Board Digest - May 2024

During this meeting, the Board was delighted to approve the appointments of Jonathan Graham, as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, and Desmond Bermingham, as a Board Member and Chair of the Education and Learning Committee. They took up their positions in early June. We also said a very fond farewell to Roger Sanders, who had served as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee over the past six years. We also thanked Mike Crane and Debbie Mitchell for their excellent service to the CII Board. Debbie and Mike were stepping down very slightly ahead of the end of their formal appointment in order to take up positions as Institute Directors of the PFS.

The Board received an update from the Executive on the Strategic Digital and Technology Roadmap, which set out the path to an IT future in which our systems were more effective and our spend brought in line with that of comparable organisations.
The approach will see investment in services that will further benefit members. Prioritisation work will be undertaken with the Board later in the year.

The May meeting is also when the Board typically receives the Financial Statements and Directors’ Report. Following review the Financial Statements were agreed for signature. Our Annual Report is now being finalised and we look forward to sharing these documents with Members ahead of the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Board also received the latest position on the CII’s financial performance, which is currently favourable, with strong trading so far this year.

In other routine business, the Board received plans for the AGM in November and approved its Governance Framework. We also heard from the PFS about its successful Exchange Meeting.

Matthew Hill and Gill White were also able to provide updates from our attendance at Local Institute Digital Town Halls over the past few weeks, where we were pleased to hear about the forums and activities underway at a local level focusing on Chartered firms and local support. Internationally, the Board received an update on the discussions and collaboration happening through regional representatives.

To close, the Board heard from our President, Ian Callaghan, about the wide-ranging activities he had undertaken in the first six months of his presidential year. His efforts have included working closely with our New Generation groups, CII Community Boards, and Local Institutes all under his presidential theme of members. Ian has also been engaging with members through a variety of other means, including CPD events, podcasts and attending local institute meetings, and we heard about his upcoming invitation to speak at the Annual Conference for the Institute of Loss Adjusters in September.
Our next meeting will be held on 5 September 2024.

Dr Helen Phillips

Chair, CII Group Board