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W. Robert Main

Managing Partner and COO

Sustainable Governance Partners

Robert Main

Rob Main, CFA is managing partner and COO at SGP. Rob specializes in client engagement, strategy development, board related matters, and executive compensation.

Rob was previously the Head of Investment Stewardship for the Americas and Asia at Vanguard. His responsibilities included company engagement, corporate governance research, proxy voting, and ESG integration efforts on behalf of the Vanguard funds. Rob played a leadership role in Vanguard proxy voting policy development and engagement in significant and complex situations, including proxy contests and mergers and acquisitions. He spoke on behalf of the firm’s stewardship program regularly at industry conferences and events, and actively contributed to thought leadership discussions and publications in industry. Rob’s prior asset management industry experience included roles as director within Vanguard’s investment manager due diligence team, head of active equity product management, and leader of the firm’s new product development. During this period, he developed equity market perspective and insights, engaged with some of the firm’s largest clients, and oversaw active equity managers managing U.S., international, and global equity mandates.

He earned a B.S. from the University of Richmond, and an M.B.A. from Villanova University, where he graduated as part of both the Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Societies. He is a CFA charterholder and is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia. He currently serves as adjunct faculty in Villanova University’s M.B.A. program and has guest lectured at Harvard University, Drexel University, and at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law. Rob previously served on the Corporate Governance Advisory Council of the Council of Institutional Investors (CII). Rob lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and three children. He enjoys reading, racquet sports, and is active in the Unionville youth sports community.