Equiniti buys Boudicca Proxy

London-headquartered Equiniti has acquired Boudicca Proxy in a deal designed to boost Equiniti’s strengths in the corporate governance arena.

Boudicca specializes in proxy solicitation, shareholder communications, corporate governance advisory, share ownership analysis and global equity market intelligence, according to a statement released by Equiniti.

In addition to enhancing Equiniti’s governance services, Guy Wakeley, CEO of Equiniti, says in the statement that Boudicca ‘will help our clients engage with their shareholders. The focus on shareholder engagement and proxy is an emerging market theme and provides a meaningful opportunity to support our extensive client base and beyond.’

The firm says the acquisition will allow it to expand its EQ Boardroom services, which aim to guide listed companies through share registration, company secretarial and employee benefits, as well as keeping companies up to date on everything from AGM trends to regulation such as Mifid II.

Last month Equiniti published its list of the top governance trends for 2018, commenting on board diversity and gender pay gaps, remuneration, hybrid (online and physical) AGMs, employee and stakeholder views, and the issue of overboarding.

Commenting on the upcoming AGM season in the April 18 statement, Chris Stamp, boardroom director for Prism Cosec, Equiniti’s company secretarial and corporate governance practice, says: ‘Corporate governance will continue to be an area for attention in 2018 as the package of reforms proposed by the government in its response to the green paper on corporate governance are further developed, consulted on and brought into force – particularly through changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code.’

The revised code comes into force for financial years beginning on or after January 1, 2019. Stamp comments that it ‘is shorter and more focused than the current version and shifts emphasis to the application of its principles rather than reporting on compliance with provisions’ – something he says companies will be giving careful consideration to in the run-up to implementation.