NH-Amundi asset management said on the 24th that it held a CEO roundtable with International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) CEO Jen Sisson on the 13th.
ICGN is a nonprofit international organization founded in London in 1995 to advance corporate governance and stewardship. Global asset managers, pension funds, and other institutional investors that manage about $100 trillion (14,700 trillion won) participate as key members.
The two sides shared trends in global corporate governance and investor stewardship and exchanged views on NH-Amundi asset management's responsible investment and stewardship activities. They also discussed global investors' perspectives and assessments of government policies to enhance shareholder value and improve corporate governance.
ICGN conveyed the view that it regards Korea as one of its key focus markets and sees recent institutional reform efforts as a positive starting point. ICGN said that with the institutional framework now strengthened, the execution phase is crucial, and that, ultimately, fiduciary duty reform and a transparent, reliable disclosure system must proceed alongside tangible improvements in corporate governance.
Jen Sisson, ICGN CEO, said, "ICGN considers strong shareholder rights, market transparency, and the establishment of a reliable corporate governance framework as core priorities," adding, "Korea is an important market that has shown recent policy changes related to corporate governance, and through continued communication we will contribute to the global discussion on corporate governance and responsible management."
Kil Jeong-seop, CEO of NH-Amundi asset management, said, "This roundtable confirmed the high interest of global institutional investors in improving governance in Korea and served to review the direction of NH-Amundi asset management's responsible investment and stewardship," adding, "As a fiduciary, we will continue to thoroughly review sustainability (ESG) issues in the investment process and strengthen our stewardship activities."