We are in the midst of the 2024 "proxy season," the period in which publicly traded companies hold annual shareholder meetings to vote on corporate matters, including board elections and shareholder proposals. These meetings, typically held between April and June, allow shareholders to influence management decisions and submit proposals on governance and policy issues.
In preparation for this proxy season, our team has reviewed hundreds of shareholder proposals on behalf of the JLens Investor Network. Unfortunately, we have identified several troubling proposals, inspired by the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, that contain hateful rhetoric falsely accusing Israel of working to maintain a system of apartheid and committing war crimes. This language is not only false and misleading, but aims to deprive Israel of access to vital technologies, including the Iron Dome defense system.
JLens hosted a webinar with human rights and shareholder advocacy experts on Thursday, May 9th about the importance of combating anti-Israel shareholder proposals.
Speakers
Anne Herzberg - Legal Advisor, NGO Monitor
Anne Herzberg is the Legal Advisor of NGO Monitor, a globally recognized research institute promoting democratic values and good governance. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and Columbia University Law School. As NGO Monitor's UN representative, Anne regularly appears before the UN Human Rights Council and other UN bodies. Anne is the author of the widely cited “NGO Lawfare: Exploitation of Courts in the Arab-Israeli Conflict” and co-author of Best Practices for Human Rights and Humanitarian NGO Fact-finding. Her articles and op-eds have appeared in many publications, including the American Journal of International Law, Ha’aretz, the Jerusalem Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
Steven Pantina - Co-Founder and CEO, Proxy Analytics
Steven Pantina is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Proxy Analytics, a data analytics and consulting firm focused in analyzing evolving trends in ESG, executive compensation, 14a-8 shareholder proposal submissions and institutional investor voting activity. Mr. Pantina has advised numerous Fortune 500 companies on matters relating to annual and special meetings, mergers, tender offers, activism preparedness/defense and corporate actions. He has been a contributing author to a variety of different publications, including the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals’ “Manual for Solicitation of Proxies” and The Conference Board’s “Shareholder Activism Report: Best Practices and Engagement Tools for Public Companies.” Prior to founding Proxy Analytics in 2020, Steve served as Senior Managing Director and head of Proxy Research at Georgeson Inc. as well as Senior Managing Director at Morrow Sodali LLC. Mr. Pantina holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rider University and a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Ari Hoffnung - Managing Director, JLens
As Managing Director, Ari leads the JLens team, overseeing the strategic direction of the organization and spearheads efforts designed to combat antisemitism and address Jewish communal concerns in the boardroom, workplace, and marketplace. Before joining JLens in 2023, Ari held entrepreneurial and leadership roles in the medical cannabis industry, government, and financial sectors. As COO and Director at Goodness Growth Holdings, he scaled the company to a multi-state operator with 400 employees, and led its public offering. In his government role as New York City Deputy Comptroller, Ari oversaw the City’s $70 billion budget and worked closely with the Pension Funds. Earlier, he served as Managing Director at Bear Stearns, which became part of JPMorgan Chase. Ari has also been deeply involved in the Jewish community, having served as the Senior Public Policy Fellow at Hillel International Center and as the President of the Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council. Ari received an MBA in Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BA from Queens College.
Dani Nurick - Director of Advocacy, JLens
Dani oversees all of JLens’ direct advocacy and engagement with corporations. Prior to JLens, Dani worked at Mercy Corps Ventures creating ESG impact metrics and scaling venture funds in Africa. Additionally, Dani has worked for a variety of organizations in the Jewish community focused on education and engagement in both the United States and Israel. Dani holds an MBA with a concentration on social impact and an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University, as well as a BA in Public Health and Environmental Science from Brandeis University.
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