BlackRock opens door for retail investors to vote in proxy battles; UK pilot by $8tn asset manager signals 'revolution in shareholder democracy', boss Fink says Brooke Masters – Financial Times BlackRock will allow retail investors to vote on proxy battles for the first time as it fends off criticism that its stance on environmental, social and governance issues is at odds with some of its shareholders. The world's largest asset manager plans a pilot with UK pooled funds to enable their investors to vote on contested proposals in 2023. Larry Fink, BlackRock's chief executive, said technology is enabling a "revolution in shareholder democracy" that will "transform the relationship between asset owners and companies" as he announced the plans on Wednesday. BlackRock's one-year-old Voting Choice programme already allows institutional investors holding $1.8tn in assets to decide how they want their shares to be voted, and the owners of $452bn have done so.