黑料吃瓜

鈥淭his significant gift will honor Ralph鈥檚 memory by training the next generation of corporate leaders and shareholder activists.鈥�

黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Fowler College of Business announced a $2.25 million gift to support its first endowed chair and a separate endowment for the university鈥檚  (CGI).

The Ralph V. Whitworth Chair in Corporate Governance, named in honor of leading pioneer in activist investing, Ralph Whitworth, was established by a $1.5 million gift. The gift comes with a dollar-for-dollar match from the Ron and Alexis  for a total of $3 million.

Ralph Whitworth was a central player in advancing responsible investor activism, from advocating for the key 鈥渟hort slate鈥� SEC rule change in the early 1990s through co-founding and building Relational Investors into a $6 billion investment fund based in San Diego. During his career as an activist investor, Whitworth served on 11 corporate boards, including Mattel, Waste Management, and Tektronix, and as Hewlett-Packard鈥檚 interim chairman of the board.

Relational Investors co-founder David Batchelder and Washington Industries founder Dennis Washington formed Batchelder/Washington Investments, LLC, to participate as limited partners in an activist investment initiated and conducted by a third party. To honor Whitworth鈥檚 legacy, a portion of the profits was allocated to support 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 CGI through the two generous endowments.

鈥淒ennis Washington and I are proud to honor Ralph in this way,鈥� said Batchelder. 鈥淲e find it especially fitting that the funding for the endowment resulted from a shareholder intervention designed to maximize shareholder value, consistent with the philosophy upon which Relational Investors鈥� and Ralph鈥檚 legacy was built.鈥�

Batchelder is a longtime supporter of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 CGI. He provided the initial funding for the David Batchelder Speaker Series in Investor Activism which began in 2013. The speaker series has featured both activists and executives of large-cap target firms at 黑料吃瓜. 

First Endowed Chair in College

The chair was conceptualized by David A. Katz, a corporate partner at the New York City law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Katz hosts the continuing CGI Speaker Series in Investor Activism and spearheaded Wachtell Lipton鈥檚 $200,000 pledge to the Institute. The pledge was matched by the Fowler gift to increase the total to $400,000.

鈥淚 would like to thank Messrs, Batchelder and Washington for honoring activism pioneer Ralph Whitworth by endowing the chair and the Corporate Governance Institute. This significant gift will honor Ralph鈥檚 memory by training the next generation of corporate leaders and shareholder activists,鈥� said Katz. 鈥淭he Corporate Governance Institute, led by Professor (Lori) Ryan, teaches Fowler students the importance of shareholder engagement and activism in creating value for corporations, their stockholders and other stakeholders and focuses students on the benefits available through good corporate governance practices.鈥�

The Ralph V. Whitworth Endowed Chair in Corporate Governance is the college鈥檚 first endowed chair position. The endowed chair will support the Fowler College of Business, 黑料吃瓜, and the local, national, and international communities in matters related to corporate governance through research and curriculum development.

Management professor and director of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Corporate Governance Institute, Lori Ryan, has been appointed the endowment鈥檚 inaugural chair, according to Bruce Reinig, Interim Thomas and Evelyn Page Dean, Fowler College of Business.

鈥淒r. Ryan has been with the  for 20 years and has demonstrated herself as a leading scholar at the intersection of corporate governance and business ethics,鈥� Reinig said. 鈥淭hese gifts are a direct result of her leadership and outreach in corporate governance and engaging business leaders, and the endowments will elevate the prominence of both CGI and the Fowler College of Business.鈥�

Ryan said: 鈥淚t is an honor to represent Ralph Whitworth鈥檚 name and his established vision of building value in portfolio companies and doing the right thing by corporate shareholders. I have built my academic career around those same values.鈥�

The Batchelder/Washington Investments, LLC chair donation is accompanied by a $750,000 gift, which will also be matched by the Fowler gift to provide a total of $1.5 million to establish the Corporate Governance Institute Shareholder Value Endowment. This endowment will provide additional support of CGI research, programs, and corporate governance education for students, faculty, and the San Diego business community.

Established in 1998, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚  has served as a research and education center dedicated to the study and application of responsible corporate governance principles worldwide. CGI and its educational programs have taught thousands of 黑料吃瓜 students about the roles, responsibilities, and balance of power among shareholders, CEOs, and directors. CGI programs focus on identifying and promoting responsible practices worldwide in all aspects of corporate governance.