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Dec 06, 2023

Governance Matters podcast: Global Payments and Transocean experts share advice on 2024 proxy statements and board agendas

Getting ready for a new year with new – and traditional – challenges

As the end of the year draws near, Governance Intelligence has been speaking to professionals about the major governance issues that lie ahead in 2024, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to ESG developments. Our aim, as always, is to share some of the best advice on how to tackle those challenges.

In this episode of the Governance Matters podcast we hear from Adriana Mitchell, senior vice president and senior associate general counsel at Global Payments, about preparing your company’s next proxy statement. This annual effort has gone from being seen as merely a compliance exercise to a key governance and communication project.

Adriana Mitchell, Global Payments
Adriana Mitchell, Global Payments


Michell explains why the proxy statement is so important, including its value as a means for companies to explain their shareholder engagement efforts and what management and the board have done in response to feedback. Among other things, she has insights on making the best use of graphics and the need for effective sections on director skills and the director-succession consideration process.

In addition, we hear from Brady Long, executive vice president and general counsel at Transocean, about items that will feature on boards’ packed agendas in 2024. These include continuing regulatory developments such as the SEC’s much-anticipated climate-risk rule and the risk-management concerns and commercial opportunities arising from AI. Long discusses whether boards need specific expertise in areas such as AI, some of the options for board training and how to approach board assessments.

He also talks about how governance teams can be ready to support their boards – including remembering that they’re part of the management team and having a governance risk and opportunities assessment every quarter.

Brady Long, Transocean
Brady Long, Transocean

The Governance Matters podcast provides listeners with insight into cutting-edge issues of the day for corporate secretaries, general counsel and other governance professionals.

The series looks at how the roles of the corporate secretary and the board have evolved over time, as well as how the governance landscape continues to change. From ESG and entity management to shareholder engagement and technology, hear from award-winning governance professionals and leading advisers about the latest public company governance matters.

Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify and Acast

Ben Maiden

Ben Maiden is the editor-at-large of Governance Intelligence, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance...