The 2026 Proxy Season:

The 2026 proxy season is set to be a more accelerated and data-driven era of activism, with AI shaping how campaigns are built, targeted, and communicated. Universal proxy continued to shift power toward shareholders at the individual director level, raising the stakes on board composition, performance, and credibility. For boards, the lesson is clear. Waiting for outcomes is no longer viable. The imperative is to anticipate where pressure will emerge and strengthen governance, engagement, and narrative before it is tested.

This session will feature experts from Joele Frank and Sidley Austin to examine the defining trends from the 2026 proxy season and how boards should prepare for and manage off-cycle pressure.

• What the 2026 proxy season revealed about investor voting behavior, activist tactics, and evolving board vulnerabilities
• How universal proxy reshaped director accountability and raised the stakes on individual board composition decisions
• The rise of off-cycle activism, including special meetings and withhold campaigns, and how boards should prepare for year-round pressure
• What boards should be doing now across governance, shareholder engagement, communications, and AI readiness to anticipate risk and stay ahead of the next campaign

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