More evidence of board gender diversity challenges were recently revealed, this time in Singapore. Female directors at companies listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) are paid 56.8% of male directors’ remuneration on average indicating a 43.2% pay gap according to research by the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Business School. The research used the remuneration […]
Read MoreTravel company, Thomas Cook received a warning on pay this week at its AGM when the voting results showed that some investors at starting to take a joined up approach to remuneration-related voting. This is a signal to all companies seeking approval for their remuneration policies and new incentive plans this year that shareholders do not […]
Read MoreThe Church Investors Group (CIG) has written to all FTSE 350 company secretaries outlining its revised voting policy for 2017 which includes a tough stance on executive pay. The CIG brings together the major church-based institutional investors and with their combined assets of approximately £ 17 billion aims to increase their impact through the joint […]
Read MoreDespite attempts at investor engagement, tobacco firm Imperial Brands has withdrawn the resolution amending its policy at its AGM next week (1st February). The company said that that the decision followed consultations with shareholders, and that the existing policy approved by shareholders at its 2015 AGM will continue to apply. The withdrawal of the resolution suggests that the company […]
Read MoreThe UK’s Pension’s and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has advised its pension fund members to act more strongly on executive pay. It is advising funds oppose the re-election of the remuneration committee chair as a company director if they decide as shareholders to vote against a company’s remuneration policy. The PLSA’s voting guidelines for 2017 have been […]
Read MoreJeremy Corbyn, leader of the UK’s opposition Labour Party has outlined his party’s agenda for governance reform focusing on CEO pay ratios. In a speech in Peterborough last week (10th January) Corbyn added his voice to the current debate surrounding Theresa May’s governance green paper proposals. Billed as a new year message about what Labour would be […]
Read MoreResearch commissioned by CFA UK has examined the alignment of chief executive (CEO) pay and company value creation between 2003-2014/15 and found that total pay for the median CEO increased by 82% in real terms over the period. However, the median FTSE-350 company generated little in the way of a meaningful economic profit over the period […]
Read MoreInvestment giant, BlackRock, has indicated it will be toughening its stance on executive pay after giving evidence to the House of Commons’ Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) select committee. In future it will now hold remuneration committee chairmen to account for the decisions they have made; a move which Manifest recommended to the Committee at the […]
Read MoreThe UK government’s widely trailed corporate governance green paper has focused, as expected, on executive pay and stakeholder representation at companies as well consulting on corporate governance rules for large privately owned companies. Manifest welcomed the consultation particularly the Government’s questions in relation to proxy advisors and other shareholder advisors who support investment managers and asset owners in their […]
Read MoreThe British press were this weekend widely tipping that the publication of Theresa May’s flagship corporate governance reforms will be published this week. The BBC, Guardian, Telegraph, Sunday Times, and Scotsman have all run more or less the same articles over the weekend highlighting the key features of a proposed Bill: A requirement for companies to […]
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