Skillsoft - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Skillsoft is Medium Risk.

Skillsoft is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Skillsoft integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Impact Report: “And, we will start to engage our supply chain in supporting our ESG plans and goals, completing the end-to-end value chain collaboration toward a more sustainable future. Based on all of this activity and our progress to date, we’re proud to report that we’re building an even more comprehensive corporate ESG strategy for 2024” and “We select business partners and vendors based, in part, on consideration of their carbon impact” (1). The company had a history of tying executive compensation to DEI metrics (2). However, in 2024, the company stopped publishing its ESG Impact Report. To date, the company has not publicly addressed these changes, leaving shareholders without clarity regarding the company’s reasoning or future direction (3). Skillsoft promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (4). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (5).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Skillsoft does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Skillsoft offers unconscious bias and DEI training to its employees (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and hiring. From its 2023 Annual Report: “At Skillsoft, we are committed to employing a diverse workforce that brings a variety of experiences, ideas, and perspectives. We’re making progress, but recognize that we still have work to do. We are in the process of implementing a variety of diversity recruitment initiatives. We’re benchmarking our current diversity employment applications and hires, which will inform program goals and next steps” (2). Skillsoft has a history of divisive corporate policies. However, in 2025, the company removed DEI language and policies from its 2025 Annual Report. To date, the company has not publicly addressed these changes, leaving shareholders without clarity regarding the company’s reasoning or future direction (3). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Skillsoft’s former CEO, Jeffrey R. Tarr, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (1)(2). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Impact Report: “Through the lens of the employee lifecycle, each member of our Executive Leadership Team has been assigned at least one bias-breaking objective and key result (OKR) that is diversity-, equity-, or inclusion- aligned.” (3). Skillsoft supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Impact Report: “ Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ESG programs are also guided by the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on areas in which we can make the most impact” (4). However, in 2024, the company stopped publishing its ESG Impact Report. To date, the company has not publicly addressed these changes, leaving shareholders without clarity regarding the company’s reasoning or future direction (5).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Skillsoft has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Skillsoft does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).