Moxy Vote has been working on our exciting business for almost three years. Although it seems like a long time, we realize it is nothing compared to the long journey the many pioneers of the corporate governance and shareholder advocacy community have traveled. These individuals and organizations have been trailblazing long before we came on the scene. They made it easier for Moxy Vote to help push the industry to new heights.
With that in mind, we thought it would be a perfect time to shout out to those who brought shareholder rights to the forefront of the investment scene. These folks continue to lead this charge even today. We have worked closely with some, and others we have just admired from afar.
Due to the number of individuals and groups Moxy Vote would like to profile, we will make three separate posts. We just don’t want to overwhelm you with too much good stuff all at once! So here we go, our first edition of our very own “wall of fame.”
Jim McRitchie
Jim McRitchie at CorpGov.net – Jim has been a true independent voice in the industry for years and has run his corporate governance site since 1995. He brings to light important issues and information on the industry and leads many discussions about pushing reform and best practices forward. Many shareholder advocates have his site bookmarked as a “must see” to get their regular dose of corporate governance information. Jim tirelessly keeps individual and institutional shareholders more informed and more engaged in the corporate governance process.
Mark Latham
Mark Latham and Andy Eggers at ProxyDemocracy – ProxyDemocracy began as a collaborative project between Andy and Mark, and it has grown into a useful resource for investors. Focusing on the mutual fund industry which owns about 25% of corporate equities, the site encourages funds to disclose their proxy votes ahead of meetings and analyzes how those funds voted. With a proprietary method for scoring these funds according to ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) criteria, it allows investors to see which mutual funds share their views and values.
Andy Eggers
Now the torch has been passed to the new Executive Director Matt Keenan who is leading ProxyDemocracy into the next phase of its evolution, which will no doubt be impressive. As Matt leads the charge, Mark is focusing his efforts on VoterMedia.org, which has some cutting edge ideas on how to promote good governance in both companies and governments. Mark was named to the SEC Investor Advisory Committee, where he continues to make sure that individual investors have a voice with the SEC. Andy serves on the board of ProxyDemocracy.
That is it for this week. Next time, I will highlight Glyn Holton, Nell Minow, and the Social Investment Forum.
If the photos were in color, you'd see that I’m blushing to be in such company. Thanks to Larry Eiben, Mark Schlegal and to all the others at Moxy Vote for facilitating involvement by retail investors and providing advocates such an important pipeline of influence. You've built a fantastic infrastructure. I'm sure as data elements and users populate that structure, Moxy Vote will become one of the primary forces driving more democratic corporate governance.