A BOARD'S EYE VIEW: A view from Listed Company Committee Chairs with Andrea Blance and Louise Smalley

The role of Board Committees is often fairly clear from their terms of reference but how they operate in practice to discharge their responsibilities can be less easy to see. In this talk, two accomplished and experienced Committee Chairs share their views, experiences and guidance how things work and how you can best make your contribution if you join such a committee.

Andrea Blance is Chair of the Risk Committee at Hargreaves Lansdown plc. Andrea is a Chartered Accountant and brings extensive Board and financial services experience having spent her executive career at Legal & General Group plc where she was a member of the Group Executive Committee and held a diverse range of senior leadership roles including finance, risk and regulation, marketing, and strategy. Andrea’s past non-executive roles include Risk Committee Chair at Scottish Widows plc and Lloyds Banking Group Insurance Division, Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair at ReAssure Group plc and a member of William & Glyn’s pre-IPO board. She currently serves as a non executive on the Boards of Vanquis Banking Group plc  and Aviva plc.

Louise Smalley is Chair of the Remuneration Committee at Informa plc. Louise has extensive experience in talent management and development and in remuneration and reward within large UK and international companies. Louise most recently served as Group HR Director and an Executive Director at Whitbread plc, having previously held HR Director roles within its Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants and David Lloyd Leisure businesses. Prior to joining Whitbread, she held HR roles at Esso and BP. Louise is also a Non-Executive Director at DS Smith Plc.