Exco and Board Committee Company Secretary at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• To serve as Committee Company Secretary to the Absa Group Exco. 
• To serve as Committee Secretary to least one substantial Group Board Committee and / or an additional Group Exco committee 
• To ensure that the Board Committee(s) which are served by the Company Secretary comply with the provisions of the Companies Act, the Banks Act, King IV, JSE Listings Requirements and other legislation / regulation that may be applicable to the Company.
• To provide strategic, governance and compliance guidance to the Exco and Board Committee(s) and implement robust processes to guide in effective decision making.
• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Absa Policies and Policy Standards. Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities:

Stakeholder engagement

• Engage with Exco members and the Group CEO and relevant members of management, and the Group Secretariat team in alignment with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective calendar planning, meeting logistics and distribution of committee papers.
• In regard to Board Committees, liaise with relevant committee chairs and other colleagues regarding the items referred to above.
• Manage the system of distribution of papers (Diligent) and ensure appropriate quality, availability and risk controls in relation to such system.
• Liaise with chairs of committees to ensure appropriate expectations are met.
• Liaise with pack contributors and ensure appropriate training with a view to quality products.
• Access global and local practices, industry best practice and optimise the benefit of engagement with others in the field.

Accountability:  Committee meetings 

• Act as the Secretary to the nominated Committees;
• In particular:
• Take accurate minutes at all meetings and distribute them timeously (within 7 days);
• If required, prepare a summary of the committee meeting for dissemination to the members (first submitting to seniors in the Secretariat team and thereafter to the Chairman of the committee, within 3 days of the meeting (or sooner if required);
• Identify all matters arising, verify these and distribute them to relevant stakeholders within 7 days of the meeting;
• Attend to the drafting of meeting agendas in consultation with the Committee Chairman and the responsible executives to reflect the matters for discussion at each meeting;
• Update the committee forward planners;
• Distribute the agenda in advance of the meeting to the Chairman of the committee, for comments;
• Distribute the minutes well in advance of the meeting pack being distributed to the Chairman of the committee, for comments;
• Coordinate the preparation and distribution of meeting packs;
• Load agendas and papers on Diligent;
• Prepare attendance registers for the meeting, and ensure that these are signed where relevant, and scanned to the server;
• Check that all logistical arrangements have been made in relation to the meeting (technology to be used; invitations to presenters; PDF extracts of the pack for presenters; etc);
• Obtain the timeous signature of the committee Chairman on the approved minutes;
• Coordinate the preparation of the annual meeting schedules;
• Assist with incoming queries related to the committee.

Accountability:  Corporate Governance 

• Make available to new members of the Committee(s) a suitable induction process and, for existing members, ongoing training where appropriate including developments and trends in regard to the mandate of the Committee(s) and as arranged with the Committee Chairman.
• Identify Corporate Governance trends and training topics and engage with your manager in regard thereto.
• Review terms of reference for relevant committees from time to time having regard to operational and policy requirements and particular regulations / governance requirements.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the relevant Committee Chairman once designated as the Secretary for that committee.
• Ensure, with the Head of Board Support and the Group Company Secretary, that Exco members and Directors if required are informed of changes in legislation as may be appropriate.

Accountability:  Records Management 

• Record all the critical documents such as minutes, resolutions, attendance registers, etc in the correct format as per the Absa Record Management Policy.
• Save all final documents on the Group Secretariat server including the signed minutes.

Accountability:  Your own career

• Agree your goals and objectives with your line manager.
• Advise your line manager if you have insufficient work, or have insufficiently challenging work in order to assist with the balance of work in the team.
• Identify any training, or areas for development, that you feel that you have.
• Collaborate with peers in the team for the benefit of Group Secretariat as a whole.

Role / Person Specification

Education and Experience Required (Essential)

• B-degree in Commerce or Law. NQF level 6
• 5 -7 years previous experience in a reporting function dealing with reporting to Board / Board Committee / Exco / Exco subcommittee level
• At least five (5) years' experience in dealing with internal and external stakeholders, where deadlines require effective organisational planning, time management and a track record of delivering quality deliverables.
• Specific Knowledge and Skills for Board Committees to be supported
• Very commercially and financially literate
• Understanding of a banking environment
• Familiar with banking metrics including financial, risk, capital and liquidity management within the banking environment
• Understanding of investment transactions and the governance of the investment (acquisitions and disposals) process
• Understanding balance sheet and income statement and relevant key metrics, preferably for a Bank
• Understanding of legislation and regulations applicable to Banks or the ability to easily familiarise in regard thereto.

Knowledge & Skills: (Essential)

• Professional engagement with particularly senior and executive stakeholders
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong written communication skills including minutes and report writing
• Effective verbal skills
• Well organised
• Ability to operate under pressure
• Discretion - sensitive and confidential material Level
• PC literacy incl. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook

Competencies: 

• Deciding and initiating action
• Learning and researching
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating
• Attention to detail

Closing Date: 29th, April 2022