At the Helm
Blog & News
AMEX adds Diversity and Technology Expertise with Charles Phillips – former Marine and current Technology Superstar
American Express improves racial diversity and technology expertise by adding Charles Phillips and his highly decorated resume to its board — but gender diversity does take a hit.
Boardroom Alpha: Weekly Executive & Director Moves (Monday – Oct 26)
Boardroom Alpha provides in-depth analytics and tracking of all public company executives and officers. Here is a rundown of people moves made at notable companies this past week.
Ralph Lauren Improves Diversity with Addition of Valerie Jarrett, but Board Needs Bigger Overhaul
Ralph Lauren has disappointed during the pandemic; can new directors Walker and Jarrett help right the ship?
Boardroom Alpha Launches Performance ESG Analytics Platform
Boardroom Alpha Inc., today announced the launch of its revolutionary analytics platform that sets the standard for the assessment of public company directors, officers, and corporate governance.
Boardroom Alpha: Weekly Executive & Director Moves (Monday – Oct 19)
Boardroom Alpha provides in-depth analytics and tracking of...
Macy’s picks Mitchell, an outsider, for CFO (their 3rd in the last 3 years)
Adrian Mitchell becomes CFO of Macy’s this November 2nd, hoping to help guide the retailer out of tough times.
Starbucks to Institute Mandatory Anti-Bias Training and Tie Exec Comp to Diversity in the Face of Federal Executive Order
Starbucks will make antibias training mandatory for executives, in addition to creating new diversity targets
Pandemic-Battered Welltower Changes CEO and Board in Effort to Recover
Welltower, the struggling REIT, replaced Thomas DeRosa with Shankh Mitra as CEO in addition to updating its board of directors.
Low on Diversity, but High on Performers, Boston Beer taps Michael Lynton and Sam Calagione for Board
Earlier this week, the surging Boston Beer Company added Michael Lynton and Sam Calagione to its board of directors
Boardroom Alpha: Weekly Executive & Director Moves (Monday – Oct 12)
Boardroom Alpha provides in-depth analytics and tracking of all public company executives and...
Verizon adds 3rd Woman, Veteran Director Austin to Board
Verizon Communications elected Roxanne S. Austin, an award winning director, to its board.
Tesla Shareholders Make Noise about Pledging and Compensation
Shareholder support for Chairwoman Denholm and executive compensation plans declined in the aftermath of advisory firm suggestions
Fluor Expands Board of Directors
Fluor attempts to reverse a recent trend of negative results, adding Teri McClure to its board of directors
At a Critical Time, Con Ed Picks an Insider for New CEO
Change is coming to Consolidated Edison, with John McAvoy stepping down as CEO to make way for Timothy Cawley in 2021.
Boardroom Alpha: Weekly Executive & Director Moves (Monday – Oct 5)
Boardroom Alpha provides in-depth analytics and tracking of all public company executives and...
Snowflake’s Secret Weapon: Team Slootman
Frank Slootman and his team have brought their magic touch to one of the hottest stocks in tech, Snowflake.
Changing the Channel: SiriusXM’s Management Makeover
Earlier this month, internet radio giant SiriusXM (SIRI) announced major changes coming to their...
eBay Founder and Elliott’s Cohn Leave Board
Following the resignations of Jesse Cohn and company founder Pierre Omidyar, eBay appointed Carol Hayes and Mohak Shroff to its board.
Amazon adds Surveillance Expert, Ex-General to Board
Amazon elected former General and National Security Director Keith Alexander to its Board of Directors.
Fraser and Citi Finally Shatter the Glass Ceiling
By becoming CEO at Citi Jane Fraser will become the first female CEO of a major wall street bank, now the question is can she turn Citi around?
SELL! Moderna Execs Continue to Cash Out
Moderna executives have made millions by selling shares in 2020 and raised serious questions from outsiders
Nutanix Loses Founding CEO in Surprise Resignation
Nutanix has experienced major changes in the last month, losing its CEO and reshuffling its board of directors
J.M. Smucker Improves Diversity and Expertise with Board Changes
J.M. Smucker added Susan Chapman and Jodi Taylor to its board of directors
iHeartMedia Ties Exec Comp to ESG & Diversity Agenda
iHeartMedia’s performance based RSUs this year will include diversity and ESG targets
Wells Fargo Continues to Retool with Board Refreshment
Wells Fargo added former Suntrust COO Mark Chancy to its board of directors
Wynn Executives Granted Stock in Retention Play
Wynn Resorts offered a restricted stock grant to 240 employees and executives, including CEO Matt Maddox, in a bid to incentivize and retain talent
Glass Ceiling Breaks at Clorox with First Female CEO
The cleaning supplies company announced Linda Rendle will take the role of CEO in September
Facing Equality Backlash Pinterest Adds First Black Board Director
The image-based social media platform added their first African American board director following recent allegations of sexism and racism.
CEO Moves: Witynski Takes over at Dollar Tree
The discount retailer staying in house as Gary Philbin retires
Walgreens to Look for New CEO after 5 Years of Lackluster Performance
Walgreens Boots Alliance announces a search for a new CEO as Stefano Pessina will step down after 5 years of poor returns.
Mike Santomassimo Joining Fresh Exec Team at Wells Fargo as CFO
The former BNY Mellon CFO hopes to help erase the memory of the old management team when he joins in the fall.
Will ESG Credentials Power Apple Even Higher?
The tech giant is undertaking a serious and comprehensive set of initiatives to help create an environmentally sustainable future that will only enhance its ESG appeal
Activist investors Elliott Management look for change at Crown Castle with a push for fresh board
Activist investors Elliott Management looks to effect change at Crown Castle
Ford vs. Ferrari? Tesla Reigns Supreme
In this movie, with a a tech-savvy board complimenting Musk, Tesla has been able to leapfrog archaic competition
Starboard’s Winning Streak (Part 3 of 3): Takeover of Merit Medical System’s Board
In this series, we look at 3 major wins (GCP, Commvault, Merit Medical) for activist investors Starboard Value LP
Starboard’s Winning Streak (Part 2 of 3): Changes at Commvault Systems
In this series, we look at 3 major wins (GCP, Commvault, Merit Medical) for activist investors Starboard Value LP
Rising Star: Tristan Walker Advances Forward
Tristan Walker founded Walker & Company in 2013. He has recently joined the boards of Foot Locker and Shake Shack
Tesla Directors & Musk Pledge Billions in Company Stock: Chair Faces Re-election Opposition
ISS recommends voting against the re-election of Tesla board Chair Robyn Denholm due to concerns over Director pledging and compensation.
Netflix’s 2020 Executive Pay Met with (a little) more Shareholder Support
While up from 2019’s 49% approval, this year’s 62% shareholder approval of Netflix’s Executive Compensation means there will be more to do before 2021
Starboard’s Winning Streak (Part 1 of 3): Takeover of GCP Applied Technologies’ Board
In this special series, we look at 3 major wins (GCP, CommVault, Merit Medical) for activist investors Starboard Value LP in the last month
Mega Retailers Helping to Ease the Pain During Pandemic
Walmart Inc., Target Corp. and other essential retailers that have seen sales surge are giving back as well, with massive hiring, charitable donations, and raises and cash bonuses for frontline workers.
Facebook, Merck, Pfizer Bolster Board Gender Diversity with Latest Additions
ESG investors continue to push companies to refresh boards with gender diversity as a primary goal.
AMC Execs Fighting the Pandemic, Universal and Bad Grant Timing
AMC Execs chose stock grants over cash in February, right before global pandemic
Twitter’s Board Gets (even) Younger, More Diverse
With the appointment of Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Twitter further diversifies its board and cements changes driven by Elliott and Silver Lake.
Gurley Bets Big on Stitch Fix and CEO Katrina Lake
Amid retail’s pandemic-driven crisis, veteran VC and Board Director Bill Gurley buys ~$16M of Stitch Fix (SFIX) stock
Blackrock Provides (some) ESG Leniency While Companies Fight COVID-19 Impacts
ESG stewardship has been growing in importance. Companies and funds must now determine how to prioritize in this era.
Olin Corp Follows ESG Best Practices and Declassifies Board of Directors
All of Olin’s directors will now be elected on an annual basis, shifting from prior practice of every 3 years.
ANGI CEO Compensation: 2020 PSU Grants
After receiving no PSUs in 2019, ANGI CEO William Ridenour stands to gain big from 2020’s awards if he can hit market and results based tests.
Will Banks Emerge from the Covid Crisis as Good Guys?
Banks have proven they can continue to operate and ease the financial pains of struggling customers during the pandemic, but will PPP and other potential issues waste all that goodwill?
Netflix Keeps Compensation Policy Despite Shareholder Discontent
Netflix will continue to pay execs only in fully vested stock options and cash despite last year’s say-on-pay vote — and execs keep betting on themselves.
An Update on Director Overboarding Guidelines for 2020
Vanguard just released its latest proxy voting guidelines and we’re taking the opportunity to do a quick review of the current guidelines.
Darden Insiders Bet on Themselves
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) insiders, including CEO Gene Lee, purchased over $4 million worth of shares in their $505M public stock offering
Execs at Bed Bath & Beyond May be More Optimistic About Retail Recovery than Others
Executives at Bed Bath & Beyond extended their pay cuts into May, but does the limited size of cuts and short timeline mean they expect a faster retail rebound?
AT&T Set for CEO Shakeup, Maintains Board
Long-time CEO Randall Stephenson to step down July 1, setting the stage for company veteran John Stankey to assume control
Questions Abound for Restaurants, but Alcohol Providers Remain on (More) Solid Footing
Alcohol providers continue to hold up, and look to take advantage, while restaurants that aren’t already optimized for the new model of delivery and take-out are hurting.
PPP Round #2 is Coming: More of the Same?
It appears as if a fresh $320B in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) may be on its...
Whirlpool Publishes 2019 Sustainability Report, Adopts SASB Standards
Whirlpool released its 2019 Sustainability Report providing the latest details on what it values, how it measures, and its path forward.
PPP Loan Tracker: Shake Shack is Returning its $10M PPP Loan – What Went Wrong with Round #1
After significant criticism Shake Shack announced it plans to return its $10 million PPP Loan. Round #1 of PPP was broken; here is how to fix round #2.
Tracking PPP Loans: Shake Shack gets $10M while raising $150M in stock
Is it fair to small businesses when government loans go to publicly traded companies?
SeaWorld Gifts Execs Millions during Crisis
While 90% of its workforce is furloughed, SeaWorld awarded ~$7M in equity awards to its C-Suite
Airline $25bn Bailout: Part Grants, Part Loans
Treasury department strikes a deal with the biggest US Airlines to provide ~$25bn in aid to come in the form of grants and low-interest loans.
Live Nation Defends Refund Policy, Cuts Executive Compensation
Parent company of Ticketmaster has drawn the ire of thousands of fans who say they are not being refunded for events that aren’t taking place
Ebay Gets New CEO Amidst COVID Crisis
Jamie Iannone takes over as CEO after leading Walmart’s ecommerce efforts and with Ebay weathering the COVID crisis better than most
XFL is the Latest Casualty of COVID-19 in Sports
The XFL’s bankruptcy filing discloses stake owned by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
AutoNation CEO Cheryl Miller Takes Health Leave
At a critical time for AutoNation CEO Cheryl Miller takes health leave and Mike Jackson steps back in to lead.
COVID-19 Presents an Opportunity for Active Management to Capitalize
The COVID crash may provide an opportunity for Active Managers to again show their stock selection skills and upset the passive investing trend.
In the Cloud Wars, COVID-19 Forces Focus
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing all companies — big and small — to focus on their strategic priorities. Microsoft is case in point as it freezes most hiring.
Airlines in Crosshairs as Federal Relief Looms
Criticism over airlines’ share repurchase activity rises as the industry hopes to receive significant federal aid
Starbucks, McDonald’s among Re-Openings in China
Starbucks and McDonald’s are beginning to return to business in China, with mixed results
Ulta Beauty Forced to Furlough Associates, but Still Fights for Employees
Ulta Beauty [ULTA] was forced to furlough most associates, but is still fighting to put #employeesfirst and aid the covid-19 fight with medical glove donations.
Take-Out is on the Rise as Restaurants Adapt
Plummeting in-person dining leads consumers to take-out and delivery Yesterday, Darden Restaurants...
Are Shareholder Rights Plans a “Poison Pill” During COVID-19?
The adoption of limited duration shareholder rights plans may provide the necessary room and time for leadership to maneuver during COVID-19
Spirit Airlines Adopts Shareholder Rights Plan
Spirit Airlines [SAVE] joins others in adopting limited duration shareholder rights plan to give management time and space to weather the COVID-19 storm.
E-Commerce the Lone Bright Spot for Retailers?
One positive trend we're seeing in the Boardroom Alpha COVID-19 Impact Tracker are retailers are...
Retailers Fighting to Put #employeesfirst
All retailers are facing tough choices, but many still fighting to put their #employeesfirst. Just...
The Boardroom Alpha COVID-19 Impact Tracker
Track the latest impacts to and mitigation efforts for US public companies struggling to survive...