RiskMetrics publishes open letter to TSX companies regarding director elections
In an open letter to TSX-listed companies released in July, RiskMetrics Group criticizes the slate ballot system for director elections and warns listed companies that beginning in 2010, "a vote recommendation to withhold from the entire slate of directors may be issued solely on the basis of the bundled election format." According to the letter, "[s]late ballots tend to insulate specific director nominees from focused shareholder action and work against director accountability." Further, RiskMetrics states that such elections "prevent institutional shareholders from effectively implementing corporate governance policies" through proxy votes.
While it does not appear from the letter that RiskMetrics has officially formalized a policy recommending that votes for slates be withheld as a general rule, it has made it clear that it is taking a definite step in that direction. The letter, thus, recommends that companies review their proxy for 2010 shareholder meetings and urges that they "present director election resolutions individually".
