Active, intelligent and effective engagement by shareowners contributes to enhanced levels of governance. We, along with those with whom we work, believe that firms with active and involved owners perform better over time. The exercising of beneficial owners rights in order to ensure that companies are run in their interests ensures long-term value creation for the benefit of long-term shareowners. However, many institutional share owners lack the experience, knowledge and resources to effectively engage with companies on corporate governance.

HIM Governance is the Regional Advisor/Distributor to London–based Governance for Owners (www.g4owners.com), an independent partnership between major financial institutions, shareholders and executives dedicated to adding long-term value for clients by exercising owners’ rights.

Focus Fund

The GO European Focus Fund (GOEFF) invests in a highly concentrated portfolio of underperforming European public companies and applies relational share owner engagement techniques to add long-term shareholder value.

Portfolio companies share a mix of qualitative and quantitative characteristics that are often indicative of structural or strategic weakness. They are likely to have a solid core business, the value of which is being discounted by the market as a result of poor strategy, management weakness, inappropriate governance structures, or disaffected shareholders. A key criteria for a company’s inclusion in the portfolio is that it has an institutional framework that allows a minority share owner (such as GO) to act as a catalyst for change.

Stewardship

The Governance for Owners Stewardship Services (GOSS) provides independent corporate governance and share owner engagement services for the world’s long-term public equity owners and their fund managers. Engagement as part of the stewardship service includes voting at general meetings, voting-related structural engagement, and strategic engagement. We undertake a number of stewardship services on behalf of these long-term shareowners, and are the regional distributor for the Governance for Owners European Focus Fund.