Proxy voting is a key part of our engagement program and one of the primary tools we use to influence the behavior of portfolio companies. When organizations are unwilling to improve their ESG practices through dialogue, we aren’t afraid to hold them accountable by exercising our right to vote against management.
Shareholder rights
/'sher-hōl-dər 'rīts/ noun
Nuveen promotes accountability and better compensation practices at portfolio company
Our portfolio managers have engaged with a popular, online entertainment streaming service for several years, meeting privately with the firm to improve its corporate governance and compensation practices. While the firm and its management have demonstrated strong performance over time, we believed that it could strengthen its governance and compensation practices in order to protect shareholders over the long run by promoting accountability for both board and senior management.
Our concerns were the absence of majority voting for directors, a staggered board, no proxy access, and the inability of shareholders to call a special meeting. Additionally, we had concerns whether the CEO’s compensation package was aligned with shareholder interests. We believe meeting directly with portfolio companies helps to avoid public confrontation and leads to mutually productive outcomes.
Glossary: S-Z
Stewardship
A range of activities performed to exert influence on companies, issuers and other investees to help them innovate and operate more efficiently, i.e., proxy voting, company dialogue, targeted initiatives, market initiatives and policy influence. See responsible investing.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) alignment
Aligning investments to the Sustainable Development Goals — e.g., poverty, health, education, climate change and environmental degradation — to help connect business strategies, objectives and outcomes with global priorities. See responsible investing – other RI approaches.
Sustainable investing
An umbrella term often used interchangeably with responsible investing. See responsible investing.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
A set of United Nations goals with a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Today, the 17 UN SDGs are an internationally accepted, outcome-oriented roadmap to sustainability for organizations in all sectors.
Thematic
Targets investment themes or assets that contribute to specific issues or outcomes, e.g., climate change, gender. See responsible investing – other RI approaches.
