Australian stock transfer company Computershare has set up a new management division to support NZX and dual-listed NZX/ASX companies and give directors one less thing to worry about at night.
The new division has come about after 18 months of research in New Zealand and will offer secretarial support for all the governance and stakeholder management obligations that come from operating in a listed environment.
The head of Computershare’s governance services for NZ, Charles Bolt, said a number of requests from clients had inspired the company to offer a secretarial solutions service to listed companies who had found secretarial issues too much to keep on top of as their company grew.
Personal desire
He said he had a personal desire to improve the space and help smooth out listed companies' secretarial struggles.
“Where we can particularly add is making sure that they’re documenting their decisions and they're staying within the bounds of some of the things that keep directors awake at night,” he said.
“We can make sure that the things directors need to be considering, they are considering – that then goes to helping to create a more sustainable capital market of people.”
Computershare’s secretarial services will range from preparing annual reports and updating statutory registers to managing regulatory requirements that apply to board administration.
Stuart Jury, the managing director at Computershare NZ, said there was a need for specialised and in-depth knowledge and experience to navigate the governance landscape.
“Research we conducted last year suggests there’s a strong demand from issuers to receive external support in this area, because of the increasing complexity of regulations,” he said.
He said Computershare’s new division would ensure that issuers can receive the full range of services and support from a single partner, allowing them more time to focus on strategy and execution.
