This episode of The Ticker podcast comes to you from the Citadel Securities trading post on the floor of the NYSE.
Once little more than an exercise in regulatory compliance, the proxy statement is evolving into a crucial communications tool that explains how proposed initiatives support a company’s strategy and value creation story. And, as this week’s guest argues, who knows that story better than its investor relations officer?
Ron Schneider is director of corporate governance services for global risk and compliance solutions company DFIN. He says IR professionals are perfectly positioned to add strategic context to proxy statements while leveraging their story-telling skills to create clear, consistent and compelling communications that respond to the needs of different kinds of shareholders and ultimately secure support for managements and boards.
In a wide-ranging discussion with host Jeff Cossette, Schneider also explores the latest proxy trends and topics and how graphical story-telling tools – including timelines, call-out boxes and other design elements – can help make the document more visually appealing, understandable and persuasive.