Governance and policies
Governance
Oversight of responsible investment starts with our board of directors, which is responsible for setting the right tone for the business, supporting a strong culture and, through our senior leadership team, encouraging appropriate behaviours and collaboration across the business.
Day-to-day responsibility for responsible investment lies with the managing director (MD) of our investment business and is supported by the heads of our investment businesses.
Our clients, our regulators and our wider community rightly expect us to be responsible investors. Our ambition is not just to meet those expectations but to be a leader in responsible investing in our industry. Responsible investment forms one of our four pillars of being a responsible business – the others being our people, society and communities, and our environmental impact. You can read more about the work of our responsible business committee here.
The actions of our responsible investment committees are guided by the principles laid out in our responsible investment, engagement and voting policies.
Our responsible investment committee
Our investment process is highly collaborative, and our approach to stewardship is no different. The responsible investment committee plays a vital role in helping us meet our duties as responsible investors.
Building on this foundation, and following a review of our corporate purpose, principles and values, we have formalised our approach to responsible investment through the creation of a responsible investment committee and publication of a responsible investment policy. The committee is served by two groups which deliver active proxy voting and engagement on ESG issues.
Our voting committee
Meeting at least three times a year to discuss our policy and practice with regard to proxy voting, the committee is formed of investment management professionals from across the business, including full time investment managers and members of the research team.
The committee is chaired by the stewardship director, supported by the stewardship team. The head of equity analysis and the head of research are also on the committee as non-voting members. The committee acts as the ‘gatekeeper’ for the group’s bespoke voting policy, seeking to further integrate standard matters of ESG management into company management.
Our engagement working group
The engagement group meets monthly to review progress on ESG themed engagements on a wide range of issues and sectors. Chaired by the stewardship director, its membership includes employees from across the group who have particular expertise in specific ESG themes. Each member is responsible for the execution of a specific direct or collaborative ESG engagement. The working group exists to ensure that engagements are progressing according to our objectives.
Responsible investment
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Responsible investment at Rathbones
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ESG integration
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Engagement with consequences
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Voting with purpose
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Vote Disclosure
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Transparency
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Reports and disclosures
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Governance and policies