Jan. 28, 2020
Vanessa Countryman Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20549 Re: File Number S7-22-19 Dear Secretary Countryman, I am writing today to provide comment on the SEC’s proposed rule changes regarding proxy advisory firms. As the Vice President of a technology firm in Colorado, I want to secure the strongest possible 401K plans for my employees—and in order to ensure this, the investment decisions that fund managers make must be based on maximized returns. The hyper-politicized nature of proxy advisory firms undermines that fundamental goal, which is why I believe greater oversight is needed for this industry. More and more these days, proxy advisory firms are pushing their own political views rather than providing solid investment advice to produce the greatest returns. In doing so, they are jeopardizing the financial performance of countless retirement, pension and 401K plans and undermining the financial futures of millions of Americans. On a personal level, I am very progressive on environmental issues. I certainly can support anyone making the personal decision to invest their money based on these issues if they so wish. However, I do not agree that this is the best way to influence public policy, nor do I believe it is fair for proxy advisory firms to use other people’s hard-earned investments to advance their own political agenda. Yet again, I realize that many businesses can be easily swayed and cave into pressure—which is just another reason the unchecked power and influence proxy advisors have needs greater oversight and be checked. Please continue to look into this matter. I firmly believe the SEC should move forward with the proposed amendments to the rules governing proxy advisory firms. Thank you for the opportunity to provide my input on this important matter. Best, Aymii Couzelis Aymii Couzelis CEO ENSOMA, Public Speaker & Culture Innovator VP of Technology at Point Solutions Group 203.984.8839 | aymiic@gmail.com ensomastudios.com / pointsolutionsus.com