The ICGN Global Stewardship Disclosure Awards recognise excellence and innovation in investor stewardship and related public disclosures. The Awards were announced at the ICGN Global Virtual Summit, attended by governance and stewardship professionals from around the world, on 3rd November 2021.
Excellence in Corporate Governance Award
Excellence in Stewardship Award
Asset Owners – £60 billion and above AUM Winner
Asset Owners – Under £60 billion AUM Winner
Asset Managers – £60 billion and above AUM Winner
Asset Managers – Under £60 billion AUM Winner
Excellence in Corporate Governance Award – Organisation, Team or Collaboration
Excellence in Corporate Governance Award – Individuals
Excellence in Stewardship Award: Organisation, Team or Collaboration
Rising Star Award
Asset Managers £60 billion and above AUM
Asset Managers under £60 billion AUM
Asset Owners – £60 billion and above AUM
Asset Owners- under £60 billion AUM
The ICGN Global Stewardship Disclosure Awards recognise excellence and innovation in investor stewardship and related public disclosures. The Awards were announced at the ICGN Global Virtual Summit, attended by governance and stewardship professionals from around the world, on 3rd November 2021. The awards were presented by the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), an investor-led body with members representing assets under management (AuM) of around $59 trillion.
This year’s recipients are:
The ICGN Global Stewardship Disclosure Awards recognise those investors whose public disclosures provide genuine insight into their stewardship policies and how they have been implemented, and whose approach to transparency and reporting provides a model that others might follow. Recipients are chosen by independent judging panels from a published shortlist.
AP2, Andra AP-fonden and MainePERS were jointly awarded the global stewardship disclosure award for asset owners with less than £60 billion AuM.
Ulrika Danielsson, Head of Communications & Corporate Governance, collected the award on behalf of AP2, Andra AP-fonden and said: “We are very honoured and proud to receive the ICGN Global Stewardship Disclosure Award. The ICGN policies and principles have been a great inspiration to form the basis for AP2’s work with sustainability. This award inspires both us, and hopefully other investors, to continue the work of good stewardship and to further develop our way of disclosing what we do. Especially in times when new reporting standards are on its way that can be quite challenging.”
Whilst Jim Bennett, CIO collected the award on behalf of MainePERS: “MainePERS views a commitment to high standards in transparency and disclosure as the foundation on which effective stewardship of assets is built. We are delighted to receive this recognition as an endorsement of our ongoing efforts in this area.”
On receiving the Global Stewardship Disclosure Award for asset owners with more than £60 billion AuM, Richard Manley, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Investing at CPP Investments said: “We are honoured to be acknowledged for a second time for the highest standards of corporate governance and investor stewardship. Transparent and reliable disclosure is critical to maintaining and growing the trust of the 20 million Canadians we serve, as well as the trust of our global partners and peers. We share ICGN’s conviction in promoting the highest standards of corporate governance and investor stewardship in pursuit of long-term value creation, contributing to sustainable economies, social prosperity and a healthy environment.”
On receiving the award for asset managers with less than £60 billion AuM, Natasha Landell-Mills, Head of Stewardship and Partner at Sarasin & Partners, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the ICGN Stewardship Disclosure Award. Disclosure is crucial – not just to give clients visibility of our work – but also because it holds us accountable. Asset managers should disclose how they hold companies to account – and what they are doing where companies fall short.”
Michael Marks, Head of Responsible Investment Integration at Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) collected the award for asset managers with over £60 billion AuM and said: “We are truly honoured to be chosen as the best in class at the 2021 ICGN Global Stewardship Awards for LGIM’s stewardship policies, practices and reporting. As one of the world’s largest asset managers we continue to build on our credentials as a responsible investor and remain committed to leading the asset management industry in addressing the environmental and social challenges arising from a rapidly changing world.”
Announcing the awards Phil Armstrong, Chair of the ICGN Awards Committee said: “In keeping with last year, this year’s nominations were received from across a good spread of countries and regions around the world confirming the increasingly widespread application of investor stewardship that is no longer limited only to capital markets in Europe and North America. We are reassured that there continues to be a pleasing enhancement in the quality and reporting of stewardship disclosure. As the world confronts unprecedented challenges such as climate and the COVID pandemic with its attendant disruptions to economies and societies, high quality stewardship by asset managers and asset owners is a vital element in ensuring appropriate accountability for the funds entrusted to them.”
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The ICGN, an investor-led body with members representing assets under management in excess of US$59trillion, has announced awards to three individuals in honour of their exceptional achievements towards improving corporate governance and one organisation which has excelled in investment stewardship.
This year’s recipients are:
ICGN Award candidates are nominated by ICGN Members who recommend the candidates for the impact of their efforts on corporate governance and investment stewardship practices around the world. Announcing the awards Henry Jones, President of CalPERS and Chair of ICGN, said: “In their different ways Mats, Santiago and Helen have all demonstrated the impact that dedicated individuals can make in improving corporate governance and stewardship for the benefit of us all; and the FAIRR Initiative is an excellent example of what can be achieved when such individuals work together. Congratulations to all of them on their well-deserved awards”
Former Head of Division, Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance Division in the Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs at the OECD, Mats Isaksson was awarded the prestigious ‘ICGN Lifetime Achievement Award’. Mats has been described as a visionary, and without his leadership the corporate governance landscape would not be what it is today. Under his watch, the G20/OECD Principles have come to embody the consensus among policy makers that the quality of corporate governance remains critical to economic development and social welfare.
Upon accepting the award, Mats said: “It is a great honour to follow in the footsteps of my mentors Sir Adrian Cadbury and Ira Millstein in receiving this award. While this is a lifetime achievement award I still look ahead to a corporate governance environment where business can continue to help lifting all boats.”
Santiago Chaher, Managing Director, Cefeidas Group was awarded the ICGN Excellence in Corporate Governance Award. Santiago receives the award for his dedication to corporate governance in Latin America, particularly his contributions to the New Argentine Corporate Governance Code (2019), the ongoing success of the Bolsas y Mercados Argentino’s corporate governance-focused listing segment and improving board diversity in Argentina and Latin America.
Upon accepting the award, Santiago said: “I am grateful for this extraordinary recognition I have received for my work. I am lucky to have not one, but a group of mentors who are all part of the ICGN family. I have been fortunate to have continually met inspired, talented and skilled people who I have been able to learn from. I think this characteristic is the mark of successful performance today and in this, the ICGN has been, and will remain of vital importance to positively influence good governance and lay the ground for better dialogue between companies and investors.”
Helen Price, Head of Stewardship, Brunel Pension Partnership is the first recipient of the ICGN Rising Star Award. This award is brand new for 2021 and ICGN’s first award to recognise individuals in the early stages of their career in corporate governance or stewardship who have already made a valuable contribution, and who have demonstrated the potential to be future leaders. Helen leads Brunel’s stewardship work and was commended for her efforts on diversity and inclusion as well as cybersecurity. Her work on identifying best practice has led to Brunel’s Stewardship Policy and Voting Guidelines being proclaimed as one of the most progressive globally.
Upon receiving the ICGN Rising Star Award, Helen Price said: “It is an honour to receive this award and to know the work I am passionate about resonates with others. I feel truly privileged to work in this industry and work with likeminded individuals who seek to make an impact and positive change. I strive to live up to the high standards the network has set before me. Thank you.”
The FAIRR Initiative was awarded the ICGN Excellence in Stewardship Award, FAIRR has boosted investor awareness and corporate knowledge around dietary choices as key determinants of environmental sustainability and human health while encouraging protein diversification for business growth and positive climate impacts.
Jeremy Coller, Chair of the FAIRR Initiative said: “FAIRR is delighted to be recognised by ICGN for our Sustainable Proteins engagement. The investors in FAIRR’s engagement have dramatically changed the conversation on protein and we’re now seeing visible leadership from many large food retailers and manufacturers to put more sustainable alternatives to meat protein on the supermarket shelf.”
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Federated Hermes
Assistant Manager, EOS
London
Will co-leads the climate change theme at EOS, the stewardship arm of Federated Hermes Limited, where his coverage includes companies in Europe and Australia, primarily financial services, energy, chemicals, and materials. Prior to joining EOS, Will worked in the energy and infrastructure investment banking team at Macquarie Capital, where he specialised in renewable energy. Before that, Will held a number of roles across the UK climate policy space, including as a parliamentary researcher for Rt. Hon. Chris Skidmore MP on climate and energy issues, and as a climate and economic policy analyst at a diplomatic institute. He was appointed as a voluntary adviser to Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, President of COP26, on preparations for COP26 after co-founding a Westminster climate policy group in 2019, which engaged MPs and Members of the House of Lords to advocate for more ambition on climate action in public policy. Will has a Bachelor’s degree (1st Class Honours) in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
