CIRI Speaker Series: A Look at Investment Stewardship with BlackRock

BlackRock expects sound corporate governance and sustainable business models to help drive long-term financial returns at the companies they invest in on behalf of their clients. With a long-term investor perspective, they take their stewardship responsibilities seriously, engaging with issuers and voting to effect change. Join us for a candid conversation with Michelle Edkins, the Managing Director of BlackRock Investment Stewardship, who will share insights on their stewardship activities including: the key issues discussed with companies and proxy voting outcomes for 2021; and what they are most focussed on for the 2022 proxy season. This webcast is eligible for 2 CEUs.

Following the discussion with BlackRock, stay online for an exciting announcement from CIRI!

Cost: $25 for CIRI members,  $50 for non-members (plus taxes) 

By registering for this CIRI event, you agree to comply with CIRI's Code of Conduct.

What You Will Learn

  • What were the key proxy issues in 2021; 
  • What proxy issues will take centre stage for 2022; and
  • Insights into key factors that impact proxy voting decisions.

Who Should Attend

This event is intended for all individuals engaging with investors and those that are involved with proxy-related issues and processes. 

Speakers

Michelle Edkins, Managing Director, BlackRock Investment Stewardship
Michelle Edkins is a Managing Director in BlackRock's Investment Stewardship team of over 45 specialists covering the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and Asia-Pacific. The team engages companies and others in the investment stewardship ecosystem to promote the governance and business practices aligned with long-term value creation by the companies in which BlackRock invests on behalf of clients. Michelle is responsible globally for institutional relations, policy on investment stewardship issues, and communications related to BlackRock’s investment stewardship perspectives and activities. She also serves on the firm’s Global Operating and Government Relations Steering Committees. She is an alumna of BlackRock’s Women’s Leadership Forum, Enterprise Leadership Program and Human Capital Committee.

Michelle is an active participant in the public corporate governance debate and regularly speaks and writes on the importance of good stewardship for company performance. She was named in the NACD (the US National Association of Corporate Directors) Directorship 100 Governance Professionals list for the past seven years. She is also a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s First Movers program and a former Chair of the Board of Governors of the International Corporate Governance Network. She currently serves on a number of industry initiatives to enhance governance and sustainable business practices including the US chapter of the 30% Club, a market initiative to increase the number of women on boards and in senior management, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Investor Advisory Group and the CECP’s Strategic Investor Initiative.

Prior to joining BlackRock in 2009, Michelle was Managing Director at Governance for Owners, an independent partnership offering products that support responsible long-term share ownership. She started her corporate governance career in the UK in 1997 at Hermes Pensions Management, where she spent eight years, initially as the head of the corporate governance team and thereafter as Director of Institutional Relations. An economist by training, Michelle has also worked for New Zealand’s Reserve Bank and the British High Commission in Wellington. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be received 48 hours in advance for reimbursement. Please contact Kaitlin Davis if you need to cancel your registration.

When
9/27/2021 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Eastern Daylight Time
Where
Virtual

Registering is easy!

Sign In below to register. Not sure if you have an account? Click on Forgot Password? and enter your email address. If you have an account, you will receive an email from [email protected] with instructions to create your password. If you do not have an account, please click on Create a new account. It only takes a few minutes! 

Sign In