On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Kingsdale Advisors was honoured to welcome a record number of senior executives from Canada’s leading issuers, investment firms, and law firms to our Toronto office for an exclusive panel discussion on the future of proxy advice and shareholder engagement. The event also marked the launch of our 2025 Proxy Season Review, the most comprehensive analysis of the trends and forces reshaping Canadian and U.S. boardrooms.
Our panel featured Nichol Garzon-Mitchell, CLO & SVP of Glass Lewis; Jason Koskela, VP, M&A at the Ontario Securities Commission; Catherine McCall, CEO of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG); and Shengjun (Victor) Li, EVP, Governance Advisory at Kingsdale Advisors. With opening remarks from our Founder and CEO, Wes Hall, and moderation by our President, Aaron Boles, the discussion explored the findings of this year’s review and outlined actionable next steps for boards and executives preparing for the 2026 proxy season.
To learn more, we invite you to read our in-depth 2025 Proxy Season Review, which provides a comprehensive look at activism, regulation, ESG, AI, and the evolving role of proxy advisors.
View highlights from the event in our photo gallery.
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ISS 2022 Annual Global Benchmark Policy Survey
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) is seeking feedback from market participants on corporate governance issues and trends, with responses informing their main benchmark policy for 2023.
2022 North American Proxy Season Review
This year, Canadian targets were subject to 35 proxy contests – the lowest since 2017, while activists wrestled the win rate back in their favour with 52% and gained increasing support from proxy advisors and institutional investors.
ISS 2023 Benchmark Policy Updates
On December 1, 2022, ISS released updates to its 2023 benchmark proxy voting policies. The updated policies will apply to shareholder meetings taking place on or after February 1, 2023, except for those that are being announced now with a one-year transition period and which will become effective in 2024.
When The Stakes Are Highest, Business Leaders Choose Kingsdale
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* Source: Bloomberg Global Shareholder Activism League Tables FY2025 and LSEG Global Shareholder Activism Review FY2025.
#2025 and 2026 indicate proxy seasons: July 2024 to June 2026.