Demonstrating good governance

We commit to our values and policies. This is reflected in the way we manage our business and interact with our clients and our people.

GHD has processes to systematically identify, assess and report on both financial and non-financial business risks. A strategic and operational Risk Report is prepared and analysed by both management and the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board four times a year. The report addresses impacts, risks and opportunities with respect to health and safety, reputation, business practices and ethics.

The Board receives regular reports including: risk, corporate responsibility, HSE, diversity and inclusion, unethical practices and other matters that may affect our reputation.

The GHD Board has ultimate authority over the company and regards corporate governance as a critical element in achieving our objectives. Accordingly, the Board has adopted appropriate standards and policies and established a number of committees to discharge its duties. The CEO reports directly to the Board.

The Executive Management Group (EMG) is the senior management leadership team for GHD. The EMG advises the CEO with regard to the effective and efficient functioning of our global organisation.

Respective corporate teams (e.g. Business Services Finance, HSE, Quality, etc.) provide independent, objective assurance and advisory services on GHD systems of risk management, internal compliance, and control.

  • Determination of purpose

    Exploration of and approving GHD’s core purpose, goals and strategy to achieve these goals.

  • Governance culture

    Operating within a high performance culture that celebrates debate, thoughtful challenge, commitment, candour and trust. This requires effective relationships within the board, and with management, shareholders and other stakeholders.

  • Accountability

    Effective demarcation of responsibilities through delegated authorities and policies, providing informed, astute and effective oversight of management, and ensuring senior management selection and succession processes are effective.

  • Compliance

    Ensuring the company is and remains solvent, probity of financial reports, compliance with the regulatory environment, operating ethically, and is operating consistent with its risk appetite and within its risk management framework. The election of both executive and independent non-executive directors is undertaken by GHD shareholders.

GHD Group Board

The Board is made up of eight directors including the CEO and a company secretary (of which four are women). Together with the CEO they have the appropriate balance of skills, experience and expertise, and bring independent judgement to bear in decision making.

The role of the Board is to add value through furthering the achievement of GHD’s core purpose and it is achieved in four critical areas (left).

When appointing new directors, the Board and its Nominations Committee look to ensure that an appropriate balance of skills, experience, expertise and diversity is maintained.

Material Risks and Internal Controls

GHD has processes to systematically identify, assess and report on both financial and non-financial business risks. A strategic and operational Risk Report is prepared and analysed by both management and the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board four times a year. The report addresses impacts, risks and opportunities with respect to health and safety, reputation, business practices and ethics.

The Board receives regular reports including: risk, corporate responsibility, HSE, diversity and inclusion, unethical practices and other matters that may affect our reputation.

Measuring road

Board Committees

The GHD Board Committees (Audit and Risk) are responsible for assisting the Board in fulfilling its corporate governance responsibilities, including:

  • Integrity of GHD’s financial reporting
  • Compliance with legal and regulatory obligations
  • Effectiveness of GHD’s enterprise wide risk management and accountability structures
  • Oversight of the independence of external and internal auditors

The CEO is responsible for the day-to-day management of GHD, with all powers, discretions and delegations authorised from time to time by the Board. GHD’s executive management team is the EMG. The group is chaired by the CEO and meets monthly to review the performance of GHD and make decisions that impact the overall operations of the business.

Transparency and disclosure with our people

Engaged and empowered people are a fundamental strength of GHD’s organisational culture. In 2020 GHD implemented a new approach to listening to its team members. Instead of a one-off engagement survey, regular People Listening surveys have been conducted monthly using chat-bot technology to gather and probe employee feedback. Frequent touchpoints allow GHD to conduct check-ins with people more regularly, gain a deeper understanding of engagement levels and experiences of employees, as well as to take timely actions. Monthly surveys also encourage the tracking of trends, facilitating a more nuanced approach to identifying strengths and areas of opportunity.

People Listening has proved particularly valuable during the pandemic to maintain visibility of employee engagement levels when sections of the population have been working remotely. Most recently, employee work-life balance and the care and support provided to staff in 2020 have been noted in the surveys as being an area of strength at GHD across the enterprise. The results of the People Listening surveys are open for viewing by employees on GHD’s intranet.