Press Releases

The Corporate Library and IW Financial Partner to Deliver Dynamic New Governance Practices Rating Tool

Governance Workstation combines IW Financial technology with The Corporate Library data to give firms the ability to evaluate portfolio companies based on user-defined criteria

PORTLAND, Maine, June 13, 2005 — IW Financial and The Corporate Library (TCL) today introduced the Governance Workstation, a powerful new portfolio management tool designed to give asset managers the ability to quickly evaluate corporate governance practices as part of the investment decision-making and proxy voting process.   

The inclusion of governance data on IW Financial's Workstation platform brings TCL's industry leading independent research and ratings together with IW Financial's powerful technology. The new Workstation incorporates more than 50 data points across nine categories including board independence, CEO compensation, auditing practices, and shareholder rights. Its unique ability to generate comparative ratings based on user or client-defined criteria allows asset managers to quickly examine corporate governance issues using a single standard or multiple user-defined perspectives.

"Corporate governance can have a direct impact on the performance of a corporation, and on the return to shareholders, a reality that is increasingly being recognized by asset mangers and their clients.    As a result, governance ratings are viewed as an important metric to be taken into account in the stock selection and portfolio construction," said Karen Lowell, CEO of The Corporate Library. "The Governance Workstation meets the growing need for governance data as well as informing the proxy voting process. We are pleased to be able to deliver our information on such a flexible platform."

Introduced in 2004, the IWF Workstation from IW Financial is a next generation platform that allows asset managers to quickly identify investment opportunities that are aligned with their clients' concerns on a broad range of corporate indicators. The Governance Workstation builds on these capabilities to enable users to efficiently evaluate companies using either a pre-defined standard or their own customized set of governance criteria. This flexibility supports research analysts in the diligence process and portfolio managers seeking to address client concerns about specific governance practices or policies.

"While there is general agreement on many of the factors that contribute to good governance, others may be given more or less importance by an individual asset manager. With the Governance Workstation, users have the ability to utilize TCL's highly regarded ratings or define for themselves what factors are most important.   This gives the manager the flexibility to be much more responsive to a broad range of client concerns," said Sam Pierce, chief executive officer at IW Financial.   

"TCL has established a terrific reputation as the leading independent source of governance data for the investment and fiduciary communities. We are excited about delivering their research and proprietary ratings on our platform," Pierce said.  

About IW Financial
Founded in 2000, IW Financial is a leading provider of technology solutions that enable financial professionals to manage risk, differentiate their services, and strengthen relationships with clients. IW Financial's proprietary technology makes it easy to incorporate important non-financial criteria into the investment process. IW Financial offers its software to the market through IWF Workstation, designed for money management professionals, and IWF Advisor, created for financial advisor and broker/dealer networks.

IW Financial is based in Portland, Maine. For more information, visit www.iwfinancial.com.

About TCL
The Corporate Library, a leading independent research firm in the field of corporate governance and executive and director compensation, is the creator of the Board Analyst family of corporate intelligence products. Headquartered in Portland, Maine, The Corporate Library employs some of the world's leading and most respected authorities on governance practices and compensation. Maintaining its independent perspective, The Corporate Library does not consult with the companies it covers.

Dan Porter
VP of Marketing
IW Financial
207-773-2333

Mike MacMillan
MacMillan Communications
212-473-4442
info@macmillancom.com