
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that JPMorganChase has taken a bold - and potentially disruptive - step in corporate governance. Its asset‑management arm has severed ties with all proxy‑advisory firms and will instead rely on Proxy IQ, an in‑house, AI‑powered platform, to manage voting decisions across thousands of U.S. companies.
The move raises several fundamental questions for the governance ecosystem:
- How concerned should traditional proxy advisers such as ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass, Lewis & Co. be?
- How will AI reshape stewardship and governance in the investment world?
- Will other large asset managers follow JPMorganChase’s lead?
With more than $7 trillion in client assets, JPMorganChase’s decision has the potential to redefine how influence, accountability, and fiduciary judgment are exercised in boardrooms.
This topic is not entirely new. Kingsdale Advisors explored these themes last year during our in‑house event, The Future of Proxy Advice and Shareholder Engagement, examining how technology could alter long‑standing governance norms.
Which brings us to the most important question of all:
Does AI‑driven voting enhance independence and transparency, or does it introduce new risks into the stewardship process?
Read the Op-Ed here.

Latest Insights
2021 Proxy Season Review
Activism is a year-long event, and in 2021, Canadian issuers were subject to the most proxy contests since 2013 as activists sought to make big changes in boardrooms.
ISS Releases Proposed 2022 Proxy Voting Policy Updates, Opens Comment Period
On Nov. 4, 2021, influential proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) released proposed updates to its main benchmark proxy voting policies in multiple regions, including Canada and the U.S.
2021 Proxy Season Snapshot: Pay, Performance and Public Outcry
How COVID-19 Put a Spotlight on Executive Pay and Performance.

When The Stakes Are Highest, Business Leaders Choose Kingsdale
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
* Source: Bloomberg Global Shareholder Activism League Tables FY2025 and LSEG Global Shareholder Activism Review FY2025.
#2025 and 2026 indicate proxy seasons: July 2024 to June 2026.
