The Shareholder Action Guide

CHAPTER

14

A New Generation of Corporate Leaders

I don’t know if corporate boards can ever plan seven generations ahead, but having been granted the advantages of personhood, corporations should at least be directed by their shareholders to conduct themselves as responsible “people” of a larger community. Shareholder advocates can push them to do it, but some CEOs are accepting that challenge of their own accord.

NEAR-DEATH WAKE-UP CALL

Several years ago, recovering from a near-death experience, Aetna Insurance CEO Mark Bertolini began meditating and doing yoga.¹⁷⁰ He found the practices so beneficial that he rolled out meditation and yoga classes in the company’s offices. Some 13,000 employees—a quarter of the work force—have now taken part. ...