D.F. King's 2025 Debriefing Gives First Look at Emerging Trends from This Year's Proxy Season

Yahoo

11-08-2025

NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- D.F. King & Co., Inc., an EQ company and a leading provider of strategic shareholder engagement and proxy solicitation services, today released the 2025 edition of — its annual comprehensive analysis of the U.S. proxy season and a go-to guide for fall shareholder engagement.
Drawing on EQ and D.F. King's experience supporting hundreds of shareholder meetings and serving millions of shareholders, The Debriefing examines critical trends in voting behavior, investor sentiment, and engagement expectations. The report equips public companies with actionable insights as they prepare for the year ahead.
"Proxy season is no longer a 'one and done' event—it's part of a continuous cycle of board preparedness and investor engagement,' said Zally Ahmadi, Managing Director, Corporate Governance, ESG & Executive Compensation at D.F. King. 'This year's Debriefing provides actionable guidance for boards and executive teams facing a more activist and data-driven investor base.'
Key Insights from the 2025 Proxy Season
Shareholder Proposals Enter New TerritoryProposals related to AI oversight, political transparency, and 'anti-ESG' topics gained traction, signaling a shift toward broader definitions of risk.
Shifts in shareholder engagement strategyFollowing updated SEC C&DI's on 13g eligibility released earlier this year, there were initial shifts to how shareholder engagement was conducted which affected how many companies approached mid-season engagement with investors.
Rise in Personal Security Perquisite DisclosureFollowing the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO in 2024, there was an increase in disclosure of personal security perquisites in CD&As.
Executive Compensation Under ScrutinyWhile overall support for say-on-pay remained stable, investors sharpened their focus on pay-for-performance misalignment and long-term incentive structures.
Heightened Focus on Board AccountabilityBoard oversight of topics such as cybersecurity, AI risk, succession planning weaknesses and overboarding policies played key roles in the 2025 proxy season.
A Forward-Looking Engagement Guide
The Debriefing is designed to help governance, legal, and executive teams stay ahead of shareholder expectations by distilling the themes and tensions that shaped the 2025 proxy season.
'Shareholder expectations are expanding faster than ever—from performance of the business to executive compensation to board oversight,' said Tom Germinario, Senior Managing Director at D.F. King. 'Companies that treat engagement as a strategic advantage will be best positioned to navigate what's next.'
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Download the Report
The full report is available: Here
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About D.F. King
At D.F. King, an EQ company, we leverage our unique depth and diversity of experience to deliver high-level advisory services, custom reporting, securityholder outreach programs and educational strategies to each client. D.F. King provides high-level advisory services in contested solicitations and proactive solutions for all corporate governance needs. Services include proxy solicitation; shareholder profile analysis; proxy advisory firm consulting; M&A, information agent services to equity and debt markets; corporate governance and executive compensation consulting; and call center services.
About EQ
EQ are specialists in helping you better understand and manage the ownership of your company through critical events across the corporate lifecycle. As trusted advisors, we provide strategic insight and operations expertise through our core business units in Transfer Agent Services, Employee Plan Solutions, Proxy Services, Private Company Services, and Public Relations & Investor Relations Services.
Globally we serve more than 12,000 clients (49% of the FTSE 100 UK and 35% of the S&P 500), with over 20 million shareholders, through 7,500 employees in 19 markets around the world. Learn more at equiniti.com/global.
Nicholas LedfordDirector of Communications, [e-mail]