The UK’s globally renowned principles for corporate governance have been in place for 25 years. With public trust in business at historically low levels and companies facing challenges to demonstrate the highest levels of transparency and integrity, the Financial Reporting Council has commenced a once-in-a-generation fundamental review of the UK Corporate Governance Code.
Some of the issues the Code will tackle include how to represent the views of the workforce in the Boardroom, diversity, executive remuneration and ensuring business fulfils its duties to society as well as shareholders.
This exclusive event co-hosted by Alliance Manchester Business School and the Financial Reporting Council will hear from a distinguished panel of speakers and will provide a networking opportunity for Executive Board Members and their Advisers from the biggest companies in the region to discuss and debate the proposals.
Agenda highlights
13.30 - 14.00 – Coffee, registration and networking
14.00 – Welcome from Professor Martin Walker, Emeritus Professor, Alliance Manchester Business School
14.10 – Speakers
• Sacha Sadan, Director of Corporate Governance, Legal & General Investment Management
• Professor Kostas Stathopoulos, Alliance Manchester Business School
15.00 – Coffee and networking
15.30 – Panel debate with audience questions featuring
• Theresa Casey, Company Secretary at N. Brown Group Plc
• James Jarvis, Corporate Governance Analyst at the Institute of Directors
• Simon Holman, Partner and Investment Manager, Castlefield Investment Partners
• Nicola Quayle, Partner and Non-Executive UK Board member KPMG LLP
• Chrysoula Zervoudakis, Experienced Investment Director
16.30 – 17.00 – Closing address from David Styles, Director of Corporate Governance at the FRC
17:00 - 18:00 - Drinks reception
Speakers
Theresa Casey
Role: Company Secretary
Organisation: N. Brown Group Plc
Biography: Joined the company in January 2015. Admitted as a solicitor in 1997, Theresa has held a number of legal and company secretarial roles in the financial services and retail sectors, including the Co-operative Bank, Shop Direct, La Redoute and Brown Shipley Private Bank.
Simon Holman
Role: Partner and Investment Manager
Organisation: Castlefield Investment Managers
Biography: After reading Spanish at Edinburgh University and then Investment Analysis at Stirling University, I remained in Edinburgh and spent several years as an equity analyst and then fund manager at Aegon Asset Management (now known as Kames Capital). This long (but enjoyable!) Scottish exile ended when returning home to Cheshire to join Castlefield. Here, I combine an investment role (that includes being the lead manager of the Castlefield B.E.S.T Income Fund and analysing developments in the ethical investment world) with the role of keeping clients up-to-date on their portfolios and on market developments. I’m a charter holder (Chartered Financial Analyst) of the CFA Institute.
Sacha Sadan
Role: Director of Corporate Governance
Organisation: Legal & General Investment Management
Biography: Sacha Sadan is Director of Corporate Governance and on the Board at LGIM (Legal & General Investment Management) one of the largest asset managers in Europe. In September 2016 he was recognised in the Financial Times as one of ‘The 30 most influential people in the City of London’, crediting him as one the leading architects of 2012’s “shareholder spring”. At LGIM Sacha has overall responsibility for corporate governance including areas including Environment Social Governance (ESG). Sacha regularly collaborates with other investors as well as Governments and Regulators.
Nicola Quayle
Role: Partner and Non-Executive UK Board member
Organisation: KPMG LLP
Biography: Nicola is a Partner and Non-Executive UK Board member. She is based in the Manchester and Liverpool offices, specialising in UK GAAP and IFRS conversion.
Kostas Stathopoulos
Role: Professor of Finance
Organisation: Alliance Manchester Business School
Biography: Konstantinos is a corporate governance expert. He joined the accounting and finance division at MBS as an assistant professor back in 2004. He was promoted to the associate professor rank in 2013 and assumed his current role in 2015.
James Jarvis
Role: Corporate Governance Analyst
Organisation: The Institute of Directors
Biography: In this role he supports the head of corporate governance on key IoD initiatives such as the Good Governance Report and is secretary to the Global Network of Directors Institutes.
David Styles
Role: Director of Corporate Governance
Organisation: The Financial Reporting Council
Biography: David started at the Financial Reporting Council in May 2014 as Director, Corporate Governance. He was previously a civil servant in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for nearly 30 years. During his career he has held a number of posts dealing directly with a variety of businesses and industry sectors, including, from 2001 – 2011, Assistant Director in the Corporate Law and Governance Directorate with responsibility for policy on directors’ remuneration, shareholders’ rights and corporate governance, including European and international negotiations on these issues.
Chrysoula Zervoudakis
Role: Experienced Investment Director with a focus on Corporate Governance and Sustainability
Organisation:
Biography: Chrysoula was an Investment Director and Joint Head of Research at AXA Investment Managers in Paris and London, and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee. Prior to that, she was an Associate Partner with Invesco, managing UK and European Equity Portfolios and a Senior Investment Manager with Guardian Royal Exchange. She holds an MBA from Manchester Business School, B.Soc Sc, in Economics from University of Birmingham and the FT Non Executive Directors Diploma.
