This article, published in 2016, is part of the Broadridge Insights series. Governance has emerged as the signature risk of the post-financial crisis era in Europe. The great recession brought in its wake costly bank failures, bailouts, and write-offs of bad debts, followed by tense debt renegotiations in several nations. These events severely eroded investor confidence.

More recently, hotly contested “say on pay” votes, legal and regulatory controversies, and outright scandals have also taken their toll. To navigate this uncertain, fast-changing environment, issuers and investors alike need accurate, comprehensive governance data, both quantitative and qualitative, to develop clear, timely, and actionable insights into the governance of European corporations.

We spoke with Demi Derem, managing director for investor communications solutions international at Broadridge Financial Solutions, about what institutions need to know to manage governance risk effectively.