On 30 October, together with high-class panellists from across Europe, both from issuers’ and investors’ side, Georgeson is holding three dedicated live sessions taking a look at the past season and the importance of ESG factors for organizations and investors in general and in the context of COVID-19 in particular.
Read more about the agenda and the speakers below and don't forget to register to your preferred sessions!
Note: There is no cost involved for participants
Agenda
Part 1 - 10 am - 11:15 am CET: Georgeson’s 2020 AGM season review
Discussion between members of Georgeson's Corporate Governance Team on Georgeson's annual AGM season review providing facts and figures on investor recommendations, voting results and Corporate Governance developments. The full report is available for download at https://www.georgeson.com/uk/2020-season-review11:15 am - 11:30 am CET: Coffee break
Part 1 - 11:30 am - 12:30 pm CET: Panel I: The relevance of ESG factors to the resilience of organisations
The Pandemic showed the need of rethinking operating models. We will discuss the transition from crisis management to strategic thinking and the measures adopted by issuers for monitoring or even rewarding non-financial performance impacted by the pandemic.12:30 pm - 1:30 pm CET: Lunch Break
Part 2 - 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm CET: Panel II: Is COVID-19 a catalyst for ESG considerations of companies and investors?
During the pandemic we registered no significant drop in voting quorums nor any material voting issues. The unexpected situation was a novelty for all market players. Although it is not yet over, companies need to start thinking about the upcoming proxy season: Which challenges will issuers face?; What are the investors’ expectations when it comes to disclosure?; Which remuneration remedies should be carried out to align pay with performance, considering the high number of negative votes that issuers received in 2020.2:45 pm - 3 pm CET: Wrap-up
Welcome
Domenic Brancati
Investor Engagement Global COO
Domenic began working for Georgeson in the UK in 2000, and has since played major roles in some of the largest M&A transactions and proxy fights in UK, Europe, Asia and Australasia. Domenic is a trusted advisor to the firm’s clients on all matters relating to stakeholder engagement. He currently has responsibility for all Georgeson across UK/Europe and parts of Asia. Domenic had also spent time in Australia running the local Georgeson business.
Georgeson’s 2020 AGM season review
Daniele Vitale
Head of Governance UK & Europe
Daniele joined Georgeson in 2010 and specialises in corporate governance and executive remuneration analysis. Daniele has over fifteen years of experience advising institutional investors and corporations on corporate governance, executive remuneration and proxy voting issues. Previously he worked as Senior Researcher at PIRC Ltd, a London-based proxy advisory firm, and at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Deminor in Brussels. Daniele is Italian and is fluent in English, Italian, French and German.
Claudia Morante
Head of Governance Spain
Claudia is the Head of Corporate Governance for Georgeson in Spain, the leading proxy solicitation firm which she joined in 2016. Claudia has an extensive experience in advising companies in Corporate Governance matters, where she works closely with companies, helping them to align its practices to international standards and to reduce potential risks at shareholders meetings. She also gives training sessions to Board of Directors in this area of expertise. Before joining Georgeson, Claudia worked for more than 12 years in the Big-Four consultancy industry. Claudia is co-author of several publications regarding the development of corporate governance practice in Spanish listed companies and participates as speaker in specialized forums within corporate governance issues.
Alberto D'Aroma
Head of Governance Italy/Other
Graduated in both law and economics, Alberto started his career in Georgeson’s Governance Team in 2015, after he had gained extensive experience on commercial law in an international primary law firm. Since 2015 Alberto has been working on ordinary and extraordinary transactions for Georgeson’s client base, advising listed companies on how to successfully manage governance issues in order to get the expected results. His focus lies within corporate governance topics such as remuneration, succession planning, director elections, shareholder engagement and board performance reviews. Being part of Georgeson’s Corporate Governance Team Alberto advices European listed companies in fostering governance practices to meet the expectations of investors and shareholders.
Panel I: The relevance of ESG factors to the resilience of organisations
Keith Hamill
Non-executive director of Samsonite International SA, Chairman of RBG Holdings plc and Chair of a number of private companies
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Keith Hamill
Non-executive director of Samsonite International SA, Chairman of RBG Holdings plc and Chair of a number of private companies
Keith is currently a non-executive director of Samsonite International SA and Chairman of RBG Holdings plc (legal/professional services and litigation finance) and Chairs a number of private companies. His previous roles include Chairman of Travelodge, Tullett Prebon plc (interdealer broker), Premier Foods plc, Collins Stewart plc (stockbroker), Avant Homes and Heath Lambert (insurance broker). His was also a non-executive director of easyJet plc, Electrocomponents plc and the Max Property Group PLC. He has also been appointed by lenders to act as Chairman leading a number of businesses through restructuring. He was Chairman of Council and previously Treasurer of Nottingham University and is a Trustee of St Georges English International School in Rome. Earlier in his career he was CFO of Forte plc and WH Smith Group plc , Director of Financial Control/ Finance Director of the Spirits Division at Guinness PLC and a partner in PWC.
Valentina Bosetti
Chairwoman at Terna SpA
As of May 2020 Valentina Bosetti is Chairwoman of Terna. She is Full Professor at the Department of Economics, Bocconi University and senior researcher at the RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment. Bosetti holds a PhD in Computational Mathematics And Operation Research from the University of Milan (Università Statale di Milano) and a master’s degree in Environmental and Resources Economics from University College London. She worked at the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei from 2003 to 2018 and has collaborated with the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) since 2006. She has been a member of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Council and Chairwoman of the Italian Association of Environmental and Resource Economists and she has published several papers in the field of climate change economics and innovations in clean energy technologies. She has received two prestigious European Research Council grants, the first on innovation in clean energy technologies and the second to research the uncertainties and risk related to climate change. She is a Lead Author for the 5th Assessment Report of the IPCC, and she will be Lead Author for the 6th IPCC Assessment Report. In 2014/2015 she was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University.
Moderator: James Upton
Head of ESG Engagement, BHP
James Upton is currently Head of ESG Engagement at BHP which he joined in early 2012. He supports the Board and its committees in relation to evolving corporate governance best practice and regulatory commitments, and until recently was Secretary to the Board Sustainability Committee. Externally his role is to engage with investors, data providers and other stakeholders on Environmental, Social and Governance issues. He joined from the Association of British Insurers where he spent seven years engaging with Boards and senior executives at UK listed companies. He was Head of the IVIS governance research team, before becoming Head of Corporate Governance. Prior to that he worked for listed companies in the publishing, and business services sectors. He is an Affiliate of the Chartered Governance Institute, an Associate of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and holds a Masters in Latin and Philosophy from the University of St Andrews.
Panel II: Is COVID-19 a catalyst for ESG considerations of companies and investors?
Nezhla Mehmed
Corporate Governance & Engagement Specialist in the Responsible Investments Suite, DWS
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Nezhla Mehmed
Corporate Governance & Engagement Specialist in the Responsible Investments Suite, DWS
Nezhla is a representative of the Corporate Governance Center of DWS, which she joined in 2016. As part of the responsible Investments suite, she is responsible for the further development of the active ownership activities of DWS and engagements with companies on ESG matters, with a focus on the North American as well as some European markets. Prior to joining DWS, Nezhla worked in Equity Sales for Kepler Cheuvreux in Vienna. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Bocconi University and an LL.M. in European and International Business Law from the University of Vienna. Nezhla is also a Certified EFFAS Environmental Social and Governance Analyst (CEESGA).
Maria Ortino
Global ESG Manager, LGIM
Maria is responsible for LGIM’s global engagement and voting activities within the Investment Stewardship team, covering in particular the pharma, biotech, medtech, health services, tobacco and chemicals sectors. She leads the Team’s health theme and is member of the 2021 Expert Committee for the AMR Benchmark. Maria joined LGIM in 2019 from Newton Investment Management where she was a Consultant Responsible Investment Analyst. Prior to that, she took a career break, headed up the research team at a start-up corporate governance data company, served as a corporate governance analyst within State Street Global Advisors’ governance team and as an analyst within the IVIS team, Investment Association. She started her corporate governance career at PIRC, a proxy advisor, in 2007. Maria graduated from Queen Mary College, University of London with an LLB (hons), and has a Master’s Degree from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Rebeca Coriat
Head of Stewardship, Lombard Odier Investment Managers
Rebeca has more than ten years of experience advising institutional investors on issues relating to corporate governance and ESG matters, taking the lead in corporate engagements with a focus on leveraging these issues to create sustainable long-term value for clients and beneficiaries. Rebeca is responsible for leading LOIM’s stewardship activities with a focus on sustainability, corporate governance and ESG analysis. She previously worked at Investec Asset Management (now Ninety One), where she was an ESG specialist responsible for advising portfolio managers on global proxy voting and taking the lead on company engagements. Previously she served as Senior Associate at ISS, a leading proxy advisory firm and Governance for Owners as Stewardship Services Analyst. Rebeca started her career at Manifest and PIRC, two leading local proxy advisory firms. Rebeca holds a MSc on Global Politics London School of Economics and Political Science and a BSc in Political Science from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Livio Gentilucci
Head of Investments Stewardship, Generali Insurance Asset Management SGR
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Livio Gentilucci
Head of Investments Stewardship, Generali Insurance Asset Management SGR
Livio Gentilucci was appointed in Generali Investments as Head of Investments Stewardship (ESG analysis and integration and Active Ownership) at the beginning of 2020. At Generali Investments from 2016 to 2019 he was Head of Governance Proxy Voting and Engagement, from 2010 to 2015 he was Head of Organization & Processes while from 2006 to 2009 he was Head of Internal Audit and member of “Organismo di Vigilanza 231” in several Group’s Asset management firms. From 2001 to 2005 he was Head of Compliance. Livio Gentilucci joined in 1992 Generali Group at the former INA Group, where he was appointed Head of Internal Audit at the company's asset management firm from 1995 to 2000. Livio Gentilucci started his career 1990 at FCA S.p.A in the Foreign Operations Department as Project manager. He was born in 1967 and holds a degree in Industrial Engineering. He is "Certified Information Security manager" from ISACA.
Moderator: Rob Hardy
Former Head of Investment Stewardship at JPMorgan
Rob Hardy spent 24 years at JPMorgan Asset Management, first as Head of Corporate Governance, then Head of Stewardship for EMEA. Over the years, Rob has served on the NAPF Shareholder Affairs Committee, which wrote the original ISS UK voting policy, the EFAMA Stewardship and Market Integrity Committee, the FRC Senior Investors Group, and has chaired both the UK Corporate Governance Forum and the Heads of Governance group.