Greg Abel earns solid scorecard from Berkshire shareholders after first annual meeting

OMAHA, Nebraska — In his debut running Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting, Greg Abel delivered what many shareholders came to see: a steady hand, a firm grasp of the sprawling conglomerate and just enough of his own style to reassure investors the post-Warren Buffett era is on solid footing. The reviews from longtime shareholders and professional investors were broadly positive, even as many acknowledged the notable absence of Buffett, whose wit, storytelling and investing acumen have long defined the event. "Very solid. No misspoke words. Thorough answers," said Steve Check, founder of Check Capital Management. "Nice guy, but we sure don't have the laughs that we had with Warren and Charlie [Munger]." "Greg and company delivered on content, examination of businesses and confidence in outlook," Macrae Sykes, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds. David Kass, a finance professor at University of Maryland and a decades-long Berkshire shareholder, said he grew more confident in Berkshire after seeing firsthand Abel's performance. He pointed to the firm's "deep bench" — including executives like vice chairman of Berkshire's insurance operations Ajit Jain; Adam Johnson, president of Berkshire's consumer products, service and retailing businesses; and BNSF Railway CEO Katie Farmer — as evidence that leadership continuity runs well beyond a single figure. "Greg demonstrated the knowledge of and passion for running all of Berkshire's businesses," Kass said. "His main focus is th