Expecting the unexpected during a turbulent AGM season

Be prepared

Shareholder disruption has dominated the news this annual general meeting (AGM) season. Protest groups stormed Barclays and Standard Chartered AGMs and sexism reared its head at Aviva’s meeting. However, it is crucial for businesses and IR teams to remember that this level of shareholder disruption is rare.

Shareholders, particularly retail investors, are more engaged than ever and want to have their voices heard, their votes counted and enter meaningful debates at the most important shareholder event of the year. We have already seen that attendance and engagement is higher than last year, with investors asking more questions than ever and engaging in healthy debate.   However, if this season has taught us anything it's expect the unexpected. When disruption does happen, businesses need to be able to deal with it effectively. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has been working behind th...