Leading firms in the institutional investor community have joined forces with Tomorrow’s Company to launch a working party which aims to improve the quality of engagement by institutional investors with UK companies. The practitioner-led group aims to identify engagement styles and practices that seem to be most effective and to share that intelligence with the aim of making engagement more rewarding for investors and companies alike. The group also intends to make a significant contribution to the 2012 revision of the Stewardship Code which the Financial Reporting Council is proposing will take effect from 1st October 2012. The group includes some of the world’s largest and most active investors – Aviva Investors, BlackRock, Governance for Owners, Railpen Investments, Ram Trust and USS.

‘Learning from nature – the new agenda for business success: a Tomorrow’s Natural Business Conference’ This event will focus on how businesses can succeed in an increasingly challenging climate.  Businesses will learn from the resilience and sustainability of nature to survive unpredictability.  The day promises to be inspirational and exciting with keynote addresses, high quality panels and practical workshops.

In this speech, delivered to the Meeting of the Experts Group on Disclosure of Non-Financial Information by Companies, Dr. Steve Waygood discusses the need for greater levels, and uniformity, of discloure by companies on non-financial issues in order to better ensure long-term, sustainable, value creation for both investors and their investee companies. Dr. Waygood goes on to address four key questions regarding how and why to proceed with this aim, and sets out Aviva Investors' position.

Following the news that Manchester United's owners, the Glazer family, plan to float a 30% stake in the club on the Singapore Stock Exchange Mark Goyder adresses the complex issues surrounding shareholder voting rights and their implications for stewardship.  

Building on his previous article 'Stewardship Lessons from News Corp' Tomorrow's Company Founder Director Mark Goyder assesses the lessons that can be learned from the appearance of Rupert and James Murdoch in front of a Parliamentary Select Committee.