UTAM is pleased to announce that Lisa Becker, UTAM’s Chief Operating Officer, has been appointed to the Environmental and Social Committee of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG). The committee helps CCGG provide best-practice guidance, through a governance lens, on environmental and social (E&S) risks.

“Working collaboratively through organizations like CCGG supports UTAM’s commitment to engagement with companies, regulators and other investors,” Lisa says. “Engagement is a cornerstone of how we approach responsible investing.”

CCGG is a leading voice in Canada and internationally, advocating on behalf of institutional investors by promoting good governance practices in Canadian public companies and improvements in the regulatory environment. The E&S Committee develops guidelines for board oversight of E&S factors, including risk evaluation, mitigation and management. The committee also provides guidance on E&S risk disclosure standards and helps CCGG integrate E&S into its board engagement program.

“Concepts like governance, risk evaluation, and disclosure might be perceived as abstract concepts applied to real and very complex challenges,” says Lisa. “But they are, in practice, effective tools to make a positive difference to environmental issues, such as carbon emissions, sustainable water management, and to social concerns like equity, diversity and inclusion. These are issues I care about. I’m looking forward to contributing to CCGG’s work in meeting these challenges.”

Lisa also serves on the board of the Responsible Investment Association, which promotes the advancement of RI in Canada’s retail and institutional markets, and she is a member of the 30% Club Canada Investor Group, which works to increase diverse representation in board and executive management positions.

A member since 2008, UTAM supports CCGG’s role in advancing governance practices in Canadian equity companies. UTAM representatives have been actively involved in the organization’s leadership for several years. Daren Smith, past President and CIO, served on the CCGG board and as Vice-Chair and Chair of the E&S Committee. Before that, Bill Moriarty, UTAM’s past President and CEO, was Chair of CCGG’s Public Policy Committee.