Category: latest news

"Directors are entering 2026 with a focused yet optimistic outlook. As economic and regulatory uncertainty continues, boards are prioritizing stronger oversight, improved risk management, and more disciplined execution to achieve their companies’ strategic..."

"Artificial intelligence—including its many offspring, from machine learning models to AI agents—is much more than the latest wave of technology. It is a general-purpose capability that is poised to touch almost every sector, function, and role, with..."

Shareholder meetings seeking approval for M&A transactions in Canada are at record levels. ISS issued 184 M&A recommendations, a 55% increase over 2024 and well above the five-year average of 142. The Materials sector led activity, while Energy saw the sharpest growth, more than...

"Using data provided by Equilar, 50/50 Women on Boards announced that women now hold 30.1% of board seats at Russell 3000 Index companies, up from 30% a year ago. The percentage had risen by more than one percentage point annually from 2017 to 2023..."

"To counter the culture of silence, boards must deliberately cultivate constructive vigilance. This means fostering an environment where questioning is not viewed as hostility, but as commitment to excellence. The chair plays a critical role in this. By inviting dissenting views and ensuring psychological safety, they can transform disagreement from a threat into a governance strength...."

"Adapt compensation practices to support strategic priorities and evolving macroeconomic conditions. Compensation programs are most effective when tailored to support long-term strategic goals. When these goals change, whether in reaction to macroeconomic challenges (such as tariff-related uncertainty) or due to pivots in business strategy..."

"White men have returned to the majority of new director appointments at S&P 500 companies for the first time since 2017, according to a recent Bloomberg report by Jeff Green. Data from ISS-Corporate shows that 55% of new directors named so far in 2025 are White men, a marked change from recent years when diversity efforts were more prominent...."

"The representation of women among Canada’s largest companies for the first time declined compared to the prior year, but the overall impact was offset by continued progress among companies outside the S&P/TSX Composite Index, resulting in a small overall increase in the representation of women on Canadian boards. Women comprise..."

As of October 16, 2025, Say-on-Pay (SoP) support levels for Canadian issuers showed a slight uptick compared to 2025. The average vote across TSX-listed companies reached 92.6%, up from 92.2% last year. Among the TSX60, the improvement was more pronounced, climbing from 91.7% in 2024 to 93.2% in 2025...

As we enter the last quarter of 2025, Boards are looking back on an eventful year. Economic, market, and geopolitical uncertainty rank amongst the top issues for Boards and CEOs, although these are the areas where Boards feel...