PIRC is the UKs leading independent research and advisory consultancy providing services to institutional investors on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. Since 1986, it has been the pioneer and champion of good corporate governance within the UK.
Authoritative resource
PIRC has a wide spectrum of clients ranging from pension funds, faith-based investors and unions to banks and asset managers. Its Corporate Governance Service is an authoritative and vital resource for active investors, whilst its widely-read Shareholder Voting Guidelines provide a market-wide benchmark for investors and forms part of the movement for corporate governance reform and long-term wealth creation strategies for responsible investors.
PIRC's success
As the UK's market leader in corporate governance, we strive to empower our clients to develop the confidence and competence required to successfully manage their assets and their obligations as responsible investors. Our focus on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility provides clients with tools to enable them to achieve accountability, transparency and responsibility within their portfolio investments. We seek to understand and critically interrogate such issues at each company in which our clients invest. In this way we believe that our services and consulting advice enable our clients to add value to their understanding of how companies function, more effectively monitor risks that arise from governance and CSR failure, and to increase their, and their investee companies', wealth creating potential. PIRC's long track record in the governance field provides clients with unrivalled expertise. With its dedicated team of over 20 full-time researchers, PIRC offers data and reports as well as detailed proxy results, distributed electronically via the Internet, with e-mail notifications to clients and web downloads available (printed reports are, of course, an option, too).
PIRC's Mission
PIRC's mission requires a considerable amount of public advocacy and therefore PIRC's high profile will no doubt continue. This is due to several reasons: PIRC was the first body to begin monitoring company compliance with corporate governance best practice. We were the first body to publish shareholder voting guidelines which underpinned our governance research and our voting recommendations to clients. We were often at the forefront at high profile governance controversies such as executive pay (British Gas AGM 1995), or human rights and environmental violations (Shell T&F AGM 1997).
PIRC's independence
PIRC remains fiercely independent. We do not consult or provide services to the companies we research. Our analysts are encouraged to develop a critical intelligence about the companies they research and analyse. Whilst we base our company assessments on our own shareholder voting guidelines, we can adapt and facilitate our clients own policies where they require it, as well as help clients develop their own voting policies. PIRC is a management owned business with no conflicting ownership pressures from other companies or trade relationships.

For more information about PIRC or to arrange a meeting, contact Janice Hayward, or call us on 0207 247 2323.

PIRC is regulated by the FSA. Copyright ©1997-2006 PIRC Limited