Company Secretaries
Conference & Exhibition 2008

2 October 2008
 

2 October 2008

The Landmark London Hotel

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Judging Criteria

Now in their fourth year, the ICSA Awards continue to celebrate the best approach to maintaining the highest standards of good practice in relation to board composition and development, accountability and relations with shareholders or other stakeholders.

The underpinning criteria for all of the awards is that the entry is innovative, demonstrates best practice and, could be easily replicated by others. Eligible entries should demonstrate how the outstanding qualities of the company secretary and their team influence the efficacy of the organisation and its relationship with both the board, its shareholders and others with whom it comes into contact.

The ICSA, as guardians of the profession are delighted to invite entries for the following categories and some guidance is offered below to demonstrate the areas which the judges will be considering.

Judges

The status of any awards programme rests on the ability and probity of the judges. We are delighted to introduce our judges:

* Tom Morrison (Chairman), Executive Vice President and Chief Registrar Global Capital Markets Group, Computershare Investor Services PLC and UK President, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA)

* Sue Bell, Company Secretary, Scope

* Christine Daniels, Company Secretary, RAB Capital PLC

* Peter Kruger, Analyst, CarbonFree

* Mark Pearce, Director of Corporate Administration, Ernst & Young

* Malcolm Wood, Company Secretary, Standard Life PLC

Judging Criteria

The judges will be looking for entries that:

* demonstrate best practice within each category;
* offer an innovative approach; and
* are capable of being replicated by other businesses.

Company Secretary of the Year

– Winner
– Highly commended

The winner will be an exceptional Company Secretary who can demonstrate that they have delivered an activity or project which has significantly enhanced their business. We will be looking for a strong leader whose knowledge and ability have enabled them to reach the highest standards of ethics and probity. Judges will be looking for an individual who can inspire and encourage others even through the most difficult moments of a project.

Company Secretarial Team of the Year

– Winner - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies
– Highly commended - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies

The Company Secretarial team can have a huge impact on the success of the business. The judges will be looking for a strong team who can demonstrate that they have made a significant contribution to improving the way that their organisation approaches its compliance or administrative issues. They will be looking for an innovative project which others could emulate to enhance their own operation and one which could be seen as moving best practice forward.

Most Effective Use of IT

A business solution which utilises the increasing flexibility of IT in a new and inventive way to meet the needs of the company.

Sponsored and presented by ICSA Software International

The One To Watch – High Flier of the Future

– Winner - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies
– Highly commended - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies

The profession is only as good as those who work in it and we rely on the next generation of Company Secretaries to carry on the good work in maintaining standards and devising solutions to an ever increasing range of issue. This award is looking for a young professional, perhaps newly qualified, who has demonstrated an exceptional grasp of the role and who has undertaken a piece of work which demonstrates their understanding of both the issues and the personal qualities needed to support the boardrooms of the future. The judges will be looking for knowledge, flair and tenacity and the ability to apply them creatively for the benefit of all.

Sponsored and presented by Computershare

Best Approach to the Induction, Training or Evaluation of Board Members

– Winner - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies
– Highly commended - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies

The effective non-executive director:*

• upholds the highest ethical standards of integrity and probity;
• supports executives in their leadership of the business while monitoring their conduct;
• questions intelligently, debates constructively, challenges rigorously and decides dispassionately;
• listens sensitively to the views of others, inside and outside the board;
• gains the trust and respect of other board members; and
• promotes the highest standards of corporate governance and seeks compliance with the provisions of the Code wherever possible.

*FRC Good Practice from the Higgs Report

In order for the above criteria to be met, Board Members must have access to the highest standards of induction, training, evaluation and information. The judges will be looking for a robust ongoing programme which will enable the NEDs to fulfil their obligations to the company across all these areas either as a whole or in a specific area.

Available for sponsorship

Most Effective Shareholder Communication

Modern business is complex and Annual Reports can run to hundreds of pages. This makes it difficult for the less sophisticated shareholder to access the information offered to them. The judges will be looking for innovative communication which enables shareholders to access information simply and in an accessible format which will enable them to understand both the opportunities and challenges facing the company.

Available for sponsorship

Best Annual Report - Transparency of Operations

The Annual Report is the main opportunity for a company to tell all of its myriad stakeholders about how well it has performed during the year and outline the challenges it faces during the coming year. The winner of this category will have produced a report which balances the demand for information and key performance indicators with that of clarity and transparency. This annual report will encapsulate all that is excellent in communication and accessibility.

Sponsored and presented by Capita Registrars

Best Practical Approach to Compliance

– Winner - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies
– Highly commended - corporate, private and not-for-profit companies

Businesses must now comply with a plethora of legislation aimed at ensuring that the highest ethical and transparent standards are applied. The judges will be looking for a project which demonstrates how this can be achieved in the most rigorous and yet open and understandable way. Entrants will need to include evidence of how a system or project has enabled the business to ensure that its compliance checklist is up to date and accurate.

Sponsored and presented by ComplySoft

Minimising Your Environmental Impact

Everything we do has an environmental impact and all organisations are being encouraged to minimise their carbon footprint. The judges will be looking for an activity which demonstrates an innovative and effective way in which the secretariat can play an important role in reducing their company's environmental impact.

Sponsored and presented by ICSA Software International