Did you know that there are now over 4,000 signatories of the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investments managing over $120 trillion? One expectation is that these signatories take ESG into account in their investment decisions. And yet very few investors issue executive pay guidelines to their portfolio companies.

I mentioned to you before Easter that, building on past successes, I’m rolling out my executive pay training for analysts to the institutional investment community. (By the way, I also provide executive pay training to corporate governance professionals; we’ll look at this next time.)

Investment firms approach me to train their analysts because:

• executive pay is always a hot and highly emotive topic at AGMs
• it’s complex
• it’s difficult to keep up with the latest trends in this space

Of course, investors could (and some do!) outsource the hard work of analysing executive pay proposals to their advisers, but:

• many do not want to be dependent on someone else’s scoring methodology
• they want to make their own informed decisions
• advisers themselves come up with different viewpoints on the same firm

All in all, it’s a very confusing picture!

My executive pay training for investors covers:

• structure and definitions
• what Responsible Reward is about: how organisations link their business, sustainability and incentives (or not as the case may be)
• an example of a firm’s executive pay proposals in detail

I have seen participating firms make substantial changes to their own pay structures on the back of our training. They realise the importance of ‘walking the walk’ to demonstrate their integrity and to build credibility with internal and external stakeholders.

The aims of my training sessions are for you to:

• better understand the technicalities of executive pay
• be clear about what you want to see in the executive pay proposals of the firms you invest in
• draft your own guidelines

By asking your portfolio companies pertinent questions on executive pay, you’ll be better equipped to make important and life-changing voting and investment decisions.

So, book your catch-up call with me today to discuss your needs in more detail. If you’re overwhelmed by jargon, frustrated by generic presentations on executive pay during the engagement process, and nervous about potentially losing the trust of asset-owner clients, this training is for you.

As a Reward practitioner for over 30 years, I have worked with private and publicly listed organisations across sectors and geographies. Check out my client list and their testimonials.

I have written, analysed and compiled many executive pay proposals and disclosures and know how to spot good practices as well as pitfalls.

My unique area of focus is Responsible Reward: how to leverage the power of remuneration (base pay, incentives, benefits and pensions) to support and achieve the UN SDGs. I train Reward, investment and corporate governance professionals on this topic through their own lens. What is yours?

Let’s organise your training session today!

Remember that whatever sector you’re in and however big or small your organisation is, base pay, incentives, benefits and pensions are all part of your Responsible Reward offering. By linking your and your portfolio companies’ sustainability and remuneration strategies, you become an employer, an investment and an investor of choice.

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