Andrew MacDougall
Mar 2016
Osler is pleased to have provided support to the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in connection with its recent publication offering guidance on the process of fostering effective director-shareholder engagement.
Andrew MacDougall, Partner in Osler’s Corporate Governance Group, acted as a consultant to the Advisory Committee that the ICD struck to develop the recommendations featured in ICD Guidance for Director-Shareholder Engagement, published in March 2016.
According to the guide, “there is a real opportunity for directors to engage shareholders in meaningful dialogue to enhance mutual understanding and obtain valuable input on the governance of the organizations in which they have an interest.” However, boards were lacking a process for initiating and maintaining that dialogue. This publication fills that void by providing a framework of six guiding principles for developing director-shareholder engagement: know your significant investors; recognize the benefits of engagement; tailor a process to you; set topics of discussion; invite the right board participants; and review and consider what you learn.
Read the full publication ICD Guidance for Director-Shareholder Engagement [PDF]. Additional information about the board’s role in shareholder engagement is available at the Directors Briefing on Shareholder Engagement, co-authored by Andrew MacDougall.