What is Gilead Trying to Hide?
The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanently reduced the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and eliminated provisions requiring companies pay taxes on money earned abroad. With these changes it is estimated that America’s largest corporations by market capitalization will receive a windfall of $150 billion.[1] Among these companies is Gilead which is estimated to have saved millions. However, we, as citizens and investors, have very little insight into how the Gilead or many other companies are spending this windfall. The tax cuts present Gilead with an opportunity to strengthen the bottom …
Investors Ask Newell Brands Board to Commit to Diversity When Selecting New CEO
May 6, 2019 Newell Brands Inc. Attention: Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary 221 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Dear Newell Board of Directors: The below investors are writing to urge you to make a public commitment to a diverse slate when selecting a new Chief Executive Officer to replace current CEO Michael Polk. The business case showing that diversity inclusive of gender, race, and ethnicity on boards in senior management and in the workforce is compelling. In particular, a growing body of research indicates a positive relationship between firm value and the percentage of women and minorities in …
Trillium Presents Honorary Joan Bavaria Award, Annual 2019 Ceres Conference
April 29-May 1, 2019 // San Francisco, CA—Trillium was honored to sponsor and be an active part of the 2019 Ceres Conference. The annual conference includes speakers, breakout sessions, and most importantly, the presenting of the Joan Bavaria award. This year, 650 investor, business, and capital market leaders attended, and over the three-day program, discussed successes towards, opportunities for, and hurdles to achieving a sustainable and just global economy. The Joan Bavaria Award for Building Sustainability into Capital Markets recognizes a leader in this transformation towards a sustainable global economy. The winner of the award encapsulates the goals and visions …
Portland Tribune Op-Ed – Cap and Trade Good for State, its Businesses
April 30, 2019 // Portland, OR: – On Tuesday, April 23rd, the Portland Tribune website published an op-ed authored by Trillium Asset Management’s Vice President, Shareholder Advocate Brianna Murphy titled, “Cap and trade good for state, its businesses.” Read the full op-ed below and online here. ~~~ Cap and trade good for state, its businesses It is time for Oregon lawmakers to continue leading on climate change legislation, invest in a low carbon economy and create policy certainty for companies and investors working to achieve their own clean energy goals. Many Oregon companies and investors are already paving the way …
Trillium Commends Wisdom Tree for Strengthening Director Recruitment and Expanding Board Diversity
Boston, MA // (April 30, 2019) – Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce the successful withdrawal of its board diversity shareholder proposal at Wisdom Tree Investments. (NASDAQ: WETF). In exchange for the withdrawal in February, the Board of Directors agreed to amend its Corporate Governance Guidelines and 2019 proxy statement to include consideration of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression when seeking Board candidates and commit to actively seek out highly qualified women and people of color. Importantly, we commend the company for appointing Susan Cosgrove to serve as director. Ms. Cosgrove, appointed in April, …
Trillium named #44 on the Real Leaders Magazine Top 100 Impact Companies of 2019
Trillium is thrilled to announce that we have been ranked 44th on Real Leaders Magazine Top 100 Impact Companies of 2019. We would also like to congratulate the other 99 companies who stand out as leaders as they grow sustainably and create positive change. This analysis of the top impact companies was a collaborative effort between Real Leaders Magazine, Big Path Capital, and B Lab. The survey looked at companies’ B-Impact Assessment score and weighted it alongside revenue and growth rate. This was Real Leaders Magazine’s first edition of the Top Impact Companies, and currently is the only ranking of …
Letter to Facebook Shareholders: Vote Yes for Independent Board Chair
April 22, 2019 // Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management, the New York City Comptroller, and the Illinois Treasurer published a letter to Facebook (NYSE: FB) shareholders encouraging them to vote in favor of a proposal on the Company’s 2019 proxy. This proposal requests the Board of Directors adopt as policy, and amend the bylaws as necessary, to require that the Chair of the Board of Directors, whenever possible, be an independent member of the Board. Read the letter to shareholders. ### Important Disclosure: The information provided is not a recommendation to buy or sell the securities mentioned. The securities …
Sustainable Packaging Proposal at Starbucks Receives 44.5% Vote
March 29, 2019//Boston, MA – Over 44 percent of shares voted for a proposal Trillium co-filed asking Starbucks to increase the scale and pace of its sustainable packaging initiatives. Global awareness of the plastic packaging problem continues to grow, characterized by a prediction that by 2050 there will more plastic in the oceans than fish. “We believe Starbucks has not taken enough responsibility for its contributions to the global plastics problem, therefore we thought this proposal was necessary to encourage the Company to strengthen its sustainable packaging initiatives globally,” said Allan Pearce, a Shareholder Advocate at Trillium. For instance, in …
Boston Business Journal: Viewpoint: Boston Must Divest from Prisons, Reinvest in its Values
April 7, 2019 // Boston, MA: Boston Business Journal published an Opinion Editorial written by Trillium’s CEO, Matt Patsky, and President of Boston Common Asset Management, Geeta Aiyer that discussed the need for Boston to divest from private prisons. Investments in the prison industrial complex, “a term used to describe the wide spectrum of parties commercially interested in mass incarceration and surveillance,” create ethical, and financial risk challenges for the city of Boston, as these institutions are “financially incentivized to expand the number of people incarcerated.” With previous social rights related divestment movements supported by the City of Boston, activists …
IQVIA Holdings Strengthens Director Recruitment Process with Enhanced Disclosures on Board Diversity
Boston, MA // (March 26, 2019) – Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that we have successfully withdrawn a shareholder proposal at life sciences company IQVIA Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: IQV). In January and in taking steps to ensure that women and racially diverse candidates are in the pool from which Board nominees are chosen, the Company agreed to embed a commitment to diversity inclusive of gender, race and ethnicity in its Corporate Governance Guidelines and 2019 proxy statement. Additionally, we commend the company for appointing Carol J. Burt to its Board of Directors. Ms. Burt, appointed in February, has …
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