Assistant Company Secretary

Job description

American Express is a global service company, providing customers with exceptional access to products and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.

Each day, we make it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services, enabling them to do and achieve more.

We're committed to becoming the world's most respected service brand and daily deliver extraordinary service to our customers, constantly reinventing our ways of working to ensure we offer rich rewards that redefine expectations for our clients and ourselves.

The GCO Legal Services Team (LST) is part of the new structure of the General Counsel's Office London-based EMEA team. The Assistant Company Secretary will generally assist the EMEA Company Secretary on departmental projects and governance initiatives.

Responsibilities:

· Act as relationship manager to a number of American Express lines of business and their associated operating company boards.

· Plan, manage and attend meetings for assigned boards, preparing high quality minutes.

· Coordinate, track and ensure action items arising from board meetings are progressed and reported back to the board.

· Prepare and update board and committee terms of reference, as well as job descriptions for board members.

· Generally supporting the Chairperson(s) of the assigned boards and other key stakeholders to ensure the smooth operation of board meetings and corporate governance matters.

· Draft board and shareholder resolutions as required.

· Draft documentation and prepare filings necessary to support corporate administration, including appointments and resignations, powers of attorney, annual returns, updates to constitutional documents and issuance of share capital and declaration and payment of dividends, etc.

· Work with service providers and colleagues in non-UK jurisdictions to effect corporate filings and updates as required for UK subsidiaries, branches of foreign companies established in the UK, subsidiaries incorporated in other European countries and branches of other foreign companies in other European countries.

· Liaise with colleagues and stakeholders in other European countries to share knowledge and best practices.

· Assist and coordinate special projects as required, such as documenting signing and approval processes, updating constitutional documents, undertaking corporate health checks, arranging board effectiveness reviews etc.

· Organise and support incorporations and registrations of corporate entities, as well as de-registrations, dissolutions and liquidations.

· Monitor developments on corporate law and practice and reporting to stakeholders as necessary.

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Desired profile

Required skills:

· ICSA Member or Graduate or on track to achieve the same

· Significant experience in a role involving a high degree of direct board interaction

· Significant experience in providing board support and preparing minutes for complex matters

· Ability to earn and maintain a reputation as certain boards' trusted principal adviser on governance matters

· Ability to adapt and communicate clearly with all levels of personnel and other internal and external stakeholders

· Strong attention to detail and administrative, planning and organisational skills

· Strong academic achievements, intellectual curiosity and resourcefulness

· Familiarity with Blueprint OneWorld

· Experience of dealing with companies incorporated in other European countries and overseas branches of UK companies

· Experience of operating in financial services or another regulated industry

We place great importance on doing what is right, what is best and what is innovative. And we continue seeking people to champion these values and beliefs as we grow. The world's a big place, filled with big ideas and amazing people. And we want the best of them here at American Express. We're interested in where you came from, but we're even more excited about where you will go with American Express.

To complete your application please click on the links below. However, if you require any assistance with the completion of this process – or need any reasonable adjustments to be made – then please contact the Recruitment Team on ************@*******.** or +44 (0)116 2421776.