Chapter 26 - THE VOTE I CAST MYSELFEighteen months after Kirk’s birth, Whitaker Medical held its annual shareholder meeting.
New CEO.
New debt structure.
New governance policies.
Related-party transactions required independent approval.
Family members could no longer use company counsel for personal share transfers without written conflict disclosures.
I sat at the conference table holding my own proxy card.
My twelve percent remained mine.
Not Alistair’s.
Not Kirk’s.
Not my parents’.
Mine.
A proposal came up to elect a new independent director.
My father supported one candidate.
The committee recommended another.
He looked at me.
For most of my life, that look decided things.
I marked my vote.
Folded the card.
Submitted it.
Dad watched.
I did not explain.
The recommended independent director won narrowly.
Nothing exploded.
No one died.
The company continued.
Afterward Dad approached me.
“You voted against me.”
“I voted.”
He stared.
Then, to my surprise:
“Yes.”
May you like
One word.
Maybe the beginning of understanding.
