AI is no longer the exclusive domain of tech giants. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), GenAI presents a powerful opportunity to drive efficiency, innovation, and smarter decision-making — without needing large-scale budgets or in-house data science teams.

To better understand how SMEs can unlock the potential of GenAI, Diligent Institute partnered with the Institute of Directors (IoD) to survey 60 UK-based directors. The result? A concise, actionable infographic that outlines the top challenges, opportunities, and best practices for integrating GenAI into your business strategy.

Whether you're just starting your AI journey or looking to scale your efforts, this visual guide offers a roadmap to responsible, effective adoption.

GenAI for small businesses: An infographic for smarter growth  

 Voting newswire. To register for a demonstration and trial of the product,

Companies have made 20% more no-action relief requests to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) so far this year, reflecting an abrupt change of strategy that comes as both the volume and support for environmental and social shareholder proposals has nose-dived.

Some 156 ESG proposals tracked by Diligent Market Intelligence (DMI) have gone to a vote in the almost five-month period to May 22, 2025, down over 50% on the same period in 2024.

Environmental-focused demands have dropped off the most, with just 16 proposals with voting results averaging 12% support, compared to an average backing of 19% for the 73 green proposals tracked in the same period last year.

Social-focused proposals have witnessed a similar fate with 69 tracked to a vote by DMI compared to 183 in the same timeframe last year. Average support has fallen from 16% to 14%.

Governance-focused demands, however, have proved their resilience with the volume largely flat on the same period last year albeit with slightly lower support averaging at 46%.




Follow This was one of the climate-focused investor groups to publicly share its rationale for opting not to advance resolutions this season in what it said would be counterproductive given the “pro-fossil political climate.” Its founder Mark van Baal told DMI that many proponents are holding out to consider their options amid all the uncertainty.

“I think there's really a 'wait and see' now because of the election of Trump, the anti-ESG sentiment and states suing investors for considering climate,” he argued. Outside of state lawsuits targeting asset management giants, van Baal has himself felt the weight of legal action hang over his group's bid to push oil majors to accelerate reductions in Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with ExxonMobil moving to sue the advocacy group and Arjuna Capital in a landmark case last year.

Fellow ESG investor As You Sow has also observed the challenging environment that has seen the volume of shareholder proposals drop for the first time in recent years. "The new SEC has already issued rules that make it easier for companies to exclude shareholder proposals, while partisan state Attorneys General and legislatures have continued anti-business efforts to stop consideration of systemic risks," the group asserted in an April 



The SEC is attracting more no-action requests to keep proposals off company ballots, especially after a February bulletin that indicated a move away from its recent policy of forcing companies to put proposals with “broad societal significance” before investors.

Continuing a pattern observed last season even under the SEC of the Biden administration, more and more companies are turning to the agency's no-action relief process with 220 requests advanced for decision in the five-month period to the end of May, up from 184 in the same timeline in 2024 and 100 in 2023. The success rate of such requests has also climbed, with 113 accepted by the SEC in the period and 46 rejected, DMI data reveal.

ExxonMobil, which bypassed the SEC last year with an unprecedented lawsuit against the two shareholder proponents, has no shareholder proposals on the ballot at this year’s meeting, which took place on May 28.

"There is a chilling effect, of course, and more on investors than on us because we still think this is the key tool, so we have to use it. But we have to convince investors that they should be more afraid of the climate crisis than of lawsuits," said van Baal.





The argument for a review of SEC rules around the shareholder proposal process has continued to drive division and debate in 2025 with Business Roundtable – an association of more than 200 U.S. company CEOs issuing a 

 last month calling for "bold" proxy process reforms, including “precluding shareholder proposals that advance broad ideological agendas” and higher submission and resubmission thresholds.

"The shareholder proposal process was intended to foster constructive engagement between investors and companies in support of long-term value,” said Kristen Silverberg, Business Roundtable president and chief operating officer. “Today, it too often serves as a platform for ideological agendas unrelated to the company’s long-term performance.”

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and the Shareholder Rights Group (SRG) responded with a 

 aimed at “bridging the divide." "Proposals are an articulation of interest by an informed and interested stakeholder who provides the very capital that allows for the business to exist and, for this reason, should never be easily dismissed," it argued.

"I think part of the problem is that the discussion around this topic is being phrased as if we should be drawing the parallel between shareholder democracy to voter democracy. It's a different thing," SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce told DMI in a recent interview. "We don't let any voter who has an issue stick it on the ballot. This is just a different world."

IN-DEPTH: Tide turns on ESG proposals as investors navigate unchartered waters 

Poll finds boards struggling to navigate Washington

As tariffs, inflation and sourcing disruptions grow, a new poll finds America’s public-company boardrooms fighting to manage the moment. ‘You can't forecast anything.’

 in Q2, according to the most recent Director Confidence Index, conducted by Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member, but that doesn’t mean America’s board members are breathing easy. Our latest polling finds the director community remains deeply concerned about the economic impact of the Trump administration’s policies, prompting new approaches to risk oversight in America’s boardrooms.

The extent of the impact from the current administration is extensive. Directors rate the current risk level for U.S. companies at 6.8 out of 10, on a scale where 1 is Negligible and 10 is Significant, with 81 percent of the 126 public company board members polled May 12-14 listing tariffs as the top business risk today.

Second on the list? A tie at 46 percent between two other Washington-created challenges: “supply chain / sourcing disruptions” and “inflation and currency fluctuations” (the survey asked directors to list their top three challenges). The third and fourth picks were D.C.-driven as well: geopolitics and regulatory changes.

“You can't forecast anything in this uncertain environment,” added Joseph R. Bronson, a director on the board of Nasdaq-traded PDF Solutions. “We're doing what we can to deal with this mess created by the White House.”

To cope, directors want to increase the frequency of their board’s strategy and risk conversations (42 percent) and making better use of new AI tools for real-time data and risk analysis (35 percent).

“These two answer options are inherently related,” says Dottie Schindlinger, Executive Director of the Diligent Institute and partner in this research. “As boards recognize the need for more frequent conversations about risk and strategy in the current environment, having access to the real-time data and analysis to support those conversations is crucial.”

Overall, 47 percent say they are engaging in scenario planning to help navigate the current environment—the most common tactic selected by those participating in the survey. Other approaches include diversifying supply chains, revising pricing models and strengthening financial reserves.

“While the highest tariffs keep getting kicked down the road 90-days, that's not a long enough interval for businesses to plan, and there is still no clear trade policy,” said one director.

Still, boards and their companies remain committed to pursuing growth as planned this year. Nearly half (48 percent) said their priority for the rest of the year remains growth—through M&A, new products and new markets. Slightly more than a third said their priority was risk mitigation, including reforecasting, scenario planning and diversification.

“More boards are realizing that uncertainty is the new norm and that many elements driving this uncertainty have been experienced in the past,” said Brian Kushner, who serves on the board of Resideo Technologies, adding: “Just not all at the same time.”

Diligent

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GenAI for small businesses: An infographic for smarter growth

IN-DEPTH: Tide turns on ESG proposals as investors navigate unchartered waters

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