← ISS Governance
ISS Governance role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Governance, executive pay and cyber risk research and data that help companies and investors make informed decisions.
Who you'd be calling
Corporate Secretaries, Heads of Investor Relations, Compensation and Governance leads at public companies, and portfolio managers or stewardship teams at investment firms.
Your opener
“Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from ISS Governance. I'm reaching out because we help public companies see how their governance and pay compare to peers. Is that something you're focused on ahead of proxy season?”
Problems you solve for them
- Hard to benchmark executive pay and board practices against peers
- Investors expect clear governance and shareholder vote readiness
- Cyber and regulatory risks are tough to measure and track
Discovery questions to ask
- How do you benchmark executive pay and board practices today?
- How do you prepare for shareholder votes and investor questions?
- Who on your team keeps an eye on governance or cyber risk ratings?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy right now.”
→ I understand, I'll be brief. I'd just like to know who handles governance benchmarking on your team. Can I try you at a better time?
“We're not interested.”
→ No worries. Is governance data something you already track closely, or is it handled somewhere else in the company?
“We already use a provider for this.”
→ That makes sense, it's a well-covered area. How well does it cover pay benchmarking and cyber risk, or do you use other tools there?
“Just email me.”
→ Of course. Which topic should I focus on: governance, executive pay or cyber risk?
Competitors worth knowing
Glass Lewis
Interview tips for this company
- Learn the terms proxy season, say-on-pay and corporate governance in plain English before the interview.
- ISS STOXX covers more than governance (indices, sustainability, funds), so be clear which team you are applying to and call into it.
Written from public information about ISS Governance to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.