When your KiwiSaver or investment fund uses your money for equity investments they buy shares in the company. That makes them a part owner of the company and gives them the power to vote their shares at Annual General Meetings. It also opens the door to influence company management and Boards through meetings and other forms of engagement.
And when this is done at a large scale it can influence companies by changing their policies or their Directors. More fund providers are now recognising they have a responsibility to influence companies towards higher social and environmental standards.
Most individual investors are not provided with the information to be able to understand how this works, and whether the change is real. New Zealand fund providers now have a Stewardship Code to guide good practice, and some experience of how engagement can be effective.
In this seminar, we will take a deep dive into this engagement or ‘stewardship’ process, to understand it from the perspective of the fund provider and the company.
We'll be talking with:
🎙️ Frances Blundell – Chief Legal & ESG Officer at KMD.
Frances is responsible for leading the Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) strategies and initiatives for Kathmandu, Rip Curl and Oboz
🎙️ Jorge Waayman - ESG programme manager at Harbour Asset Management
Jorge manages Harbour’s ESG programme including research and implementation. This involves coordinating policies, engagement and proxy voting activity across investments and participating in wider industry collaboration.
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