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TMX Investor Solutions: Proxy Services

Innovative and highly-strategic proxy solutions from experienced advisors

Overview

At a time when investor pressure and the ever-evolving corporate governance landscape have an increasing influence over board actions, it’s imperative to have an experienced partner to depend on for comprehensive strategic advice and adept communications skills. That’s why TMX Investor Solutions, offers a full suite of proxy services that can help deliver favourable vote outcomes and keep your management team and board apprised of latest trends to keep positive momentum intact.

Capabilities

Consent solicitation for securities is critical to a company’s restructuring efforts. Due to these intense administrative requirements, many companies choose to entrust their consent solicitation process to TMX Investor Solutions. Our clients rely on us for flawless execution that ensures the proposed changes of the security document are adopted.

We provide clients and their financial and legal advisors with advice on the best way to reach out to security holders and develop a strategy for achieving maximum support, including direct connection with key contacts at institutional investors, hedge funds, and arbitrageurs. When appropriate, we assist in the planning, implementation, and coordination of focused analyst/investor meetings, as well as financial media outreach to help build support for the initiative.

ANALYTICS SERVICES

Today’s corporations must contend with increased scrutiny on performance, an increase in investor activism, the influence of proxy advisory firms, and different strategies and perspectives of a diverse group of investors. Management teams need keen analytical skills and the ability to organize the execution of a strategic communications program to put forth the company’s message and platform. At TMX Investor Solutions, we offer analytics services, including corporate governance expertise, extraordinary proxy solutions and institutional investor analysis.

TMX Investor Solutions serves as the crucial conduit between a corporation and its institutional investors and can encourage participation and ensure a smooth outcome/process for critical initiatives. Our extensive knowledge of the proxy voting guidelines of major investors and the proxy advisory firm governance policies enables us to accurately anticipate any issues that may affect our clients.

Investor Proposal Analysis

In today’s ever-changing market, management needs to respond to a wide range of multifaceted issues that are driving investor activism. Investors are flexing their authority with growing numbers of corporate governance, executive compensation, and anti-takeover proposals, among other areas. Though typically nonbinding, any successful investor resolution or initiative that generates a strong favourable response creates pressure for the board and is cause for concern. A company can suddenly face heightened scrutiny as well as pressure to adopt the suggested change or contribute to future director opposition.

With TMX Investor Solutions activist advisory services, our clients are empowered to address investor proposals:

  • We provide detailed information about the proposal sponsor, including its history of investor activism and the average proposal support level
  • We offer a voting projection model analyzing the likely support the initiative would receive should it remain on the ballot
  • We discuss engagement tactics that may cause the sponsor to amend or withdraw its proposal
  • When required, we develop a strategy to minimize support for the proposal among the company’s various investor constituencies
Investor Profile Research & Analysis

Critical to the strategic counsel we provide is our extensive research and analytics services. We help clients identify and understand their stakeholders as a way to build relationships and generate support for future initiatives. Our scope of information allows us to provide rapid and relevant guidance to clients in several key areas:

  • Investor Profile Analysis: Strategic analysis of your investor profile, in addition to a well-run and carefully planned solicitation plan, is crucial to ensure positive results
  • Measurement of the influence of proxy advisory services
  • Institutional Targeting: We offer fact-based perspectives on institutional opportunities and risks
  • Capital Markets Expertise: We provide in-depth knowledge of trading and market dynamics

ANNUAL & SPECIAL MEETING PROXY SERVICES

Annual and special meetings are important events that require strategic analysis, careful planning, and execution. Shareholder engagement planning is critical for support on a wide range of issues. A well-managed meeting can have a highly positive outcome and help secure critical shareholder support for any number of corporate initiatives. TMX Investor Solutions, helps companies achieve that positive outcome by providing a communications strategy for special and annual meetings, in addition to providing procedural guidance. After assessing your company’s opportunities and vulnerabilities, we offer guidance on strategy and tactics necessary to encourage participation and favourable outcomes. We provide advisement on all details critical to a highly productive meeting.

Our Services

We offer a number of special and annual meeting proxy services, including the following:

  • Vote Projections
  • Director-Withhold Campaigns
  • Merger Votes
  • Institutional Investor Engagement Strategy
  • Retail Solutions and Call Campaigns
Pre-Meeting

Through our corporate meeting services, we offer a comprehensive review of each client’s special and annual meeting proxy procedures and preparations including the following:

  • Reviewing proxy agenda and disclosures
  • Proxy solicitation strategy and tactics
  • Shareholder engagement strategy and investor outreach
  • Development of a project plan
  • Engagement period
  • Execution of plan
  • Monitoring voting results in real time
  • Performing institutional vote identification
  • Managing dynamic events and making adjustments as needed
Post-Meeting

We also offer extensive post-meeting analysis at no additional cost. Through this process, we identify opportunities for improvement in future proxy solicitation campaigns, including how to better engage shareholders.

  • Benchmarking results against similar proposals
  • Identifying key takeaways to help position company for future success
  • Exploring opportunities for strategy shifts
  • Offering extensive post-meeting analysis

CONTESTED PROXY SOLICITATION

Contested solicitations and proxy contests can take various forms and involve a range of issues. Here, the stakes are particularly high, as the outcomes can redefine control of the company, its strategic direction, and shareholder value. A proxy solicitation may be contested for any number of reasons, such as board election challenges or opposition to mergers and other strategic initiatives.

When a proxy fight occurs, it is vitally important for a company to have a response plan in place. We understand the implications a proxy contest can have on your company and work tirelessly to mitigate these challenges. Using the results of our proprietary vote projection models, we develop an efficient and effective strategy that communicates your message to numerous shareholder constituencies.

We take a hands-on approach to turning back any attempts to derail your company’s initiatives. Working collaboratively with our clients' team members—including legal and financial PR advisors - we organize and manage the proxy campaign to turn back a dissident challenge. We help ensure that your company continues on its path to success.

Contact Our Business Development Team

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