Sustainability Magazine (March 22)
“Almost all Disney shareholders have rejected a proposal challenging the company’s participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index…. The proposal, which sought to push Disney to reconsider its commitment to the index, received support from only 1% of shareholders, signalling strong investor backing for the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”
Tags: Challenging, Commitment, DEI, Disney, Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, Investor backing, Proposal, Rejected, Shareholders, Support
New York Times (April 4)
The importance of “a robust defense” is one clear takeaway from Disney’s success against activist investor Nelson Peltz. “Executives, led by the Disney C.E.O. Bob Iger, mapped out a series of bold initiatives last autumn, in part to blunt Peltz’s calls for change…. That included cost-cutting efforts, an investment in the video game giant Epic Games and a shake-up in the struggling movie division.”
Tags: Activist investor, Bold initiatives, Cost cutting, Disney, Epic Games, Iger, Investment, Movie division, Peltz, Robust defense, Shake-up, Struggling, Takeaway, Video game
Seattle Times (August 4)
“In a sign of growing momentum for vaccine mandates, Microsoft has reversed course and will now require employees to be fully vaccinated to enter the company’s U.S. offices and other worksites.” The revised policy “follows similar moves last week by other employers including tech rivals Google and Facebook, along with Disney and Walmart.”
Tags: Disney, Employees, Employers, Facebook, Google, Mandates, Microsoft, Momentum, Offices, Policy, U.S., Vaccine, Walmart, Worksites
Orange County Register (December 2)
“Disney will lay off more than 11,500 Disneyland and Disney California Adventure employees as the company continues to struggle with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the eight-month closure of its Anaheim theme parks.” Even with the approaching vaccine, “the 11,572 Disneyland layoffs add to a grim and growing tally that last stood at 10,000 terminations.”
Tags: Anaheim, Closure, Coronavirus, Disney, Disneyland, Employees, Layoffs, Pandemic, Struggle, Theme parks
The Economist (March 9)
“The annual shareholder proxy season now getting under way in America could be the liveliest ever. The bosses of Apple and Disney have drawn flak not only for their strategies but also for their pay. Activist shareholders are on the march. About time, too…. Trying to improve the way a firm is run is more constructive than the traditional ‘Wall Street walk’, whereby disgruntled shareholders simply sell their shares.”
Tags: Activists, Apple, Disney, Pay, Proxy season, Shareholders, Strategies, U.S.
