41061 Unite AR22 HI-RES WEB-READY - Flipbook - Page 108
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THE UNITE GROUP PLC | Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES continued
Board tenure
Each of the Executive Directors has
a rolling contract of employment
with a 12-month notice period,
while Non-Executive Directors
are, subject to re-election by
shareholders, appointed to the
Board for a term of approximately
three years. The adjacent chart
shows the current tenure of the
Non-Executive Directors (rounded
up to the nearest year).
Richard Huntingford
Elizabeth McMeikan*
Ross Paterson
Ilaria del Beato
Dame Shirley Pearce
Tom Jackson
Professor Sir Steve Smith
Nicky Dulieu
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
NED Tenure
* Elizabeth McMeikan retires from the Board on 28 February 2023.
Professional advice and training
Directors are given access to independent professional
advice at the Company’s expense when the Directors
deem it necessary in order for them to carry out their
responsibilities. The Directors also have regular dialogue
with, and direct access to, the advice and services of the
Company Secretary, who ensures that Board processes and
corporate governance practices are followed.
The Board considers it important that the Committee
Chairs continue to receive sector and relevant functional
training (such as on accounting, corporate governance
and executive remuneration reporting developments) and
accordingly the Committee Chairs attend relevant external
seminars. The Board as a whole receives ongoing training
on corporate governance and other relevant developments.
As part of the induction programme, they meet with key
senior executives, so from the outset they have access to
people throughout the organisation to help them form their
own independent views on the Group, its performance
and the sector we operate in. In addition, they meet
with representatives of the Company’s key advisers.
Arrangements are made for each Director to visit key
locations to see our business operations and properties
first-hand and the Higher Education institutions with which
we partner.
Board induction
On appointment to the Board, each Director takes part in
a comprehensive and personalised induction programme.
This induction is also supplemented with ongoing training
throughout the year to ensure the Board is kept up to
date with key legal, regulatory and industry updates.
Any Director on appointment undertakes an induction
programme following this framework:
•
•
The business and operations of the Group and the
Higher Education sector; the role of the Board and
matters reserved for its decisions; the terms of reference
and membership of Board Committees; and powers
delegated to those Committees.
The Group’s corporate governance practices and
procedures and the latest financial information about
the Group. The legal and regulatory responsibilities as
a Director and, specifically, as a Director and Chair of a
listed company.
Spotlight on Nicky Dulieu, our new
Non-Executive Director
“As part of my induction I was keen to visit Bristol, the
original home of Unite, and see some of the very first Unite
properties as well as the very latest ones. I also had the
opportunity to meet our front-line teams, hearing firsthand about their experiences of working with our student
customers and universities. I am passionate about creating
an environment supporting young people’s growth and
development and it is good to see how Home for Success
supports this for our customers and employees.”
