Governance
Our Governance
The Society is committed to high standards of governance to ensure transparency, accountability, and our long-term success. Our governance framework is rooted in the principles of democracy and member engagement and reflects our dedication to serving the interests of our members and the wider community. We are guided by the Co-operative Corporate Governance Code 2019 and the International Co-operative Alliance values and principles and by adhering to best practices in governance, we maintain robust oversight, ethical decision-making, and effective risk management.
The Board
The Board is collectively responsible to the members of the Society for its performance, strategic direction and governance. It provides the leadership necessary for the Society to meet its performance objectives within an effective risk management framework.
The Board has reserved to itself certain key matters on which it alone may make decisions. These include the Society’s strategy, its budget and dividends.
The Board comprises the Chair, Elected Directors, Professional External Directors and the Chief Executive Officer.
The Chair of the Board
The Chair is responsible for leadership of the Board, for ensuring its effectiveness on all aspects of its role and for facilitating the productive contribution of each of the Directors.
The Chair of the Board sets the agenda for Board meetings in consultation with the Chief Executive and the Society Secretary. The Chair is also responsible for ensuring that the Board understands the views of members, colleagues, customers and the community.
Elected Directors
An elected director is a member of the Society who has been chosen through a democratic election process to serve on the Board of Directors. This position plays a key governance role, representing the interests of members and ensuring the Society operates in line with its values and principles.
Professional External Director
A professional external director is an individual appointed to the board to bring specific expertise, perspective, and governance skills to the Society. Unlike elected directors, they are chosen for their professional qualifications, experience, and impartiality.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive has overall responsibility for the performance of the Society’s business and delivery of strategy. The Chief Executive provides leadership to enable the successful planning and execution of the objectives and strategies agreed by the Board. The Chief Executive is also responsible for stewardship of the Society assets and, jointly with the Chair of the Board, for representation of the Society externally.
Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team has responsibility for overseeing the implementation by the Society of the policies and strategy set by the Board and for creating the framework for day-to-day operations. This team is comprising senior executives, such as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and other department heads
