Engaging a Proxy Solicitation firm ensures that a company’s Board and executive team is informed about its shareholder base, the voting tendencies of these shareholders, and proxy votes being cast by these shareholders in the lead-up to a shareholder meeting.
Proxy Solicitation firms play an important role raising awareness amongst shareholders so they can make an informed voting decision in routine shareholder meetings (AGMs), extraordinary shareholder meetings (M&A), and contested shareholder meetings (proxy fights).
Proxy Solicitation firms provide the following services:
- Strategic Communication developing communication strategies to inform shareholders about upcoming shareholder meetings. This includes key message development and selection of optimal communication channels.
- Register Segmentation and Mapping analysing the share register to identify underlying beneficial owners, segmenting the various investor constituencies, and quantifying the influence of proxy advisers or other stakeholders.
- Vote Tracking and Forecasting monitoring voting intentions, overlayed with investor voting policies, to provide accurate vote forecasts and updates on votes cast in real-time.
- Investor Engagement engaging directly with all key investor constituencies and raising awareness of the resolutions to equip investors with the information required to make an informed voting decision.
- Navigating Proxy Advisors preparing directors for engagement with proxy advisers and ensuring company disclosures contain the relevant information that aligns with proxy adviser expectations.
With high levels of institutional ownership across the share registers of ASX-listed companies, Proxy Solicitation firms play a key role providing investor-focused advice to Boards and C-suite executives.
Understanding your shareholder base, ensuring that company disclosures align with investor expectations, and communicating with the right investors who make voting decisions, ensures that unexpected outcomes at shareholder meetings are averted.
For further information about how PGS Advisers can support your organisation, please contact Marc Stanghieri at marc@pgsadvisory.com.au