Shareholder Activism Summit NYC | January 30th, 2025
WE THANK OUR SPONSORS!
8:00-9:00 AM | Registration and Networking Breakfast
9:00-9:05 AM | Welcome Remarks
Christopher P. Skroupa, Founder & CEO, Skytop Strategies
9:05-9:35 AM | Fireside Chat
Battle for the Boardroom: How Empowered Lawyers and The Poison Pill Revolutionized Corporate Governance
Host:
Expert Panelists:
9:35-9:55 AM | Keynote Presentation
Topic TBA
Presenter:
9:55-10:25 AM | Panel Discussion
Board Nominations: Activist Scorecard in Blocking CEO Driven Goals
Moderator:
Lindsay Frost, Senior Reporter, Agenda
Panelists:
David Berger, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Jared Landaw, Former SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Carrols Restaurant Group, Former COO and General Counsel, Barington Capital Group, Adjunct Professor, Syracuse University College of Law
10:25 - 10:40 PM | Networking Break
10:40-11:10 AM | Panel Discussion
M&A Activism 2025: Outlook on Activist Investor Targets
Moderator:
Panelists:
11:10 AM-11:40 AM | Panel Discussion
Activism and ESG: What's Working in Today's Environment
Moderator:
Josh Black, Editor-in-Chief, Diligent Market Intelligence
Panelists:
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Lader Gervais
Jan C. Childress, Director of Investor Relations, Consolidated Edison
11:40-12:40 PM | Networking Luncheon
12:40-1:20 PM | Panel Discussion
Proxy Case Stories: Modeling an Effective Campaign
Moderator:
Michael R. Levin, Independent Activist Investor, Founder of The Activist Investor, and Skytop Contributing Author & Host of “The Activist Investor”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
James Mitarotonda, Chairman, President & CEO, Barington Capital Group
Bob Marese, President, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
David Kastin, Former EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Bed Bath & Beyond
Richard Mansouri, Managing Member, Ridge Road Equity Advisors, LLC
1:20-2:10 PM | Panel Discussion
Activist Targets: How to Stay Off of an Activist’s Radar
Moderator:
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Panelists:
Eric Rosenfeld, CEO, Crescendo Partners
Kelly Sullivan, Partner, Joele Frank
Jeffrey Neuman, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Tronox, LLC (unconfirmed)
Charles Elson, Founding Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired), University of Delaware and Executive Editor, Directors & Boards Magazine
2:10-2:40 PM | Panel Discussion
Topic TBA
Moderator:
Panelist:
Jeremy Fielding, CEO, Kekst CNC
Phil Goldstein, Principal, Bulldog Investors
2:40-2:55 PM | Networking Break
2:55-3:45 PM | Panel Discussion
Evaluating Board Candidates in an Activist Context: Vetting and Due Diligence
Moderator:
Nick Graziano, Partner, 2717 Partners, and Skytop Contributing Author & Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
Tim Ring, Senior Vice President & Corporate Secretary, MetLife
Venita Fields, Board Director, Superior Group of Companies (NASDAQ: SGC) and four private companies, and Partner, Pelham SK2 Advisors
Julian Grijns, Managing Director, Forensic Investigations and Intelligence, Kroll Associates
Jeff Korn, Chief Executive Officer | Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Crexendo
3:45-4:15 PM | Panel Discussion
The Activist Investor: The Evolution of Today’s Activist Investor
Moderator:
John Glenn Grau, President & CEO, InvestorCom
Panelists:
4:15-4:40 PM | Exclusive Interview
Managing Board Change: Refreshing Board Talent to Meet Shifting Performance Requirements
Interviewer:
Nick Graziano, Partner, 2717 Partners, and Skytop Contributing Author & Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Interviewee:
M. Shan Atkins, Board Director, Head of Audit Committee, Various Boards
4:40-5:05 PM | Fireside Chat
TBD
Discussants:
Jay Clayton, Former Chair, SEC, Senior Policy Advisor, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Board Director
5:05-5:10 PM | Closing Remarks
5:10-6:10 PM | Network Reception
Venita Fields
Board Director,
Superior Group of Companies (NASDAQ: SGC)
and four private companies
Partner, Pelham Sk2 Advisors
Chicago, IL
David A. Katz
Partner
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
New York, NY
Jeffrey Neuman
Senior Vice President,
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Tronox, LLC
Stamford, CT
Tim Ring
Senior Vice President & Corporate Secretary
MetLife
New York, NY
David Berger
Partner
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Palo Alto, CA
Kelly Sullivan
Partner
Joele Frank
New York, NY
Bob Marese
President
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Phil Goldstein
Principal
Bulldog Investors
New York, NY
M. Shan Atkins
Board Director,
Head of Audit Committee,
Various Boards
Orlando, Florida
James Mitarotonda
Chairman, President & CEO
Barington Capital Group
New York, NY
Jared Landaw
Former Senior Vice President,
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary,
Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc.,
Former Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel,
Barington Capital Group, L.P.,
Adjunct Professor,
Syracuse University College of Law
New York, NY
Fred Pletcher
Partner
Borden Lader Gervais
Vancouver, Canada
Jan C. Childress
Director of Investor Relations
Consolidated Edison
New York, NY
Richard Mansouri
Managing Member
Ridge Road Equity Advisors, LLC
New York, NY
Josh Black
Editor-in-Chief
Diligent Market Intelligence
New York, NY
Nick Graziano
Partner, 2717 Partners,
and Skytop Contributing Author& Host of
"Inside the Corporate Boardroom”
SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Greenwich, Connecticut
Julian Grijns
Managing Director,
Forensic Investigations and Intelligence
Kroll Associates
New York, NY
John Glenn Grau
President and CEO
InvestorCom
New York, NY
Eric Rosenfeld
CEO
Crescendo Partners
New York, NY
Andrew Dakos
Principal
Bulldog Investors
New York, NY
Jay Clayton
Former Chair,
SEC,
Chair Executive Committee,
Apollo Global Management,
Board Member, American Express,
and Senior Policy Advisor & Of Counsel, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
New York, NY
Charles Elson
Founding Director of the
John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance,
Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired),
University of Delaware and Executive Editor,
Directors & Boards Magazine
Newark, DE
Michael R. Levin
Independent Activist Investor
Founder of The Activist Investor
Skytop Contributing Author
Host of “The Activist Investor”
SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Chicago, Illinois
Jeremy Fielding
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Partner
Kekst CNC
Skytop Contributing Author
Host of "Board GPS"
SkytopTV Talk Show Series
New York, NY
Sam Taylor
Head of Corporate Intelligence, Americas
S-RM
New York, NY
Lindsay Frost
Senior Reporter
Agenda
New York, NY
David Kastin
Former EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Bed Bath & Beyond
New York, NY
Gabriel Radzyminski
Founder, Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer
Sandon Capital
Sydney, Australia