But many corporate governance specialists are harsher than he is.

Charles Elson, a governance specialist at the University of Delaware, said the issues of overlap were a matter of nuance.

But he is being thrust into public view, where his decisions will be scrutinized not just by investors and governance specialists, but also by regulators and lawyers.

Some corporate governance specialists said that they thought Disney's board would have started interviewing candidates already.

The postponement of an annual meeting is uncommon, corporate governance specialists say.

The combination has its appeal, corporate governance specialists say.

Investors and corporate governance specialists said that even if the recommendations were adopted, they would not be able to prevent fraud by corporate executives.

"This issue is not going away," said Charles M. Elson, a governance specialist at the University of Delaware.

Corporate governance specialists say, though, that Ms. Givens had conflicts that grew out of her status as a venture capital investor.

Mr. Snow's compensation, amid CSX's uneven performance, has drawn criticism from union officials and some corporate governance specialists.