How Corporate Boards Are Failing Shareholders and the World

There is a secret vote happening right now that could change how one of the biggest companies in the world operates, but you probably don't know about it. The truth is, the vote is not actually a secret ... it's just well buried with the odds stacked against any outcome that could create a much needed change. Amazon shareholders are voting on proposals that would require the company to conduct audits into its mistreatment of workers, diversity and equity efforts and gender/racial pay equity. In each case, the Amazon Board's recommendation for shareholders is to vote against the resolutions.

Corporate boards have an obligation to provide a much needed check and balance against the inclination of business leaders to do whatever they want. Particularly the greedy ones. Refusing to support initiatives asking simply for audits and reports to shine a light on potential issues seems like a necessary first step to correcting potential problems. The fact that Amazon's board is unwilling to recommend these assessments take place is a sad failure of leadership.