A letter from an “activist shareholder.”

This assignment is to be submitted in the form of a letter from an “activist shareholder.” Remember, all investors are actually owners of the company. While it is true that most take little to no action in attending annual meetings or exercising voting rights, some investors secure a large ownership stake in the company and use that leverage to attempt to guide the direction of management. In this assignment, you are taking on the role of an educated investor (which you now are) who owns a “significant” number of shares in Salesforce.com. You are writing an open letter to the Board of Directors with your suggestions for change. The letter may be positive or negative in tone, but the purpose is to highlight key financial data and urge management to take certain actions. Your letter must clearly state your reasons for reaching out to the Board, your rationale for buying the stock, and your recommendations for changes going forward. Instructions To prepare for your letter to the Board: • Read sections from the Salesforce.com: 2016 Annual Report, which is available in Weeks 8 and 9 of your online course. The sections to read are: “Selected Financial Data”(starting on page 36) and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (starting on page 38).      

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