OMERS is among the Canadian investors that support the 30% Club’s work, and we share the belief that “diversity further contributes to better all-round board performance, and ultimately increased corporate performance for both companies and their shareholders.”
In 2017, OMERS joined other Canadian institutional investors in publishing a joint “30% Club Canadian Investor Group: Statement of Intent,” and committed itself to playing a proactive role and engaging with investee companies when diversity expectations fall short.
As the Statement of Intent reads:
In September 2017, we called on companies to take prompt and considered action to increase the representation of women on corporate boards and in executive management positions in Canada. Gender diversity is a critical component of good corporate governance. Diverse boards and executive management teams are more likely to achieve better outcomes for investors and other stakeholders by introducing a broader spectrum of perspectives, skills and experience. As asset owners and asset managers with a fiduciary duty to our clients and beneficiaries, we committed to using our ownership rights to achieve a minimum of 30% women on the board and at the executive management level of S&P/TSX Composite Index companies by 2022.
Read the complete 30% Club Canadian Investor Group: Updated Statement of Intent March 2022 here.
