Investors, Companies and Corporate Governance Organizations Encouraged to Participate in ISS’ Annual Policy Development Process
ROCKVILLE, Md. (July 29, 2020) – Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), a leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment solutions to financial market participants, today launched its 2021 Annual Policy Survey, a key component of ISS’ annual benchmark policy development process, assessing potential policy changes globally for 2021 and beyond. Institutional investors, public companies, corporate directors, and all other interested market constituents are invited to respond to the survey.
Similar to last year, this year’s questions are posed within a single survey, to help streamline the process for respondents. This year, the survey is structured to include questions related to ISS policy guidance released earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AGM formats, and stakeholder expectations regarding compensation and adjustments to incentives. Additionally, it also elicits feedback on a global level related to climate change risk, sustainable development goals, auditors and audit committees, and racial and ethnic diversity on corporate boards. At regional and market levels, the survey topics include independent board chairs in the U.S.; pan-European executive and director remuneration; director independence classifications in Russia; board and corporate governance reports in the Middle East; auditor fees in Sub-Saharan Africa; board independence, capital misallocation tied to cross-shareholdings, and director elections in Japan; director independence related to tenure in India; and material governance failures in Korea.
The survey will close on August 21, 2020, at 5pm ET.
In addition to the annual survey, ISS will continue to conduct a variety of regionally-based, topic-specific roundtable discussions gathering broad input from investors, company directors and others that will also factor into the update and development of ISS’ benchmark policy guidelines for 2021. As in prior years, after analysis and consideration of the survey responses and the many other inputs, ISS will open a public comment period in October for all interested market participants on the proposed changes to our benchmark voting policies for next year. The open comment period is designed to elicit objective, specific feedback from investors, companies and other market constituents on the practical implementation of proposed policy updates, before the final policy changes are determined and published later in the year.
This year’s Annual Policy Survey can be accessed here.
