Labrador (US)

ANNOUNCING THE 2024 U.S. TRANSPARENCY AWARDS WINNERS! Which S&P 250 companies are leading the charge in corporate transparency? From the most improved to the top ESG report, our experts—under the guidance of the Transparency Scientific Committee—evaluated all S&P 250 corporate disclosure documents. Using 234 objective criteria, the committee reviewed and validated the rankings to determine this year's top performers. These companies have set a new benchmark for openness and accountability by demonstrating their commitment to transparent communication with all stakeholders. Curious who earned top honors? Watch the video for the full rankings. You can all so visit the Transparency Awards website for more details - https://lnkd.in/egrgQ-q AIG Allstate American Tower Bank of America Cognizant ConocoPhillips CSX CVS Health Dow Duke Energy Corporation Ecolab Elevance Health Exelon Ford Motor Company Freeport-McMoRan Gilead Sciences Hess Corporation The Home Depot Honeywell Intel Corporation John Deere Johnson & Johnson Lockheed Martin Marriott International Mastercard Merck MetLife Moody's Corporation Netflix NextEra Energy Resources Procter & Gamble Prologis Rockwell Automation RTX ServiceNow T-Mobile Verizon VICI Properties Inc. Visa Xcel Energy #Transparency #TransparencyAwards #corporatefinance #investorrelations #Labrador #corporatedisclosure

Objectively applying the 27 transparency criteria for the Code of Conduct during our “Transparency Awards” process, NextEra Energy won best Code of Conduct this year after being ranked 16th last year. Bearing in mind again that the criteria are objectively applied, here are five reasons why the company’s code of conduct is so fine #ethics #codeofconduct https://lnkd.in/eq3YvZWg

Transparency Champion Broc Romanek joins Ethisphere 's Bill Coffin to discuss the 2024 Transparency Awards. In this podcast, Broc spotlights the award winners, discussing why each company was recognized and the vital role transparency plays in corporate success. Tune in now! https://lnkd.in/gr7bhStP #TransparencyAwards #Transparency #Labrador #CorporateDisclosure

Last month, Broc ran a blog about cybersecurity disclosures for your Form 10-K and in your proxies. Here are four sample disclosures to consider in this area: - Raytheon’s 2024 Form 10-K Wrap (pages 27-30) has a cyber discussion that is thorough. - Cigna’s 2023 Form 10-K (pages 46-47) references tabletop exercises in partnership with third parties (and that the board participates). - For a discussion of third-party assessment results, see Prudential’s 2023 Form 10-K (pages 46-47) and Mastercard’s 2023 Form 10-K (pages 41-43). #corpgov #cyber #cybersecurity https://lnkd.in/eR9PhKGV

After attending CCRcorp's 2024 Proxy Disclosure and Executive Compensation Conferences, Labrador (US) Advisory Director Laura Ann Smith shared the following thoughts for public companies as they begin to work on their upcoming proxy statements:   •Thoughtful Disclosures: Review your disclosures annually, avoid boilerplate language, and ensure consistency across documents. Be intentional about why certain disclosures are included.  •SEC Focus on Disclosure Controls: The SEC is prioritizing not just the accuracy and completeness of disclosures, but also the processes used to identify, gather, and support this information.  •Director Disclosures for Shareholder Activism: Pre-emptively strengthen your director disclosures. Show shareholders why your board is the best fit through a thoughtful discussion of skills, engagement, and risk oversight.  •CD&A Disclosures: Failed SOP votes may have decreased, but companies with low votes remain steady. ISS and Glass Lewis emphasize both strong program design and clear, effective disclosure.  •Pay for Performance Disclosures: With 2025 proxies requiring five years of data, make sure to quality-check these disclosures. Be mindful of recent SEC guidance to avoid common mistakes. #Transparency #Labrador #ProxyDisclosure #ExecutiveCompensation #PDEC2024 #CorporateDisclosure

Objectively applying the 25 transparency criteria for the IR web site during our “Transparency Awards” process, both Honeywell and Bank of America won best IR Web Site this year. It was a tie for first! Bearing in mind again that the criteria are objectively applied, here are five reasons – among many others – why these two IR web sites are so fine #iro#investorrelations#corpgov https://lnkd.in/e34i5c3W

We are happy to announce the first 50 “Transparency Advocates.” Among this initial group of 50 Advocates are 19 former SEC Staffers. The Transparency Advocates consist of a group of well-known disclosure drafters and disclosure readers. These influential people believe in the “Five Pillars of Transparency,” knowing good disclosure drafters help reduce liability risk and improve a company’s business reputation. #corpgov #transparency https://lnkd.in/es8BwDYF

Labrador (US)'s Advisory Director Laura Ann Smith is attending the 2024 Proxy Disclosure Conference, staying informed on the latest trends in proxy disclosures. Key takeaway from yesterday’s speakers: companies should take a thoughtful approach to their disclosures. •Review disclosures annually and ensure they are tailored to the specific facts and circumstances of the year. •Avoid boilerplate language—the SEC is paying attention to disclosures that seem cut and pasted, lacking relevance to the company. •Be intentional about why disclosures are included in various documents and ensure consistency across reports and the company’s website. #Transparency #Labrador #ProxyStatement #CorporateDisclosure

One of the reasons we’ve touted for you getting onboard the transparency train is the beautiful feeling when you can take pride in the work that you do. That’s why we want to highlight this Freeport-McMoRan press release in which the company announced its improved placement in the 2024 Transparency Awards. The company ranked 8th overall for corporate transparency and 2nd in both the “Overall Proxy Statement” category and in the Materials industry. The press release features a quote from David Joint, Vice President of Investor Relations, highlighting transparency as part of the company’s culture. He acknowledges the excellent work done by the various reporting teams at Freeport-McMoRan. Additionally, the release mentions this is the first time that the company has made the “Top 10” in the Transparency Awards, noting their rankings last year at 53rd overall and in 2022 at 19th overall. #corpgov #transparency #freeportmcmoran https://lnkd.in/entz3XY5

The rapid adoption of AI means companies must also quickly and thoughtfully assess its impacts and determine what's significant enough to address in stakeholder reports. Sustainability report disclosure concerning AI is rapidly evolving, and we expect disclosure in the coming year to be much more robust than in previous years. Determining AI's role in a sustainability report isn't much different than analyzing other future-focused topics. A starting point for considering what to disclose about AI in your report involves key questions such as: 1. What do your stakeholders want to know about/what is important to them regarding the company’s interaction with AI? 2. What impact does AI have on your operations, strategy and results? 3. What impact does your use of AI have on people, the environment and the economy? Read more about our thoughts on AI disclosure here: https://hubs.la/Q02SjDXb0 #Labrador #Transparency #AI #ESG #sustainability #corporatedisclosure