Reflections on the proxy voting season - Q3 2021
Date: 13 October 2021
Stewardship Code 2020
The quarter brought the welcome news that as part of Quilter plc, we became one of the first wave of signatories to the 2020 Stewardship Code.
Voting in action
From 1 July 2021 voting began on our discretionary holdings in the US and Europe. Since we began voting in March 2017 our voting universe has increased by 350%. The third quarter is always quieter, compared to the previous AGM heavy period, and the focus for a number of our engagements were follow up conversations particularly with chairs of investment trusts.
Authors
Gemma Woodward
Executive Director & Head of Responsible InvestmentI lead the responsible investment team at Quilter Cheviot working to ensure that we act as stewards of our clients’ assets in order to protect and enhance their long-term returns. I am a member of the Investment Oversight Committee within Quilter Cheviot and I am a member of a number of industry groups focused on responsible and sustainable investment.
Greg Kearney
Senior Responsible Investment AnalystGreg's role is to ensure Quilter Cheviot act as stewards of our clients’ assets in order to protect and enhance long-term returns. A significant part of his work is engaging with companies and funds to better understand how they assess environmental, social and governance risks.
Nicholas Omale
Responsible Investment AnalystIn my role as a Responsible Investment Analyst, the primary focus is the development and ongoing management of data dashboards for our equity analysts as well as for the funds and models that we manage for environmental, social and governance (ESG) research integration. I also assist with thematic research and thought leadership as well as engaging with companies and boards to better understand how they manage ESG risks and opportunities.
Prior to joining Quilter Cheviot, Nicholas completed the Investment Trainee programme at BNP Paribas Asset Management. He is an ambassador for Investment 2020. Nicholas’ quantitative approach to responsible investment brings a new skillset to the team and has enabled the building of new data tools for the equity research team as well as for our model portfolios and funds.