Assistant Company Secretary

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

We're looking for someone to join our Group Company Secretarial team to support the Group Company Secretary and the Assistant Group Company Secretary as follows:

• Provision of a professional company secretarial service to the Group-level committees and senior stakeholders of HGH / Howden Group;
• Provision of advice, and drafting and implementation of related policies and procedures, to support the Group in achieving Sarbanes-Oxley (‘SOX’) level controls and UK/US plc level corporate governance;
• Drafting and circulation of quasi-legal documents such as board / major shareholder minutes and related approvals for acquisitions and Group refinancing activities;
• Support to Secretaries to Group-level boards and committees such as Audit, Remuneration, Risk, Nominations, the Howden Foundation and the ERICCA risk and compliance committee, with a view to acting as Secretary and taking minutes at agreed forums when deemed appropriate;
• Support to a number of Group-level finance entities and their capital raising activities with regard to board approval and liaison with external service providers.

Key Responsibilities

• Group-level responsibilities as above, including:
  • Day to day management of applicable forums’ Companies Act 2006 or equivalent compliance, including applicable regulatory filings and corporate governance, and the maintenance of statutory registers using the Diligent Entities system;
  • Support a sound understanding of Financial Conduct Authority regulatory requirements within the Company Secretariat, reflected within board and committee papers, minutes and associated processes;
  • Management and provision of information, notarised documents, KYC and powers of attorney in relation to Group-level boards and committees, and M&A or similar activity;
  • Prepare and circulate written resolutions of Group-level boards and committees, as required;
  • Provide company secretarial support in respect of Group-level finance structure entities including local filings and maintenance of relationships with local advisers;
  • Management and update of Company Secretariat team structure, Group corporate governance and other charts (using Visio);
  • Group-level board and committee terms of reference review, taking account of applicable governance requirements (e.g. Wates / UK / US plc considerations);
  • Support the implementation of consistent company secretarial practices, standards and templates, as appropriate, throughout the Group;
  • Support for Directors’ interests and conflicts reporting;
  • Support as required to the Assistant Group Company Secretary, the Group Company Secretary and to directors and senior management of the Howden Group;
  • Team risk register review and update;
  • Team service level monitoring;
  • Howden Group-level data protection and register of processing review, and team mailbox access management;
  • Team procedures manual and checklists review, update and implementation; and;
  • Perform required tasks accurately and efficiently to the required standard and speed.

Assist the Group Company Secretary and Group Assistant Company Secretary on an ad-hoc basis where required in Howden Group-level responsibilities including:

• Maintenance and development of the Company Secretariat intranet;
• Director passport database; and
• M&A activity, Group-wide large corporate projects (including utilising the Monday.com project management platform) and ad hoc matters.

Key Accountabilities (What you are measured on)

• Understanding the requirements of the Group and responding appropriately in dealing with a varied workload and sometimes conflicting priorities, focussed upon achieving SOX-level controls and US/UK plc-level corporate governance standards and policies;
• Ability to produce required material accurately and within required timescales;
• Ability to understand the needs of others and to deal with colleagues and Board members sensitively, with discretion and with a good sense of humour;
• Dealing appropriately with confidential information;
• Responding promptly to requests for assistance.

Key Competencies (Skills and abilities needed to perform role)

• Strong written English and minuting skills;
• Able to work with people of all levels of seniority;
• Technical knowledge;
• Accuracy / attention to detail;
• Good communication and presentational skills;
• Organisational / time management skills and flexibility;
• Ability to deal with multiple tasks in a fast-moving environment;
• Experience providing great customer service.

Key Competencies (Knowledge and experience)

• Demonstrable experience in a company secretarial role;
• Experience within the insurance industry;
• Knowledge of SOX risk and US/UK plc-corporate governance standards, related policy requirements and practical implementation of such;
• Minute taking experience with regulated entities at board level;
• Diligent Entities experience (or equivalent);
• Diligent Boards experience (or equivalent);
• Knowledge of existing UK statutory and regulatory legislation.

Professional Qualifications

• ACG essential;
• Educated to degree level, ideally Finance or Law;
• Legal experience useful.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new;
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges;
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.