North East of England
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Latest news
Accountability and sustainability are driving the financial regulatory agenda
17 May 2019
Holding individual directors to account is the key to improving governance in financial firms according to Gerry Cross, Director of Financial Regulation at the Central Bank of Ireland. Speaking at ICSA Ireland’s annual conference in Dublin yesterday, Mr Cross emphasised that accountability and sustainability are the key themes being reflected in new guidelines proposed by the Central Bank. Read more
Integrity is the key to Jersey’s success
09 May 2019
Integrity is the crucial ingredient upon which Jersey’s reputation lies was the key message to delegates from Martin Moloney, Director General of the Jersey Financial Services Commission at ICSA: The Governance Institute’s annual conference in St Helier last week. Read more
Fidelity Stock Plan Services Named Newest Gold Member of ProShare
09 May 2019
Based on Expanding Commitment to Equity Compensation, Fidelity Stock Plan Services Named Newest Gold Member of ProShare. Gold Membership Includes a Seat on ProShare’s Advisory Panel, Which Helps to Shape ProShare’s Approach to Policy and Industry Best Practice. Read more
New report challenges the independence of sport
08 May 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute has today published a report, which addresses the claims to autonomy and self-regulation which sports bodies have traditionally made for themselves. The Future of Sports Governance: Beyond Autonomy considers how these claims have been affected by the sector’s growth, its changing role and the various pressures under which sports organisations operate. Focusing on the UK and primarily on publicly-funded bodies, it assesses recent governance challenges and looks ahead to some of the issues yet to be tackled. Read more
ICSA flags responsible investment and emerging technology as areas of focus for Guernsey businesses
02 May 2019
Socially conscious investment and emerging technologies are both areas that will require increasing boardroom focus delegates at ICSA: The Governance Institute’s annual conference in Guernsey heard yesterday. Read more
BEIS Committee report on the Future of Audit is another missed opportunity
02 April 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute has today reiterated concerns that the UK audit market will not improve unless issues of education, training and trust are first addressed. It believes that the report published today by the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee does not reflect the realities of commissioning audit work and is another missed opportunity to improve the situation. Read more
Boardroom resilience is the focus of the 2019 ICSA Jersey Annual Conference
02 April 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute’s annual conference in Jersey is this year addressing the theme of ‘Building Board Resilience’. Taking place at the Royal Yacht Hotel on 2 May, the conference will focus on the importance of creating effective boards that are fit for the future and can ensure that Jersey retains its place on the global stage as a champion of good governance. Read more
Board resilience is the focus of the CGIUKI Guernsey Conference 2019
29 March 2019
This year’s CGIUKI annual conference in Guernsey is addressing the theme of ‘Building Board Resilience’. Taking place at the St Pierre Park Hotel on 1 May, the conference will focus on how boards can be strengthened through board evaluations and improved board dynamics. Business critical issues that directors need to be aware of such as technological innovations, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing and anti-money laundering are also being considered. Read more
Future role of ARGA
22 March 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute has responded to press comment that the Institute of Directors has criticised government plans to include oversight of corporate governance in the remit of the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA), the new audit regulator. Read more
New requirement for companies to report on payment practices is a step in the right direction
13 March 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute is supportive of the new requirement for company audit committees to review and report on payment practices in their annual report and accounts as it believes this will help to tackle the problem of late payment of invoices, which can be hugely detrimental to small businesses. Read more
Charity sector requires a revolution to be fit for the 21st century
12 March 2019
Delegates at ICSA: The Governance Institute’s Charity Governance Conference on Friday 8 March were treated to a thought-provoking keynote speech by feminist activist Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith, Director of Anona Development Consultancy, who called for a revolution in the charity sector and said that business as usual won’t do any more. Read more
Increased staff retention is the biggest benefit of flexible working, poll finds
07 March 2019
A poll out today by ICSA: The Governance Institute and recruitment specialist The Core Partnership reveals that 92% of organisations surveyed offer flexible working arrangements with staff retention considered as the greatest upside. Read more
ICSA seminar focuses on key areas of governance for Barbadian practitioners
11 February 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute is holding a seminar on key areas of governance practice for company secretaries and governance professionals in Barbados. Taking place at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Needham’s Point, St Michael on Tuesday 19 February, the seminar will address crucial issues, such as technological innovation, directors’ duties and annual general meetings (AGMs). Read more
Guernsey’s governance body focuses on skills and Next Generation Governance
08 February 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute’s 2019 seminar programme will focus on the skills company secretaries and governance professionals in Guernsey require in order to support the island’s businesses and other organisations that rely on good governance to operate effectively. The chartered body, which supports and trains governance professionals working and studying in Guernsey, will also be considering the future of governance and reviewing the key areas that will require focus in the coming years. Read more
ICSA appoints new Chief Executive
30 January 2019
ICSA: The Governance Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Sara Drake as a successor to Chief Executive Simon Osborne, who is due to step down at the end of June. Sara will join ICSA in early March as CEO Designate before formally taking over as Chief Executive on 1 July 2019. Read more
Little improvement in audit process since Carillion collapse, poll finds
29 January 2019
A poll out today by ICSA: The Governance Institute and recruitment specialist The Core Partnership reveals that just 9% of company secretaries surveyed think that the audit process has improved since the collapse of Carillion. Over half (51%) feel that it has failed to advance with many believing that the industry has learned little from the collapse. Read more
Brexit fears crystallise and economic gloom takes hold of UK PLC, survey finds
21 January 2019
A survey of FTSE 350 companies out today finds just 2% of respondents predicting an improvement in UK economic conditions as concerns about the impact of Brexit start to hit home, with 73% predicting damage to their company as a result of Brexit. The latest FT-ICSA Boardroom Bellwether survey by ICSA: The Governance Institute in association with the Financial Times also reveals concerns about the global economy. Read more
Lack of strategic focus on technology at board level, poll finds
20 December 2018
A poll out today by ICSA: The Governance Institute and recruitment specialist The Core Partnership reveals that just 51% of boards understand the challenges and opportunities that data and technology present to their organisations. Some 29% of the company secretaries who took part in the survey think that their boards do not fully understand and a further 20% could only attest to ‘maybe’. Read more
Competition and Markets Authority’s attempt to improve UK audit market risks putting the cart before the horse
19 December 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has today expressed concerns that the UK audit market will not improve unless issues of education, training and trust are first addressed. It also believes that the statutory audit services update paper published yesterday by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) presents a missed opportunity to rectify the situation. Read more
ICSA welcomes idea of new statutory body for governance, but Kingman Review misses a trick by failing to align FRC work with FCA powers of sanction for listing rule breaches
18 December 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has welcomed the publication today of Sir John Kingman’s Independent Review of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), but believes certain opportunities have been missed. Read more
UK companies lauded for contribution to employee share ownership
11 December 2018
Several long-established UK organisations, along with many younger companies, were among the big winners at the 2018 Annual ProShare Awards. Held each year to recognise and celebrate the best companies and individuals involved in employee share ownership, the awards receive entries from organisations large and small, representing almost every sector of the business world, from retail and banking to telecommunications and the media. Read more
ICSA welcomes publication of Wates principles to improve corporate governance standards among private companies
10 December 2018
London, 10 December 2018 – ICSA: The Governance Institute has welcomed the publication today by the Financial Reporting Council of a new code for the corporate governance of large private companies. Read more
UK charities triumph at ICSA Awards 2018
28 November 2018
Alison Chan of the Alexandra Rose Charity and Anna Machin of education charity Ark have been bestowed with awards at the ICSA Awards 2018. Alison, a trustee of the Alexandra Rose Charity, which gives families access to fruit and vegetables in their local communities, has won the coveted Governance Professional of the Year award. Anna triumphed in The One to Watch category, which recognises the rising stars of the governance profession. Read more
NHS merger named Governance Project of the Year at ICSA Awards 2018
28 November 2018
The NHS merger of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust was named Governance Project of the Year at the ICSA Awards 2018 in London last night. The award, which recognises transformational governance projects that are significant in terms of their size, nature or the value they create for the organisation, saw the hospitals triumph against organisations from the corporate and sporting sectors. Read more
Gender pay gap reporting feted at ICSA Awards 2018
28 November 2018
Centrica plc became the first company to win the new Best Gender Pay Gap Report category introduced by ICSA: The Governance Institute at the ICSA Awards 2018 in London last night. The Awards, which were hosted by comedian Jo Caulfield at the Park Lane Hilton, saw Centrica applauded for the way in which the company had combined clarity of reporting, executive sponsorship and action planning. Read more
ICSA Guernsey Awards 2018 winners
23 November 2018
Winners of ICSA: The Governance Institute’s 2018 ICSA Guernsey Awards, which recognise the achievements of the island’s governance professionals and businesses in terms of good governance, celebrated their successes at a glittering awards dinner at The Old Government House Hotel on Friday, 9 November 2018. Read more
Board level action on employee wellbeing and mental health inadequate, poll finds
20 November 2018
Fewer than half of the organisations polled by ICSA: The Governance Institute and governance recruitment specialist The Core Partnership have considered employee wellbeing and mental health at board level. Just 45% of boards have considered these issues, 34% have not and the remaining 21% of respondents were unsure if their board had or not. Furthermore, when questioned as to whether or not their organisation does enough to support employees’ mental wellbeing, fewer than half (49%) said ‘yes’ and just under a third (31%) said ‘no’. Read more
70% of companies oppose the idea of workers on boards, new poll finds
10 October 2018
A poll out today by ICSA: The Governance Institute and recruitment specialist The Core Partnership reveals that 70% of companies surveyed feel that having workers on boards would not be a good idea. Only 13% of respondents think that it would be a good idea and 16% are unsure. Furthermore, 91% are not considering having workers on their board. Read more
ICSA: The Governance Institute launches Certificate in Academy Governance
09 October 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has launched a certificate in academy governance in order to support the professionalisation of the developing academies sector. It is the only qualification in the UK designed specifically with academies in mind and focuses exclusively on governance challenges faced by academy schools or multi-academy trusts (MATs). Read more
Social and environmental issues will drive the future of governance, new report finds
28 September 2018
Broad social issues, such as demographic and technological change, as well as environmental sustainability will have a greater influence on the future course of governance according to a new report into millennial perspectives on the future of governance, launched last night by ICSA: The Governance Institute. Read more
Intrepid explorer Monty Halls set to enthral at ICSA Guernsey Awards 2018
26 September 2018
Broadcaster, travel writer, marine biologist and former Royal Marine Monty Halls will be bringing his unique take on leadership to Guernsey this autumn when he appears as the guest speaker at this year’s ICSA Guernsey Awards. Winner of Channel 4’s Superhuman, and most recently seen on TV in Channel 4’s My Family and the Galapagos, naturalist and leadership specialist Monty will regale the audience with tales of his ventures in some of the most remote environments on earth presenting wildlife and adventure documentaries. Read more
ICSA Technology Conference seeks to address lack of techpertise in boardrooms
19 September 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute is holding a technology conference on 28 September, which seeks to improve the level of technological expertise in UK boardrooms. Addressing the theme of ‘Futureproofing the board’, the conference aims to help boards to acquire the skills needed to take their organisations forward in the digital age. Read more
CGIUKI Chief Executive to retire in 2019
03 September 2018
Simon Osborne, the Chief Executive of The Governance Institute UK & Ireland, a division of the global governance body the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, is to retire in mid-2019. Read more
Good governance and accountability are key themes of ICSA’s autumn conference
30 August 2018
Strong school governance is based around strategic leadership, robust challenge and support, and accountability on educational performance. It can be hard to achieve, however, which is why ICSA: The Governance Institute will be exploring some of the key governance challenges faced by multi-academy trust boards at its 2018 Academy Governance Conference at the Hallam Conference Centre in London on 5 October. Based around the theme of ‘Delivering excellence in an age of accountability’, the conference will focus on the capabilities needed to meet these challenges. Read more
ICSA to review the quality and effectiveness of board evaluations
26 August 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has today welcomed the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee invitation to convene a group to review the quality and effectiveness of board evaluations. Read more
Brexit fears lessen but gloom about UK economy remains, latest Boardroom Bellwether survey finds
06 August 2018
Boards lack confidence in the UK economy despite reduced concerns over Brexit according to a survey of FTSE 350 companies out today by ICSA: The Governance Institute. UK boards are also preoccupied with risk, boardroom diversity and the gender pay gap, with the number of boards not seen as gender diverse rising and 69% of companies looking to reduce the gender pay gap. Read more
ICSA calls for greater Government action to address gender pay gap
02 August 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has today welcomed the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee report on gender pay gap reporting, but advises that correcting and removing the gender pay gap is not the sole responsibility of companies. Read more
Nominations open for ICSA Guernsey Awards 2018
26 July 2018
Nominations are now open for the ICSA Guernsey Awards 2018, which recognise individual and team accomplishments in the field of governance. Taking place at The Old Government House Hotel on Friday, 9 November 2018, the awards are the focal point of ICSA Guernsey’s Annual Dinner, which celebrates the achievements of members and students on the island. Read more
ICSA welcomes UK Corporate Governance Code and guidance on board effectiveness
16 July 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has today issued commentary on the Financial Reporting Council’s updated UK Corporate Governance Code and its Guidance on Board Effectiveness. Read more
Guidance on improving charity boardroom behaviours
12 July 2018
The Chartered Governance Institute released of guidance aimed at improving behaviours in charity boardrooms. Read more
New resources to help boards get the information they need launched today
11 July 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute and Board Intelligence have today launched a number of key resources to help organisations ensure that boards have the information they need to govern successfully: an assessment tool to review the effectiveness and value of their board reporting; and guidance on ‘Effective Board Reporting’, which offers practical steps to bring about improvements. Read more
78% of organisations have found GDPR to be a huge drain on resources, poll finds
02 July 2018
A poll out today by The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland and recruitment specialist The Core Partnership reveals that almost four-fifths (78%) of organisations surveyed have found becoming compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to be a heavy burden on their resources; 9% of those surveyed were unsure and 13% felt that it had not been a heavy burden. Read more
Press statement: ICSA identifies potential flaws with insolvency proposals
12 June 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has identified a number of proposals in the Government’s consultation on proposed changes to the statutory framework around insolvency that would result in more companies being liquidated, to the possible detriment of all stakeholders. Read more
ICSA and Sixth Form Colleges Association release guidance on good practice
06 June 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute and the Sixth Form Colleges Association have produced guidance aimed at improving governance within sixth form colleges and academies for 16- to 19-year-olds in England. Two separate pieces of guidance have been written around conflicts of interest and the role and duties of a company secretary. Read more
Dr Patrick Bitature receives accolade for services to governance from ICSA
04 June 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute, the leading qualifying and membership body for governance professionals in Uganda, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories (UKRIAT), has recognised the outstanding contribution to good governance of Dr Patrick Bitature, Executive Chairman of Simba Group. The highest accolade conferred by the UKRIAT Division of the internationally renowned Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), the President’s Medal is awarded for distinguished or meritorious service in connection with the Institute. Read more
57% of respondents oppose increase in FRC enforcement powers, new poll finds
04 June 2018
57% of governance professionals surveyed by ICSA: The Governance Institute and recruitment specialist The Core Partnership about the government’s plan to review the powers, operations and impact of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) are opposed to increased powers of enforcement. Just 27% came out in favour of more power for the FRC, with the remaining 16% unsure. Read more
Cost calculator reveals the true cost of board meetings
17 May 2018
A new cost calculator developed by Board Intelligence and ICSA: The Governance Institute has revealed that a single board meeting at a FTSE 100 company in a regulated sector like financial services can cost up to £250,000 and over a 100 days of preparation, while even a small charity with turnover of less than £10 million will typically devote 20-25 days to the task at a cost of up to £4-5,000. Read more
ICSA releases new report to help improve attitudes and behaviour in sport
16 May 2018
ICSA: The Governance Institute has launched a new report looking at ‘Organisational culture in sport’, which finds that cultural issues are under-discussed at board level. It also highlights the fact that success in embedding culture and values cannot be achieved by boards alone. Read more
ProShare move to ICSA
01 May 2018
The London Institute of Banking & Finance and ICSA: the Governance Institute today (1 May) announced that ProShare, the voice of the employee share ownership industry in the UK, is moving to ICSA. Read more
Dr Roger Barker completes speaker line-up at ICSA Jersey Annual Conference
18 April 2018
Dr Roger Barker, Corporate Governance Advisor at the Institute of Directors has been confirmed as a speaker at this year’s ICSA: The Governance Institute’s annual conference in Jersey on 26 April. Read more
