Executive Board Support Manager

Job description

Role Title: Executive Board Support Manager
Business: Global Company Secretaries
New or Existing Role? Existing
 
Role Purpose
Global Company Secretaries vision statement. Driving Excellence in Governance
 
Global Company Secretaries mission statement: by developing our people, processes and systems, we drive the highest standards of corporate governance globally to support the delivery of Group strategy and to satisfy the expectations of our stakeholders.
 
Role
To provide support in the provision of a company secretarial service to the HSBC Holdings plc board.
To assist the Assistant Group Company Secretary in supporting the Board of Directors and its committees, and corporate governance framework.
To contribute to the delivery of the strategic and operational objectives of the Global Company Secretarial function.
 
Specific responsibility for:
 
To manage the logistical and administrative arrangements for the Holding company board and committee meetings and other board/committee events;
To assist with the provision of administrative support for the Non-executive Directors, including arrangements for onboarding and training and liaising with Events.
To schedule the board and committee meetings.
 
Key Accountabilities
Impact on the Business
Assist in providing support to the Board of Directors, its committees and senior management of HSBC Holdings plc on corporate governance and statutory, regulatory and governmental requirements as well as best practice requirements and standards
Assist in providing effective logistical and administrative arrangements for the Board and committee meetings.
Assist in the organisation of any other board/committee events including:  directors’ training, the annual non-executive directors’ forum, board dinners and any other meetings involving non-executive directors.
Organisation of the annual board/committee meetings calendar.
 
Customers / Stakeholders
Board and committee members of HSBC Holdings plc, external advisers or attendees to the meetings and their assistants.
Board/committee secretaries and support staff.
Senior executives of global functions.
 
Leadership & Teamwork
Maintaining and developing positive professional working relationships with directors, senior executives, managers within the businesses and the Events team.
Provide logistical support to the Board Governance team in the organising of meetings and distribution of information to senior management and the directors.
Contributing to a cooperative and flexible working environment.
 
Operational Effectiveness & Control
Help to reduce the costs and expenses of the department.
Consider whether any existing processes should be re-engineered to deliver efficiencies within the Department.
Undertaking ad hoc projects as and when required.
 
Major Challenges
The role holder will need to continually review and reassess priorities in response to frequently changing situations and deadlines.  In addition new projects/assignments may be allocated at short notice deliver tasks accurately, reliably and to a high standard.
 
Role Context
HSBC Holdings plc is listed on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges.  By market capitalisation, it is one of the largest listed companies in the world.  Shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by about 200,000 shareholders in over 100 countries and territories.
·         The role holder is responsible for delivering a high standard of support to the board and committees to the holding company and will liaise closely with the Directors, Executive, senior members of the Global Secretary’s Office and other Global functions and businesses.
·         It is essential that the Executive Board Support Manager has a good working relationship with the Chairman’s office, Non-executive Directors and is trusted by the Group Company Secretary.
 
Role Dimensions
·         HSBC Holdings has 20 Directors, comprising 4 executive Directors and 16 non-executive Directors. 
·         The market capitalisation of HSBC Holdings is approximately GBP110 billion.  HSBC Holdings shares are listed on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges.  There are over 220,000 HSBC Holdings shareholders and 80,000 registered holders of American Depositary Shares. 
·         HSBC Holdings' dividends are paid quarterly in three currencies and a scrip dividend alternative is offered on each occasion.  Over the last four quarters, cash dividends paid out totalled USD6 billion and over 250 million scrip dividend shares have been issued. There are two mailings to shareholders for each dividend.  In 2010, a further 25 million shares have been issued as a result of the exercise of employee share options
·         The Global SCY function comprises qualified company secretaries/ lawyers and support staff for the more than 1300 subsidiary companies in the Group. 
The role holder will typically seek guidance from the Assistant Group Company Secretary to whom they report on significant matters that arise which have implications for HSBC Holdings plc, its Directors or its subsidiary companies and from other members of the Board Governance team on day to day matters.
 
Management of Risk
·         The role holder (i) contributes to the provision of support to the Board and its committees against the backdrop of both the external legal and regulatory framework and the internal control framework of the Group Standards Manual; and (ii) works with colleagues in GRP SCY and other GBL regions to ensure that HSBC Holdings plc, Committees, their Directors, Members and Officers comply with all relevant statutory and regulatory obligations.
·         The role holder will also continually reassess the operational risks associated with the role and inherent in the business, taking account of changing economic or market conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, operating procedures and practices, management restructurings, and the impact of new technology.
·         This will be achieved by ensuring all actions take account of the likelihood of operational risk occurring.
·         Also by addressing any areas of concern in conjunction with line management and/or the appropriate department
·         The Executive Board Support Manager is responsible for ensuring that any areas of concern regarding company secretarial operational risk are brought to the attention of their line manager and/or relevant department, and addressed accordingly.
 
Observation of Internal Controls
An "insider" for dealing purposes and subject to strict controls and confidentiality.
Maintains HSBC internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators relating to corporate governance or company secretarial related matters.

Desired profile

Strong written and organisational skills
Communication and inter-personal skills including the maintenance and development of relationships  across the organistion as well as within the team.
Tact, diplomacy and the ability to influence others.
Proficient in the use of Word, Excel and Powerpoint .
Some practical experience of using Blueprint/other corporate databases  and board portals is useful.
Experience of working with boards and committees. 
  
We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating a diverse environment.