EasyJet 2014 Annual Report Download - page 54

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52 easyJet plc Annual report and accounts 2014
John Barton
Non-Executive Chairman
DEAR SHAREHOLDER
At easyJet, we are committed to
maintaining high standards of corporate
governance to enhance performance
and for the protection of our
shareholders. I would like to highlight,
in particular, the following key areas
of governance focus during 2014.
Strategy
It is essential for the Board to ensure we have the right
strategy in place and this has been an area of focus for
me in my first full year as Chairman. We have increased
the number of strategy sessions, focused on debating
and refining the strategy, to three this year. These took
place in April, July and September. With the Group Director:
Strategy and Implementation joining the Executive
Management Team, and the Board requesting more focus
on strategy and forward planning and less on operational
issues, the Board has seen a high quality of both strategic
thought and management information. This has allowed
better informed debates and more effective strategic
decision-making.
Board and Committee composition
It is of real importance to my role, as Chairman, to
ensure that the Board has the right composition. This
means having the right balance of skills and experience,
maintaining a strong level of independence and objectivity
and ensuring that all Directors have a good knowledge of
the Group and the context in which it operates. There have
been a number of key changes to the Board since the end
of the 2013 financial year. After nine years of service, David
Bennett retired from the Board on 1 October 2014 and
Professor Rigas Doganis is retiring from the Board on
1 December 2014. I would like to thank them, on behalf
of the Board, for their commitment and contribution. In July
2014, Dr. Andreas Bierwirth and François Rubichon joined
the Board as Non-Executive Directors. They each bring
with them great experience of the aviation industry in
Germany, France and across Europe generally, which will
provide easyJet with a more diverse range of knowledge
and insight. We have also seen a change in the
chairmanship of two Board Committees, with Adèle
Anderson succeeding David Bennett as chair of the Audit
and Finance Committees in June and July respectively.
The composition of the Committees has also changed
(see pages 58 to 66).
Board effectiveness
Each year, the Board undertakes a formal evaluation of
its effectiveness, and after careful consideration of the
findings, has agreed its priorities for next year. Following
my first full year as Chairman, Charles Gurassa, the Senior
Independent Director, has also led a review of my
performance with input from the other Non-Executive
Directors. The evaluation process and the Board’s set of
Chairman’s statement on corporate governance
Committed to maintaining high standards