In 2021, you’ll have the chance to appoint a new Board for Directors UK – and we want YOU to stand for nomination.
This is your chance to directly help your fellow directors and to embody the change that you want to see in the industry.
We’ve prepared answers to some of the questions you might have about standing for the Directors UK Board, about the nominations and voting processes, and about what the role entails.
- What is the timetable for the nominations process?
- When do the elections take place?
- What are the different positions on the Directors UK Board?
- Which board positions can I stand for?
- What does the Board do?
- What is Directors UK looking for in a board member?
- How often does the Board meet, how, and where?
- How much are board members paid?
- How long is a term on the Directors UK Board?
- How do I apply?
- Do I have to be a member to stand?
- What is a conflict of interest and how does that relate to my nomination?
- What do the committees do?
- What is the Nominations Committee?
- What is a co-opted member and how are they selected?
- Who can vote in the election?
- I haven’t been elected. How else can I get involved with my professional association?
- Why haven’t I received an email or letter about standing?
- Who do I contact about accessibility issues?
- What happens to my information if I decide to put myself forward?
- Who can I speak to if I have any further questions?
STAND FOR THE DIRECTORS UK BOARD
What is the timetable for the nominations process?
Nominations open on Wednesday 5 May and close at midday on Friday 4 June.
When do the elections take place?
Voting will commence on Tuesday 15 June and close at midday on Monday 12 July.
All members will be contacted ahead of the opening date with information about all the candidates and details on how to vote.
The result of the election will be announced at the Directors UK AGM on Tuesday 13 July, which all members will be able to attend virtually.
What are the different positions on the Directors UK Board?
The Board usually consists of 15 seats.
This includes four unelected positions:
- Chief Executive Officer (a staff role, currently filled by Andy Harrower)
- Finance Director (a staff role, currently filled by Guy Gibbons)
- Two independent non-executive directors, who the Board can decide to co-opt (currently filled by Deborah Stones + one vacant position)
And 11 positions elected by members:
- One Chair
- Two Vice-Chairs
- Six committee chair posts:
- Nominations Committee
- Pay and Working Conditions Committee
- Access and Inclusion Committee
- Directors of Colour Committee
- Distribution Committee
- Nations and Regions Committee
- Two representative seats, for:
- Associate members
- Successor members
The Nations and Regions Committee Chair, and the Associate and Successor member representative posts are directly elected. The Chair, Vice-Chairs and other committee chair positions are appointed by the Board from amongst the elected members.
Which board positions can I stand for?
There are four different positions that you can stand for:
- Eight general board seats
- One Chair of the Nations and Regions Committee
- One Associate member representative
- One Successor member representative
Any member can stand for one of the general board seats. To stand for Associate member representative you have to be an Associate member. To stand for Successor member representative you have to be a Successor member. And to stand as the Chair of the Nations and Regions Committee you have to either live or regularly work in the nations or regions outside of London and the South East.
You can stand for multiple positions, just as long as you fit the eligibility criteria for each post and think you’d be a good fit.
What does the Board do?
In short, the Board sets the strategy, policies, and culture for your professional association, in the interests of Directors UK and its members. Board members do this through attending board meetings, reviewing staff reports, being available to staff for advice and enquiries, chairing or participating in committees and their work, contributing to communications, campaigns and events, and undergoing training in the legal and financial responsibilities of a board director.
Over the years, the Board has guided our development so that Directors UK serves you as both a collective management organisation – collecting and distributing rights payments – and a professional association with an active membership offering.
We have launched industry-changing campaigns; we are a key participant in conversations about wider industry issues; we have secured ground-breaking copyright licensing deals on your behalf; and we represent directors when speaking to government bodies and policymakers.
And all of these things have been achieved under the support, guidance and leadership of the Directors UK Board.
You can read a more detailed explanation of the Board’s role in this job description.
What is Directors UK looking for in a board member?
The purpose of the Directors UK Board is to ensure that we fully represent the rights and interests of directors. In standing for the Board, you will be willing to devote the necessary time and effort to serve Directors UK’s aims and objectives on behalf of your fellow members.
As a director, you will already have many of the qualities needed to serve on the Board; strategic vision, good independent judgement, an ability to think creatively, a willingness to speak your mind, and the ability to work in a team. You will be a leader with integrity, objectivity and accountability.
You could be at any stage in your career, working in any medium or genre, from any background, and based in any nation or region of the UK. You do not need prior experience of serving on a board, and successful candidates will be given a full induction as well as training on the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of directorship.
There’s a more detailed explanation of what’s required in this job description.
How often does the Board meet, how, and where?
The full Board meets five or six times a year. Those serving as Chair, Vice-Chair or Successor member representative also attend additional management board meetings a further four times a year.
Meetings are currently held virtually via Zoom. Physical meetings would usually be held in our Covent Garden offices, but the option to attend virtually will remain in place in the future.
How much are board members paid?
Being a board member is a paid role to make sure that no-one is left out of pocket as a result of carrying out their board duties.
Board members are remunerated as follows (per annum):
- Chair: £20,000
- Vice-Chair: £12,000
- Distribution Committee Chair: £10,000
- All other board members: £5,200
How long is a term on the Directors UK Board?
Board members serve a three-year term. Individuals can serve a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms.
How do I apply?
To stand for the Directors UK Board, all you need to do is fill out a nomination form at this website: www.mi-nomination.com/duk.
The form has two questions about your biography and priorities for the organisation, and you will also be asked to submit a personal statement in either video or written form. Your answers to these questions will help members make an informed decision about who to vote for when the election is held in June.
You will also need to supply a photo of yourself and name two fellow members who would be willing to propose and second your candidacy.
Once you have submitted your form, you will be contacted at a later date to make sure there aren’t any potential conflicts of interest should you be elected to the Board.
Our Nominations Committee is available to support members who would like advice on their statement or help with contacting other members for endorsement, and also if you have any access requirements that we can facilitate. You can contact the Nominations Committee via [email protected].
Do I have to be a member to stand?
Yes, only members of Directors UK can stand for election.
Any member can stand for one of the general board seats. To stand for Associate member representative you have to be an Associate member. To stand for Successor member representative you have to be a Successor member. And to stand as the Chair of the Nations and Regions Committee you have to either live or regularly work in the nations or regions outside of London and the South East.
Once voting opens, all members will be able to vote in every category.
What is a conflict of interest and how does that relate to my nomination?
As part of the responsibilities and liabilities of directorship, all board members must declare any potential conflicts of interest. You will therefore be asked to declare any such interests at a later stage of the nominations process.
If elected, you must sign a standard Directors UK Conflict of Interest Policy Statement and Non-Disclosure Agreement before taking office.
The only conflict that may preclude you being able to serve on the board would be permanent employment with a broadcaster or streaming service that Directors UK is or will soon be entering into license negotiations with. If you’re unsure if this relates to you, please get in touch and we’ll talk you through it.
What do the committees do?
Our committees provide a forum for discussion and collaboration based on a particular topic.
The committees are:
- Access and Inclusion
- Directors of Colour
- Distribution
- Nations and Regions
- Nominations
- Pay and Working Conditions
Our committees are made up of engaged Directors UK members, and they meet up to four times a year. Their work feeds into Board strategy on these issues, allowing a larger pool of members to engage in the future development of Directors UK.
If you want to get involved in the decisions that are made on the behalf of directors, or you want to make the case for doing things differently, then joining a committee and sharing your viewpoint is best way to do it. You can express interest in joining a particular committee by emailing us at [email protected], and we’ll put you in touch with the relevant committee chair.
What is the Nominations Committee?
The Nominations Committee works with the staff and the Board of Directors UK to set strategy for elections, and to ensure that the skills and level of representation on the Board complies with the mission, vision and values of Directors UK. The committee is made up of current and former board members, including board and committee chairs.
The committee can also help members with the nominations process. They are available for any queries about what it’s like to serve on the Board of Directors UK, and they can support members who would like advice on their statement or with contacting other members for endorsement. You can contact them via [email protected].
What is a co-opted member and how are they selected?
If necessary, the Board retains the right to co-opt further members to ensure that the Board is fully representative of the UK and our membership and contains the necessary range of expertise.
The newly elected board and Nominations Committee will work together to select these co-opted members. These needs may include, but are not limited to, specific skills and expertise, and protected characteristics that are recognised as being underrepresented in the industry according to Directors UK’s own campaigns.
The appointment of any co-opted board members during the year shall be approved by members at the next available AGM. If co-opted board members wish to continue on the Board, they must stand down and offer themselves for election at the next available election date.
Who can vote in the election?
Once voting opens in June, all members will be eligible to vote. Whether you’re subscribing as a Full or Associate member, or whether you’re a Distribution or Successor member, you will be contacted ahead of the opening date with information about all the candidates and details on how to vote.
I haven’t been elected. How else can I get involved with my professional association?
We work for directors, with directors, and there are plenty of other ways to get involved with Directors UK to ensure that we are representing you in the best way possible.
You can attend open meetings or respond to surveys and emails asking for feedback. You can also contribute to committee meetings, either by joining the committee itself or else by contacting the committee chair and giving them feedback.
Most importantly, you can help spread the word and ensure that your directing peers are also Directors UK members. We are particularly keen to hear from the directors listed on our website, who we may already be holding money for. The more members we have, the stronger your collective voice.
Why haven’t I received an email or letter about standing?
Directors UK endeavours to contact all our members about governance issues – this is regardless of whether you have unsubscribed to our regular newsletters and other communications.
Our first port of call is always to contact you via email. This is by far the easiest and most environmentally friendly way of contacting you.
If we don’t have an email address for you or the one you’ve provided isn’t working or you’ve contacted us to unsubscribe from governance emails, then we will contact you via letter. If you have received a letter and would like to receive emails in future, then please contact us at [email protected] to provide us with an up-to-date email address or to let us know that you would like to update your contact preferences.
If you haven’t received either an email or a letter, then please contact us at [email protected] and we’ll look into it.
Who do I contact about accessibility issues?
If you are unable to access or fill out the nominations form for any reason, or if you have any queries about how we will ensure accessibility when carrying out board duties, then please contact the Nominations Committee at [email protected] and we will facilitate you.
What happens to my information if I decide to put myself forward?
Your personal data will be stored and processed by Directors UK in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
The nominations and voting processes are being managed on behalf of Directors UK by Mi-Voice, a secure third-party voting platform, which is in compliance with our GDPR policy.
Limited information will be shared with Directors UK CEO Andy Harrower and the senior management team, as well as the Nominations Committee.
Who can I speak to if I have any further questions?
If you have any further questions about the nominations process or you’d like to be put in touch with the Nominations Committee, please contact Director of Membership Laura Adams at [email protected].
If you have any queries about accessing the nomination form via the Mi-Voice website, then please contact [email protected].
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