Investment - Articles - Regulation should not undermine shareholders' role

 The Investment Management Association's submission to the Treasury Select Committee's inquiry into the corporate governance and remuneration of systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs) - financial institutions whose failure could trigger a global financial crisis - acknowledges that failings in SIFIs' governance were a contributory factor to the financial crisis.

 The risk this poses to society, and ultimately the taxpayer, means that a distinctive approach is needed to SIFIs' governance. While it is inevitable that this will involve regulators, it is important that a balance is maintained between the constraints of regulation and allowing boards to decide what is in shareholders' best interests.

 Liz Murrall, IMA Director of Corporate Governance, said:

 "IMA has long been a supporter of engagement and over the last ten years it has been transformed. It is important that any regulatory approach to a SIFI's governance does not undermine the role played by shareholders in holding boards to account. Nevertheless, there is a limit to what engagement can achieve as asset managers do not run companies, do not set strategy, nor are they insiders in that they only have access to the same information as the market as a whole."