School
The Honorable Gary F. Traynor, Justice, Delaware Supreme Court
Moderator: Charles M. Elson, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair of Corporate Governance; Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance; and Professor of Finance
Tuesday, March 6, 2018, 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM @Clayton Hall, University of Delaware :
Co-sponsored with the Department of Finance, Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics
The Symposium will begin with the John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker:Ed Garden, Chief Investment Officer and Founding Partner, Trian Fund Management L.P.The speaker portion of the program will be from 9:30 am to 10:15 am. The speaker will be followed by a panel who will focus on the most critical governance issues for boards and investors in 2018. The Symposium will provide attendees with cutting edge governance discussion and debate.
The Panel participants are:
Donna F. Anderson, Vice President and Head of Global Corporate Governance, T. Rowe Price
Lydia I. Beebe, Director, Kansas City Southern and Aemetis Inc.
Margaret (Peggy) Foran, Chief Governance Officer, Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Prudential Financial, Inc.
Michael Garland, Assistant Comptroller – Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment, Office of New York City Comptroller
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Patrick S. McGurn, Special Counsel and Head of Strategic Research and Analysis, Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.
Eric Shostal, Vice President, Investment Stewardship, BlackRock
Myron T. Steele, Partner, Potter Anderson & Corroon, LLP; and former Chief Justice, Delaware Supreme Court
Carol J. Ward, Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Mondelēz International Inc.
Moderator: Charles M. Elson, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair of Corporate Governance, Director of the Weinberg Center and Professor of Finance
The Symposium will continue with a lunch and a luncheon speaker – a conversation with The Honorable Karen L. Valihura, Justice, Delaware Supreme Court, interviewed by Margaret (Peggy) Foran, Chief Governance Officer, Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Prudential Financial, Inc.
This will be followed by the presentation of two academic papers on topics that are of critical importance to boards and institutional investors today. The academic papers being presented are:
Discussant:Laura Field, Chairperson, Department of Finance, Donald J. Puglisi Professor of Finance, Alfred Lerner College of Business an Economics, University of Delaware
