Monday, October 5, 2009

Norges seeks annual re-election for UK directors

LONDON (Reuters) - Norges Bank Investment Management, one of the largest investors in Britain, said on Friday that all directors at UK listed companies should face annual re-election.

NBIM, which has around 1.75 percent of the UK stock label et, said that moving immediately to annual elections would ensure "proper accountability" for directors' actions.

In July, the Walker review recommfinish ed that bank chairmen be subject to annual re-election. Existing rules call for re-elections on a three-year basis.

"We recede further than what Walker is notify ing," said Anne Kvam, global head of corporate recede vernance at NBIM, the fund management arm of the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund.

"If directors are not execute ing a recede od job they should be voted out. There shouldn't be a safe haven for directors for three years," she tfeeble journalists at a briefing.

Norges' comments offer support to Legal & General Investment Management, the largest institutional investor in the UK, which in June called for similar measures.

(Reporting by Raji Menon; Editing by David Cowell)

(For the Hedge Hub blog: blogs.reuters.com/hedgehub)

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