LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - British fund firm Aberdeen AssetManagement said on Thursday it welcomed a decision byImperial Brands to ditch a proposal to change pay plansfor its directors at the firm's impending annual meeting.
Imperial's announcement earlier on Thursday that it wouldnot put a planned resolution to the vote on Feb. 1, in responseto shareholder concerns, had come "rather late in the day", saidAberdeen's deputy head of UK and European Equities, James Laing.
"Remuneration policies need to be simple and reflect thebroad context. Hopefully when it comes to formulating therevised remuneration policy this will be fully reflected in theengagement with shareholders," he said in a statement.
Aberdeen is the 12th biggest investor in Imperial Brands,with a 1.44 percent stake, Thomson Reuters data showed.
Imperial Brands said in the earlier statement that itsdirectors would continue to be assessed according to the metricsagreed by shareholders at its annual general meeting in 2015.
"While we received considerable support, it is clear thatviews have changed over time and that the right course now is towithdraw resolution," Imperial's chairman, Mark Williamson,said. (Reporting by Simon Jessop; editing by Carolyn Cohn)
