Ian Robertson, CFA | Retail Investors, Responsible Investment, and Proxy Voting

Responsible Investment is defined by the UN backed PRI as the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into the selection of investments and into the ownership activities (proxy voting and engagement). First, this presentation traces the foundational investment theories underpinning portfolio selection, and shows how ESG factors can be integrated as part of the process. Second, it shows how those same ESG factors can be used when considering how to vote a proxy. It also looks at the fixed costs (time, expertise) of voting and the different incentives of investment owners and managers. Finally, it gives examples of how the proxy voting system works for retail investors and the types of issues they may be asked to vote on via shareholder proposals.

About Ian Robertson, CFA

Ian has been a volunteer leader in the investment industry since the late 1990s. He has volunteered extensively with CFA Institute — both locally and globally — and has been a leader within Canada as board chair of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA). He is an enthusiastic supporter of and volunteer at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and has been recognized several times for these and other community contributions. Ian is a founding co-host of CFA Society Vancouver’s book club, and is a longstanding reviewer of both fiction and non-fiction books. His reviews have been published in the Financial Analysts’ Journal, The Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment, and CFA Institute’s Enterprising Investor, and can also be found on-line on amazon.ca, indigo.ca, and goodreads.com.

Originally published at https://ianrobertsoncfa.com.