London, 13 November 2014 – Paul Howard, company secretary of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was named Company Secretary of the Year (Not-for-Profit) at last night’s ICSA Excellence in Governance Awards in London. The awards, now in their sixth year, recognise individuals who have performed above and beyond the duties of their role and are unstinting in their commitment to good governance and the profession.
Paul beat off stiff competition from Pauline Fox, North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group, Susan Giles, Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust and Amanda Humphrey of Roffey Park Institute. The judges regarded Paul as the standout candidate, however, for the innovation and external focus that he brought to both his role and the not-for-profit sector.
The last few years have seen the NHS full of change and Paul has not only remained abreast of developments, he has readily acknowledged the need to change working practices. Paul has pushed for collaborative working amongst NHS foundation trusts and has also recognised the need for a company secretary to be outward-facing as well as a strong leader within their own organisation.
“Paul is a champion of the good governance cause,” states ICSA Chief Executive Simon Osborne. “He is extremely passionate about the role of a governor in an NHS foundation trust and understands the importance of providing effective training in order to make them true ambassadors for the public. Paul and the Trust should be proud of his efforts to develop effective NHS governance practices.”
Speaking of his award, Paul said: “I am delighted to have been selected as company secretary of the year in the not-for-profit sector; particularly given the standard of the other shortlisted candidates. The NHS is continually evolving and I am pleased that we at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals have been able to support that development.”
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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:
1 An independent panel of judges, chaired by Dame Alison Carnwath, reviewed shortlists prepared for the corporate awards by Hermes EOS and for the individual and team awards by ICSA.
2 The complete list of winners can be found online at www.icsa.org.uk/awards2014
3 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
