Press Releases

ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute has today published new guidance about company AGMs and the impact of Covid-19, which reflects the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on companies’ ability to hold physical general meetings. Prepared in association with the City of London Law Society Company Law Committee and Martin Moore QC, with the support of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Financial Reporting Council, the guidance offers advice on how listed companies might hold meetings during the 2021 AGM season.

The Isle of Man Branch of ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute has today announced details of a webinar that is running on 24 February 2021 to helps its members and other interested parties learn more about how they can thrive in extraordinary times. Attendees will hear tips from Justin Tipper, a leading local management and leadership trainer, coach and therapist, who will explain how people can use the experience of COVID to build their pools of perseverance, calmness and self-reliance.

Governance professionals in 2021 will be focusing their attention primarily on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, remote working risk, climate change and diversity this year, according to a poll by ICSA: The Chartered Governance and governance recruitment specialist The Core Partnership. Of these, ESG is seen as the top priority, with the majority of respondents stating that it would be the biggest area of governance focus for 2021.

ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute has today welcomed the benevolent approach to charity trustees that today’s Kids Company verdict has upheld, whilst recognising that the 221-page verdict contains important lessons for all those involved in the governance of charities. Overall, the judgement underscores the importance of good governance: of effective oversight, training, assurance and risk management, all of which is best supported by a governance professional.

ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute and leading charity lawyers VWV have today published a practical ‘how to’ guide for charities approaching their first virtual or hybrid annual general meeting (AGM) as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures. The guidance is predominantly for charitable companies limited by guarantee (CLGs) and charitable incorporate organisations (CIOs) and relates to the flexibilities extended to charities by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA) until 30 March 2021.

Baroness Berridge, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System, has acknowledged the vital role that governance professionals play in academy trusts and confirmed that more widely promoting and supporting the role of the governance professional in trusts is at the top of the DfE’s priorities for this year.

ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute has today released the findings of its review into the effectiveness of independent board evaluation in the UK listed sector. The review, which was carried out at the request of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), assessed the quality of evaluations and has identified a number of ways in which board evaluation might be improved.

ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute has today released a statement outlining its views about the situation of having chief executives, and other staff, as trustees of charitable companies such as academy trusts. The Institute believes that the situation is nuanced and a default of only one option will not always represent good governance practice.

ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute is pleased to announce the election of Teresa Le Couteur, Group Company Secretary for Northern Trust Guernsey, as Chair of the Institute’s Guernsey Branch, effective 1 January 2021. Teresa’s was elected to the position by the Bailiwick’s membership and succeeds Paul Smith, who chaired the branch from May 2019 until December 2020, having been Vice Chair since Jan 2016.

Paul McCullagh, Company Secretary at Dublin-based Barclays Europe has been named Company Secretary of the Year by ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute at the Institute’s 2020 Awards. Paul was recognised for his drive and commitment to ensure Barclays Europe is at the forefront of best practice corporate governance, something which has earned him the respect and confidence of the Board.

Peterborough-based North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust had double cause for celebration last night when the Trust’s Deputy Company Secretary Paul Denton was named Governance Professional of the Year and the Trust picked up the award for Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year at ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute’s 2020 Awards.

Fiona Chalk, Governance Consultant & Trainer at Governance4FE has been named Governance Champion of the Year by ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute, the professional body for governance. Fiona, founder of Governance4FE, a community organisation that specialises solely in Further Education governance, received the award for the work that she has done to improve outcomes for students by increasing the effectiveness of those tasked with the oversight of governance in the further education and skills sector.