Case Study:
Rebecca Waite
Meet Rebecca Waite as she tells us what its like to work as a Senior Assistant Company Secretary at Deliveroo plc
Rebecca is a Senior Assistant Company Secretary at Deliveroo plc, having joined the business in Jan 2022. Prior to that she has held CoSec roles at a number of FTSE listed companies - National Grid, William Hill and easyJet to name a few. Outside of work she is an avid crossfitter and loves dining out and going on holidays! Its all about balance!
Consider every challenge as an opportunity!
Governance will always continue to evolve, it is important to be dynamic and open minded.
What is Governance?
Governance to me means supporting the business and the Board to respond to an ever changing environment. Ensuring systems, controls and processes are in place to assist the company in: achieving its strategy and goals; managing its risk effectively; considering its stakeholders; and monitoring and improving performance of the Board, Exec Team and business as a whole.
What is a governance professional?
Governance professionals wear a multitude of hats, and having worked within a variety of companies I can safely say that not one role has been the same!
What they all have in common is that it is all about ‘doing the right thing’, even when faced with challenges – it is being a partner to the business to support in the long-term strategic goals but also acting as an independent advisor to the Board, stakeholders and our peers. It is as much about being a relationship builder as it is about being technically sound.
Your route to a career in governance
As an alternative to doing the The Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme exams, I chose to undertake the postgraduate qualification at Northampton University. The curriculum that I studied mirrored that of the CGI programme and provided me with the opportunity to more quickly achieve becoming a fully chartered member of the Institute.
The essential skills for success in governance
Governance is an ever evolving topic, one of the most important things to consider is keeping an open mind, being dynamic and constantly evolving your thought processes.
Career highlight
The Deliveroo team recently won ‘Team of the Year’ at the CGI Awards. This was a great achievement for myself and the team, and has made all of the hard work thus far worth it. It was great to be recognised by my colleagues and peers in the industry!
How did the Institute support your career as a governance professional?
The CGI through its resources has enabled me to keep abreast of ongoing changes to regulations and requirements within the governance space as well as help build my network of CoSec professionals through its online seminars and in person events.
Words of wisdom for the next generation of governance professionals?
Every challenge is an opportunity – there have been plenty of times during my career that the most challenging moments have helped me in the future! Embrace every possible opportunity and challenge.
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