IR Magazine’s very own senior reporter Garnet Roach has been honored for her work in sustainability journalism at the latest Aviva Investors Sustainability Media Awards.
Her piece, titled ‘Activism, ESG and universal proxy: How to make friends and influence shareholders’ was named article of the year in the policy & regulation category at the investor’s annual awards ceremony.
The article, which was the cover story for the summer 2023 edition of IR Magazine, explores that year’s proxy season and the growing trend of asset managers having more power to sway votes, particularly on ESG-related issues. It’s available to read in its entirety here.
Now in their third year and held in London last week, the Aviva Investors Sustainability Media Awards recognize leading journalism in sustainability-related topics across the UK media.
‘The winning article for this category delves into how ESG issues are driving new policies in proxy voting and shareholder activism, and what this means for asset owners,’ said Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer[ditto] at Aviva Investors and one of the judges of the awards.
‘The article succinctly delineates the history of proxy voting, the introduction of Voting Choice from BlackRock and the similar introduction of a pilot scheme from Vanguard that gives shareholders more choices on their votes; detailing the growth in voting power of asset owners and spotlighting the regional divergence between UK and US managers.’
Aviva Investors CEO Mark Versey added that the bar had been raised in every year of the awards’ history, with 2023 being no different.
The other judges were:
- James Alexander, chief executive, UKSIF
- Emma Howard Boyd, chair, Environment Agency
- Rose Easton, chief responsible investment officer at PRI
- Rhian-Mari Thomas, chief executive, Green Finance Institute
- Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer, Asviva Investors
Roach has been a key part of IR Magazine’s editorial staff since October 2012, working on both the editorial and research sides of the publication. Prior to entering the world of investor relations, her freelance career covered a broad range of subjects, from technology to politics and consumer finance, and even involved a stint as a reporter and editor in Sana’a, Yemen.
