AGM Insights Case Study A

In anticipation of the shifting landscape of global shareholder meetings, Computershare built a virtual and hybrid meetings platform. Read about how Computershare successfully conducted its own AGM using this new platform.

Solution

On the day of the AGM, the virtual meeting team provided technical support, with one member managing the webcasting and the other driving the Virtual/Hybrid Meeting platform including registration, polling and Q&A. Leading up to the meeting, our proxy solicitation and ESG team at Georgeson, a Computershare company, helped us engage shareholders and precisely understand our proxy voting results. The meeting went smoothly, with the platform performing flawlessly. There were six resolutions put to shareholders, all decided via a poll, 73.5% of issued capital was voted, and 10 questions were addressed during the meeting. Computershare’s upgraded meeting platform enabled participants to take advantage of several new features:

The board and speakers were pleased with how easily they were able to present and participate from remote locations.

Background

As companies around the world were rethinking the format and nature of annual meetings during quarantine, Computershare envisioned an advanced global shareholder meeting solution to deliver on the current and future client needs. Anticipating the paradigm shift in meeting expectations for both companies and meeting attendees, Computershare quickly developed and launched, a modern platform with robust controls that is uniquely powerful and user-friendly.

Company Need

At the time of Computershare’s 2021 annual general meeting (AGM), much of the world was still experiencing varying degrees of pandemic restrictions. Statewide lockdowns in Australia, where our corporate headquarters is located, were persistent and recurring. While some Australian lockdowns were ending as we approached our meeting date, uncertainty remained. But the risks and challenges were easily managed by our decision to use our advanced new virtual/hybrid meeting solution, bringing all the benefits of an in-person meeting to online attendees and expanding participation and engagement options. Computershare’s 2021 AGM was momentous for another reason. Chris Morris, Computershare co-founder and non-executive chairman, was retiring after 43 years with the company. His vision and leadership helped shape Computershare into a global company uniquely positioned to provide a full range of governance and investor services to listed and private companies. During his last AGM with the company, the board and chief executives wanted to celebrate his dedication and achievements, and the new meeting solution provided the perfect platform to allow shareholders everywhere to participate in the celebration. Computershare also made an important announcement about our sustainability commitment to working towards net zero.

Case Study

The meetings landscape has changed fundamentally in recent years. To address evolving client needs and meet investor and regulatory market demands, Computershare has successfully launched an upgraded meeting solution. We were excited to use this new solution at our own 2021 AGM. The platform’s robust controls and capabilities helped the team seamlessly execute the event, and the board found the intuitive interface user-friendly and a pleasing online experience.

– Dominic Horsley, Company Secretary, Computershare

Results

Computershare's 2021 AGM

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As the partner trusted to manage more than 7,200 annual meetings for clients each year, Computershare is deeply invested in annual meeting preparation, execution, and the technology to power the meeting experience before, during and after a meeting.

By leveraging our global experience across capital markets, clients can deliver a meeting that meets all company, regulatory, investor and market requirements.

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For virtual attendees, the new platform had a more modern, intuitive, and easy to use interface.

Improved voting

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Shareholders who appointed a proxy before the meeting and then decided to attend, could elect to revoke the proxy and vote at the meeting or attend as a visitor and have their proxy votes stand. With the previous platform, participants would automatically have their votes revoked and had no option to choose.

Improved proxy revocations

In the past, participants representing multiple holdings would have to log in and out to vote the shares for each holding individually, missing part of the meeting each time they logged out. With the Virtual/Hybrid Meeting Solution, these participants can now link the holdings they are acting for under one login, so they can sign-in once and vote the shares for each holding.

NEW! Linking holdings to facilitate voting

Participants wanting to nominate a portion of the shares they are voting for, against or abstain for a single resolution are now able to split their votes.

NEW! Split votes

With in-person meetings, the space is restricted by the venue. With the virtual/hybrid meeting, more people can attend remotely from anywhere across the globe.

There was an increase in attendance with 144 attendees. Many more viewed the meeting recording.

The AGM ran smoothly and according to plan with no issues. The technology performed perfectly.

Virtual voting was easier for issuers and shareholders.

COMPANY NEED

SOLUTION

The Computershare board is globally dispersed with members in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia and directors able to attend seamlessly on live streaming video. Computershare also has many global shareholders and the enhanced, in-house solution, made it easy for them to login and experience the meeting from anywhere in the world.