DFIN Launches 14th Annual Guide to Effective Proxies to Help Companies Navigate Evolving Governance Expectations
DFIN’s 2026 proxy guide distills trends from 1,500+ filings to help issuers enhance governance, disclosure quality and investor-focused proxy design.
Rhea-AI Summary
Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) released its 14th Annual Guide to Effective Proxies, an in-depth resource to help public companies improve proxy communications and meet evolving regulatory and governance expectations.
The 2026 guide draws on analysis of over 1,500 proxy statements and examples from more than 300 companies, covering topics such as AI and emerging risks, board oversight transparency, executive compensation disclosure, cybersecurity and enterprise risk management, human capital strategy, and proxy design and shareholder engagement. Many featured proxies were created using DFIN’s ActiveDisclosure platform.
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Key Figures
- Proxy statements analyzed
- Over 1,500 proxy statements
- 2026 guide analysis
- Public companies featured
- Over 300 public companies
- Examples included in the 2026 guide
- Guide edition
- 14th annual edition
- Guide to Effective Proxies
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
New edition highlights emerging disclosure trends, investor priorities and best practices for creating more effective proxy communications
Drawing insights from over 1,500 proxy statements and showcasing examples from over 300 leading public companies that DFIN supports in the creation of their proxies, the 2026 guide provides practical insights on enhancing proxy disclosures, improving design and readability, and effectively communicating governance, compensation and long-term value creation strategies to investors. The guide builds on DFIN's annual analysis of proxy statement trends and emerging best practices across the public company landscape.
"Amid the swirl of informal communications and proliferating information channels, the proxy is a reliable source for clear, comparable and strategic company data," said Leah Trzcinski, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at DFIN. "The Guide to Effective Proxies helps organizations move beyond compliance and create disclosure documents that foster trust, support shareholder engagement and tell a compelling corporate story."
Key Topics Featured in the 14th Edition
The latest edition explores several areas shaping the future of proxy communication, including:
- Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Risks – Examples of how organizations are addressing AI governance, technology oversight and related disclosure considerations.
- Board Oversight and Governance Transparency – Strategies for clearly communicating board composition, leadership structure and risk oversight responsibilities.
- Executive Compensation Disclosure – Approaches for simplifying compensation discussions and strengthening pay-for-performance narratives.
- Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management – Evolving practices for communicating cyber preparedness and board oversight of the highest priority risks.
- Human Capital and Workforce Strategy – Techniques for highlighting talent initiatives, employee development and organizational culture.
- Proxy Design and Shareholder Engagement – Best practices for improving readability, accessibility and overall shareholder experience.
"Proxy statements have become one of the most important opportunities companies have to communicate directly with investors," said Ron Schneider, Director of Corporate Governance Services at DFIN. "This year's guide highlights innovative ways organizations are increasing transparency, improving engagement, linking complex governance disclosures to the company's business strategy, making them easier to understand and support."
Supporting Better Proxy Creation Through DFIN ActiveDisclosure
Many of the proxy statements featured in the guide were developed using ActiveDisclosureSM, DFIN's financial reporting and disclosure management solution. Designed to streamline collaboration across legal, finance, investor relations and governance teams, ActiveDisclosure helps organizations improve accuracy, manage version control and create professional, investor-focused disclosure documents more efficiently. The platform also provides powerful document design capabilities, including multi-column layouts, advanced typography controls and rich data visualizations, enabling companies to create more engaging and visually compelling proxy statements.
Turn proxy season into a strategic advantage. Join us on September 14, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET for a live discussion on the latest insights from the 14th Annual Guide to Effective Proxies. Register now.
About DFIN
DFIN is the leading global provider of compliance and regulatory software and services, fueling end-to-end investment company regulatory compliance needs, complex capital markets transactions, and essential financial reporting at every stage of the corporate lifecycle. Our mission is simple: to empower clients with the software and service they need to stay ahead of public company filings, investment company filings, private reporting, and beneficial owner reporting, while enhancing workflow efficiency. We bring deep expertise to every engagement, driving transparency and collaboration built on confidence and reliability. Learn more at DFINsolutions.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Donnelley Financial LLC
FAQ
What key themes does DFIN’s 14th Annual Guide to Effective Proxies focus on?
The 2026 guide focuses on several themes shaping proxy communication: how companies disclose artificial intelligence governance and related risks, board oversight and governance transparency, executive compensation disclosure and pay-for-performance narratives, cybersecurity and enterprise risk management, human capital and workforce strategy, and proxy design and shareholder engagement practices.
How were the insights for the 2026 Guide to Effective Proxies developed?
The guide is based on DFIN’s analysis of more than 1,500 proxy statements and showcases examples from over 300 public companies that DFIN supports in proxy creation, highlighting emerging disclosure trends and practical best practices.
What role does DFIN’s ActiveDisclosure platform play in proxy creation?
Many of the proxy statements featured in the guide were developed using ActiveDisclosure, DFIN’s financial reporting and disclosure management solution. The platform is designed to streamline collaboration across legal, finance, investor relations and governance teams, improve accuracy and version control, and provide document design capabilities such as multi-column layouts, advanced typography and data visualizations for more engaging proxy statements.
Is there an event associated with the launch of the 14th Annual Guide to Effective Proxies?
DFIN is hosting a live discussion on insights from the 14th Annual Guide to Effective Proxies on September 14, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET, and invites interested participants to register for the session.