Do you feel that you have a valuable contribution to make to our Olympic Gold medal winning sport, have the skills, attributes and experience detailed in the role description below and have time available to commit to British Eventing (BE)? Then you may wish to consider applying for the role of a BE Director.
British Eventing is served by a non-executive Board and the Directors act on a voluntary basis. There can be up to nine Board Directors, and the Chairman is appointed by the Board. Except for the Chief Executive, who is a director by virtue of her position, Directors can be elected (up to four Directors) or appointed (up to four Directors) to serve a term of four years. They can serve a further four years in direct succession if re-elected or re-appointed.
William Cursham is coming to the end of his first term in office and Jane Peters has stepped down. This means there will be elections for two Directors at our Members Meeting to be held on the 8th of December 2023 in accordance with our Articles of Association.
The Board currently benefits from Directors with experience and professional backgrounds including IT, law, investment banking, coaching and event organising. The Directors are also riders, officials and owners within the sport.
The Directors have reviewed their range of skills and experience, which is summarised in the Board Skills Matrix further below. The Board would welcome candidates with experience in any of these areas. However, this does not prevent anyone from nominating themselves to stand for election (provided they fulfil the criteria detailed in Article 37, as set out below), as ultimately these are elected positions.
Whilst the Board meets formerly a minimum of 6 times per year, Directors are involved with committees and regular video conference calls are held. On average Directors commit 2 days per month to British Eventing.
How can I nominate myself?
If you are interested in standing for election and meet the criteria as detailed in Article 37 of the Articles of Association detailed below, then please download and complete a nomination form using the link below.
Board Self Nomination Form 2023
Please return completed nominations and associated attachments by midnight Sunday 8th October 2023 by email to mark.sartori@britisheventing.com
Article 37
37.1 No person shall be eligible to be or remain a Director: –
(a) unless they are a Member.
(b) if they have an entitlement to compete in horse trials or other equestrian competitions as a rider or manager of a team for any country other than Great Britain, unless they have made a statutory declaration in a form approved by the Directors that they will not so compete; or
(c) if, in the opinion of the Directors, their objectives are not aligned with those of the Company.
(d) after they have served as a Director for eight consecutive years until two further years have passed, during which they have not been a Director. This does not apply to the Chief Executive Officer, who is a Director by virtue of their office.
37.2 No person shall be elected or appointed a Director after their 73rd birthday unless the Directors resolve to the contrary in any particular case.
37.3 Directors must declare all actual or potential direct and indirect conflicts that they may or do have under Section 175 of the Companies Act 2006. This includes the exploitation of any property, information or opportunity whether the Company could have taken advantage of such property, information or opportunity. The Directors may authorise matters giving rise to such actual or potential conflicts in accordance with the Act.
Applicants should note that under Article 40, the current Elected Members on the Board may recommend a Member (or Members) for election. The Elected Members are considering doing so, but if they do, they must do so not less than 21 Clear Days before the AGM.
Article 40
- Not less than twenty one Clear Days before the date appointed for holding an Annual General Meeting, at which Elected Directors are due to be appointed, notice shall be given to all who are entitled to receive notice of the meeting, of any Member who is recommended by the Elected Directors for appointment or reappointment as an Elected Director at the meeting, or in respect of whom a nomination notice has been duly given to the Company of the intention to stand at the meeting for appointment or reappointment as an Elected Director. The notice shall give the particulars of that person which would, if he were so appointed or reappointed, be required to be included in the Company’s Register of Directors.
Current Director Skills Matrix
To read the Current Director Skills Matrix, please click on the link below.
Current Director Skills Matrix
Director ROLE DESCRIPTION
British Eventing (BE) is the governing body for the Olympic sport of eventing and a member of the British Equestrian Federation. It is our role to foster the sport in the UK and prepare riders to compete on the international stage.
Director skills, experience and attributes: –
- Upholds the highest standards of integrity and adheres to the Seven Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership)
- Be enthusiastic, dynamic and energetic.
- Have a strong sense of teamwork and willing to work collaboratively with all stakeholders.
- Experience of chairing Committee meetings
- Knowledge, experience and a passion for sport and sport related matters is essential.
- Can afford the time to commit to the role.
- British Eventing actively promotes diversity and welcomes applications from all parts of the community.
Term of Office
- BE Board Directors may stand for 2 terms of 4 years each.
Remuneration
The role is voluntary. Out of pocket expenses will be paid.
Main responsibilities
- To adopt an open and constructive approach to all Board proceedings, contributing proactively to Board debate and promoting the active contribution of others.
- To diligently review and consider all information provided to the Board and to seek further information if required to properly inform Board debate.
- To develop proposals on strategy and to determine the strategy and strategic objectives.
- To scrutinise executive performance in meeting agreed strategic goals and objectives, and to constructively challenge executive action.
- To satisfy themselves on the integrity of financial information and that financial controls and risk management are robust and defensible.
- To undertake a tailored induction programme and to regularly update and refresh their skills and knowledge.
- To participate in and respond to the Board’s annual evaluation of its effectiveness; and
- To ensure that they contribute effectively to those areas in which the NED has particular knowledge, skill and experience.
