LONDON (Reuters) – Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended Barclays investors re-elect all board members at its annual meeting in May, a move that may quell a backlash against bosses for their support of former CEO Jes Staley, as investigations into his links with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein continue.
The influential proxy advisor said in a report published on Monday that “questions may be posed” as to the board’s judgment in its decision to back Staley between 2019-2021, but it may be premature to consider the voting implications for director elections at this stage.
“Although it is accepted that the Board could only have acted based on information available to it at the time … given how recently events have unfolded, it may be sensible to defer any attempt at answering such questions until further news emerges from ongoing investigations,” ISS said.
(Reporting By Sinead Cruise, editing by Lawrence White)
