Chris Jenkins Named to CII’s Corporate Governance Advisory Council
March 2023
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) named Christopher Jenkins to its Corporate Governance Advisory Council (CGAC). As a proxy specialist at Sands Capital, Chris will work with other members of the CGAC to advise the CII on effective corporate governance practices.
At Sands Capital, we believe that a company’s governance practices should be part of any long-term fundamental analysis undertaken to determine whether a company is a solid investment. To that end, engagement with company management is one of the pillars of our stewardship efforts.
“When companies lack robust corporate governance, they are at greater risk of reputational damages, litigation, fraud, corruption, lost profits, and in more severe cases, bankruptcy. We have seen this play out through history. Many companies can trace their downfall to a lack of governance guardrails,” Chris explained.
Through our history of engaging with companies on their governance practices, we have learned that conversations with corporate boards and management teams are far more informative than the metrics that are published by quantitative research companies, Chris added, noting that he is excited to share Sands Capital’s experiences with the CGAC.
Perhaps most importantly, he said, we have found that governance research and discussion are best led by analysts who are able to draw on their expertise and experience to arrive at a full, in-depth understanding of how companies are addressing governance provisions. The context must be considered, and that context should include, among other things, a company’s industry, the region where it operates, its growth stage, size, and peer group. As is often the case in active management, one size—or approach—does not fit all.
Chris has worked at Sands Capital since 2017, earned a MBA and BS from George Mason University, and is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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