Wisconsin board seeking proxy-voting services
Barry B. Burr
State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Madison, issued an RFP for proxy-voting research services firms, according to a statement from the $91 billion board.
The board could hire more than one firm to provide the services for the $84.1 billion Wisconsin Retirement System, which the board oversees.
The research services include providing analysis of proxy-voting issues, governance profiles of companies and voting recommendations based on SWIB’s global proxy-voting guidelines. The proxy-voting services include voting reconciliation, monitoring and statistical reporting.
Firms may bid for each or both services.
Institutional Shareholder Services, which SWIB currently uses for research and proxy-voting services, and The Corporate Library, now part of GovernanceMetrics International, which SWIB also uses on a limited basis for research, can both rebid, Vicki Hearing, SWIB public information officer, said in an e-mail response to questions.
SWIB is undertaking the search because an RFP is required every three years and the contracts expire in fall, Ms. Hearing said in the e-mail.
Responses to the RFP, which is available at www.swib.state.wi.us, are due Aug. 12. The board plans to make a decision Nov. 1.
