120 SSE plc Annual Report 2022
DIRECTORS’ REPORT – CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board of Directors continued
INDEPENDENT
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Dame Elish Angiolini QC
Non-Executive Director
Dame Sue Bruce DBE
Non-Executive Director of the Board and for
Employee Engagement
Debbie Crosbie
Non-Executive Director
Peter Lynas
Non-Executive Director
Helen Mahy CBE
Non-Executive Director
Melanie Smith CBE
Non-Executive Director
NC
SHE
RC
NC
RC
NC
AC
ER
NC
AC
RC
NC
AC
SHE
NC
ER
RC
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since September 2021
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since September 2013
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since September 2021
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since July 2014
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since March 2016
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since January 2019
Board tenure
Under 1 year
Board tenure
8 years
Board tenure
Under 1 year
Board tenure
7 years
Board tenure
6 years
Board tenure
3 years
Career and experience
Dame Elish has an extensive public sector legal
career, serving as Lord Advocate of Scotland
from 2006 to 2011, across two government
administrations, having previously been Solicitor
General for Scotland. Since then, she has carried
out a number of independent public inquiries and
reviews for both the UK and Scottish Governments
and held positions in academia having served as
Principal of St Hugh’s College Oxford since 2012.
She is also currently a Pro-Vice Chancellor of
Oxford University and previous Chancellor of
the University of West of Scotland. Dame Elish
is Chair of the Discipline Board of the Institute
of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS),
Chair of the Board of trustees for the legal action
non-governmental group Reprieve and a patron
of several charities.
Career and experience
Dame Sue has extensive public sector experience
from a career which spanned almost 40 years,
holding a variety of roles in local government.
These included the positions of Chief Executive at
East Dunbartonshire Council and the first female
Chief Executive of both Aberdeen City Council and
the City of Edinburgh Council. Sue has also held a
number of Board and Board Committee positions
in organisations across the arts, education and
charitable sectors.
Career and experience
Debbie brings over 25 years of experience in
financial services leadership, having recently
been appointed as the first female Chief Executive
of Nationwide Building Society. Prior to this
appointment, Debbie served as CEO of TSB from
May 2019 and was previously an Executive Director
and Chief Operating Office of Clydesdale Bank,
where she led preparations for its successful
demerger and subsequent IPO. Debbie worked at
National Australia Bank Group Europe for 22 years.
Debbie is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Bankers and a member of the Glasgow Economic
Leadership Board and the Strathclyde University
Business School Advisory Board.
Career and experience
Peter has over 30 years of business experience
spanning all areas of finance. He retired from the
role of Group Finance Director of BAE Systems plc
in March 2020, prior to which he was Director,
Financial Control, Reporting and Treasury. His early
career involved roles within GEC Marconi, where
he was appointed Finance Director of Marconi
Electronic Systems before the completion of
the British Aerospace/Marconi merger. He is
a Fellow of the Chartered Association of
Certified Accountants.
Career and experience
Helen is a former Company Secretary and General
Counsel of National Grid plc and an experienced
non-Executive Director. Previous non-Executive
roles include directorships at Bonheur ASA, Aga
Rangemaster plc, Stagecoach Group plc, SVG
Capital plc, Chair of MedicX Fund Limited and
Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director of
Primary Health Properties PLC. Helen is currently
Chair of The Renewables Infrastructure Group
Limited, a member of the Parker Review steering
committee into the Ethnic Diversity of UK Boards,
a patron of the charity Social Mobility Business
Partnership, Co-chair of the Employers Social
Mobility Alliance and an Equality and Human
Rights Commissioner.
Career and experience
Melanie has over 20 years of in-depth strategy
experience and is currently CEO of Ocado Retail,
the world’s largest pureplay online grocer and
the UK’s fastest growing grocer. Prior to this she
was Strategy Director for Marks & Spencer with
responsibility for group strategy, M&S Bank and
M&S Services. Earlier roles include Global Strategy
and Marketing Director at Bupa, Chief Operating
Officer at TalkTalk and a Partner in McKinsey’s
Consumer practice.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Possesses significant understanding of
Scottish governance and has practical
experience of working with the UK and
Scottish governments through involvement
in independent public reviews, whilst
maintaining no political affiliation.
• Strong ambassadorial skills developed through
an international network of colleagues and
contacts in judicial, governmental, diplomatic,
and academic fields.
• Exercises a strong sense of social purpose
and adds depth of perspective to Board
considerations, reinforcing SSE’s approach
to wider value creation.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Strategic and operational experience of
leading organisations covering large numbers
of employees, significant assets, economic
development, construction projects and
engaging with communities, which provides
insight into SSE’s approach to its social
contract.
• Distinguished in stakeholder engagement
with a highly personable style as is evident
in the roles of Remuneration Committee
Chair and Non-Executive Director for
Employee Engagement.
• Expert knowledge of Scottish government
and understanding of political affairs.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Extensive experience of the implementation
of strategy including significant corporate
transaction work and execution of
far-reaching transformation projects,
including the changing role of digital
and data in the context of a large
consumer-facing organisation.
• Understanding of capital allocation and
investment appraisal frameworks central
to the next phase of SSE’s growth.
• Knowledge of operating in a heavily regulated
sector requiring a compliance-driven approach
and proficiency in risk management and
internal controls.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Brings recent and relevant financial
experience to the Board and strong direction
to the Audit Committee, as Chair of which,
he drives focus on the risk and control
environment including Group resilience
and the ethics and compliance culture.
• International business perspective and
an applied understanding of long-term
project management and delivery, including
investment appraisal, contracting and supply
chain experience.
• Up-to-date investor relations experience
through his executive career at BAE and
pensions insight having been Chair of the
trustee Board of a major UK scheme.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Long-standing energy, regulatory and
renewables experience, underpinned by a
comprehensive understanding of the listed
company context including the applicable
legal, compliance, governance and risk
frameworks in which SSE’s businesses
operate.
• Insight into a broad range of investor and
stakeholder perspectives and trends from
cross-sectoral, international and external
Board interests that enable wider discussion
and debate.
• A decade of experience overseeing
renewables infrastructure investment.
• An advocate of SSE’s safety culture, inclusion
and diversity, and employee wellbeing; with
extensive knowledge of people matters and
a focus on sustainability.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Highly qualified to appraise strategy
development and execution, having advised
and led both growth and performance
transformation in the consumer and retail
sectors worldwide.
• Deep commercial and digital experience
across multiple goods and services categories,
including insurance, telco and energy that
furthers Board understanding of the customer.
• Has a people centric style as an executive and
organisational leader, and brings knowledge
of operational efficiency and change
management.
Key external appointments and changes
• Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University
of Oxford.
• Principal of St Hugh’s College Oxford.
• Chair of the Discipline Board of ICAS.
• Chair of the Sarah Everard Inquiry.
• Chair of Board of Trustees of Reprieve.
Key external appointments and changes
• Convenor of Court of the University of
Strathclyde.
• Chair of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
• Electoral Commissioner, the Electoral
Commission.
• Independent Chair of Nominations
Committee, the National Trust for Scotland.
• Chair of Trustees of the Prince’s Foundation.
Key external appointments and changes
• Chief Executive of Nationwide Building
Society (to commence in 2022).
• Member of the Glasgow Economic Leadership
Board.
• Member of the Business School Advisory
Board of Strathclyde University.
Key external appointments and changes
• Senior Independent Director of First Group
plc from June 2021.
Key external appointments and changes
• Chair of The Renewables Infrastructure
Group Limited.
• Commissioner for The Equality and Human
Rights Commission.
• Non-Executive Director of Gowling WLG (UK)
LLP from September 2021.
Key external appointments and changes
• CEO, Ocado Retail Limited.
• Advisory Board member of Manaia.
• Trustee of Sadlers Wells.