Considerations for hosting virtual AGMs

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizations to modify their day-to-day operations and find alternative solutions for conducting their business virtually, including things like hosting annual general meetings (AGM).

The latest edition of Director Journal’s column Directors’ Dilemma tackles this issue through posing the question: “We need to move our annual general meeting online because of the current health emergency. As a board member, what questions should I be asking about hosting a virtual AGM?”

The column aims to answer this question through discussing some of the key factors organizations need to consider to ensure all its requirements are met, and their shareholders and members have the same experience they would expect at an in-person meeting.

Co-head of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice Rima Ramchandani was quoted in the article, saying that participation in these virtual meetings is important.

“Proxy advisory firms have stressed the importance of ensuring that shareholders have a meaningful opportunity to participate in a virtual AGM,” Rima said.

“Companies will need to carefully consider the best way to facilitate robust engagement in a virtual format, including thinking about who will be permitted to ask questions and how those questions will be submitted and addressed.”

You can read the full column here.

Learn more about our Board Advisory and Governance team and read some of their insights, including this March piece on virtual AGMs in the COVID-19 era, on the practice page.