2020 Proxy Season Focus: ESG Management and Board Accountability

In the world of corporate governance and proxy voting, 2020 has been a remarkable year, not only because annual general meetings took place in the midst of a global pandemic that forced the abrupt transition to a virtual proxy season, but also because this year marked the beginning of the new decade at a time when companies and investors experience a major shift in how they engage on the topic of corporate governance. The scope of corporate governance activities is no longer limited to issues directly linked to routine meeting agenda items, such as director elections, shareholder rights, executive compensation, and audit quality. The definition of governance is expanding to include the management of environmental and social risks and opportunities.