Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader, today announced that it is supporting German banking and securities services provider, DekaBank, with its market-leading solutions for the updated Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD II).
DekaBank has gone live with Broadridge’s Global Proxy Voting and Shareholder Disclosure Hub solutions. This provides support for its institutional client base across Europe, through DekaBank’s network of German savings banks and its own private bank.
“Corporate governance standards in Germany and across Europe are undergoing a fundamental transformation, driven by SRD II regulations and the growing demand for shareholder democracy as investors increasingly seek to positively influence corporate policy and ESG strategies,” said Benedikt Arendt, Project Manager, DekaBank. “Broadridge, as a strong and trusted global leader in shareholder communications, was a natural partner for such a critical change. Through our close collaboration, the deployment of next generation technology, and the support of Broadridge’s exceptional local-language domain experts, we are able to raise efficiency levels throughout the chain of communications while helping to empower our customers and their end-clients.”
“Through its well-prepared and professionally managed programme, DekaBank is able to meet its regulatory obligations under SRD II,” said Demi Derem, General Manager of International Investor Communications Solutions, Broadridge. “DekaBank’s broad network of clients and investors will benefit directly from high levels of straight-through processing efficiency, our local market digital connectivity, and rich system functionality which provide unparalleled transparency and an improved window for market voting deadlines.”
SRD II significantly impacts shareholder communications for all intermediaries holding or servicing European equities, globally. The regulation aims to increase the accuracy and transparency of communications between share-issuing companies and their investors – facilitating more active shareholder engagement, greater levels of transparency and increased operational efficiency.
Broadridge’s enhanced Global Proxy solution supports the full shareholder communication lifecycle. It enables same-day event capture and distribution, same-day proxy vote processing and vote confirmations, advanced multi-channel investor communications and European client data storage. Its new Shareholder Disclosure Hub, an industry-wide digital solution, uses the latest API- and blockchain-based technologies to address SRD II’s new shareholder disclosure requirements and provide class-leading data security.