ISS Releases 2018 Americas Proxy Voting Guidelines Updates

On November 16, 2017, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released its 2018 Americas Proxy Voting Guidelines Updates (the Updates). These updates implement changes in a number of areas, with the most significant being a gender diversity policy and new criteria for determining when a director is "overboarded". Except where indicated below, the changes are effective for meetings held on or after February 1, 2018.

Gender Diversity

The Updates implement ISS's proposal, in its 2018 Benchmark Policy Consultation, to implement a gender diversity policy. For S&P/TSX Composite Index companies, ISS will generally recommend a withhold vote for the Chair of the Nominating Committee or Chair of the Committee responsible for director nominations, or the Chair of the Board if no nominating committee has been identified or no chair of the nominating committee has been identified, if: