Barclays 2013 Annual Report Download - page 48

Chairman’s governance overview
‘Key for the Board is
ensuring that we have in
place the right strategy, a
robust and appropriate risk
management and control
framework and the right
people to create long-term
value for shareholders.’
Board Gender Balance
31.12.13 31.12.12
1 Directors – Men 12 11
2 Directors – Women 3 1
1
2
The UK Corporate Governance Code makes clear the
principle that the Board should set the company’s strategic
aims, ensure that the necessary financial and human
resources are in place for the company to meet its
objectives and review management performance.
The right strategy
As a Board, we set direction and risk appetite and provide oversight and
control of management in the day-to-day running of the business. As
Chairman, I seek to ensure that adequate time is set aside at Board
meetings for the open and collective discussion and debate of
significant issues, most importantly, strategy. Once a well-informed
decision is reached, we empower management to then execute that
decision, with our ongoing oversight and support. This established
process underpinned our endorsement of the Transform programme in
early 2013 and the decision we made in July 2013 to undertake a rights
issue.
The right risks and controls
It is essential that our risk culture supports our risk profile and that we
have visible and dedicated risk management leadership, both in the
Boardroom and in executive management. In 2013 we enhanced our
internal control and risk management framework by creating a new
Board-level committee charged with specific oversight of operational
and conduct risks, reputational matters and our citizenship strategy.
We also created a Board Enterprise Wide Risk Committee, whose role is
to focus on a holistic view of our risk appetite and risk profile and to
seek to identify potential future risk.
The right people
Talent development and succession planning are critical components
of sustainable success and this starts at the very top, in the Boardroom.
It is vital that we have on the Board the right balance and diversity of
expertise, skills, experience, perspectives and, most crucially,
independence of thought and action.
All Board appointments are made on merit, in the context of the
diversity required for an effective Board, including diversity of skills,
experience, background and gender. The aims set out in our Board
Diversity Policy, published in April 2012, were to have 20% of the Board
made up of women by the end of 2013, and for that position to have
exceeded 25% by the end of 2015. There were three women on the
Barclays Board at the end of 2013 (20%), compared to one woman
at the end of 2012 (8%). Our Board Diversity Policy can be found on
our website, Barclays.com
Sir David Walker
Chairman
barclays.com/annualreport
46 Barclays PLC Annual Report 2013