ISS has announced the planned January 10 launch of a new data verification (DV) portal for U.S. corporations ahead of the 2022 annual meeting season. According to ISS, the launch represents a major expansion of ISS’ current DV program now used by many companies that are the subject of ISS’ proxy research and recommendations.

The program will, through a newly created portal, allow for verification of more than 400 governance and compensation datapoints, including those related to stock plans previously available for verification through the now-retired Equity Plan Data Verification platform. Datapoints available for verification are principally those used and reflected in ISS’ proxy research report on companies, including:

• Individual director details such as name, gender, ethnicity, etc. (as disclosed)
• Board and committee characteristics to include committee names, memberships, etc.
• Individual executive pay figures including salary and bonus from the summary compensation table and grant details, equity plan details, gross-ups, etc.

Portal access will be via Governance Analytics, which is managed by ISS’ separate, wholly owned subsidiary, ISS Corporate Solutions Inc. (ICS). Company representatives now registered on the Governance Analytics platform will receive e-mail notification when a company’s 48-hour data verification window opens (to occur between the filing of a company’s definitive proxy statement and prior to publication of ISS’ benchmark proxy research report). Company representatives who have previously used Governance Analytics for data verification or downloading of complimentary proxy research reports may use the same login credentials previously used, while those new to Governance Analytics can write to the ICS support team here for platform access and to receive e-mail notification of the opening of their company’s data verification window.

ISS’ Governance QualityScore and Environmental & Social QualityScore data verification platforms will not be impacted by the new portal and remain active and available for use. Data verified through the new portal will, where applicable, be reflected in ISS’ Governance QualityScore and Environmental & Social QualityScore corporate profiles.