Agenda item

To agree the public minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2015.

The public minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2015 were considered and approved as a correct record.

MATTERS ARISING

Chairmanship of the Remuneration Committee – The Chairman of the Board of Governors stated that, for simplicity, it had been assumed that both he and the Deputy Chairman of the Board would serve as Chairman and Deputy Chairman of this Committee for the time being. He invited other Governors’ views on this going forward.

A Co-opted Governor stated that he felt that, whilst it was necessary to have both the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Board as members of the Remuneration Committee it would be considered best practice if the Chairman of the Board were not to preside over their meetings.

All Governors, including the Chairman of the Board, concurred with this view.

It was proposed that Sir Andrew Burns, as a Co-opted Governor, independent to the City of London Corporation, therefore be appointed as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee with immediate effect and that the Chairman of the Board of Governors serve as Deputy Chairman of this body as has been the practice in previous years.

A Co-opted Governor went on to raise the fact that, elsewhere, it was felt that it was not appropriate for the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of a Board to then also preside over any of its Sub Committee. The Town Clerk explained that each of the Board’s Committee’s currently had their own terms of reference (which were approved annually by the full Board) setting out where it was felt appropriate for the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Board to preside over Committee meetings (e.g. in the case of the Board’s Finance and Resources Committee) and where it was not (e.g. in the case of the Board’s Audit and Risk Management Committee). Governors felt that this argument was not compelling and suggested that this was a matter that either the full Board or the Board’s Governance and Effectiveness Committee might usefully consider going forward.

RESOLVED – That, Sir Andrew Burns be appointed as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of the Board of Governors of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Deputy John Bennett be appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of the Board of Governors of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for the ensuing year.