Shareholder Meetings Should Prompt Revitalized Communication

Many boards heaved a collective sigh of relief after this year’s annual shareholder meeting. Many, but not all. At the Citigroup annual meeting, directors fielded questions for six hours, allowing shareholders to express their frustration and pain over the devastating loss in shareholder value.

Meanwhile, in Charlotte at the Bank of America annual meeting, shareholders stripped Ken Lewis of his Chairman mantle. Given these circumstances, most directors in this season of shareholder meetings felt lucky to escape with a random interruption by a shareholder gadfly or an extended question that became a chance to pontificate during the Q&A period. Continue reading