FEARLESS

PEOPLE

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PLANET

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THE

HEART

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STEWARDSHIP

About

PIRC protects and enhances the long-term returns of major investors by promoting the highest corporate standards. Our expert and experienced team work closely with clients to understand their responsible investment principles and deliver their responsible investment priorities.

PIRC’s trusted research enables clients to look beyond corporate statements providing new insights into ESG risks and opportunities. Acting only for investors, we are unafraid to take robust positions in our voting and engagement services to drive change in corporate leadership and environmental and social practices.

Our robust and pioneering approach has been serving clients for over 30 years. This pioneering spirit, experience, and commitment to people and planet means PIRC continues to push the boundaries on stewardship.

01

Integrity

Even when the message is hard to hear, we are always open, fair and honest to your investee companies and in our assessments of your stewardship risks, priorities and plans.
02

Responsible

Our approach is always responsible. We are solely focused on responsible investment and acting to protect long-term value by improving environmental, social and governance standards.
03

Unafraid

We never shy away from taking robust positions needed to shift environmental, social and governance practices.
04

Nuanced

As the UK’s original proxy and stewardship service provider our experience means we never do ESG by numbers.
05

Bespoke

We understand that delivering your responsible investment objectives demands a personal and personalised service tailored to your portfolio and responsible investment priorities
06

Effective

For PIRC success is measured by change.

Timeline

Did you know?

Ahead on climate

PIRC takes leading positions on climate change. While major investors and advisers supported climate plans made by Shell, in 2021 PIRC vocally opposed the company’s financial statements and the chief executive’s re-election over sustainability concerns – a position in line with a later judgment made in the Dutch courts. PIRC has also exposed sustainability claims of Drax to clients and opposed the company’s financial statements and re-election of the chief executive at the AGM.
Making boards work better

PIRC supports investors improve governance arrangements on workforce and social issues. PIRC’s resolute campaign over a number of years for improved governance arrangements and employment relations at RyanAir led to boardroom changes. PIRC’s ground-breaking engagement work with mining companies and affected communities led to a change of leadership at Rio Tinto and improvements at Vale.
Delivering systematic change

PIRC is not solely focused on companies but supports investors by advocating reforms to financial regulations. Following the banking crisis PIRC identified serious and systematic accounting shortcomings. Through its research on UK accounting standards PIRC’s sustained campaign led to the replacement of the FCA with ARGA.
First on stewardship services

Established in 1986, PIRC is the UK’s original proxy research firm. Ever since then, PIRC has been leading where others follow. In 1992, PIRC launched the UK’s first corporate governance service. In 1994, PIRC supported clients to file the first UK corporate governance resolution at British Gas. And in 1995, PIRC supported clients issue the first social issue shareholder resolution in the UK at Shell. Through services such as split voting and pioneering resolutions on tax, PIRC continues to offer its clients leading proxy and stewardship services.

Who we are

Team

None of us is as effective as all of us.

Bringing together experts from finance, business, climate change, employment relations, human rights, government and politics our team provides insights and services broad in scope but focused by its commitment to responsible investment and the highest corporate standards.

Paul Hunter

Chief Executive Officer

Paul is an experienced specialist in capital stewardship, providing advice and support to clients on policy, voting and engagement.

Paul is focused on and dedicated to delivering impact and value for PIRC clients. He believes deeply in the role that effective stewardship can play in enhancing shareholder value and the wider benefits this can bring to stakeholders and the environment.

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Paul joined PIRC in 2016 and draws on his wealth of experience working with investor clients, engaging boards of global companies and leading on collaborative initiatives.

Prior to PIRC, Paul worked in public policy research delivering consultancy services, quantitative and qualitative research projects and policy development advice to private and public sector clients. During his career he has served on and serviced numerous commissions for parliamentarians and local authorities, appeared in the media and spoken at a range of conferences.

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Rosy Li

Finance Director

Rosy trained and qualified as a professional accountant in London before joining PIRC, becoming the firm’s Finance Manager in 2006.

Rosy’s current role encompasses the administration of the finance function for PIRC and its associated companies and partners as well as an active participation in the commercial decision-making processes and running of the business.

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Rosy manages all PIRC’s financial transactions and is responsible for all internal management reporting as well as all external statutory reporting. Rosy was appointed Company Secretary of PIRC in 2012.

In addition to her accountancy background, Rosy has over ten years’ experience in Business and IT consultancy with an emphasis on business process reengineering, project management and systems implementation. Rosy is the line manager for the PIRC IT Department.

Rosy is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and holds an MSc in Finance from Cass Business School, City University London.