Earlier today, ISS announced that it has established a new Feedback Review Board, setting a new high water mark for transparency, openness, and responsiveness.

The new Feedback Review Board (FRB) is designed to serve as a conduit for investors, issuers, and various market constituents to communicate with ISS. The FRB is intended as a complement to, not a replacement for, the established channels for engagement with ISS, many of which have been in place for the greater part of a decade.

ISS’ research team engages with hundreds of companies, institutional investors, shareholder proponents, and corporate advisors each year, through both in-person meetings and analyst conference calls.  Setting a new standard, ISS initiated its highly inclusive annual pre-season policy survey and open comment period in 2005, has maintained an online verification tool for governance data since 2004, and has long offered draft analyses to S&P 500 companies prior to issuing final vote recommendations.

ISS also operates a dedicated U.S. Research HelpDesk, staffed by full-time employees who respond to policy questions and requests for policy interpretations, direct inquiries to specific analysts, and address a variety of other research-related matters that arise before, during, and after proxy season.

“Effective engagement is an ISS hallmark that sets us far apart from other proxy advisory firms,” said ISS President Gary Retelny.  “We already are committed to regular engagement as part of the research process and through our new Feedback Review Board; we can offer an additional and expanded level of interaction between ISS and all market constituencies.”

The FRB is led by Retelny and meets regularly to review submissions. Submissions may be made through the ISS website at www.issgovernance.com/frb.