London, 11 September 2014 – ICSA is delighted to announce the shortlist for this year’s Excellence in Governance Awards. Now in their sixth year, the awards are well established in recognising talented individuals, teams and organisations for upholding and demonstrating the highest standards in governance and disclosure.
Peter Swabey, ICSA’s Policy & Research Director, says: “The number and calibre of the entries that we have received this year shows how seriously companies are now taking transparency and accountability. I am particularly delighted to see that several prestigious past winners, such as Marks and Spencer Group plc, Unilever PLC, Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company, Shanks Group plc and Land Securities Group PLC have been shortlisted for awards again this year. This just goes to show that even household names are seeking to improve their governance practices rather than just resting on their laurels”.
Land Securities’ Chairman Dame Alison Carnwath is chairing this year’s judging panel. No stranger to top-class business reporting, Land Securities took the prize for ‘Best annual report – FTSE 100’ in 2013 with a powerful and punchy report. They are shortlisted in the same category this year alongside other hopefuls Aviva plc, GlaxoSmithKline plc and Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company (2012’s winner). Also fighting it out to win recognition for their efforts in reporting and disclosure in the Best annual report category are the following FTSE 250 companies:
- AMEC plc
- Cairn Energy PLC
- Lonmin Plc
- SEGRO plc
The awards are a particularly exciting time for those individuals or teams who have been nominated for an award. Hoping to win the coveted prize of Company secretary of the year – listed company are:
- Colin Armstrong, Merlin Entertainments plc
- Neil Colgan, CRH plc
- Tim Hartin, Westpac Banking Corporation
Nominations in the Company secretarial team of the year – listed company category are as follows:
- Friends Life Group Limited
- Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC
- Invensys plc
- RSA Insurance Group plc
A full list of all 21 awards categories, along with the names of individuals, teams and companies shortlisted for each award can be found at www.icsa.org.uk/awards2014
Simon Osborne FCIS, Chief Executive of ICSA, comments: “The standard of entry this year across all sectors has been particularly high and I am delighted for all those who have been nominated. I am also thrilled to have Dame Alison heading up the judging panel. Not only is she one of the few women to chair a major FTSE 100 company, she is also the first female chairman of our awards judging panel. I am delighted that she is bringing her extensive experience of corporate governance to bear in the decision-making process.”
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For further information, please contact Maria Brookes, Media Relations Manager:
mbrookes@icsa.org.uk
+44 (0)20 7612 7072
+44 (0)7890 649 143
Notes to Editors:
- ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) is the chartered membership and qualifying body for professionals working in governance, risk and compliance, including company secretaries. Our members work in all sectors and at every level of seniority. With over 120 years of experience, we champion high governance standards by providing qualifications, training, high-quality guidance and support (including technical resources, publications and software), and through our work with regulators and policy makers. Website: www.icsa.org.uk
- The chair of the judging panel is Dame Alison Carnwath, Chair, Land Securities
- The judges (in alphabetical order) from whom the panels judging each award will be chosen are as follows:
Paul Boniface, Secretary, National Trust
Professor Andrew Chambers, Management Audit LLP, Professor of Corporate Governance, London South Bank University
Lyn Colloff, Company Secretary, Cobham plc
Frank Curtiss, Head of Corporate Governance, RPMI Railpen Investments
Lindsay Driscoll, Charity Law and Governance Consultant
Matthew Fell, Director for Competitive Markets, CBI
Anthony Fitzsimmons, Chairman, Reputability LLP
John Gollifer, General Manager, Investor Relations Society
Chris Hopson, CEO, Foundation Trust Network
Catherine Howarth, CEO, Share Action
Jo Iwasaki, Head of Corporate Governance, ICAEW
Paul Lee, Head of Investment Affairs, National Association of Pension Funds
Gillian Lees, Head of Research & Development, CIMA
John Ludlow, SVP & Head of Global Risk Management, IHG; Deputy Chair of AIRMIC
Andrew Ninian, Assistant Director, Head of Corporate Governance, Investment Management Association
Ruth Pavey, Company Secretary, Capital & Counties Properties PLC
Sallie Pilot, Director of Research & Strategy, Black Sun plc
Deepa Raval, Project Director, Accounting and Reporting Policy Team, Financial Reporting Council
Nicola Rimmer, Vice President, Internal Audit, Barclays plc; President of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors
Carol Shutkever, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Tim Ward, Chief Executive, Quoted Companies Alliance
Mark Wearden, Director MBS Limited
Derek Woodward, Group Company Secretary, Thomas Cook Group plc
Victoria Whyte, Company Secretary, GlaxoSmithKline plc
Catherine Woods, Corporate Governance Advisor, Financial Reporting Council
Each judge will be a member of one or more judging panels.
