Canada’s blue-chip boards have never looked stronger. Across the country’s largest public companies, boards are more diverse, more credentialed, and more actively refreshed than ever. On paper, this is a governance success story, but in practice, governance failures continue to surface, often at companies with boards that appear strongest by conventional measures.
For Canadian directors this proxy season, the implication is clear; a blue‑chip board is not the same thing as an effective one. Governance is not a checklist or a disclosure exercise; it is behaviour under pressure, measured by whether boards challenge management, interrogate strategy, and act before issues become failures.
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Latest Insights
In the Globe and Mail: "Companies Diverge on Diversity Disclosures, With No Fix in Sight"
As institutional investors increasingly seek greater transparency and robust commitments to diversity at both the board and executive levels, Canadian companies may fall behind in attracting global capital. Kelly Gorman, EVP of Governance Advisory at Kingsdale Advisors, recently offered her insights on the importance of diversity reporting.
In the Globe and Mail: "Canadian Companies Faced Record Number of Activist Campaigns in 2023, Says Toronto Consulting Firm"
The Globe and Mail featured Kingsdale's latest Proxy Season Review findings, highlighting the changes in the activism landscape in Canada and the pivotal shifts that demand every company's attention.
In The Globe and Mail: "Law firm Develops New Tactic to Help Companies Defend Against an Activist Investor 'Ambush'"
Over the past proxy season, Kingsdale recorded an uptick in “Vote No” campaigns. Ian Robertson, CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, expressed concern that these campaigns, which require little cost and transparency, pose a significant threat to corporate boardrooms.
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.