蘋果新規(guī)：大股東可提名董事

蘋果新規(guī)：大股東可提名董事

蘋果本周表示，已對董事會(huì)章程進(jìn)行修訂。普通投資人通過集體參與，影響上市公司的董事會(huì)成員任命，這被稱為“代理參與制”，蘋果成最新一家引入這種機(jī)制的公司。

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識(shí)：

nomination 提名[n?m?'ne??(?)n]

amended 修正的[?'mendid]

bylaw 內(nèi)部章程['bai,l?:z]

proxy access 代理參與制

capitalization 市值[,kæp?t?l?'ze??n]

Apple opens board nominations to large investors（410 words）

By Tim Bradshaw in San Francisco and Stephen Foley in New York

Apple has amended its corporate bylaws to allow shareholders to nominate new board members,making it the latest in a string of US companies to introduce a measure that offers greater control to investors.

The issue of so-called proxy access has gone from a fringe issue to mainstream practice in just two years,as major institutional investors including BlackRock and T Rowe Price and many of the largest US pension funds have demanded improved shareholder rights.

As the world's most valuable company,Apple now tops a growing list of corporations that allows its investors — either alone or working as a group — to nominate a board member,as long as they have held at least 3 per cent of the company's shares for at least three years.

At Apple's present market capitalisation of just under $600bn,that would mean investors would need to hold stock worth almost $18bn to qualify.

Microsoft,Coca-Cola and Philip Morris International are among more than 50 members of the S&P 500 index to have introduced proxy access rights this year.

Pension funds led by the New York City Employees' Retirement System and Calpers in California put more than 100 resolutions at shareholder meetings around the US this year demanding proxy access,and are threatening to target dozens more companies next year.

Opponents of proxy access say that choosing directors is a task best left to the board of a company,with shareholders having a vote on their choices. But this year has seen a growing number of boards decide to offer the new rights rather than face a showdown with investors at a public meeting.

Apple's change is the latest move to open up its corporate governance under chief executive Tim Cook,from improving the transparency of its supply chain practices to the introduction of more performance-related compensation for its executives.

In 2014,a narrow majority of Apple shareholders approved majority voting for the election of directors,which had been long sought by corporate governance campaigners. At the most recent annual meeting in March,a shareholder proposal demanding proxy access was defeated but attracted significant support,with 39 per cent of votes cast in favour of the change.

Under the new Apple bylaws,which were updated on Monday and revealed in a regulatory filing on Tuesday,a group of up to 20 shareholders can nominate up to 20 per cent of Apple's board,or one of its eight directors.

Apple declined to comment beyond Tuesday's filing.