The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the agenda and panelists for the staff roundtable on the proxy process on November 15, 2018.  

The roundtable, announced in September, will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium at the SEC headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. and will be open to the public. The event also will be webcast live on the SEC website and archived for later viewing.  

Members of the public who wish to provide their views on the proxy process and related SEC rules, either in advance of or after the roundtable, may submit comments electronically or on paper. 

Electronic submissions:

Use of the SEC's Internet submission form or send an e-mail to mailto:rule-comments@sec.gov.

Paper submissions:

Send paper submissions in triplicate to Brent Fields, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number 4-725, and the file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used.

Agenda and Panelists

9:30     Opening Statements by Chairman Clayton and Commissioners

10:10     Panel One:  Proxy Voting Mechanics and Technology

Panel One will focus on the current proxy voting and solicitation process for shareholder meetings and recent concerns raised about this process. How can the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of the proxy voting and solicitation system be improved and what steps should regulators consider to facilitate such improvements? In addition, the panel will discuss how recent technological advances can be used to enhance the voting process and the ability of shareholders to exercise their voting rights.  

Panelists

11:40    Lunch Break

1:15     Panel Two:  Shareholder Proposals — Exploring Effective Shareholder Engagement 

Panel Two will focus on shareholder engagement through the shareholder proposal process. The panelists will discuss, among other things, their experiences with shareholder proposals and the related benefits and costs involved for the company and shareholders. The panel also will consider the application of the shareholder proposal rule and related guidance.

Panelists

2:45     Break

3:00     Panel Three:  Proxy Advisory Firms — The Current and Future Landscape 

Panel Three will focus on the role of proxy advisory firms and their involvement in the proxy process. The panel will draw from a diverse array of perspectives from proxy advisory firms, institutional investors, the academic community, and corporate issuers. How has the role of proxy advisory firms evolved over time and are there ways in which their role and relationships with institutional investors and issuers can be improved?

Panelists