Holiday Inn 2015 Annual Report Download - page 67

Succession planning
The Committee has reviewed Executive Committee succession plans,
to ensure we have a strong leadership pipeline.
Over the last 12 months, the majority of appointments to regional
and functional leadership roles have been internal, and we have
also attracted high performers from global, blue-chip organisations
to improve the strength of our talent pipeline. We have also taken
steps to improve the rigour of our talent management framework
processes, including the introduction of a globally consistent
framework for differentiating how we invest in high performers and
those with great potential, a consistent model for identifying potential
and a more regular and robust talent governance process.
In January 2016, Tracy Robbins stepped down from the Board and
her role as Executive Vice President, Human Resources at IHG due
to health reasons. Lori Gaytan, Senior Vice President of Human
Resources for The Americas, is covering the role on an interim basis.
Independence and tenure
Jennifer Laing has served on the Board for 10 years, and Ying Yeh
has served on the Board for eight years, and both will be stepping
down following the Company’s AGM to be held on Friday 6 May 2016.
Jill McDonald will take up the role of Chairman of the Corporate
Responsibility Committee with effect from that date. All other
Directors have served for less than six years, see pages 55 to 57.
Diversity
We recognise the value of diversity in its broadest sense and, while all
appointments to the Board are made on the basis of merit, experience
and performance, we strongly believe that our leadership should reflect
the diversity of our employees, our guests and the local communities in
which we operate. We seek to ensure the Board maintains an effective
balance through having the broad range of skills, experience, and
knowledge that comes with a diverse mix of people. With regard to
gender diversity, we are committed to maintaining a level of at least 25
per cent female Directors on the Board over the short to medium term,
a record which we have sustained since 2012. While recent changes to
the Board have meant that the 50 per cent female representation we
had at 31 December 2015 dropped to 45 per cent as at 22 February 2016
and will be 33 per cent following the AGM on 6 May 2016, we continue to
explore opportunities to redress this. The Board has made great
progress in recent years to broaden the diversity of its members and
senior management, and we review our policies regularly to ensure that
they continue to drive the benefits of having a diverse Board and a
diverse workforce across the Group (see page 18).
Our priorities for 2016
During 2016, the Committee will continue to: (i) keep in review the
structure, size and composition of the Board, in line with our priorities;
and (ii) ensure that the Board and its Committees has, and continues
to have, the right balance of skills, knowledge, experience and
diversity to meet the needs of the business.
Patrick Cescau
Nomination Committee Chairman
22 February 2016
We acknowledge that a Board that
is diverse in its skills, experience,
knowledge, gender and background
is a stronger Board.”
Nomination Committee Report
The Nomination Committee regularly considers the structure, size
and composition of the Board, advising on succession planning and
making appropriate recommendations to ensure the Board retains
an appropriate mix of skills, experience, knowledge and diversity in
line with our strategy. It is also responsible for reviewing the Group’s
senior leadership needs.
Governance
Our role and responsibilities are set out in our terms of reference
(ToR), which are reviewed and updated annually as appropriate.
The ToR are available on the Company’s website at www.ihgplc.com/
investors under corporate governance/committees.
All members have the experience and expertise necessary to meet
the Committee’s responsibilities and are Independent Non-Executive
Directors (excluding myself), as required under the ToR. On 1 March
2015, Anne Busquet was appointed to the Committee. When the
Committee considers matters relating to my position, Dale Morrison,
the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, acts as Chairman
of the Committee.
Board and Committee composition and appointments
The Committee continually keeps under review the tenure and
qualifications of the Non-Executive Directors to ensure the Board
has an appropriate and diverse mix of skills, experience, knowledge
and diversity.
The Committee also concentrates on strengthening the Board’s existing
capabilities. In 2015, the Committee recommended to the Board that
Anne Busquet be appointed as a Non-Executive Director due to her
impressive experience in finance, brands and digital commerce.
Neither an external search consultancy nor open advertising was
used for Anne’s appointment, as she was recommended to the Board
as a potential candidate during the search that led to Jo Harlow’s
appointment. Anne was subject to a rigorous selection process that
included interviews with members of the Board and Executive
Committee, including the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer.
On the Committee’s recommendation, the Board considered Anne’s
experience and knowledge, and approved Anne’s appointment with
effect from 1 March 2015. Following Anne’s appointment, the
Committee considered the membership of other Board Committees,
which resulted in the appointment of Dale Morrison to the
Remuneration Committee and the appointment, in Dale’s place,
of Jill McDonald to the Corporate Responsibility Committee.
STRATEGIC REPORT GOVERNANCE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONPARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
65IHG Annual Report and Form 20-F 2015