Jonathan Saunders - ACG, ACILEX
Governance Advisor
Jonathan is a proactive and conscientious Governance Professional with over 7 years’ experience in Company Secretarial practice, including in Investment Trusts, Renewable Energy, Real Estate, Insurance and PFI/PPP project companies in various FTSE listed and unlisted companies. He is also a paralegal under the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX).
Corporate Reporting, Governance Projects, Governance Gap Analysis, Code Benchmarking, Governance Frameworks, Board Evaluation
Experience
Jonathan worked at Link Company Matters, part of Link Group, where he was the client lead for Urban Logstics REIT plc, Downing Renewables & Infrastructure Trust plc and Hansard Global plc. For Urban Logistics and Downing Renewables, he provided full end to end company secretarial support, including board support, corporate governance and listing guidance including Market Abuse Regulations and managed the relationship with the investment management team, corporate brokers and registrar on behalf of Link Company Matters. For Hansard Global, Jonathan provided board support and corporate governance guidance and advice to the board and General Counsel and Company Secretary. From this experience, he is able to conduct comprehensive gap analyses against multiple corporate governance codes, including the UK Corporate Governance Code, the AIC Code of Corporate Governance and the QCA Corporate Governance Code, as well as advising companies of their obligations under the UK listing regime and Market Abuse Regulations, including management of insider lists and associated stock exchange announcements. He has managed the annual report drafting process for companies transitioning from AIM to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, and then to becoming constituents of the FTSE 250, to companies that had recently IPO’d and drafted corporate governance documentation and reports from scratch. He has experience with managing the corporate calendar and all levels of board and committee report preparation and presentation, including use of software packages like Diligent, Board Intelligence and Virtual Boardroom.
Service Areas
Code Benchmarking
Jonathan possesses a wealth of experience in code benchmarking, specifically in conducting comprehensive gap analyses against corporate governance codes such as the UK Corporate Governance Code, AIC Code of Corporate Governance, and the QCA Corporate Governance Code. Jonathan’s analysis enables him to identify areas where companies may fall short of compliance and subsequently provides strategic recommendations to enhance both compliance levels and effective communication of compliance with stakeholders. His expertise allows organisations to navigate the complexities of corporate governance with confidence and establish a strong framework for long-term success.
Subsidiary Governance
Jonathan possesses extensive experience in managing a diverse portfolio of subsidiary companies, overseeing the full suite of company secretarial practice matters with utmost diligence, including board support, statutory compliance and banking administration.
Corporate Reporting
Jonathan has drafted comprehensive annual reports from scratch for newly IPO’d investment trusts, thereby facilitating their seamless entry into the market. Furthermore, Jonathan has played a pivotal role in assisting companies transitioning from AIM to the Main Market by developing tailored annual reports that align with the elevated standards and requirements of the Main Market. In addition, his meticulous attention to detail has proven invaluable in conducting regulatory compliance reviews, ensuring strict adherence to the Listing Rules, Disclosure and Transparency Rules (DTRs), and relevant corporate governance codes.
Governance Frameworks
Jonathan brings extensive expertise in governance frameworks, encompassing drafting, reviewing, and implementing comprehensive frameworks for diverse entities including charities, investment trusts, private and listed companies. His deep understanding of governance principles allows him to identify gaps and potential leaks in reporting lines, enabling him to strengthen existing governance structures. Jonathan’s meticulous approach ensures that governance documentation is watertight, eliminating ambiguity and facilitating effective decision-making processes.