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The article discusses gains by activist shareholders at several companies. Restaurant operator Yum Brands Inc., Prudential Financial Inc., and real estate investment company Boston Properties will all permit shareholders with at least a 3% ownership stake to nominate board directors. A decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to stop giving firms permission to block so-called proxy access measures has helped drive the trend.

The article discusses activism on the part of mutual fund managers BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group. BlackRock issued guidelines specifying circumstances under which the company would oppose the re-election of corporate board members. Vanguard has said it expects boards to be independent of company management. Paul Hodgson of consultancy BHJ Partners says both Vanguard and BlackRock can exert large influence through their actions.

The article discusses concerns about corporate governance at retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. expressed in May, 2014 by shareholder-advisory service Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS). ISS says Wal-Mart needs to be more forthcoming about a foreign-bribery investigation into the company, and has also raised questions about executive-compensation practices at Wal-Mart. ISS advised that shareholders not vote to re-elect Wal-Mart chairman S. Robson Walton.

The article discusses individuals who have served as directors for the same U.S. corporations for at least 40 years. Robert Ted Enloe III has sat on the board of bedding-and-commercial-fixtures producer Leggett & Platt Inc. for 44 years. Consideration is given to whether such long tenures benefit a firm. Ann Yerger of the Council of Institutional Investors says independent judgment can wane over the course of a lengthy board service.

The article discusses the role of proxy advisers in the investment industry as of May 2013, with information on proxy advising firms such as Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass, Lewis & Co. Topics include the sale of recommendations on how to vote in corporate elections, voting analysis by shareholders, investor attitudes, and shareholder lobbying for the control of corporate governance.

The article reports that chief executive John Hess of oil-and-gas company Hess Corp. will relinquish his position as board chairman in May 2013. John Hess has been challenged by a shareholder proposal to effect that change, as well as by hedge fund Elliott Management Corp.'s bid to replace Hess' existing directors with a group of its choosing at Hess' 2013 annual meeting.

The article considers whether firms benefit when they split the roles of chief executive officer (CEO) and board chairman. Research by Ryan Krause and Mathew Semadeni of the Kelley School of Business found that in terms of shareholder returns, splits were beneficial to firms performing poorly but detrimental to those performing well. Chairman and chief executive James Dimon of banking company J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. will have his dual role put to a shareholder vote in May 2013.

The article discusses a forthcoming shareholder vote at banking company J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. on whether the chief executive and chairman roles at the firm should be split. At a meeting with investors Morgan chief executive and chairman James Dimon said he wanted to continue in both capacities. On May 7, 2013 proxy-advisory firm Glass Lewis recommended that Morgan shareholders approve splitting the positions.

The article discusses mass layoffs and job cuts at the U.S. department store chain J.C. Penney Co. as of April 2013, with information on corporate governance to increase sales under former chief executive officer (CEO) Ron Johnson. Topics include the reinstatement of CEO Myron "Mike" Ullman, corporate reorganization at J.C. Penney, and brand management of house brands at the department retail store.

The article discusses controversy in California's Silicon Valley over who should control technology companies. Venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz favors letting firms' founders retain a controlling stake, while Craig Walker of technology incubator Firespotter Labs questions the wisdom of giving controlling power to a single person. Social-media company Facebook Inc. and Internet-search firm Google Inc. are among those whose founders have retained control.

The article discusses the growing incidence of firms splitting their chief executive and board chairmanship duties. Between 2007 and 2012 the fraction of Standard & Poor's 500 companies with an independent outside director has increased from 12% to 20%. Credit-ratings firm Moody's Corp. is among firms that have taken the chairman's job away from the chief executive officer in response to shareholder pressure.

The article, citing anonymous sources, reports that the board of directors of the banking industry firm J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will change the membership of its risk policy committee in response to losses of more than $2 billion in securities trading. Either director Timothy Flynn or director James Bell is expected to be named to the committee.

The article reports that the hedge fund Third Point LLC, a stockholder of Internet industry firm Yahoo! Inc., has demanded that the company's board of directors dismiss Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Scott Thompson. The demand follows the admission by Yahoo! that Thompson misstated his academic record on his résumé, claiming a degree in computer science as well as accounting when he had only the latter. INSET: Questionable Credentials.

The article considers the appointment of women executives as chief executive officers (CEO) of large corporations. A trend is examined in which U.S. corporations are recruiting women executives considered likely to be candidates for the CEO position in the future or are participating in activities which are considered preparation for that job such as attending conferences of executives within their industries and serving as directors of corporations.

The article examines the management of Bank of America Corp. It is reported that the company will create an advisory board to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Moynihan on strategic planning of expansion into international markets. It is also reported that the bank has hired the executive search firm Ridgeway Partners to locate candidates to become new directors of the corporation, as several board members are nearing mandatory retirement age.

The article considers corporate governance and investor relations at wireless communications systems company Sprint Nextel Corp. The relationship between the company's board of directors and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dan Hesse is examined. It is noted that Chairman of the Board Jim Hance has met or communicated with the company's major stockholders to discuss its plans to return to profitability and listen to complaints.

The article examines corporate governance at the conglomerate corporation 3M Co. The inability of the board of directors of 3M to agree on a succession plan to either replace or extend the contract of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) George Buckley is discussed. Buckley's contract will expire in February, 2012 when he reaches 65 years of age.

The article examines the dismissal of Mark Hurd as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of computer industry firm Hewlett-Packard Co. The board of directors asked for Hurd's resignation after an investigation of a sexual harassment charge found irregularities in his expense accounts. A discrepancy between Hurd's behavior and a strict code of ethical conduct he instituted at the company in 2006 is discussed.

The article reports that the directors at HealthSouth Corp. have given assent to a bylaw that would reimburse some of the costs involved with an activist candidate's successful campaign for a seat on the firm's board. Chief executive Jay Grinney said the policy would provide a stronger voice to shareholders who aren't well-funded .

The article reports that shareholders of Royal Dutch Shell PLC rejected an executive compensation plan at a meeting in the Hague. Royal Dutch's board of directors had decided to award bonuses to executives including chief executive Jeroen van der Veer, even though the firm failed to meet performance criteria.

The article discusses the growing incidence among corporate directors of troubled companies of self-imposed pay cuts. Directors at Bell Microproducts Inc. reduced their retainers and fees by 30% for 2009. Board members at General Motors Corp. have lowered their pay three times over a four-year period.

The article reports that U.S. corporate boards of directors are increasingly becoming more aggressive in managing salaries of their Chief Executive Officers (CEO). Pressed by activist stockholders and government regulators, boards are cutting CEOs' ability to set their own compensation levels and evaluating management performance more stringently.

The article reports that activist investors seeking seats on the board of directors of U.S. corporations are finding surprisingly little resistance from company management. Hedge funds and other investors seeking management policy changes once had to anticipate proxy fights. Corporations have come to see such battles as too costly to pursue, and often self-defeating.

The article focuses on how and when corporate boards of directors decide to replace Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) under fire for poor financial performance or ethical questions. The decision is a problematic one, as the risk of letting a bad situation become worse is matched by the risk of premature action ending a recovery in progress and creating a power vacuum. CEO tenure has grown shorter from 1997-2007. The decision often hinges on whether the board has a successor available.

The article reports that since the Enron scandal, corporate directors are taking a more active role in corporate governance. Kirk Kerkorian's representative at General Motors, Jerome York, is forcing an alliance with Nissan and Renault. Representatives of the Chandler family have forced the Tribune Co.'s board to consider breaking up the company. Hewlett-Packard's spying case exemplifies the growing division between directors and executives.

The article looks at Pfizer Inc.'s dissatisfied shareholders. Shareholders began to appear at Pfizer's annual meetings in order to insist upon better corporate governance, especially in terms of executive pay restraint. Pfizer disclosed that chairman and chief executive Henry McKinnell would receive a large lump-sum retirement payout. The article also discusses the withholding of shareholder votes.

The article reports that an increasing number of corporate boards are imposing performance targets on stock options and stocks offered in their CEOs' pay packages. Amid complaints about excessive executive compensation, this is the latest strategy in an effort to tie CEO pay to performance. The increased emphasis on performance targets is intended to keep executives from reaping rich rewards for reasons unrelated to their leadership ability. Hoping to promote greater accountability, companies are turning to a variety of performance goals.

The article pays tribute to modern industrial management guru Peter Drucker.

The article looks at how corporate boards around the world are going global. Driven by a surge in cross-border takeovers, the clamor by shareholders worldwide for improved corporate governance and a rising pool senior executives with overseas experience, multinational businesses increasingly are tapping directors from outside their home countries. Advocates say the broadened geographic reach brings new perspectives to the boardroom.

Discusses a scandal and internal investigation at MassMutual Financial Group. The discovery that Chief executive Robert J. O'Connell had a supplemental retirement account of more than $30 million which was under the supervision of company executive Susan Alfano; Allegation of Claire O'Connell that her husband was having an affair with Alfano; Reasons for the board's decision to fire O'Connell; Investigation of the ex-CEO by the Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly; Financial and business information for MassMutual; How shadow retirement accounts work with hypothetical transactions; Details of the alleged activities of O'Connell and Alfano, as well as findings of the MassMutual board's investigations.

Reports that Christopher Christie, the United States attorney who announced the settlement of an fraud investigation into the business operations of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., will become overseer of the pharmaceutical company. Description of the practice known as "channel-stuffing," where manufacturers get wholesalers to purchase more product than needed; Changes in Bristol-Myers management team as the result of the investigation; Comments from Christie as to why he did not impose a heavy fine on the company; Comments from Charles Elson, head of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware's business school, regarding the deferred prosecution of Bristol-Myers; Concessions made by the company in order to avoid prosecution, noting the power of outsiders to veto a board member.

Discusses corporate governance changes at Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc. following a weekend board meeting. Report that the board eliminated a provision requiring a 75% vote to change Chief Executive Phillip Purcell's duties but rejected calls for his replacement; Review of other changes that were announced, which included plans to change board member terms from three years to one year and a rotating board-committee chairmanships; Suggestion that the changes were made in response to dissatisfaction with Purcell and his management team.

Focuses on members of boards of directors in light of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act combined with the reforms proposed by two stock exchanges, requiring greater independence by corporate directors. Elements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to the compensation received by corporate directors; Elements of the rules proposals by the stock exchanges on corporate directors' affiliation with the corporation; Number of boards that George J. Mitchell, Larry D. Striplin Jr. and Larry W. Sonsini sit on, and analysis of their roles with respect to the recent changes;

Focuses on the judicial opinion issued by Delaware Chancery Court Vice Chancellor Leo E. Strine Jr. regarding the conflicts of interest found in the special litigation committee established by Oracle Corp. to look into the stock sales made by chief executive officer Larry Ellison and other board members. Reaction from the special litigation committee to the Vice Chancellor's ruling; Impact of the decision on in so-called independent investigations; Discussion of corporate governance and the tightening of what defines it.

The article reports that investors have called for improved governance at casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd.

The article states that a U.S. appeals court issued a ruling on April 14, 2015, permitting U.S. retail company Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to refuse to include a measure from New York City Trinity Wall Street Church concerning Wal-Mart's sale of semiautomatic rifles with high-capacity magazines and other products for its scheduled June 5, 2015, stockholders meeting.

The article reports that an increasing number of U.S. corporate boards are hiring consultants, known as 'board doctors,' to increase effectiveness in corporate governance.

The article looks at corporate governance in the U.S., reporting on a trend of institutional investors and investment managers pushing corporations to replace long-time directors with newer ones on their boards and discussing the average length of tenure of board members at various firms.

The article reports that the proxy adviser company Institutional Shareholder Services recommended that stockholders of computer software company Oracle Corp. should vote to replace most of Oracle's directors and reject the company's executive compensation plan/

The article reports that the natural-gas firm Chesapeake Energy Corp. is planning to cut costs and reform its corporate-governance as of January 2013, following complaints from investors regarding extravagant compensation given to chief executive (CEO) Aubrey McClendon.

The article describes efforts by investor Nelson Peltz, through his investment group Trian Fund Management, to alter corporate-governance policies of investment bank Lazard Ltd. as of June 21, 2012.

The article briefly describes how the position of lead director in a corporation came into being, and the typical duties of a lead director.

The article states that the U.S. entertainment firm Walt Disney Co. submitted a regulatory filing against its proxy-advisory firm, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), on March 1, 2012. The article states that Disney shareholders were scheduled to meet on March 13, 2012, concerning a vote of confidence regarding executive pay. The article offers comments from ISS spokesman Ted Allen.

The article discusses outside directorships among corporate chief executives. The article cites research conducted for the newspaper by the research firm Equilar Inc. 118 top officers of Fortune 1000 companies sit on at least three boards. The article offers comments from head of corporate governance for the California Public Employees' Retirement System Anne Simpson.

The article reports that the Chairmen's Forum, a group of experienced corporate chairmen, is developing a model corporate-governance policy that endorses appointing having separate chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO) roles within a company.

The article reports on the challenge faced by the board of Apple Inc. after the death of co-founder Steve Jobs concerning the decision to make about whether it needs to implement the conventional form of corporate governance.

The article reports that Jodie Fisher, the woman whose July 29, 2010 letter accusing Hewlett-Packard Co. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Hurd of sexual harassment resulted in Hurd's resignation, expressed regret Hurd left his job. The board of directors of Hewlett-Packard asked for Hurd to resign due to expense account irregularities it found during its investigation of Fisher's charges.

The article reports on the decision of the board of Massey Energy Co. to establish a separate safety committee consisting of independent directors as it revamps corporate governance in the wake of the April 2010 mine explosion that killed 29 coal miners.

The article reports that Proxy Governance Inc. has recommended to Bank of America Corp. (BOA) shareholders that they approve separating the positions of chief executive and board chairman at the bank. Kenneth Lewis currently holds both posts. In 2008 a similar resolution gained the support of over 37% of votes cast, and BOA is reportedly preparing in case it prevails in 2009.

The article reports on the release of a report from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) urging U.S. boards of directors to improve their management. Some of its recommendations are to improve risk oversight, corporate strategy, executive compensation and investor communication. NACD president Kenneth Daly said that directors have key role in fixing the corporate America. The report came amid scrutiny against corporate boards for poor management that contributed to the credit crisis and recession.