ROCKVILLE, Md. (December 17, 2024) — ISS Governance, a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and recommendations, multiple voting policy choices and end-to-end workflow solutions for institutional investors, and a unit of ISS STOXX, today announced updates to its 2025 Benchmark proxy voting policies. The updated policies will generally be applied for shareholder meetings taking place on or after Feb. 1, 2025.
Each year ISS Governance Research conducts a robust, inclusive, and transparent global policy development process to review and update the ISS Benchmark voting policies for the upcoming year, led by its Global Policy Board. The process incorporates an assessment of emerging issues, relevant regulatory changes, and notable trends seen across global, regional, and individual markets, plus relevant academic research, and empirical studies. Views and input are gathered from a broad range of institutional investors, companies, and other market participants worldwide through a variety of channels and over a number of months, and a public comment period is then provided on proposed policy changes before finalizing the updates for the following year.
For the Executive Summary on this year’s updates, globally, please click here. For more details of all policy updates by region, click here for the Americas, here for EMEA, and here for Asia Pacific.
“This year is the 20th in which a broad range of institutional investors, companies and other interested market constituents globally have provided thoughtful feedback through ISS’ annual Benchmark policy survey, roundtables and other meetings, and through our public open comment period on proposed changes,” said Georgina Marshall, Global Head of Research and Chair of the ISS Global Policy Board. “ISS’ clients include some of the most sophisticated institutional investors across the world and our transparent, market-based approach to evolving the Benchmark policies that are a basis of ISS’ informed, independent research and voting recommendations, continues to help support investors in making considered voting decisions in any particular situation, in light of their own investment and governance philosophies, stewardship responsibilities and fiduciary duties.”
For full details of the ISS Governance Benchmark policy updates announced, please visit the ISS Policy Gateway.
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About ISS Governance
Founded in 1985 as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) Inc., ISS Governance is a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and recommendations, providing multiple voting policy choices as well as end-to-end workflow solutions for institutional investors. More than 1,600 clients worldwide utilize ISS Governance’s actionable expertise to help them make informed investment stewardship decisions, and to help them manage their voting responsibilities. Covering over 50,000 meetings annually, ISS Governance leverages its extensive global footprint, deep experience, high quality data and analysis, unified client support, and technology infrastructure to continuously evolve and extend its innovative suite of solutions to meet clients’ evolving portfolio, fiduciary, and stewardship requirements. Learn more at: https://www.issgovernance.com/solutions/proxy-voting-services/
About ISS STOXX
ISS STOXX GmbH, through its group companies, is a leading provider of comprehensive and data-centric research and technology solutions that help capital market participants identify investment opportunities, detect qualitative and quantitative portfolio company risks, and meet evolving regulatory requirements. With roots dating back to 1985, we today deliver world-class benchmark and custom indices across asset classes and geographies and serve as a premier source of independent corporate governance, sustainability, cyber risk, and fund intelligence research, data, and related offerings. Our products and services give clients the scale and leverage they need to grow their business more effectively and efficiently. ISS STOXX, which is majority owned by Deutsche Börse Group, is comprised of more than 3,500 professionals operating across 33 global locations in 19 countries. Its approximately 6,400 clients include many of the world’s leading institutional investors who turn to ISS STOXX for its objective and varied offerings, as well as companies focused on ESG, cyber, and governance risk mitigation as a shareholder value enhancing measure. Clients rely on ISS STOXX’s expertise to help them make informed decisions to benefit their stakeholders.
Media Contact:
Izabella Nagy
Communications Analyst
press@iss-stoxx.com
ISS Governance Announces 2025 Benchmark Policy Updates
ROCKVILLE, Md. (December 17, 2024) — ISS Governance, a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and recommendations, multiple voting policy choices and end-to-end workflow solutions for institutional investors, and a unit of ISS STOXX, today announced updates to its 2025 Benchmark proxy voting policies. The updated policies will generally be applied for shareholder meetings taking place on or after Feb. 1, 2025.
Each year ISS Governance Research conducts a robust, inclusive, and transparent global policy development process to review and update the ISS Benchmark voting policies for the upcoming year, led by its Global Policy Board. The process incorporates an assessment of emerging issues, relevant regulatory changes, and notable trends seen across global, regional, and individual markets, plus relevant academic research, and empirical studies. Views and input are gathered from a broad range of institutional investors, companies, and other market participants worldwide through a variety of channels and over a number of months, and a public comment period is then provided on proposed policy changes before finalizing the updates for the following year.
For the Executive Summary on this year’s updates, globally, please click here. For more details of all policy updates by region, click here for the Americas, here for EMEA, and here for Asia Pacific.
“This year is the 20th in which a broad range of institutional investors, companies and other interested market constituents globally have provided thoughtful feedback through ISS’ annual Benchmark policy survey, roundtables and other meetings, and through our public open comment period on proposed changes,” said Georgina Marshall, Global Head of Research and Chair of the ISS Global Policy Board. “ISS’ clients include some of the most sophisticated institutional investors across the world and our transparent, market-based approach to evolving the Benchmark policies that are a basis of ISS’ informed, independent research and voting recommendations, continues to help support investors in making considered voting decisions in any particular situation, in light of their own investment and governance philosophies, stewardship responsibilities and fiduciary duties.”
For full details of the ISS Governance Benchmark policy updates announced, please visit the ISS Policy Gateway.
###
About ISS Governance
Founded in 1985 as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) Inc., ISS Governance is a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and recommendations, providing multiple voting policy choices as well as end-to-end workflow solutions for institutional investors. More than 1,600 clients worldwide utilize ISS Governance’s actionable expertise to help them make informed investment stewardship decisions, and to help them manage their voting responsibilities. Covering over 50,000 meetings annually, ISS Governance leverages its extensive global footprint, deep experience, high quality data and analysis, unified client support, and technology infrastructure to continuously evolve and extend its innovative suite of solutions to meet clients’ evolving portfolio, fiduciary, and stewardship requirements. Learn more at: https://www.issgovernance.com/solutions/proxy-voting-services/
About ISS STOXX
ISS STOXX GmbH, through its group companies, is a leading provider of comprehensive and data-centric research and technology solutions that help capital market participants identify investment opportunities, detect qualitative and quantitative portfolio company risks, and meet evolving regulatory requirements. With roots dating back to 1985, we today deliver world-class benchmark and custom indices across asset classes and geographies and serve as a premier source of independent corporate governance, sustainability, cyber risk, and fund intelligence research, data, and related offerings. Our products and services give clients the scale and leverage they need to grow their business more effectively and efficiently. ISS STOXX, which is majority owned by Deutsche Börse Group, is comprised of more than 3,500 professionals operating across 33 global locations in 19 countries. Its approximately 6,400 clients include many of the world’s leading institutional investors who turn to ISS STOXX for its objective and varied offerings, as well as companies focused on ESG, cyber, and governance risk mitigation as a shareholder value enhancing measure. Clients rely on ISS STOXX’s expertise to help them make informed decisions to benefit their stakeholders.
Media Contact:
Izabella Nagy
Communications Analyst
press@iss-stoxx.com
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