Interview: Michelle Edkins, Blackrock
Blackrock is the world’s largest asset manager, so when it speaks, boards listen. Michelle Edkins, the company’s head of global investment stewardship, swears by the importance of good board composition and diversity.
There is a sense in which the main concern for Michelle Edkins, global head of investment stewardship at Blackrock, is not so much about the performance of the companies, but about the people who lead them.
Ask Edkins about Blackrock’s core area of worry and the answer inevitably comes back to the personalities occupying seats around the boardroom table.
“The key is who gets on the boards, really,” she says. “And once they are on the board, how do we as investors assess how well the board is performing?”
And what’s important about the people? That they know what they are talking about and are tuned in. More importantly, t
For thoughtful journalism, expert insights on corporate governance and an extensive library of reports, guides and tools to help boards and directors navigate the complexities of their roles, subscribe to Board Agenda
Related Stories
-
Sports Direct switches governance review away from legal advisers
The review of governance announced by Sports Direct has been removed from long-standing legal advisers RPC to ensure its independence.
-
Recommendations to rethink UK corporate governance
During the government's consultation period on corporate governance reform, a series of events in London enabled discussion of a governance model fit for the 21st century. Filip Gregor and Jeroen Veldman summarise the key conclusions.
-
Lawful impediment: company law and insider control
Does an increase in legal shareholder protection reduce insider control? Recent academic research finds that sometimes it does, but sometimes it does not.
