Getting Ahead of Shareholder Activism

Despite a government shutdown in early 2019, the IPO market has been fairly strong. Early signs indicate that 2019 could come close to a record last set in 2000, when $97 billion was raised in the dot-com bubble.

Everyone on your board knows who the weak link is. Maybe it’s someone who has a spotty attendance record. It could be the person that doesn’t read the board notes but shows up for the coffee and schmoozing. You know who he is (& likely it is a he because 76 % of U.S. board seats are held by men, according to Spencer Stuart). Yet, even when boards conduct an annual evaluation the weakest board member remains on the board of directors. Why?

Companies and boards should consider a public outrage as a potential risk to their reputation and operations, and prepare a crisis management response playbook.

“There is only one god, and His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: ‘not today’.” If only it were that easy for reporting companies to reply to the SEC on regulations. Imagine Bezos to Clayton: “Not today.” Because company leaders don’t have the Game of Thrones option, the best option out there is to watch out, read up, and prepare for the biggest regulatory issues and how they might impact your organization.