Wouter Beerman
Head of Issuer Services, Canada
Computershare > News and Insights > Computershare Connection
In 2024, the landscape of annual shareholder meetings in Canada has remained consistent, while continuing to reflect broader trends in corporate governance and technology adoption. Like 2023, the recent meeting season was a mix of virtual, hybrid and in-person meetings, as public companies chose the format that provided the best access for their shareholders. For Computershare clients, the proportion of virtual/hybrid meetings remained stable at about 10% of total shareholder meetings.
The Canadian Securities Administrators provided updated guidance to support the legal framework for virtual shareholder meetings, ensuring that these meetings are conducted transparently and securely1. This guidance has been important in addressing concerns about shareholder rights and participation, ensuring that virtual meetings offer the same level of engagement as traditional in-person meetings.
Many major Canadian corporations, including numerous energy companies, have embraced virtual-only formats for their annual general meetings. This approach not only enhances accessibility for shareholders across different regions but also aligns with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards by reducing the carbon footprint associated with travel.
Over1500 meetings held
161 hosted on Computershare virtual meeting platform
Most financial services clients continued with their hybrid meeting format to allow in-person access for their shareholders while also highlighting the benefits of virtual meetings in their annual reports. Virtual formats have allowed for broader participation, with shareholders able to join from anywhere in the world, thus democratizing access to corporate governance processes. Additionally, the use of advanced digital platforms has facilitated real-time interaction, enabling shareholders to ask questions and vote on key issues seamlessly.
Overall, the 2024 shareholder meetings in Canada have been a blend of tradition and innovation. While the core principles of shareholder engagement and corporate accountability remain unchanged, the methods of achieving these goals have adapted to leverage modern technology.
Virtual meetings have become an important tool, offering a flexible, inclusive, and efficient way to conduct corporate governance in the digital age. Provided there is no contrary direction from proxy advisory firms, Computershare expects the blend of in-person and virtual meetings will continue in 2025.
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