Head of Subsidiary Governance

Aberdeen Standard Investments; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK wealth management firm is looking for a Head of Subsidiary Governance based in London. This senior role involves leading a team to ensure effective corporate governance across subsidiaries. Ideal candidates will possess significant experience in regulated financial services, strong leadership ability, and excellent organizational skills. The company offers an inclusive workplace with various employee benefits, including a generous annual leave allowance and pension contributions.

Benefits

40 days’ annual leave

16% employer pension contribution

Private healthcare

Flexible benefits

Qualifications

• Experience of UK (and preferably EU) financial services regulated subsidiary governance.
• Gravitas with iNEDs and other senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership skills with a collaborative approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead a subsidiary governance team of company secretaries.
• Deliver effective corporate governance for the Group’s subsidiaries.
• Ensure timely submission of corporate filings and maintenance of statutory records.

Skills

Leadership

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Team-oriented approach

Education

Extensive experience as a senior company secretary

Regulated financial services knowledge

Job description

Job Description

At Aberdeen, our ambition is to be the UK’s leading Wealth & Investments group.

Strengthening talent and culture is one of our strategic priorities. We strive to make Aberdeen a great place to work so that we can attract and retain the industry’s best talent.

Our people put our stakeholders at the heart of everything they do by helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of our clients, customers, colleagues, shareholders, and society.

We are focused on growing our direct and advised wealth platforms and repositioning our specialist asset management business to meet client demand. We are committed to providing excellent client service, supported by leading technology and talent.

Aberdeen comprises three businesses, interactive investor (ii), Investments, and Adviser, each of which focuses on meeting and adapting to our clients’ evolving needs:

• interactive investor, the UK’s second largest direct-to-consumer investment platform, enables individuals in the UK to plan, save, and invest in the way that works for them.

• Our Adviser business provides financial planning solutions and technology for UK financial advisers, enabling them to create value for their customers.

• Our Investments business is a specialist asset manager that focuses on areas where we have both strength and scale to capitalise on the key themes shaping the market, through either public markets or alternative asset classes.

About the Department:

The Aberdeen Secretariat team is led by the Group Company Secretary and is part of Aberdeen’s global Legal, Secretariat, Public Affairs & Corporate Sustainability function. The team supports effective corporate governance across the Group, including meeting obligations as a UK premium-listed company. The team supports the Aberdeen Group plc Board, key subsidiary boards, and certain fund boards.

About the Role:

The Head of Subsidiary Governance is a senior “player/ manager” role reporting directly to the Group Company Secretary. The role will lead a subsidiary governance team of 3 people coordinating with other parts of the Secretariat team to provide an effective service.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Team Management:

• Lead a subsidiary governance team of 3 company secretaries, providing mentorship and technical/ professional development to team members.

• Deliver/oversee the delivery of effective corporate governance for the Group’s subsidiary

Governance:

• Actas designated company secretary to the Boards of the Group’s Adviser business and the Board of the Group’s UK MIFID legal entities (and/or other subsidiary boards as agreed with the Group Company Secretary).

• For subsidiary boards supported directly by the Subsidiary Governance team, deliver through the Subsidiary Governance team:

• planning and coordination of the annual governance cycle;

• organisation and management of board and committee meetings, including agenda development and preparation, timely materials circulation, and high-quality documentation including minutes, actions and resolutions;

• delivery of overall governance in a manner compliant with applicable law and regulation as well as the Group’s Corporate Governance Policy and Subsidiary Governance Principles;

• delivery of internally facilitated board effectiveness reviews and board skills analysis as required; and

• assistance with iNED appointment, induction, and succession for relevant subsidiary boards/ committees, as well as ongoing iNED development and succession planning.

• For subsidiary boards supported by other Aberdeen teams or external service providers:

• undertake sufficient assurance through periodic engagement with these teams/providers to ensure that governance for the relevant entities is compliant with applicable law and regulation as well as the Group’s Corporate Governance Policy and Subsidiary Governance Principles.

• General:

• Develop close working relationships with relevant executives, iNEDs, and other key stakeholders, acting as a trusted business partner.

• Provide corporate governance advice and support as required to subsidiary chairs, directors, executives or other functional/ business colleagues from time to time including in relation to corporate transactions or other specific matters.

• Continuous review and development of relevant subsidiary board charters, committee terms of reference, the Group’s Subsidiary Governance Principles and Corporate Governance Policy in conjunction with the Group Company Secretary.

• Assist relevant subsidiary chairs, boards and other business stakeholders in implementing any changes in governance required by law and regulation, in conjunction with the Group Company Secretary.

Statutory Compliance:

• Ensure timely submission of corporate filings and maintenance of statutory records for entities within the remit of the Subsidiary Governance team and oversight of filings and maintenance of statutory records where undertaken by other Aberdeen teams or third parties.

• Assist in the production of annual report and accounts, and other statutory/regulatory reports, as required.

• Assist in implementing statutory changes such as appointment and removal of subsidiary directors, share issues, capital reductions, dissolutions, strike-offs, change of registered office, change of name, etc., working closely with other functions and business areas, as

Skills, Experience and Qualities:

• Gravitas with iNEDs and other senior stakeholders.

• Experience of UK (and preferably EU) financial services regulated subsidiary governance.

• Strong leadership skills. A team-oriented and collaborative approach.

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to deliver solutions and meet tight deadlines.

• Extensive experience as a senior company secretary in a FTSE100 or FTSE250 regulated financial services company or group.

• Understanding of the application of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime to financial services entities.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you have a disability and would like to apply to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire. One of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.

Our benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance-based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefitshere.

Our business

Enabling our clients to be better investors drives everything we do. Our business is structured around three distinct areas – our vectors of growth – focused on our clients’ changing needs. You can find out more about what we dohere.

An inclusive way of working

Whatever way you like to work, if you have the talent and commitment to join our team, we’d like to hear from you.

At Aberdeen we’ve adopted a ‘blended working’ approach. This approach combines the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, coaching and connecting in our offices with the flexibility of working from home. It enables colleagues to find a balance that works for their roles, their teams, our clients and our business.

An inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives drive our actions, is at the core of who we are and what we do. If you need assistance with your application, or a reasonable adjustment to your interview arrangements – for example, because you are neurodivergent, or have a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental, visible or invisible disability – please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone. If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.