Boardroom Alpha
Meeting calendar
DLR · Annual meeting · Friday, May 29, 2026

Digital Realty Trust Inc

10 nominees · 4 ballot items.

Ten directors up for annual election; ratification of KPMG LLP as independent auditors; non-binding advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation (Say-on-Pay); and a shareholder proposal requesting annual region-level disclosure of water-related risks and operational water intensity in water-stressed areas.

Market cap
$61.0B
1Y TSR
+7.8%
Board grade
C+
Record date
Mar 30, 2026
Filing
DEF 14A
Meeting concluded · May 29, 2026

Follow how the vote landed and what changed on Digital Realty Trust Inc’s board — director track records, governance grades, and ongoing monitoring — on the Boardroom Alpha platform.

Proposals

On the ballot4

  1. 1

    Election of Directors

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Elect ten nominees (Stephen R. Bolze, VeraLinn Jamieson, Kevin J. Kennedy, William G. LaPerch, Jean F.H.P. Mandeville, Afshin Mohebbi, Mark R. Patterson, Andrew P. Power, Mary Hogan Preusse and Susan Swanezy) to the Board of Directors to serve until the 2027 Annual Meeting and until their successors are elected and qualify.

  2. 2

    Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (KPMG LLP

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Ratify the Audit Committee’s selection of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2026.

  3. 3

    Advisory Non-Binding Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Non-binding, advisory vote to approve, on an annual basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement (Say-on-Pay).

    More detail

    This management proposal asks stockholders to cast a non-binding, advisory vote approving the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement. Management seeks this vote to reaffirm that its pay program — which combines base salary, annual incentive bonuses, and performance- and time-based long-term equity awards (including PIUs and Class D Units) — is aligned with stockholder interests and supports retention and long-term value creation. The program emphasizes pay-for-performance through multi-year performance-based equity awards tied to relative total stockholder return versus the MSCI US REIT Index and Same Store Cash NOI growth, and uses annual incentive metrics (Core FFO per share, Same Store Cash NOI, and ≤1MW & interconnection signings) to drive short-term results. The Talent and Compensation Committee engaged an independent consultant (Semler Brossy) and used peer benchmarking when setting targets and award design, and management highlights governance safeguards including a clawback policy, stock ownership guidelines, and no uncapped bonus payouts. The Company reports strong 2025 performance (Core FFO and awards achievements) and notes that prior Say-on-Pay support was high (approximately 87% in 2025), which management cites as validation of its approach. The Board recommends a FOR vote, arguing that the compensation structure appropriately balances short- and long-term incentives, aligns pay with performance, and includes oversight mechanisms; it also commits to considering the advisory vote outcomes in future compensation decisions. Because the proposal is advisory, it does not change pay directly but serves as a signal to the Board and Compensation Committee about investor sentiment and may influence future plan design and disclosures.

  4. 4

    Stockholder Proposal Regarding Enhanced Water Risk Disclosure

    Shareholder — The NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. Funded Pension Plan and Proxy Impact, on behalf of Broz Family Investments LLCBoard: AGAINST

    Request that the Board annually disclose region-level metrics on the Company’s exposure to water-related risks and operational water intensity in water-stressed areas (excluding proprietary information) to enable investors to assess portfolio vulnerabilities to water scarcity.

    More detail

    The shareholder proponents request that Digital Realty annually disclose region-level metrics on exposure to water-related risks and operational water intensity specifically in water-stressed areas, arguing that aggregated company-wide water metrics obscure local vulnerabilities that matter to investors. Their core argument is that water is a material operational and strategic risk for data centers, that AI-driven demand and acquisition practices could increase water usage in stressed regions, and that peer companies already provide more granular, site- or region-level disclosures, creating a precedent and comparability expectation. They seek a disclosure change (region-level metrics) aimed at enabling investors to assess where the portfolio is most vulnerable, to better anticipate operational, regulatory and social-license risks, and to evaluate resilience and long-term value creation. Management and the Board oppose the proposal, asserting existing design standards, operational practices (air-cooled and water-free designs), recycling and reuse initiatives, targeted conservation projects, partnerships (e.g., with Ecolab) and existing Impact Report disclosures already provide meaningful transparency and materially mitigate risks. The Board emphasizes that only a small portion of evaporative cooling capacity is located in extremely high water stress areas by MW-IT, that many cooling innovations use non-potable or non-water liquids, and that the proposed additional reporting would impose significant management time and expense without delivering commensurate stockholder benefit. In evaluating the merits, investors should weigh the proponents’ desire for granular, comparable regional data against the Company’s claim of substantial existing mitigation and disclosure, the operational complexity of producing consistent region-level metrics across jurisdictions, and the potential competitive or proprietary sensitivities. The question for governance and ESG-focused investors is whether incremental granularity materially improves risk assessment and capital allocation decisions relative to the costs and potential operational disclosure risks the Company cites. Given broader industry attention to water impacts of data center expansion, the proposal highlights a plausible risk vector even if the Company argues mitigations are in place; the investor decision should factor in the Company’s historical water-intensity trends, local regulatory exposures in key metros, and precedent disclosure practices by peers.

Director elections

Nominees on the ballot10

Independent
Tenure on this board
13.4 yrs
Also a director at
Kla Corp (KLAC)Ul Solutions Inc (ULS)
Independent
Tenure on this board
10.0 yrs
Also a director at
Udr Inc (UDR)Americold Realty Trust (COLD)Erock Inc (EROC)
Not independent
Tenure on this board
3.6 yrs
Also a director at
Americold Realty Trust (COLD)
Independent
Tenure on this board
9.2 yrs
Also a director at
Host Hotels & Resorts Inc (HST)Kimco Realty Corp (KIM)Realty Income Corp (O)
Independent
Tenure on this board
2.2 yrs
Also a director at
Avalonbay Communities Inc (AVB)
Ownership

Top institutional holders10

Latest 13F quarter
1VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC8.4%29,472,165$5.3B
2COHEN STEERS, INC.8.0%28,177,457$5.1B
3VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC6.2%21,689,488$3.9B
4STATE STREET CORP5.8%20,315,624$3.7B
5BlackRock, Inc.4.0%14,141,718$2.5B
6BlackRock, Inc.3.0%10,381,231$1.9B
7APG Asset Management US Inc.2.5%8,619,693$1.6B
8GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC2.4%8,369,916$1.5B
9CANADA PENSION PLAN INVESTMENT BOARD2.2%7,582,063$1.4B
10BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/1.5%5,393,477$972M
Filings

Recent key filings

Periodic reports
Definitive proxies
Reference

Frequently asked questions

When is the Digital Realty Trust Inc 2026 annual meeting?
Digital Realty Trust Inc (DLR) holds its 2026 annual shareholder meeting on Friday, May 29, 2026.
What is the record date for the Digital Realty Trust Inc 2026 meeting?
The record date for the Digital Realty Trust Inc 2026 meeting is Monday, March 30, 2026. Shareholders of record on or before that date are eligible to vote.
Who are the director nominees for Digital Realty Trust Inc's 2026 meeting?
The board is presenting 10 director nominees at the Digital Realty Trust Inc 2026 meeting, listed with their independence status and background.
What proposals will shareholders vote on at the Digital Realty Trust Inc 2026 meeting?
Shareholders will vote on 4 proposals at the Digital Realty Trust Inc 2026 meeting, each tagged with who proposed it and the board's recommendation.
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