Evolving Client Preferences and Technology Advancements at the Center of Modernization

San Francisco, Limerick, Toronto: October 15, 2025 – Glass Lewis, one of the world’s leading providers of corporate governance data and insights to institutional investors and companies, today announced substantive enhancements to its business model designed to address the evolving needs and varied voting preferences of its global client base.  The enhancements are made possible by advances in technology, namely AI and smart technology that enable customization, thereby empowering institutional asset managers and pension funds to fully control their proxy voting decisions.  

Over the past 30 years, proxy voting has grown from a niche support function into an integral part of the investment process. Regulatory actions, combined with asset manager and pension fund convictions to stewardship and sustainability principles have played a big part in shaping this evolutionary journey.  

Glass Lewis sees two major forces now driving the next evolution: 

• Rapid advances in technology, especially AI, that are enabling highly customized approaches to voting

• Diverging investor priorities that are driving differences in approaches to fiduciary duty, engagement strategies, and sustainability commitments across regions, particularly between Europe and the U.S.

“These forces are fundamentally changing client needs and expectations,” said Glass Lewis CEO, Bob Mann. “As institutional investors take increasingly different approaches to voting preferences, the traditional one-size-fits-all model of proxy advice no longer meets the needs of a diverse client base. Instead, investors want proxy voting frameworks and guidance that reflect their own unique investment strategies, stewardship goals and voting preferences.”  

Over the next two years, Glass Lewis plans to make two significant changes to the way it applies proxy voting policies and delivers its highly-regarded proxy research and voting recommendations.  

First, Glass Lewis will help all clients move beyond standard policies, guiding them in creating voting frameworks that reflect their individual investment philosophies and stewardship priorities. A majority of the firm’s clients already use their own custom policy guidelines or a specific thematic policy.  The goal is to enable all clients to vote according to their own policies.  

Second, Glass Lewis will move away from singularly-focused research and vote recommendations based on its house policy and shift to providing multiple perspectives that reflect the varied viewpoints of clients.  While still under development, the spectrum of perspectives could range from one that leans toward management and others that reflect more governance fundamentals. Beginning in 2027, clients will be able to access any or all of these perspectives to inform their proxy voting decisions.  

“Technology has advanced enough now to allow us to apply smart technologies and AI in particular to complex proxy voting processes,” said Mann. “With these tools, Glass Lewis is modernizing proxy voting practices, removing the perception of influence, and transforming proxy voting into a more strategic and client-driven experience.”   

About Glass Lewis

Founded in 2003, Glass Lewis is a leading global provider of independent corporate governance, stewardship, and proxy voting solutions. The firm serves more than 1,300 investment managers and pension funds globally, who use its high-quality corporate governance and ESG research and proxy voting software to carry out their fiduciary duties. Glass Lewis also helps companies understand and implement corporate governance best practices and how investors view them. Headquartered in San Francisco, Glass Lewis has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, please visit www.glasslewis.com. 

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