Company Secretary

Job Description

Robert Walters are excited to be partnering with Welsh Water in their search for a Company Secretary based in their Cardiff location.Responsibilities

• Responsibility for liaising with the Chair of the Board and Chairs of all Committees and the Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer, to agree all agendas for Board and Committee meetings; addressing governance issues and supporting succession planningfor the Board and Board effectiveness reviews. Acting as confidential sounding board for members of the Board and assisting with queries.
• Working with the Chair of the Board, CEO and CFO to consider the content of the Forward Schedules for Board and Committee meetings.
• Organising, attending and minuting all Board meetings, together with Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee and ESG Committee Meetings. (Quality and Environment Committee, Audit Committee, Technology Committee and DPC Committee are currently minutedby other members of the Company Secretariat)
• Applying a thorough understanding of the Companies Act 2006 and the UK Corporate Governance Code to ensure all Companies House, UK Corporate Governance Code, other regulatory and associated filings and reporting obligations are diarised and met.
• Acting as the focal point for all communications between the company and its Glas Members; working with the Member Selection Panel to address any issues concerning the recruitment of new Members and succession planning; addressing, in conjunction with theChair, any issues relating to the conduct of Members and conflict situations.
• Arranging Board meetings and AGM and Member meetings, issuing notices as appropriate. Additionally arranging Board site visits and informal interaction sessions with employees and managers, as required.
• Overseeing the process for the physical collation and preparation of agendas and papers for the Board and Board Committees, including reviewing all papers before they are circulated to the Board.
• Overseeing the updating of the corporate website.
• Working with the CEO to agree the Forward Schedule and action log for meetings of the Executive team; minute taking of Dwr Cymru Executive (DCE) team meetings.
• Working on governance related sections of the Annual Performance Report and business plan for the Price Review, including ensuring the Dividend Policy meets current regulatory requirements.
• Ensuring Directors appointments are documented, and expenses and travel arrangements are processed appropriately. Liaising with the insurance manager to ensure any amendments to the D&O policy are communicated to Directors. Overseeing induction processesfor new Board and Glas Members and attending site visits.
• Provide necessary input and support to the offices of the Chief Finance Officer regarding the Annual Report and Accounts and advising on relevant or new governance requirements including best practice.
• Ensuring appropriate liaison between the Company Secretariat team and other key governance functions such as Treasury, Finance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Communications.
• Considering issues arising relating to compliance with the Common Terms Agreement with bondholders and the companys Statutory Licence as a Water and Wastewater undertaker.
• To be the point of leadership for the CoSec team, ensuring there is appropriate resource and capability to discharge the Departments responsibilities and have overall responsibility for Departmental performance.
• Undertaking any other duties as required to meet the needs of the business.

Who youll be working withInternal

• Non-Executive Directors
• Board Members
• Executive Team
• Leadership team
• Senior Management Teams

External

• Members
• Companies House
• Welsh Government
• Internal and External Legal Advisers and Auditors
• Investors (AGM, Interim Results and Ad hoc reporting

About YouQualifications

• Degree or equivalent
• Part or fully ICSA qualified

Experience

• Previous experience in Board administration

Knowledge & Skills

• Enthusiastic about putting our customers first every day

• Knowledge of AGM procedures and annual reporting requirements
• Ability to read and interpret requirements of legal documents to flag with confidence where actions may be needed
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong command of English and attention to detail. Previous experience of accurate minute taking.
• Confidence to interact appropriately with Non-Executive Directors, Members and the Executive Team
• Strong organisational skills, able to both effectively plan ahead and work to tight timelines.
• Flexible approach to working to ensure board deadlines can be met
• Strong IT skills particularly Microsoft Word and PowerPoint

• Ability to communicate effectively in Welsh

All of our colleagues will demonstrate our behaviours:

• Open to new ideas
• Honest with everyone
• Proud to put customers first
• Excellence in everything we do
• Trusted to do the right thing
• Safe at all times