Skytop Strategies

Shareholder Activism

Unlocking Shareholder Value

NOVEMBER 19, 2019
CONVENE
810 7TH AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY

Speakers Sponsors Agenda Delegates Back to Program Page

AGENDA

The Skytop Strategies team is dedicated to crafting thought provoking
agendas that are diverse, not only in areas of thought and experience,
but in the broad range of attending speakers.

Time	November 18, 2019
5:45-7:30 PM	Preconference Networking Dinner & Reception
Time	November 19, 2019
7:30-8:00 AM	Registration Breakfast
8:00	*Opening Remarks*
8:00-9:00	VIP Breakfast and Delegate Q&A session (delegate confirmation required) Topic TBA VIP Speaker and Host TBA
9:00-9:15	*Networking Break*
9:15-9:45	Exclusive Interview A Look Over Our Shoulder: Last Season’s Insights, This Season’s Revelations Special Anchor: Exclusive Guest:
9:45-10:20	Institutional Investor Armchair Chat Institutional Investors: The Growing Influence of Formerly Passive Investors Discussion Leader: Ken Bertsch, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors Participants: Michael Garland, Assistant Comptroller – Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment, Office of New York City Comptroller (unconfirmed) Bruce Goldfarb, President and CEO – Okapi Partners Gianna McCarthy, Director, Corporate Governance, New York State Common Retirement Fund Clifford Press, Managing Member, Oliver Press Partners, LLC
10:20-10:40	Boards and Proxy Advisors, Topic Introduction How Boards Should Leverage Proxy Advisors: Recent Developments and Case Stories Interviewer: Interviewees: Irving S Gomez, Chief Governance Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary, and Director, Intel Corporation (unconfirmed)
10:40-10:55	*Networking Break*
10:55-11:25	Director Panel Boards and Business Strategy: Best Practices in Preventing an Activist Intervention Discussion Leader: Lex Suvanto, Managing Director, Financial Communications & Special Situations, Edelman Participants: Michelle Applebaum, Independent Board Director, formerly the #1 Institutional Investor-rated steel analyst, Northwest Pipe Company Jeff Gramm, Portfolio Manager, Bandera Partners and Author of “Dear Chairman” Keith Hallam, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP Gilbert Palter, Chairman and CEO, Egads Group Steven Pully, Co-Founder, Speyside Partners, and Director, multiple boards
11:25-11:55	The Activist Perspective Scoring a Win: Insights on Successful Activism Interviewer: Corrie Driebusch, Reporter, Wall Street Journal Interviewee: Jonathan Litt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Land and Buildings
11:55-12:30 PM	Panel Debate Transparency Between Board and Shareholders: Independent Shareholder Monitoring Moderator: Stephen Weiss, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner, Short Hills Capital Partners LLC Panelists: Patricia Brammer, Corporate Governance Officer,Ohio Public Employees Retirement System David Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Simon M. Lorne, Vice Chairman & Chief Legal Officer, Millennium Management LLC John Glenn Grau, President and CEO, InvestorCom Eric Rosenfeld, President & CEO, Crescendo Partners
12:30-1:40	*Networking Luncheon*
1:40-2:10	*Interview* The U.K. and Europe: Insights on Effective Activism Interviewer: Interviewee: Liad Miedar, Managing Partner, Gatemore Capital Management Joseph Oughourlian, Founder, Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager, Amber Capital Andrew Wallach, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Spring Owl Asset Management
2:10-2:40	Forces of Change: Recognizing Them and Taking Timely Action Moderator: Joseph Berardino, Managing Director, Corporate Transformation Services, Alvarez & Marsal Panelists: Michael Fein, Executive Vice President, Head of U.S. Operations, Kingsdale Advisors Daniel Gagnier, Frounder & President, Gagnier Communications
2:40-2:50	Keynote Presentation Institutional Investor Sentiment on ESG Data: What’s Missing? Presenter: Ken Bertsch, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
2:50-4:20	*Roundtable Discussions 1&2 and Workshops 1&2 (A compendium of findings to be shared following the conference)*
2:50-3:35	*Roundtable Discussions, 1&2* Roundtable Discussion 1 *Panel Discussion* Recent Debate Over Separation of Board Chair and CEO Role: Does One Size Not Fit All? Moderator: Panelists: Charles Elson, Director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance Jim Schnorf, Investment Committee, Eastern Illinois University Roundtable Discussion 2 *Panel Discussion* ESG Issues: How Shareholders, Institutional Investors and Activists are Engaging Moderator: Margot Uszakiewicz, Independent Investor Relations/Proxy Voting Consultant Panelists: Rhonda Brauer, President, RLB Governance LLC Eric Rosenfeld, President & CEO, Crescendo Partners
3:35-4:20	*Workshops 1&2* *Workshop 1* Activists on Boards: How to Activist “Proof” Your Company Presenter(s): Charles Elson, Director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance Steven Pully, Co-Founder, Speyside Partners, and Director, multiple boards *Workshop 2* The Gender Lens: Best Practices in Recruiting, Developing and Retaining Women Directors Moderator: Carol Nolan Drake, Founder & CEO, Carlow Consulting LLC Panelists: Marilyn Alexander, Board Director, Torchmark Cindy Burrell, President, Diversity in Boardrooms George P. Long, III, Managing Chief Counsel, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Cynthia Plouché, Independent Board Trustee, Northern Funds/Northern Institutional Funds, Northern Trust Corporation
4:20-4:35	*Networking Break*
4:35-5:05	Tactical Smarts: How Shareholders and Management Address Short-Term Risks Moderator: Ed Mullane, Editor, Acuris-Activistmonitor Panelists: Phillip Goldstein, Founder, Bulldog Investors LLC Samir Manji, Chief Executive Officer, Sandpiper Group
5:05-5:35	M&A Activism: Outlook for the Upcoming Proxy Season Moderator: Panelists: Kal Goldberg, Partner, Finsbury Bob Marese, Managing Director, MacKenzie Partners, Inc. Sabastian Niles, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Graeme Roustan, Active Investor
5:35-6:05	Closing Keynote The Future of Proxy Advisors: The Debate on Influence and Outcome Presenter:
6:05	*Conference Adjourns*
6:05-7:05	*Networking Reception*