Proxy Voting Guidelines

RBC Funds

RBC Global Asset Management Inc. is the primary investment adviser of the RBC Funds (the "Funds"). In this role, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. has an obligation to act in the best interests of the Funds. This responsibility includes exercising the voting rights attached to securities held by the Funds. It is the policy of RBC Global Asset Management Inc. to exercise the voting rights of the Funds in accordance with the best interests of the Funds.

The exercise of voting rights requires the ongoing review of the corporate governance and performance of management of an issuer and the consideration of the potential impact of a vote on the value of the securities of the issuer held by the Funds. In order to discharge its obligations under this policy, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. accesses and utilizes research on management performance and corporate governance issues, drawn from portfolio manager and analyst due diligence, information provided by leading independent research firms and involvement in organizations such as the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance. As part of the governance regime for the Funds, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. also seeks the advice of its Independent Review Committee, all of the members of which are independent of Royal Bank of Canada and its associates and affiliates, including RBC Global Asset Management Inc.

The executive team of RBC Global Asset Management Inc. is responsible for the oversight and implementation of the Proxy Voting Guidelines.


Use of Proxy Voting Guidelines

A decision to invest in an issuer is based in part on a portfolio manager's analysis of the performance of management and the corporate governance of the issuer. Since a decision to invest is generally an endorsement of management of the issuer, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. will generally vote with management on routine matters. However, since a portfolio manager must be focussed on shareholder value on an ongoing basis, it is the responsibility of the portfolio manager to be aware of the potential investment implications of any issue on which securityholders are asked to vote.

RBC Global Asset Management Inc. has retained Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS"), a subsidiary of MSCI Inc., a leading, independent firm with expertise in global proxy voting and corporate governance issues, to augment its internal processes. In conjunction with ISS, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. has established the Funds' Proxy Voting Guidelines. The Guidelines indicate the principles of corporate governance which the Funds will generally support through the exercise of proxy votes.

While RBC Global Asset Management Inc. will generally vote the Funds' proxies strictly in accordance with the Funds' Proxy Voting Guidelines, there may be circumstances where it believes it is in the best interests of a Fund to vote differently than the manner contemplated by the Guidelines. The ultimate decision as to the manner in which the Funds' proxies will be voted rests with RBC Global Asset Management Inc.


Special Conflict of Interest Provisions

RBC Global Asset Management Inc. is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. Some of the Funds hold common shares of the Royal Bank. There is the potential for a conflict of interest between the interests of the Funds and the interests of RBC Global Asset Management Inc. or its employees in connection with the exercise of voting rights of the Funds attached to the Royal Bank shares. There is also the potential for a conflict of interest in connection with the exercise of the Funds' voting rights attached to the shares of another issuer, where the outcome of the vote may directly impact the price of Royal Bank shares.

In order to balance the interests of the Funds in exercising proxies with the desire to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. has instituted procedures to help ensure that a Fund's proxy is voted:

  • in accordance with the business judgment of the portfolio manager, uninfluenced by considerations other than the best interests of the Fund;
  • free from any influence by the Royal Bank of Canada and without taking into account any consideration relevant to Royal Bank or any of its associates or affiliates.

The procedures for voting Royal Bank proxies, and for other issuers' proxies where there may be a conflict of interest, include escalation of the issue to the Independent Review Committee for its review and recommendation, although the responsibility for deciding how to vote the Funds' proxies and for exercising the vote remains with RBC Global Asset Management Inc.


Proxy Voting Administration

Due to the volume and diversity of securities held by the Funds, RBC Global Asset Management Inc. has retained ISS to provide administrative services to the Funds as a proxy voting agent. RBC Global Asset Management Inc. has adopted proxy voting procedures to ensure that the Funds' proxies are in fact voted by ISS in accordance with this Proxy Voting Policy. The Chief Investment Officer of RBC Global Asset Management Inc. is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the proxy voting procedures.

Proxy Voting Guidelines

Issuers' proxies most frequently contain proposals to elect corporate directors, to appoint external auditors and set their compensation, to adopt or amend management compensation plans, and to amend the capitalization of the company. These guidelines summarize the corporate governance principles which the Funds will generally support through the exercise of votes on these issues.

Other issues, including those business issues specific to the issuer or those raised by shareholders of the issuer, are addressed on a case-by-case basis with a focus on the potential impact of the vote on shareholder value.

Please refer to the Proxy Voting Guidelines for more details.

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