A: Suspect ingredients, lack of traceability, bad labelling and poor retailer accountability. What on earth has dubious food processing got to do with proxy votes I hear you ask? The FT neatly sums it up in its article “From workhorse to main course” (15th Feb 2013): “our food chain is fragmented and open to abuse”. The same is true […]
Read MoreEurope’s much heralded Shareholders’ Rights Directive (2007) was meant to put an end to share blocking and immobilization and give all shareholders, irrespective of their locale, the same rights to vote across borders with minimum fuss. However, the best laid plans of regulators, shareholders and issuers appear to have been scuppered by the custodian banks, […]
Read MoreGuest post by:Magnus Furugård, President and Managing Director, GES International, a Manifest partner Asset owners and asset managers should engage more strongly on ESG performance with the banks in order to contribute to a more sustainable financial sector, a recent survey by GES concludes. The current situation in the industry, where the trust in banks […]
Read MoreWishing all our friends and followers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Read MoreThe European Commission this week (12/12/12) set out its 16 priorities for promoting sustainable and competitive companies in the EU. After two years of investigation, the Commission has decided to focus it’s workplan on three main areas: Transparency Long-Term Shareholder Engagement Company Law Reforms Transparency Increasing transparency on board diversity and risk management; Improving corporate governance reporting; Better […]
Read MoreThe Association of British Insurers have published the 2012 update to their Principles of Remuneration, with a number of key changes focusing on simpler remuneration structures while offering flexibility for special cases. Two new paragraphs have been inserted in the Principles, while content from the former Appendix is moved to an expanded Guidance section as […]
Read More[amazon-product align=”left” region=”uk”]1847668887[/amazon-product] What should directors be paid? When and how to motivate for sustainable returns are key questions for remuneration committees and shareholders alike. On the face of it they are easy questions to ask but good answers require a detailed framework of knowledge. To help shed some light on the complexities of executive remuneration, Manifest’s long […]
Read MoreAre executive pay peer group benchmarks the new credit ratings? New research from the Investor Responsibility Research Centre Institute (IRRCi) suggests that over-dependence on peer group benchmarking for setting executive pay is the root cause of pay inflation in the USA and that a holistic, business-centric approach to setting reward is needed by boards, investors and regulators, […]
Read MoreProfessor John Kay has published his review of equity markets and long-term decision making which was commissioned by the UK’s Business Secretary Vince Cable. Here are the key recommendations, source: Kay review – Final Report July 2012 1. The Stewardship Code should be developed to incorporate a more expansive form of stewardship, focussing on strategic […]
Read MoreOptimising the Means and Ends of Good Governance Manifest is proud to sponsor the 4th Cambridge International Regulation and Governance Conference on September 6th, at Queens College, Cambridge. In a timely intervention given recent consultations at national and supra-national level on both sides of the Atlantic touching on stewardship processes, the conference will address regulatory responses to aspects of the […]
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