Michelle Edkins is the Managing Director and Global Head of BlackRock Investment Stewardship. This post is based on a publication prepared by BlackRock Investment Stewardship.
BlackRock, as a fiduciary investor, undertakes all investment stewardship engagements and proxy voting with the goal of protecting and enhancing the long-term value of our clients’ assets. In our experience, sustainable financial performance and value creation are enhanced by sound governance practices, including risk management oversight and board accountability.
2019 Engagement Priorities
We are committed to providing transparency into how we conduct investment stewardship activities in support of long-term sustainable performance for our clients. Each year we prioritize our work around engagement themes that we believe will encourage sound governance practices and deliver the best long-term financial performance for our clients. Our priority themes for 2019 are a continuation and evolution of those identified last year and are set out below. We hope that highlighting our priorities will help company boards and management prepare for engagement with us and provide clients with insight into how we are conducting stewardship activities on their behalf. Some governance issues are perennial, such as board quality and performance, although the areas of focus may change over time. These will always be a core component of the Investment Stewardship team’s work. Other priorities are evolving and are informed by regulatory and other market developments.