Associate, Governance Advisory

About Kingsdale Advisors

Kingsdale Advisors is a leading shareholder services and advisory firm with offices in Toronto and New York. Since 2003, public companies across North America have relied on Kingsdale to engage shareholders and support the successful execution of transactions and resolutions requiring shareholder approval.

Our multidisciplinary team provides specialized expertise in strategic and defensive advisory, governance advisory and proxy analytics, strategic communications, and voting analytics. Kingsdale has advised on many of the market's largest and most high-profile proxy contests and transactions.

Your Role & How You Will Contribute

Based in Toronto, as a member of Kingsdale's market leading Governance Advisory team, the Associate has the primary responsibility for the research & analytical approach towards executive compensation and corporate governance matters of public companies in Canada and the United States.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare annual meeting reports assessing expected ISS, Glass Lewis, and institutional shareholder perspectives on director elections, auditor appointments, Say-on-Pay, equity plans, by-laws, and other shareholder voting matters
• Analyze executive compensation programs, pay-for-performance alignment, equity plan design, board composition, governance practices, and shareholder proposal risks
• Support vulnerability analyses of management and dissident nominees in contested or potentially contested director elections
• Assist in identifying governance, performance, compensation, and board-related vulnerabilities that may be raised by activists, proxy advisors, or institutional investors
• Assess client corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting as needed
• Form and sustain ongoing relationships with clients to understand their needs and provide them with advisory services and expertise on executive compensation, corporate governance, and environmental & social (E&S) trends and best practices
• Develop industry-leading intellectual capital and knowledge database on executive compensation, corporate governance, and E&S topics
• Analyze public company filings on SEDAR+ and EDGAR
• Review & develop knowledge of the materials for each event in which the department is involved
• Review market news specific to executive compensation, corporate governance, E&S and keep group notified of relevant updates
• Reach out to third party research contacts to obtain & procure information on executive compensation, corporate governance and E&S, as necessary
• Maintain databases that are critical to the team and firm
• Identify & recommend ways of improving efficiency, certainty, accuracy & control
• Maximize utility from available resources, by assessing & incorporating applicability of acquired & free resources for informational, processing, operational & reporting use
• Aid in the development & improvement of internal & external reports
• Prepare presentations as required
• Assist the Senior Director, Governance Advisory and other team members daily to ensure all tasks are completed in a timely and professional manner
• Other duties as assigned

Equity Statement

Kingsdale Advisors is a staunch advocate for diversity in all its forms, and especially welcomes applications from members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) community, women, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, and those of diverse intersectional identities. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process as well as part of employment with Kingsdale Advisors. In accordance with the AODA Act, for applicants with disabilities accommodation will be provided throughout the search process.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Quantitative Analytics, or related discipline
• 1+ years of experience in corporate governance and/or executive compensation research or a similar role is an asset
• Experience at proxy advisory firms, compensation consultants or institutional shareholders preferred
• Solid, demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.), Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint, Copilot, S&P Capital IQ, LSEG, Bloomberg, and DisclosureNet
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience in client facing roles
• Experience working with various analytical tools
• Passion in corporate governance, executive compensation, E&S, M&A, and shareholder activism research
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to quality of deliverables
• Experienced team player with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Intellectual curiosity and dedication to mastering complex concepts
• Ability to diagnose client needs and identify relevant resources
• High proficiency in distilling massive amounts of data
• Reliable, responsible, and motivated individual with excellent communication and presentation skills