Canadian proxy contests reaching a vote hit a five-year high, campaign volume declined, but the fights that remained went further and hit harder, and boards with real shareholder relationships came out on top.
Download Kingsdale Advisors' most comprehensive look at what's reshaping Canadian and U.S. boardrooms. Covering July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, the report shows a shareholder landscape that's more fragmented and harder to predict, with more of the voting decision moving in-house with investors themselves.
The in-depth research also examines CEO succession at S&P/TSX Composite companies overthe past three years, and what the difference between planned and reactive transitions reveals about board preparedness.
- Contests reaching a vote hit a five-year high, up 39% year over year.
- Large-cap activist targets more than doubled, from 4% to 9%.
- M&A activism drove 40% of campaigns, above the five-year average.
- Say-on-Pay support reached a five-year high of 93.4%.
- Governance proposals more than doubled to 56.
Latest Insights
ISS and Glass Lewis Seek Feedback for Future Corporate Governance Policies
ISS and Glass Lewis have launched their annual surveys to seek feedback from market participants on corporate governance issues and trends. Kingsdale Advisors encourages companies and their directors to complete this year’s surveys.
Navigating the AI: Revolution Imperatives for Board Success in a Shifting Regulatory Landscape
Kingsdale hosted its second webinar on AI governance in February. You can access the session below or read the accompanying article, which underscores the significance of proactive governance strategies in response to rising regulatory scrutiny and shareholder expectations.
ISS Publishes 2024 Proxy Voting Policy Guidelines
ISS released its 2024 Benchmark Policy Guidelines. These guidelines will take effect for shareholder meetings scheduled on or after February 1, 2024.
When The Stakes Are Highest, Business Leaders Choose Kingsdale
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
* 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.