- Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting is set for this weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.
- At the meeting, the company will vote on 6 shareholder proposals that include removing Warren Buffett as Chairman.
- Buffett recommends investors vote against all of the shareholder proposals.
Thousands of investors will descend upon Omaha, Nebraska this weekend for Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting, and a lot will be up for discussion.
In addition to a review of the conglomerate's business performance and hours of questions and answers between investors and Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, investors will vote on six shareholder proposals, all of which Buffett recommends shareholders vote "no" on.
Despite Berkshire Hathaway's significant outperformance relative to the S&P 500 over the past one-, three-, five-, 10-, and 20-year periods, one investor is calling for the removal of Warren Buffett as its chairman. Another is asking the company to not involve itself in political hot-button issues.
These are the six shareholder proposals Berkshire Hathaway investors are expected to vote on this weekend.
Proposals 1, 2, and 3: That Berkshire publishes an annual assessment addressing how the company manages physical and transitional climate-related risks and opportunities, disclose how climate risks are being governed by the company, and how it plans to help measure and reduce emissions to align itself with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Proposed by: The California Public Employees' Retirement System, Trustee of the Bright Start College Savings Trust, Elizabeth Kantor Trust U/A DTD 3/11/1993
Berkshire response: "Several of Berkshire's operating companies report their greenhouse gas emissions data and discuss climate-related risks and opportunities in their own reports that are linked on Berkshire's website... Climate-related risks and opportunities are addressed at the operating company level and considered by the Board and the Audit Committee simultaneously with enterprise and shareholder risk, in conjunction with the materiality of the company's individual contribution to Berkshire's consolidated net income."
Proposal 4: That Berkshire report to shareholders on the effectiveness of the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Proposed by: Meredith Benton of Whistle Stop Capital, on behalf of Myra K. Young
Berkshire response: "Berkshire's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and the effectiveness of our companies' related programs starts with our leaders, including our Board of Directors, of which four members are female and two members are racially or ethnically diverse. However, it should be noted that these directors were not selected for diversity purposes. To ensure long-term success for our shareholders, Berkshire encourages its leaders to execute diversity, equity and inclusion strategies that are tailored to the unique aspects of their businesses."
Proposal 5: That Berkshire separates the role of CEO and Chairman, resulting in Buffett stepping down as Chairman.
Proposed by: National Legal and Policy Center
Berkshire Response: "Warren Buffett, Berkshire's CEO, currently has a 31.5% voting interest in Berkshire. The Board believes that as long as Mr. Buffett is Berkshire's CEO, he should continue as Board Chair and as Berkshire's CEO. However, as has been stated on numerous occasions by Mr. Buffett in the past, once Mr. Buffett is no longer Berkshire's CEO, a non-management director should be named Board Chair."
Proposal 6: That Berkshire receives a commitment that its portfolio companies avoid supporting or taking a public position on any controversial social or political issues.
Proposed by: American Conservative Values ETF
Berkshire Response: "Berkshire manages its operating businesses on an unusually decentralized basis and has minimal involvement in these businesses' day-to-day activities. The Board believes it is inconsistent with Berkshire's culture to dictate that public communications by leaders be 'previously, comprehensively and without bias justified by action on the basis of underlying business strategy, exigencies, and priorities' given Berkshire's long-standing business model that each of the businesses is individually responsible for implementing policies, programs and results that support its business strategy."