Current jobs related to Chairperson - UK, UK - Clockwise Credit Union

Clockwise (www.clockwise.coop) is one of the UK’s fastest growing credit unions. Founded over 30 years ago, Clockwise serves the people of Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. As a not-for-profit organisation, we offer members a range of savings products with interest rates up to 4.5% pa, and affordable loans specifically designed for people who otherwise would find it difficult to borrow.  

Clockwise is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. 

We are financially robust and have just successfully developed and launched in-house our own advanced IT platform, making us the leader in this field. Currently, Clockwise has over 23,000 members, with outstanding loans of £9.8 million, and total assets of over £12 million. We have successfully completed two mergers in the past 24 months, and we are ambitious to expand our services to the community still further.

There will be a transition period to allow for a smooth handover. The Chair is responsible for the leadership of the Board of Directors and for working effectively with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to deliver the agreed strategy for the organisation. It is vital that they have a substantial professional background, ideally in or around financial services, and that they are committed to the credit union’s goals and ethos. We expect them to support our ambitions for growth within a culture of collegiate working and robust, open challenge and debate. 

Key responsibilities:

· To work closely with the CEO, providing both support and challenge to help them shape and develop Clockwise’s strategic purpose and the delivery of its key objectives.

· To act as an ambassador for Clockwise, helping to build strategic alliances and partnerships.

· To set an agenda primarily focused on governance, strategy, performance, risk, and people, ensuring that issues relevant to those areas are fully considered by the Board.

· To ensure effective communication with members, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that their views are understood by the Board.

· To ensure that the Board determines the nature and extent of the significant risks Clockwise is willing to accept in the implementation of its strategy, and that the Board regularly reviews the effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems.

· To manage Board meetings effectively to ensure that adequate time is allowed for discussion of all agenda items, in particular strategic issues.

· To ensure that Board members receive accurate, timely and clear information from the CEO, in particular regarding Clockwise’s financial and regulatory performance.

· To ensure that any subsidiary Board committees are properly constituted and operated.

· To ensure Directors regularly update their skills and their knowledge/familiarity with Clockwise’s operations to fulfil their role on the Board and on any subsidiary committees.

· To maintain direct access to management as is necessary and useful, but not to intrude on the CEO’s responsibilities and day-to-day management.

· To ensure that the performance and effectiveness of the Board are evaluated formally on an annual basis. This evaluation should consider the balance of skills, experience, independence, and diversity of the Board, how the Board operates as a unit and any other factors relevant to its effectiveness.

To ensure that Clockwise responds fully and openly to any communication from its regulatory bodies, in particular, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Bank of England.