The fifth and final Board of Trustees meeting of 2015/16 was held just before the AGM on 6 July. Before briefing you on the Board meeting, just to note my thanks to the Executive Team, the Trustees and all others involved in the Society’s governance for all the good and enthusiastic work over the year. Thanks too, to those stepping down from governance roles. We shall be welcoming newly elected trustees Dr David Witty and Dr Jan Ramakers to the Board. In addition, I am pleased that Maarten Heybroek, Croda’s President of Performance Technologies and Industrial Chemicals, has accepted an invitation to join the Board as a co-opted member.
At the Board meeting, a final summary of ‘Project Refresh’, which has resulted in a refurbished HQ building to be proud of, was presented. Various new leases and a reorganisation of rooms have resulted in the former ‘Business Centre’ opposite reception becoming available again. It has now been refitted as the Members’ Lounge. Looking to future needs, a 10-year plan for the building is in preparation.
The Board was updated on a number of recent developments. RIGs and TIGs have been submitting their Three-Year Plans and these will be collated and reviewed at the Board’s Strategy Day in September. The strengthening relationship between SCI and the Chemistry Growth Partnership has resulted in SCI being asked to take the lead on an Energy Roadmap project. This will culminate in a headline event with the KTN (Knowledge Transfer Network). The ED also reported that the project to build a new CRM IT system to coordinate the ‘back-office’ management of all the Society’s activities is progressing well, with the final specification expected soon.
Finally, the Board has been discussing improvements to the overall governance of SCI. Already a proposal to reconstitute PAC (Publications Advisory Committee) has been developed and this was approved in outline. An approach to an overall governance review was agreed and detailed plans will now be made, aiming to adopt any new structures and systems by the 2017 AGM.
Dr Alan Baylis
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
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