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About the event

Adding even more value to our review of the proxy season, the 2023 ICGN Policy Forum & Proxy Season Review (held on 20 and 21 September in London) will be a two-day event.

As well as focussing on international trends and highlights of the current year while looking forward to hot topics for next year’s proxy season, this year’s event opens with an interactive half-day session on broader policy issues. Our Policy Forum includes the opportunity to hear from leading voices, regulators and standard setters, and to share your own perspective on ICGN’s Policy work.

Day One’s interactive sessions will be followed by ICGN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which non-members are welcome to attend. Voting is only available to ICGN Lead Members, who will be sent voting instructions and further details

On Day Two,  we will focus on international trends and highlights  of the current year and share expert views on potential hot issues for next year’s proxy season. ICGN’s Proxy Season Round-up considers annual voting trends, appraise the continued increase in shareholder proposals related to corporate sustainability policies, equity audits, corporate political activity, climate related disclosure and so on. 

We will convene business leaders and international investors  to proactively engage and anticipate what’s next on the horizon. Please see the agendas for each day of the ICGN Policy Forum & Proxy Season Review below for further details.

Please contact Christopher Smith via csmith@icgn.org for sponsorship opportunities. 

For our registration terms and conditions click here

Sorry, this event is now closed to new registrations.

Date

-

Location

etc.venues St Paul's - 200 Aldersgate St, Barbican, London EC1A 4HD

Fee

ICGN Members: £300

Partner: £375

Non-Members: £450

*Please note 20% VAT may apply

For accommodation options please click here 
 

Speakers

Senior Partner
SWIPRA Services AG
Christoph Wenk
Head of Governance, EMEA/APAC
T. Rowe Price
Jocelyn Brown
Chair of the Board
ICGN
Ian Burger
Senior Director of U.S. Research
Glass Lewis
Brianna Castro
Managing Director and Global Head of Active Ownership
Credit Suisse Asset Management & ICGN Board Member
ChristineChow
Chair
International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) and Co-CEO, International Foundation for Ethics and Audit
Gabriele headshot.jpg
Senior Policy Manager
ICGN
Carol Nolan Drake
Senior Portfolio Manager
APG Asset Management
Michael Dymond
Head of Sustainable Ownership (Acting)
Railpen
Caroline Escott
Head of Corporate Governance
BP
Alia Fazal
Director for CSR & International Affairs
Afep (Association Française des Entreprises Privées)
Elisabeth Gambert
President & CEO
National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)
Peter Gleason
Head of Corporate Governance
Schroders
Tim Goodman
Executive Director
The Investor Forum
AndyGriffiths
Senior Corporate Governance Adviser
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Susannah Haan
Head of Secretariat
German Corporate Governance
Cordula
European Client Relations Manager
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check
Bram Hendriks
Global Head of Stewardship
BNP Paribas Asset Management
Michael Herskovich
Senior Vice President & Head of Corporate Service
Alliance Advisors
AngelikaHorstmeier
ESG IR Manager
ArcelorMittal
Victoria Irving
Worldwide Vice President Corporate Governance & Corporate Secretary
Johnson & Johnson
Marc Larkins
Global Head of Public Policy & Regulation
PwC UK
Gilly Lord
Managing Director
Valoris Stewardship Catalysts
Mike Lubrano
Director - Sustainability, Policy & Regulatory Affairs
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)
David Madon
Strategic Policy Advisor on Sustainable Finance
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Mark Manning
Chief Operating Officer, Alliance International
Alliance Advisors
TimothyMarshall
Director - Stewardship, Risk and Tax
The Investment Association
Andrew Ninian
Senior Policy Officer
ESMA Investors Protection and Sustainable Finance Department
Valerio Novembre
Managing Director on the Shareholder & Strategic Advisory team
Evercore
Zach Oleksiuk
Managing Director, Head of the UK
Morrow Sodali
Alison Owers
Managing Director, Head of Sustainability Advisory
Alliance Advisors
Emanuelle
Senior Research Fellow
Monash Centre for Financial Studies - Monash University
Nga Pham
Head of Investment Stewardship, EMEA & APAC
Vangaurd
Sarah Relich
Corporate Governance Advisor
Assogestioni
Dimitri
Managing Director
Investor Forum
Victoria Sant
Director, Total Fund Management & Head of Corporate Governance
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Paul Schneider
Head of Engagement
Schroders
Hannah Shoesmith
EMEA Head of Stewardship
Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Jen Sisson
Climate Change Lead in Environmental Initiatives
Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM)
Tim Smith
Head of Advice and Practice
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Duncan Spencer
Chief Sustainability Officer
Fidelity International
Jenn-HuiTanPicture
Head of Stewardship
Financial Reporting Council
AndreaTweedie
Governance Manager
Qatar Investment Authority
Cristina Ungureanu
Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, Private Markets
Manulife Investment Management
Walter Viguiliouk
Chief Executive Officer
ICGN
Kerrie Waring

Agenda

  • 20 September 2023 - Day One, Policy Forum & AGM: Wednesday 20 September 2023

    08:30
    Registration open (all day)

    Tea, coffee & refreshments

    09:15 - 09:25
    Welcome remarks

     

    Carol Nolan Drake, Governance & Stewardship Policy Manager, ICGN, USA

    09:25 - 10:05
    Session One: Stewardship best practices in private equity

    Bram Hendriks, Client Relations Manager, Europe, Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, Netherlands – ICGN Global Stewardship Committee

    • Michael Dymond, Senior Portfolio Manager, APG US, United States
    • Andrea Tweedie, Head of Stewardship, Regulatory Standards Division, Financial Reporting Council, UK
    • Walter Viguiliouk, Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, Private Markets, Manulife Investment Management, Canada (Virtual)
    10:05 - 10:45
    Session Two: Governance of controlled companies

    Cristina Ungureanu, Chair, ICGN Global Governance Committee

    • Mike Lubrano, Managing Director, Valoris Stewardship Catalysts, USA
    • Valerio Novembre, Senior Policy Officer, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), France

     

    10:45 – 11:15
    Morning Refreshments

    Tea, coffee & refreshments

    11:15 - 11:55
    Session Three: Assurance of sustainability reporting

    Nga Pham, Senior Research Fellow, Monash Centre for Financial Studies, Monash University- ICGN Co-Chair of the Financial Capital Committee (Virtual)

    • Elisabeth Gambert, Director for CSR & International Affairs, Association Française des Entreprises Privées (AFEP), France (Virtual)
    • David Madon, Director Public Policy & Regulation, The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), USA  (Virtual)
    • Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair, International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) and Co-CEO, International Foundation for Ethics and Audit, Portugal (Virtual)
    11:55 - 12:55
    Networking Lunch
    12:55 - 13:35
    Session Four: Workers’ rights and inclusion in corporate decisions

    Michael Herskovich, Global Head of Stewardship, BNP Paribas Asset Management, France - ICGN Human Capital Committee

    • Susannah Haan, Senior Corporate Governance Adviser, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) UK
    • Cordula Heldt, head of Secretariat, German Corporate Governance Commission, Germany
    • Duncan Spencer, Head of Advice and Practice, Institution of Occupational Safety & Health, UK

     

    13:35 - 14:15
    Session Five: Credible climate and other environmental corporate commitments

    Dr. Christoph Wenk Bernasconi, Senior Partner, SWIPRA Services, Switzerland - ICGN Natural Capital Committee

    • Mark Manning, Strategic Policy Advisor, Sustainable Finance, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UK
    • Tim Smith, Lead Investment Stewardship Manager - Climate Change, Norges Bank Investment Management, UK


     

    14:15 - 14:45
    Afternoon Refreshments

    Tea, coffee & refreshments

    14:45 - 16:45
    Conference Close and ICGN Annual General Meeting 2023 Introduction

     ICGN Annual General Meeting 2023

    Join the ICGN Annual General Meeting which is being held in a hybrid format. Participants may attend in person or by virtual means. Votes and questions can be cast ahead of the meeting on-line or in-person on the day. Guests (non-members) are welcome to attend in person and only Lead ICGN Members can vote. All ICGN Members can choose to participate remotely online, or Lead Members can vote in advance and submit questions in advance online.

     

  • 21 September 2023 - Day Two Proxy Season Review: Thursday 21 September 2023

    .
    Please note, this is a working draft agenda: The programme is subject to change
    08:30 – 09:30
    Registration
    08:45 – 09:15
    Breakfast Briefing – ICGN 2023 Agenda and Beyond
    09:30 – 09:40
    Welcome from ICGN
    09:40 – 10:40
    Plenary 1: European round-up from the 2023 proxy season

    What are the key take-aways from the 2023 proxy season? To what extent will emergent regulation around AGMs and voting power impact shareholder rights? How can we ensure that third party externalities do not disrupt the effective management of the AGM itself? What were the common themes arising from different markets and what’s on the horizon?

    • Andy Griffiths, Executive Director, Investor Forum, UK
    • Tim Goodman, Head of Corporate Governance, Schroder Investment Management, UK
    • Andrew Ninian, Director of Stewardship, Risk & Tax, The Investor Association, UK
    • Jen Sisson, EMEA Head of Stewardship, Goldman Sachs, UK

    Moderated by: Ian Burger, Chair, ICGN Board of Governors

     

    10:40 – 11:40
    Plenary 2: Enhancing the quality of sustainability reporting

    Sustainability reporting requirements around the world are adapting to a global baseline. Harmonised standards will enable more efficient corporate reporting and provide higher quality information for investors who themselves must report on their own net-zero targets. Company proxy statements now commonly include a sustainability section.This often includes information on the governance of sustainability, performance metrics, and achievements. What does good sustainability reporting look like? How is it addressed at the AGM? What proposals are most commonly discussed and voted upon?

    Moderated by Alison Owers, Managing Director, Head of the UK, Morrow Sodali, UK

    11:40 – 12:00
    Networking and Refreshments
    12:00 – 13:00
    Plenary 3: US Developments: Evolution of Universal Proxy Rules

    Universal proxy card rules are the most significant change in corporate governance since say-on-pay and could amplify already complex proxy dynamics. Contests to date, as well as the new guidance from the US SEC, suggest that the future of proxy solicitations may be meaningfully different from what they have been in the past. What were the key themes arising  from the US proxy season this year and what’s on the horizon?

    • Brianna Castro, Senior Director of U.S. Research, Glass Lewis, USA
    • Peter Gleason, President & CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), USA
    • Zach Oleksiuk, Managing Director, Evercore, USA

    Moderated by: Carol Nolan Drake, Governance & Stewardship Policy Manager, ICGN, USA

    13:00 – 14:00
    Networking Lunch
    14:00 – 15:00
    Plenary 4: Constructive engagement: what does this mean in practice?

    Regulators around the world are calling for more constructive dialogue between companies and investors to promote long-term value creation.  Both parties are subject to enhanced reporting requirements to demonstrate positive outcomes. What does effective engagement look like? When should tactics be escalated to the extent a vote against a company resolution becomes a necessity? Investors and companies will share their experience and consider how to improve dialogue for mutual benefit.

    • Marc Larkins, Worldwide Vice President Corporate Governance & Corporate Secretary, Johnson & Johnson, USA
    • Paul Schneider, Director, Total Fund Management & Head of Corporate Governance, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Canada

    Moderated by Jocelyn Brown,  Head of Governance, EMEA/APAC, T. Rowe Price, UK

    15:00 – 16:00
    Plenary 5: Engagement today, understanding your frenemy

    This panel will examine the ever-increasing importance of shareholder engagement and how a successful dialogue program between corporations and investors may hedge against investor activism. The esteemed panel will discuss legal considerations when engaging with shareholders, examine the board’s involvement is with the engagement process, explain what investors expect to learn from corporate issuers in their engagement sessions, and consider the best corporate strategies in communicating with institutions.

    Chaired by: Emmanuelle Palikuca, Managing Director, Head of Sustainability Advisory, Alliance Advisors, UK

    16:00 – 16:20
    Networking and Refreshments
    16:20 – 17:20
    Plenary 6: Shareholder rights and the rising tide of differential share structures

    Dual class share ownership structures are increasingly prevalent in multigenerational legacy businesses and founder-led start-ups as a key mechanism to retain control following IPO. This year, in a bid to increase market competitiveness, the UK FCA is proposing to weaken shareholder rights to hold corporate boards accountable by relaxing a series of rules associated with voting and on issues such as related party transactions. In a similar vein, the S&P Dow Jones Indices has decided to allow companies with multiple class shares to be considered eligible candidates for addition to the S&P Composite 1500 and component indices. To what extent do investors care about this? What does this say about the equitable treatment of shareholders in their ability to hold companies to account? This session will discuss the pros and cons of entrenched ownership, the effectiveness of shareholder action, and the role of Index providers in pressuring dual-share structures.

    Moderated by:  Mike Lubrano, Managing Director, Valoris Stewardship Catalysts, USA

    17:20 – 17:30
    Closing Remarks and Close of Conference