SUPPORTING STATEMENT: In 2023, we filed a shareholder proposal requesting the disclosure of the languages spoken by the directors
of some 20 public companies. Following discussions, almost all of these companies — including the 7 major
banks — agreed to disclose the information. This new proposal is aimed at disclosing the same information
about executives, at the very least the “named executive officers(1)“.
In recent years, a number of public controversies over language have tarnished the reputation of major public
companies with respect to their social responsibility and their interpretation of their duties and obligation regarding diversity, inherent in our societies. Language is at the heart of our democratic institutions and is a
fundamental attribute of the community. Such situations, harmful in every respect, must be avoided. To this
end — and for several other reasons — it is appropriate for all interested parties (stakeholders) to know,
through formal and official disclosure, the languages spoken by the company’s executives. Obviously, by
“spoken” we mean a level of language sufficient to enable its widespread use in all spheres of activity,
whether corporate or individual; a level of language sufficient to enable each executive to fulfill their duties
and function fully and completely in relation to their teams, the shareholders and all parties