Trustee Services
Independent Trustee
Our individuals are appointed as your independent trustee, working alongside fellow trustees to ensure the trust board focuses on their role of oversight and support of the operating board, whilst representing the employees as beneficiaries of the trust.
We share governance best practice in convening board meetings, setting agendas and documenting meetings aligned to the terms of the trust, chairing meetings as a neutral, experienced expert.
Depending on your appointee, our trustees bring expertise in founder succession, strategic oversight, board mechanics, financial modelling, employee engagement and communication, as well as supporting employee and management representatives through trustee support, training and mentoring.
Employee Ownership
As well as meeting legal obligations, using an independent trustee can guide trustee board discussions so that trustees and the leadership team are aligned in their goals to drive business success for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Aligning our governance expertise with employee ownership knowledge and the board experience of our team, enables us to provide independent trustees with a breadth of relevant and practical knowledge to support the effectiveness of your trust board.
Supporting our independent trustee appointments, we have a range of practical materials available for our clients to utilise in their organisation which have been developed through our interaction with existing employee owned organisations.
Initial EO Independent Trustee
We recognise that the role of the trustee can significantly influence and enhance the early stages of EO implementation. This is why, for companies transitioning to employee ownership, our EO transition services include the appointment of an independent trustee.
Through this combined approach, we work with clients to build a robust foundation for future years, without losing the ethos, values and legacy of the business.
As a trustee, we chair trustee meetings (where required), support fellow trustees in understanding their obligations and build a clear differentiation between the board of the company and the trustees.
Having the confidence to lead trustee discussions, liaise with the trading board as an equal and supporting employee trustees in their unique role, requires strong leadership skills. All our trustees have board room experience, many have sold their own businesses and can draw from their own experience within and outside an employee ownership structure.
Backed by IDT tools and materials, IDT trustees bring the benefit of both their own experience, plus that of the wider IDT team tp support the trust board, as well as that of the wider organisation to which they are appointed.
Successor Independent Trustees
The appointment of a successor trustee can be an opportunity to bring fresh insights into trustee discussions, enabling the interaction between the trustees and the board, and the trustees and the employees, to be re-energised by fresh ideas.
Appointing a successor independent trustee should enable a review to be held of both how much progress has been made, as well as where the trustees should be heading next.
With a mature EO company, the trustees may seek stability from a similar appointee, or may want to broaden the knowledge of the trust board through fresh contribution. Each company will have its own requirements from the independent trustee, whilst recognising that it is an opportunity for meaningful reflection.
IDT has trustees with a wide range of experience of both EO and non-EO organisations, often bringing a wider perception to the trustees role of supportive oversight, beneficial challenge and collegiate focus.