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Enhancing Representation in Corporate Voting

A group of people raising their hands

Professor Konstantinos E. Zachariadis

Professor of Financial Economics

In collaboration with

Low shareholder participation in corporate voting can distort representation, as strategic abstention often favours the minority. This policy brief shows that reducing voting costs does not always improve representativeness and may, in some cases, worsen it. Effective reforms should go beyond increasing turnout and instead focus on ensuring that outcomes align with the broader shareholder base through targeted policy interventions.

Who should read this brief?

This brief is relevant for policymakers and regulators working on corporate governance, investors and asset managers involved in shareholder engagement, and corporate governance professionals advising on voting practices. It may also interest researchers and analysts studying shareholder participation and its impact on financial markets.

A group of people raising their hands

Enhancing Representation in Corporate Voting

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Increasing turnout alone won’t fix corporate voting—ensuring true representation will.
— Dr Konstantinos E. Zachariadis

About the researcher

Dr Konstantinos E. Zachariadis

Konstantinos (Kostas) E. Zachariadis is a Professor of Financial Economics at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Previously, he was an Associate Professor at QMUL and an Assistant Professor at LSE, where he was affiliated with the Paul Woolley Centre. He is also a Research Associate at the Financial Markets Group, the Hellenic Observatory Centre, and the Systemic Risk Centre at LSE, as well as an Academic Member of ECGI. His research focuses on Market Design, Corporate Governance, and Institutional Investors, with work published in leading journals such as The Review of Economic Studies, The Journal of Finance, and The Journal of Financial Economics. Kostas has extensive teaching experience across various levels, including executive education. He holds a PhD in Managerial Economics and Strategy from Northwestern University, an MSc from Northwestern, and a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University. He is also a Fulbright Scholar, an IEEE Life Members Fellow, and a Fellow of the RSA.

This brief has been co-authored with:

  • Dr Moqi Groen-Xu, Senior, Lecturer for Finance, Queen Mary University of London
  • Dr Dragana Cvijanovic, Professor of Hotel Finance and Real Estate, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Be the next author

Are you an academic at Queen Mary and want to share your research insights in a brief? Email Evie Edwards, Impact Engagement Officer, evie.edwards@qmul.ac.uk

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