Across the Board
AI Can’t Fix Your Sink —Or the Skilled-Trades Shortage
Companies invest in training programs as labor shortages threaten industries from home improvement to data-center construction
“Amid all the hand-wringing about AI destroying jobs, Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison has a very different concern. ‘AI without question is changing work,’ he told me recently. ‘But somebody will still be required to crawl under your sink and fix a leak, get your HVAC working, or do construction on a data center.’ And those people are in short supply. The Education Department has said as many as 2.1 million skilled trade jobs could go unfilled by 2030—creating potential economic losses of up to $1 trillion a year…. Other companies have launched projects with the same aim recently. In June, Meta and Google each announced millions in spending for construction and skilled-trade training programs.” WALL STREET JOURNAL
The Government Takes a Side in the AI Copyright Wars
Washington’s backing of OpenAI could influence a wave of cases testing where copyright protection ends and transformative AI use begins
“The Trump administration has filed a brief supporting OpenAI in its dispute with the New York Times and other newspapers over the company's use of their work to train the large language models behind ChatGPT, saying AI training generally makes fair use of copyrighted material. The brief, filed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, appears to be the first time the U.S. government has weighed in on a wave of cases brought by copyright owners including authors, publishers, music labels and news outlets over AI training. A brief has advisory rather than legal weight but could bolster tech companies as they fight the claims…. The Times' lawsuit, first filed in 2023, accuses OpenAI and its largest financial backer, Microsoft, of using millions of newspaper articles without permission to train OpenAI's popular chatbot.” US NEWS
OpenAI Lawsuits Put Safety and Executive Judgment Under Scrutiny
New complaints allege that a recommendation to escalate safety concerns was overruled by executives responsible for the company’s public affairs and political relationships
“New lawsuits brought against OpenAI on Wednesday over a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, accuse the ChatGPT maker's executives of putting its public image ahead of public safety. Thirty complaints were filed against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in a San Francisco federal court by people present at the shooting, including students, teachers and a principal. In April, families of seven other victims injured or killed in the February 2026 shooting sued OpenAI and Altman for failing to notify law enforcement of the alleged shooter's violent conversations with ChatGPT and aiding and abetting the shooting…. Eight months before the shooting, in June 2025, OpenAI's automated systems flagged Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account for "gun violence activity and planning," according to one of the April lawsuits filed on behalf of Maya Gebala, a 12-year-old catastrophically injured at the school. OpenAI deactivated the account, but Van Rootselaar created a second account and continued to have conversations with ChatGPT, OpenAI has said. The company says it was not aware of the second account until after the shooting in February.” NPR
Volkswagen Fights Chinese Competition and Its Own Board in Battle to Survive
CEO’s plan to become smaller and less German sparks union and political outcry
“VWhen Volkswagen Chief Executive Oliver Blume took a cost-cutting plan to his board this summer that envisioned a doubling of job losses to 100,000, he was fully aware it would be rejected. Such is the predicament of running Germany’s premier industrial company, where half the supervisory-board directors are worker representatives and swing votes are held by the local government. Now Blume is considering an audacious workaround, according to people familiar with his plans. If the board factions can’t come to an agreement at a meeting set to take place on Friday, he could go hostile—bypassing the board like an activist investor or corporate raider by taking the plan directly to shareholders. It’s a nuclear option, a move without precedent at Volkswagen or the broader German corporate scene, where for years stakeholder capitalism has meant that decisions are driven by consensus among workers, regulators and shareholders. The stakes are enormous.” WALL STREET JOURNAL
Volkswagen Hits Reset on U.S. Leadership Again
After steep sales declines, the automaker is changing its North American chief for the second time in less than two years
“Volkswagen wants to make a fresh start in the U.S.—again. The German automaker is shaking up its North American leadership for the second time in less than two years after President Trump’s tariff and electric-vehicle policies collided with the company’s plans for the large, lucrative U.S. market. Volkswagen said Wednesday that veteran company executive Marco Schubert would take responsibility for its business in North America starting in October. Current boss Kjell Gruner, who joined Volkswagen in December 2024 after a stint at electric-vehicle startup Rivian, is leaving the company, it said. The management change marks the latest attempt by the world’s second-largest carmaker to revive its underpowered American business, as it continues to struggle in other parts of the world. Volkswagen’s once-lucrative business in China has fallen prey to local competitors. In Europe, it is cutting tens of thousands of jobs and closing or repurposing factories.” WALL STREET JOURNAL
BP Completes Search for Chair After Boardroom Upheaval
Ian Tyler appointed as chair following the abrupt dismissal of his predecessor Albert Manifold in May
“Britain’s BP on Wednesday formally appointed Ian Tyler as chair after the surprise dismissal of his predecessor Albert Manifold contributed to leadership upheaval at the oil major. Tyler joined the company’s Board as a non-executive director in April last year and was appointed interim chair on May 26…. Tyler’s appointment comes as BP seeks to stabilize the company following years of executive turnover and strategic division. The London-listed major is pivoting back to its core business of oil and gas, while prioritizing financial discipline by simplifying its portfolio…. In May, BP removed its chairman Manifold with immediate effect. Manifold, who had only been in post for around seven months, had faced accusations of ‘serious concerns’ relating to governance standards, oversight and conduct…. His dismissal had raised questions about BP’s corporate governance after a succession of abrupt leadership departures.” CNBC
Apple vs. Lululemon: A Tale of Two CEO Handovers
Both companies had months to prepare investors for new leadership—but only one succession appeared aligned with what the market wanted
“Apple and lululemon have run their CEO successions on basically the same timeline. Apple announced Tim Cook's exit on April 20 and appointed long-time executive John Ternus who officially took over as chief executive yesterday. Lululemon announced outsider and 25-year Nike veteran Heidi O'Neill two days later, on April 22, and she will officially take over on September 8. They might be parallel executions, but the outcomes could not be further apart. Apple treated the four months as if it were a product launch campaign…. Lululemon had the same four months as Apple but that's where the similarities end. Founder Chip Wilson, who owns 8.7 percent of the company, had been campaigning since December 2025 to replace board members, arguing the company had lost its edge at home in the US. Investors largely agreed with the diagnosis, if not with Wilson that Lululemon needed to fix the US business, stop leaning on discounts, and get new product out faster.” LINKEDIN
Ben & Jerry’s Adds Three Board Members to Reinforce Social Mission
Three new independent directors join the board following a prolonged governance dispute over the brand’s activism and independence
“The ice cream maker named Nora Benavidez, Michael McAfee and Eva Schulte as independent directors, effective this month. The new appointees collectively bring decades of experience in environmental and social justice, civil rights, economic equity and free speech. Ben & Jerry's said the new directors will ‘draw on that experience to challenge and inspire the company’ as it works to boost its three-part mission of balancing product quality, financial growth and social impact. Ben & Jerry's has a unique governance structure that is designed to protect its long-term social mission and ensure that mission remains a priority as the company evolves over time…. In recent years, Ben & Jerry's has clashed with Unilever and Magnum over political censorship and publicly accused its parent companies of stifling its social activism. The ice cream brand previously said Unilever attempted to suppress its criticism of President Donald Trump and tried to block it from making public statements advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.” YAHOO FINANCE
Director Compensation Is Up, But Not for Leadership Roles
Median board member compensation rose 2.1%, even as additional pay for most board and committee leadership roles remained flat
“Total standard board member pay was 65% equity and 35% cash, on average. Simple pay programs that use only annual cash and equity retainers to compensate directors, with additional pay for board leadership roles, are typical…. Most companies in our sample provide compensation for committee member service through the annual board cash and equity retainers, with the general expectation that all non-employee directors actively participate in committee responsibilities. Only 35% of companies studied paid committee-specific member fees for Audit Committee service, and less than 25% of companies studied paid committee-specific member fees for service on any other committee. Of the companies that paid committee member compensation, median compensation was flat year-over-year for the Audit ($15K) and Compensation ($15K) Committees, while there was a modest increase for the Nominating/Governance Committee ($12K to $12.5K).” HARVARD LAW SCHOOL FORUM ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Shareholder Proposals Plunge, and Almost Nothing Passes
Just 13 of 334 proposals won majority support this proxy season
“334 proposals went to a vote this season, down 14.6% from 391 last season and down 46.7% from 627 two seasons ago. Shareholders approve almost nothing. Thirteen of 334 proposals passed — a 3.9% approval rate, down from 6.9% and 8.3% in the two prior seasons. All thirteen were Governance proposals. Social, Environment, Executive Compensation and Business Practices went a combined 0-for-170…. Governance proposals rose to 164 from 118, a 39.0% increase, and average support rose to 31.2% from 26.1%. But the approval rate moved in the opposite direction. It fell to 7.9% this season, compared with 18.6% last season and 28.0% in 2023-2024. The explanation is in the mix.” HARVARD LAW SCHOOL FORUM ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
