Stewardship and ESG
Stewardship covers all our activities which look to promote the long-term success of the investments we make on behalf of our clients.
As stewards of our clients’ capital, we act in their interests to invest in companies which can create, preserve and enhance value. This involves the assessment of a broad range of factors which do, or could, have an impact on value, including those related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) drivers.
We encourage freedom of thought among fund managers, allowing each franchise to have an individual style and investment approach. This means that each team selects, manages and incorporates relevant ESG factors in a way best suited to its specific investment approach.
Read our stewardship policy (PDF, opens in a new window)
Engagement
As an active investment manager, we value the opportunity to develop relationships with the management, boards and representatives of the companies in which we invest. Engagement can include face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, emails and letters on a wide range of topics including strategy, operational performance, governance issues and industry-specific considerations. Engagement is a core element of our approach and one of the means by which we develop our understanding of companies, raise issues with management and monitor subsequent developments.
Voting
We vote on all of our holdings, unless restricted from doing so. Voting decisions are made by our fund managers, informed by their knowledge of the company concerned, any engagement activity, Artemis’ voting policy and input from external research providers, notably Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).
Read our latest voting summary report (PDF, opens in a new window).
Screening
We support the international conventions on cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines and therefore will not knowingly invest in companies involved in their production. We also offer screened portfolios where exclusions are requested by our clients.
Collective collaboration and industry reporting
We actively participate in industry-wide initiatives and collaborative engagement, recognising that to instigate change a collective approach can often make success more likely. Our memberships, associations and public industry responses include:
- UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (we have been a signatory since 2015); read our latest public report (PDF)
- Investor Forum
- Financial Reporting Council’s UK Stewardship Code; read about how we support the seven principles set out in the code in our corporate governance and shareholder engagement report and voting policy (PDF)
- SASB Alliance: we are supportive of SASB’s mission to help businesses around the world identify, manage and report on financially-material ESG issues
- Climate Action 100+: an investor initiative launched to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take necessary action on climate change
(All links open in a new window)
Meet the team
Inez Oliver
Inez joined Artemis in 2005 and is Co-head of Stewardship. She has a degree in information systems and management from the University of London; and a masters in sustainability from the University of Cambridge. Inez has more than 25 years’ experience in investment management and holds the advanced certificate in corporate governance from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
Antonia Stirling
Antonia joined Artemis in 2019 as Co-head of Stewardship. She came from Standard Life Aberdeen, where from 2010 she was Head of Corporate Stewardship. Before that, Antonia spent five years at Deloitte and became ACA qualified. She holds a MA in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Further information
For further information, please contact [email protected]