Extel names top Asia corporate teams as survey participation jumps

By AI, Created 5:04 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Extel published its 2026 Asia (ex-Japan/ANZ) Executive Team rankings on May 13, naming the region’s top CEOs, CFOs, investor relations teams and companies across 23 sectors. Participation rose sharply, with 5,581 investors, portfolio managers and analysts voting and 195 companies earning published positions, up from 126 in 2025.

Why it matters: - The rankings are a widely watched benchmark for executive leadership, investor relations and corporate governance across Asia. - Extel’s 2026 results point to a more competitive market for investor trust, with more companies, more voters and more sectors in play. - The survey can influence how companies are viewed by institutional investors and how they present themselves to the market.

What happened: - Extel, formerly Institutional Investor Research, released the results of its 16th Asia (ex-Japan/ANZ) Executive Team survey on May 13. - The survey named leading CEOs, CFOs, investor relations officers, IR programs, ESG performers and board attributes across the region. - 195 companies earned published positions as Honored companies, up from 126 in 2025. - 55 companies received Most Honored Company status.

The details: - A company qualifies as a Most Honored Company by earning at least 15 weighted points across six categories in the combined buy-side and sell-side rankings. - First place is worth three points, second place two points and third place one point. - The 2026 survey drew 5,581 investors, portfolio managers and analysts from 1,249 voter firms. - Voters nominated 2,520 companies, up from 1,668 in 2025. - Voters also nominated 2,728 individuals, up from 2,367 in 2025. - The rankings covered 23 sectors, five more than in 2025. - The respondent base included 4,743 buy-side professionals from 1,090 buy-side firms with an estimated $2 trillion in Asia ex-Japan equities. - The survey also included 838 sell-side analysts from 159 firms. - Extel said the results showed fewer companies reaching All-Star status, or first place across all six performance categories. - Extel also said more than 60% of top-ranked IROs worked at companies where the CEO and CFO did not achieve a top ranking. - Extel said voter volume almost doubled in telecommunications, autos and insurance. - Extel said participation also spiked in Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines. - Extel said the participation gap between Mainland China and smaller Asian markets narrowed for the first time. - Published sector leaders included BYD in autos, Yum China in consumer services, China Resources Beer in consumer staples, Contemporary Amperex Technology in electrical components and equipment, and Tencent Holdings in internet. - Other top-ranked companies included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in semiconductors, S.F. Holding in transportation and infrastructure, and Angelalign Technology in healthcare equipment and services. - In the telecom category, China Unicom (Hong Kong) led the sector, followed by China Mobile, China Communications Services Corp. and Taiwan Mobile. - The full list of published winners is available at Extel’s results page.

Between the lines: - Extel’s commentary suggests the investor-relations function is becoming more central as companies face higher scrutiny from institutional investors. - The added sectors and revised frameworks also point to a broader effort to capture differences between industries and markets more precisely. - The shift toward smaller markets suggests regional competition for investor attention is widening beyond the largest China-linked names.

What’s next: - Extel said companies can request award logos and marketing rights for the 2026 rankings. - Extel also said firms can request benchmark data and IR perception analysis for internal or external use. - Extel plans to continue using updated sector frameworks and scoring systems for future rankings.

The bottom line: - Extel’s 2026 Asia rankings show stronger participation, sharper sector differentiation and a bigger role for investor relations in winning institutional confidence.