In Focus

Senate Confirms Allison Lee as SEC Commissioner

The Senate today confirmed Allison Lee, a former SEC enforcement lawyer, for the vacant Democratic seat on the five-member Commission. Lee worked at the SEC from 2005-2018. Her tenure included a 16-month stint as counsel to former Commissioner Kara Stein, who left the SEC in January. Prior to the SEC, Lee worked at the Denver law firm of Sherman & Howard.

CII Opens Registration for Fall Conference in Minneapolis

Mark your calendars and book your rooms—registration for CII’s fall conference is now open.  CII members from across the globe will gather in Minneapolis September 16-18 to share ideas and best practices on key issues affecting institutional investors. CII-hosted sessions kick off with SEC Commissioner Robert Jackson Jr. and include discussions on CIO perspectives on fiduciary duty and environmental, social and governance issues; gender pay equity; use of the proxy vote on auditors and audit committee members; corporate governance in bankruptcy; and challenges in renewable energy deployment and transition. Renowned behavioral economics expert Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology at Duke University, will give the keynote address at lunch on September 17 on the secret of motivation at work. Member-hosted events at the conference cover a range of topics, including contested M&A, artificial intelligence and investor engagement on opioids and other pharmaceuticals. Members can also sign up for a Master Class on evaluating pay for performance and the Engagement Exchange, a platform for company-shareholder dialogs. CII is also hosting private discussion and dinner forums for pension fund trustees.