[Webinar] Board Oversight and Accountability

Join a high-level discussion hosted by Proxy Watcher on the unprecedented AGM season in Japan.

Event Details

• Date & Time: Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | 18:00 – 19:30 (JST)
• Format: Online Webinar (Japanese-to-English live automatic captioning/translation available)
• Target Audience: Institutional investors (proxy voting decision-makers), asset managers, governance analysts, and corporate governance professionals.
• Fee: Free of charge (Pre-registration required)

Key Agenda & Speakers (Tentative)

Panel Discussion:

• • • Ms. Chie Mitsui (Principal Researcher, Nomura Research Institute): Structural challenges in Japanese boards and the effectiveness of auditing.
    • Ms. Emi Onozuka (President and CEO, Eminent Group): Criteria for investors to vote “NO” on director nominees.
    • Dr. Yasuhiro Yamada (Professor of Commercial Law and Corporate Law, Ritsumeikan University): Shifting international legal oversight duties and their impact on Japanese corporations.
    • Ms. Eri Watanabe (Market Forces, Japanese Banks Campaigner): Regarding the campaign calling for a vote against the appointment of directors at Japanese companies

Amid increasing uncertainty in the business environment—driven by escalating geopolitical risks, shifting international legal frameworks (such as ICJ advisories), and structural market changes—how corporate boards integrate and oversee these “non-financial risks” within their business strategies has become a critical issue directly impacting long-term corporate value.

Today, major global investors and activists are moving beyond mere demands for disclosure; they are entering a phase of holding individual directors accountable for failures in risk oversight. Ahead of the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) season, investors face the pressing need for robust and effective governance evaluation criteria.

In Japan, this shift is vividly illustrated by organizations like Market Forces. Pivoting from their traditional approach of submitting shareholder resolutions, they are now urging investors to vote against the re-election of specific directors—particularly those on nominating and audit committees—citing deficiencies in risk management at major Japanese megabanks and trading houses.

This webinar will examine these tightening global trends in proxy voting (including recent case studies involving TCI, Bluebell, Elliott, ShareAction, As You Sow, etc.). Leading experts and practitioners will delve into the practical evaluation criteria for director elections and vote-no campaigns based on fiduciary duty.