“Key considerations may include establishing clear rules about a meeting’s length and adjournment period, an evacuation plan, if needed, and how to safeguard attendees, including executives, board members, and shareholders.” Bowering suggests issuers review their notice


of meeting, the first form of communication with investors for the proxy season, and include clear


season will be approximately the same as last year. Moote adds that considerations this proxy season


are not just about considering a virtual meeting. “Tere are all these pictures in the proxy, and we’ve seen firms reevaluate if they should be including pictures in their proxy statement or website,” he says. “Te more you can assess the potential risk to your company and board, that’s the best approach we can say, otherwise it’s really hard to determine whether we should do this or that.” Investor relations professionals wear many hats,


"In this dynamic environment that is changing really quickly, overcommunication with leadership is a better approach than undercommunication.” Killian Moote, Georgeson


procedures in that notice about any security controls, prohibited items, etc. Callan observed that some companies have in-


dicated that concerns about physical security play a role in their decision to hold their shareholder meetings virtually. While virtual shareholder meeting technology became a mainstay during the pandemic, it’s here to stay. Since then, it remains a preferred choice by issu-


ers who don’t want to inconvenience their directors to travel to the AGM if the board is not also meeting that same day and who want to provide sharehold- ers, whether or not they have the ability to travel, the opportunity to participate in the annual meeting. In 2024, 44% of the nearly 4,300 meetings managed


by Broadridge were virtual, while 27% of the 1,156 meetings held by Computershare were hosted virtu- ally. Of Computershare’s U.S. clients, virtual meeting percentages were even higher, with 40% holding virtual meetings, up from 30% in 2023. Current data in 2025 shows the share of meetings held virtually this proxy


1 6 S P R I NG 20 2 5 ■ IR UPDAT E


but is becoming a security expert now part of this repertoire too?


Guidance for IR Professionals The common thread communicated by everyone quoted in this article is “preparation.” “Boring AGMs are good AGMs,” Frank says. “Te


key to success is doing 80-90% of the work leading up to the proxy; anticipate shareholder concerns, know your audience, and reach out and engage. Do your homework, understand shareholder expectations, policies, and how they have behaved in the past.” Callan adds, “Glean insights beyond the earnings


call and well in advance of the meeting. Tere much more data available now, and IR professionals can really be a valued partner to the C-suite.” Farkas suggests that there is much to glean from


Form 13F filings. Farkas explains that if you have a broker-dealer that has built a top position in your stock, it might be a hedge fund using that broker- dealer to build economic exposure via derivatives. Stock surveillance, he believes, is helpful for IR professionals in supporting management in voter projections for proxy season, especially when it comes to an activist situation. “Having robust data is one thing, but its real power


comes from how it’s communicated,” Keatinge says. “Clarity and accessibility are key—make your poli- cies easy to understand, not buried in legal jargon or hidden in obscure filings. When information is presented in a straightforward, user-friendly way, it builds trust and ensures investors can make more informed decisions. Tis principle applies just as much to ESG disclosures and website content as it does to formal filings.”


ni ri .org/ irupdate


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