October 2, 2006
Our Upcoming Perk Survey
Responding to numerous member requests who are grappling with “what is a perk?,” I am in the process of compiling items/thresholds to include in an online survey to help gauge what consensus there might be among practitioners in this area. Please email me any items/thresholds that you want folks to vote upon – your identity will remain anonymous.
At Last! An Opportunity to Comment on ISS’ Proxy Policies
Last week, ISS commenced its first-ever public comment period, allowing anyone to provide input into its 2007 proxy policies. In the past, input was privately solicited from a small diversified group of market players. In my mind, this comment opportunity is at least as important as the SEC’s rule-making process. With director elections no longer routine, ISS’ proxy policies are more important than ever.
The comment period ends next week on October 11th. ISS has made it very easy to submit comments – you can submit your thoughts using their online form; no need to write a separate letter. There are online forms for these six topics:
– Director election reforms and majority voting
– Definition of an independent director
– Corporate performance test in evaluating the effectiveness of directors
– Options backdating and springloading policies and equity plan language
– Auditor ratification as a ballot item
– Climate change reporting and disclosure for shareholders
And ISS wants to hear from everybody, individuals as well as groups. Take advantage of this opportunity or else they might conclude that we don’t want it and not offer it next year! ISS intends to announce its 2007 policies in mid-November.
Investors: Mad about Backdating and Ain’t Gonna Take It Anymore
Speaking of ISS, I taped the bonus panel for the “3rd Annual Executive Compensation Conference” with Pat McGurn and Martha Carter of ISS last week and some of the information was staggering. I knew backdating was a big deal – but getta load of this:
“In ISS’ 2006 Policy Survey, 85% of the respondents indicated that backdating of stock options is very problematic, on a scale of “not at all problematic” to “very problematic.” In situations where a company admits to backdating, 78% of the respondents supported recoupment of the windfall associated with the backdating as a remedy at the company. (Other actions included resignation of any executive involved, including the CEO, and the resignation of the company’s chair of the compensation committee.)” Clawback provisions clearly are “in.”
Next Thursday, hear this ISS bonus panel as well as catch the panel about “how to do clawbacks?” On October 12th, join the 2000 that will participate in Las Vegas – or the more than 3000 that will watch by nationwide video webcast – for the “3rd Annual Executive Compensation Conference.” To be able to understand the practices that you will be describing in the CD&A, etc., you need to attend this major one-day conference that has become a “must” for all directors and all those involved with executive compensation. Note that registration rates are more than half-off for CompensationStandards.com members.
By looking at our agenda for this Conference, you can see that this year’s conference will be even more crucial than before to watch live or by archive. Register today.
Keeping Abreast with Mark Borges: More Analysis and SEC Guidance
I just posted an October Supplement on CompensationStandards.com that compiles the latest blogs from Mark Borges. Mark continues to amaze with his daily insights into the new executive compensation rules, including some recent notes he took on an ABA teleconference in which he participated with Corp Fin’s Associate Director Paula Dubberly.