Time for Singapore’s biggest investors to lay out their own ultimatums for companies

OF THE many panels and discussions I attended while at the World Economic Forum in Davos, my favourite was one by the chief of Norges Bank Investment Management. Nicolai Tangen criticised the boards of large listed companies for paying their top executives too much, for failing to come up with plans to neutralise their carbon footprints, and for poor commitments to diversity.

Many boards are also chaired by the company’s chief executive, he said, while some board members sit on too many boards.

More importantly, however, Tangen laid out what Norges is doing to change this. Norges is voting at annual general meetings against boards that fall short. Starting this year, it also plans to file its own shareholder proposals.