NETHERLANDS – A number of Dutch institutions, including Blue Sky Group, MN Services and builders’ pension scheme SFB, have set up a group to lobby listed companies to improve corporate governance, IPE has learnt.

The organisation is called “Governance Platform” and currently includes 10 members but is expected to grow. The initiative is understood to be backed by consulting firm Deminor, though it had no comment for this article.

The platform aims to approach 20 listed companies judged as failing on corporate governance. Once a rapport is established, the group’s governing board will meet management on an ongoing basis.

IPE understands that the targeted firms are not necessarily the largest. Meetings will take place outside the normal shareholder meeting structure. The Amsterdam-based platform will fix schedules, which would not interfere with companies’ administrative schedule.

It is understood that members have started lobbying straight away and that they will emphasise that higher corporate governance standards equate to good business.

The new group will complement the work of schemes such as ABP and PGGM.

Peter de Koning, a former member of the Tabaksblatt corporate governance committee and current pension manager, has recently told a meeting organised by consulting firm Watson Wyatt that there was a lack of openness towards the media, stakeholders and their respective members.

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