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TRANSCRIPT
November 2017
Non-Executive Director
Recruitment pack
Gloucestershire Airport Ltd
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Contents
Welcome and introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
Background ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Strategic Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Gloucestershire Airport Limited ........................................................................................................................ 5
Business Plan ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Responsibilities of the Board ............................................................................................................................. 8
Role of Non-Executive Directors........................................................................................................................ 8
Role Description ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Skills and Experience ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Additional Duties for the Role of the Chair ..................................................................................................... 11
Commitment and Remuneration .................................................................................................................... 13
Timescales and how to apply .......................................................................................................................... 13
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Welcome and introduction
Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of Gloucestershire Airport Limited
(GAL) as a Non-Executive Director. We hope that our recruitment pack will inspire you
to apply and become involved in our organisation.
This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly talented and strategically-minded
individual to shape, champion and drive the future of GAL.
The pack provides further details on GAL, its background and strategic objectives
and sets out exactly what we are looking for from our Non-Executive Directors and
Chair.
Previous Board and/or senior management experience is essential along with
specific expertise in financial control, property management or law.
If you are excited about the prospect of joining the Board of Gloucestershire Airport
Limited and believe you have the high-level skills, experience, energy and
commitment to excel in this role, then we would be delighted to hear from you.
Many thanks once again for your interest.
Councillor Steve Jordan Councillor David Norman
Council Leader, Cabinet Member for Performance
Cheltenham Borough Council Gloucester City Council
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Background
Gloucestershire Airport Limited is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester
City Council (with a 50% shareholding held by each local authority) and operated as an arm’s
length company. The Airport is located within the boundary of Tewkesbury Borough Council,
which is the local planning authority.
In the summer of 2014, the Shareholders accepted the recommendations of a report by York
Aviation which proposed a number of improvements to the governance and management of the
Airport, including changes to the existing Shareholder’s Agreement. These recommendations
were designed to ensure that governance of the Airport adhered to best practice relevant to both
the airport sector and other local authority run commercial entities. The key principles of good
governance were set out as being:
Clarity of objectives
A clear strategy, agreed by the Shareholders
An appropriate Shareholder Forum for coordinating views, which meets up to 4 times a
year
A Business Plan and Budget prepared and presented by the Board for Shareholder approval
Clear strategic targets set for the Company, with clarity of roles and responsibilities for the
Board, which in turn sets clear roles, responsibilities and targets for Management, against
which performance can be monitored
Clear delegation of authority to the Airport Board then to Management to act within limits
defined by the Business Plan and Budget
The specific proposals included a reconstituted Board, comprising of nine members, of which
three will be the Executive Directors, one Non-Executive Director nominated by each of the
shareholding councils and four independent specialist Non-Executive Directors chosen for their
relevant experience related to airport operations and management, financial control, property
management and law in order to help improve the commercial and financial performance of the
Airport.
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Strategic Objectives
The Councils have jointly agreed the objectives for the GAL as being to:
“Manage the operation and development of the Airport in a manner aimed at delivering
environmentally sustainable and profitable growth, supporting the sub-regional economy and
delivering a dividend to Shareholders.”
These core objectives are accompanied by a Vision for the Airport:
“To be a Super General Aviation Airport”
This implies a continuation of the broad strategic direction which has resulted in the operational
success of the Airport to date in terms of the quality of its offer.
A key element is the diversity of the activities operating at the Airport and the achieved status of
being the busiest and best General Aviation Airport in the UK. Implicit in this vision are:
Maintaining the highest levels of safety
Delivering profitability for the shareholders
Retaining the status as the busiest and best General Aviation Airport in the UK
Gloucestershire Airport Limited
The Airport is the busiest airport for general aviation in the UK and in 2016 the Airport handled
over 85,000 aircraft movements, of which just over 1,300 were operating corporate or charter
services. Of the remaining aircraft movements, the majority were aero club movements, private
flights and test and training flights, particularly for helicopters.
The Airport has three paved runways and a short grass strip. The main runway has a length of
1,431 metres and has an instrument landing system (ILS) installed in the main landing direction.
The Airport completed a Runway Safety Project to ensure that its facilities continue to meet the
latest Civil Aviation Authority safety requirements. This also provides a platform for the Airport to
secure further growth in corporate traffic. There is a passenger terminal which provides capacity
for handling commercial scheduled and charter flights and also provides facilities for visiting
business aviation aircraft. The terminal complies with the Department for Transport security
requirements relevant to the size of aircraft using the Airport.
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The Airport also has a substantial property portfolio, with the main development adjacent to the
access road off Bamfurlong Lane known as the South East Camp. As well as aviation related
hangars and other operational buildings, the Airport also owns and manages the Meteor Business
Park to the north of the main runway. Income from the Meteor Business Park provides an
essential cross-subsidy to the Airport’s operation.
Business Plan
The aim of the Business Plan is to lay down a trajectory to the achievement of long term
sustainable profits, with the aim of returning a dividend to the Shareholders and to meet their
broader objectives. In particular, the Business Plan sets out the long term needs of the business
with respect to capital investment, including a future resurfacing of the main runway and other
necessary operational upgrades, and a number of commercial investment opportunities. This
specifically is intended to provide the Shareholders with advance notice of the implications of such
capital expenditure, both in terms of the potential return from investment and also to allow
funding options to be considered where required over time. Currently, the capital investment
envisaged over the next 10 years amounts to £6 million but other commercial opportunities may
be pursued where there is a business case and where funds are available, including potentially
through commercial borrowings.
In particular, the Business Plan seeks to ensure that the Airport can exploit the full potential for
development of the property assets on the Airport site in a manner which does not impinge on the
core operational requirements of the airfield. This comprises both aviation and non-aviation
related developments on the north side of the airfield and exploitation of the remaining available
land in and around the existing South East Camp area and airport access road. It is intended that
these opportunities will be realised both directly by the Airport, subject to finance permitting, and
through enabling works to allow development by others. The intention is to secure both an
ongoing additional source of rental income and an increase in the number of aircraft based at the
Airport so delivering an uplift in landing fee income and fuel sales.
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Key elements of the Business Plan comprise:
Continued control on operating costs, subject to the identified need to strengthen the
Airport’s Management Team to provide a stronger commercial focus and a strengthened
Board
Attracting more based aircraft, which will in turn require investment to support the
provision of additional hangarage
Investment in improvements to landing aids (GPS, Radar etc.), pilot controlled lighting and
in the resurfacing of the runway in the medium term
Realising the potential of the property assets through release of more land for the
development of ancillary supporting activities, subject to planning.
Opportunities include:
o development on the northern airfield, including extensions to the Meteor Business
Park and development adjacent to the Bamfurlong Industrial Estate
o seeking redevelopment and reconfiguration of some already occupied sites to
maximise their income potential and contribution to the business overall
o exploring other commercial opportunities on land to the east of the Airport access
road to provide supporting facilities
Establishing a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) service to attract additional business aviation
aircraft by developing the internal handling capabilities and upgrading an area of the
terminal for pilots and Business Aviation customers, as well as potentially the advantage of
wider exposure within a global market
Seeking a new scheduled service route and developing other niche opportunities such as
seasonal leisure flights to Europe as well as the return of flights from Ireland to support the
Cheltenham Festival
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Responsibilities of the Board
The Board of Directors are ultimately responsible to the Shareholders for the performance of the
Airport. In this regard, the Shareholder’s interests are represented by a Shareholder Forum, which
meets at least twice a year (and up to 4 times a year) to approve the Strategy, Business Plan and
Budget for the Airport and to monitor progress in the achievement of defined strategic targets for
the Airport.
The Board of the Airport will be responsible for ensuring that such Strategies, Business Plans and
Budgets are prepared for approval by the Shareholders and for monitoring the performance of
Management against these targets. The Board will be responsible for the appointment of the
Managing Director and any other Executive Directors (within a structure agreed by the
Shareholder Forum). It will be an important part of the role of Board Members to ensure strong
communication links with the Shareholders on a formal (usually through the Forum) and informal
basis. The Board normally meets on the last Friday of every month.
Role of Non-Executive Directors
Non-Executive Directors are chosen because they have a breadth of experience and have
particular personal qualities to bring to an organisation. They may also provide specialist
knowledge which will help provide the organisation with valuable insights. Of the utmost
importance is their independence in the management of the organisation. This means they can
bring a degree of objectivity to the Board’s deliberations.
It is important to acknowledge that a Non-Executive Director cannot subordinate the interests of
the Company to those of the Shareholder Councils.
The Key Responsibilities of the Non-Executive Directors are as follows:
Strategic Direction – to provide a creative and informed contribution to strategy formation, giving
a wider view of external factors affecting the Company and its business environment, and act as a
constructive critic in looking at the objectives and plans devised by the Executive Management
Team.
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Monitoring Performance – to monitor the performance of Executive Management Team in terms
of the progress made towards achieving the approved Company Business Plan and delivery of the
services to the Shareholders.
Communication – to maintain good communications with the Shareholders and to help connect
the business and Board with the broader stakeholder community, including people and
organisations which can assist the Company in achieving its objectives.
Risk – to ensure that financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible.
Audit - to ensure that the Airport accounts properly to its Shareholders by presenting a true and
fair reflection of its actions and financial performance and that the necessary internal control
systems are put into place and monitored regularly and rigorously.
Role Description
The Key Accountabilities of the Non-Executive Directors are:
To take corporate, team and personal responsibility as a Board member.
To offer constructive criticism and challenge and any other contributions to the Board
discussions and decisions which he/she may constructively make to the Executive
Management Team.
To contribute positively to the development of the Strategy and rolling Business Plan for
the Airport and in relation to any other material and significant issues facing the Company
To set clear and challenging targets and KPIs aimed at improving performance and
delivering excellence, and against which the performance of the business can be measured
and monitored.
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To communicate effectively with the Shareholders and ensure that their objectives are met
and provide a wider community perspective on the operating environment of the Airport
through regular communication with other stakeholders.
To ensure that the Airport is operated in a safe, legal, efficient and environmentally
sustainable manner.
To participate in appropriate training on Board duties and accountabilities and to
familiarise themselves with the Airport’s operation.
To ensure that the Airport maintains appropriate communications with the wider
community around it, including the Consultative Committee
To promote equality of opportunity and embrace diversity in the way the Airport goes
about its work.
To fulfil a time commitment of approximately 2 days per month and maintain a good
attendance record at meetings.
To ensure the effective implementation of Shareholder and Board decisions by the
Managing Director and other members of the management team.
To hold the Managing Director to account for the effective management and delivery of
the Airport’s strategic aims and objectives
Skills and Experience
Whilst Non-Executive Directors are expected to have the following skills and experience, some
training and development will be made available:
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Senior Management or Board level experience.
Knowledge and understanding of the development and monitoring of organisational or
business strategy.
Understanding of the processes of planning financial control, performance management
and assurance that deliver the Airport’s objectives.
Credibility with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to understand complex strategic issues, to analyse and to resolve difficult problems.
Ability to work as an effective member of the Board, all of whose members are equally and
jointly responsible for its decisions.
Cognisant of the need for accountability to the Shareholders and able to bring engagement
with the Shareholders and the broader stakeholder community.
Additional Duties for the Role of the Chair
The principal role of the Chair is to manage and to provide leadership to the Board of Directors of
the Company. The Chair is accountable to the Board and acts as a direct liaison between the Board
and the management of the Company, through the Managing Director. The Chair acts as the
communicator for Board decisions where appropriate.
The Chair will oversee the performance of the Board, ensuring its effectiveness in all aspects of its
role and set a Board agenda, which is primarily focused on strategy, performance, value creation
and accountability, ensuring that issues relevant to these areas are reserved for Board decision.
It is the role of the Chair to ensure that the Non-Executive Directors receive accurate, high quality
and timely information and reports to enable them to effectively monitor all aspects of the
organisation’s business.
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The Chair is also to ensure the Board has effective decision-making processes, is fully apprised of
the organisations strategic direction and has the opportunity to debate and contribute to major
proposals and decisions.
The Chair will also represent the Airport at outside events and act as the public face of the Airport.
The successful Non-Executive candidate Chair will:-
Be an established and well respected professional with a track record in successful
leadership
Be highly financially literate
Be experienced in the development of budgets and business plans in complex commercial
organisations, preferably including property portfolios
Be experienced in raising finance for capital investment and in appraising investment
business cases
Be experienced in performance monitoring
Be an excellent strategic thinker, able to think expansively, creatively and independently
and navigate through complex decision-making processes to support the sustainable
development of the Airport
Be capable of chairing meetings very effectively, therefore a good listener, able to weigh
up arguments and summarise for others. They will manage Board members as a team to
meet common goals, harnessing their diverse and valuable skills and expertise for the good
of the Airport
Have exceptional communications skills, be a capable public speaker and able to manage
the media
Be politically astute, able to grasp relevant issues and understand the relationships
between the Airport and its stakeholders and potential partners
Demonstrate that they not only have the strategic, technical and (ideally sectorial)
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experience and expertise to excel in this position, but also the sheer drive, passion and
commitment to make the Airport a Super General Aviation Airport
Plan and prepare the Board meetings ensuring the Board receive high quality information
regarding the company’s affairs which is appropriate, clear, comprehensive, up to date and
timely.
Act as a liaison between the management and the Board and ensure the Board adheres to
the principles of good governance and accountability.
Provide independent advice and counsel to the Managing Director
Ensure the Directors are properly informed and that sufficient information is provided to
enable the Directors to form appropriate judgments
Act as Chair at all Board meetings
Represent the Board at Shareholder meetings
Commitment and Remuneration
It is envisaged that the time commitment for the Non-Executive Directors and Chair will be in the
order of 2 days per month allowing for attendance at Board Meetings and preparation. There may
be a greater initial commitment to ensure familiarity with the Airport and its operations. The Chair
will also be required to attend the Shareholder Forum.
Remuneration will be £6,000 per annum for the Chair and £4,000 per annum for the specialist
non-executive directors. It’s anticipated that appointment will be for a period of 3 years initially.
Timescales and how to apply
Closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday, 1st December 2017.
All applications will be acknowledged.
Progressing candidates will be contacted during early December to be invited for interview.
Interviews will be held at Gloucestershire Airport Limited.
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The interview process will include a guided tour of the Airport and provide an opportunity to meet
with shareholder representatives, the Managing Director and members of the Board.
Please note that any expenses incurred by progressing candidates are not able to be reclaimed.
A copy of the application form can be found at
http://www.gloucestershireairport.co.uk/ContactUs/Vacancies.aspx
If you need assistance with filling out the application form then please contact HR Business
Centre team (Publica Group Ltd) who are supporting this recruitment campaign on 01242
774930.
For any general enquiries about the role, please contact Mark Sheldon, Director, Cheltenham
Borough Council on 01242 774951