UK India Business Council Chair

By UK India Business Council (UKIBC)

UKIBC Chair, Patricia Hewitt, has announced that she will be retiring as Chair of the UK India Business Council later this year after nearly nine years

She will however, remain on the Board for a further period to ensure a smooth transition and for her valued engagement in key work-streams going forward.

Ms Hewitt said: “Although I will be very sad to step down as Chair – a role that I greatly enjoy – I am also clear that this is the right time for someone new to lead UKIBC through the next stage of its growth and development. Every organisation needs to refresh its board regularly and we are no exception. I have, however, agreed with the Board that I will remain involved as a director for a further year or so, to support my successor and ensure continuity in relationships built up over many years. And I certainly won’t be ending my love affair with India!”

 

UKIBC CEO, Richard Heald said: “I am hugely appreciative of Patricia’s contribution to the evolution of the UK India Business Council over the past years. Her profile and impact within India is very high. As such, the Board and I am grateful to Patricia to agreeing to remain involved in our agenda going forward – particularly in the area of healthcare where she has so much to offer the UK-India dialogue. On a personal note, I appreciate her advice and guidance as Chair during what has been a transformational period in the bilateral relationship. Looking forward I will continue to value her insights.”

 

The Nominations Committee, chaired by Andy Scott, is leading the search for a new chair. The below document explains what the role involves. If you would like to propose someone for the Committee to consider, please contact us at: Chair@ukibc.com

CONTEXT

There is a strong economic and trading partnership between the UK and India and in the post Brexit trade and investment environment this is only set to grow. The UK is already the largest G20 investor in India and India invests more in the UK than the rest of the EU combined. With growth in India outstripping that in most other major economies and continuing reform programmes to the business environment, there are huge opportunities for UK businesses small and large in multiple sectors across India. There are equally significant investment and trading opportunities in the UK for Indian businesses looking to expand internationally.

It was no coincidence that Theresa May made India the first country outside the EU she visited on becoming Prime Minister. Both Prime Ministers are committed to working together to substantially increase trade and investment opportunities in our respective countries. The UKIBC is ideally positioned and equally committed to playing its part in the furtherance of this objective.

ABOUT THE UKIBC

The UKIBC is the leading business organisation promoting bilateral trade and investment relationships between UK and India. It provides UK business with the insights, networks, policy advocacy, services and facilities needed to succeed in the Indian market. It was established in its current format in 2008, evolving from various predecessor bodies dating back to the 1990s.

The Council is funded through a combination of DIT grant support and private sector income derived from services, membership subscriptions and sponsorship. Current annual turnover is £3.8m with just over 50% contribution from DIT. The objective is progressively to reduce this dependence on Government grant support with increasing contributions from own generated income.

Responsibility for the governance of the UKIBC, its strategic direction and oversight of its operational activities is vested with a 25 strong Group Board. Board membership comprises senior representatives drawn from across the business spectrum, all with strong, practical experience of doing business in and with India. The Group Board is supported by 3 Committees and an India Board, the respective Chairs of which along with the UKIBC CEO, make up an Exec Committee which oversees the day to day operations of the organisation as well as undertaking other tasks delegated from the Group Board.

Additionally, an Advisory Council, comprising Chairmen and CEOs of some of the major businesses with interests in India, provides advice and insights to help set the context for the organisation’s forward agenda.

UKIBC has a total staff complement in the UK and India of 44 with its head office in London and representative offices in Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bangalore.

For many years, UKIBC has worked with DIT (previously UKTI) to provide the UK secretariat to JETCO. We are also now the secretariat for Sir Gerry Grimstone and the UK members of the CEO Forum. In addition, we are working with CII to mobilise business input into the new G2G working group on bilateral trade and economic relations, including the possibility of a future Free Trade Agreement.

ROLE OF THE CHAIR

The role of the UKIBC Chair is absolutely critical to the credibility, authority, and perceptions of the organisation, positioning it at the heart of the UK/India business landscape. He/she is the highly visible public face of the organisation and to large measure, is responsible for setting the tone for the Council’s interactions with its key audiences and stakeholders in Government and business both in the UK and India.

Going forward and building on the excellent foundations in place, the Chair will be instrumental in taking the UKIBC to its next stage of development as it reviews strategy and objectives post Brexit. It will also be important to increase the share of private sector income as constraints on DIT funding.

The Chair would be expected to visit India at least twice a year. Typically, one visit will coincide with that of a senior British Minister and may also include the CEO Forum, JETCO etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES OF THE CHAIR

The main responsibilities and duties of the Chair can be grouped under four main headings:

“AMBASSADOR” FOR UK BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH INDIA

  • Acting as the focal point for, and the promotion of, UK business interests in and with India
  • Involvement in out-bound Ministerial visits. Most notably those associated with the UK Prime Minister but also those involving other senior UK Government Ministers.
  • Involvement in in-coming Indian Ministerial visits and business delegations including chairing roundtables, hosting dinners etc.
  • Membership of the UK India CEO Forum
  • Chairing/speaking at UKIBC and other related India events in both countries.
  • Maintaining close links with counterpart Indian organisations specifically CII and FICCI.
  • All the above tailored to fit Chair’s time availability and can be shared with Dep Chairs/ CEO/leading members.

RELATIONS WITH GOVERNMENTS

  • Fostering and maintaining close links with UK Government Ministers, No 10 and special advisers
  • Maintaining a strong, constructive dialogue and working relationship with DIT and FCO senior officials and the British High Commission in India not least given the current financial dependency on grant support.
  • Building and maintaining relationships with Indian Government Ministers and senior officials and devoting increasing focus on key State governments.
  • Maintaining a strong working relationship with the Indian High Commission in London.

GOVERNANCE

  • To lead the Group Board, ensuring it has the right mix of skills and experience and setting the “tone from the top”.
  • Enabling and facilitating the Group Board to agree strategy and to hold the CEO to account for performance.
  • Ensuring that the Group Board, both directly and through appropriate Committees, has effective oversight of the organisation’s conduct, financial discipline, compliance, and risk management.
  • In delivering the above this entails chairing 4 Group Board meetings per annum, liaison with the Chairs of the Audit, Remuneration, and Nominations Committee as appropriate.
  • Providing regular support, advice and challenge to the CEO and other members of the senior executive team.
  • The Chair also currently chairs two meetings a year of the Advisory Council, one in each country.
  • In addition, the India subsidiary, UKIBC India Pvt. Ltd., has an India Board which is accountable to the Group Board for the operations in India. There is some overlap between the Group and India Boards. Although the current Chair has been chairing both Boards, the intention is to appoint a separate Chair of the subsidiary from the Group Board.

MEMBERSHIP LIAISON AND RECRUITMENT

  • Liaising with major members (Strategic Partners and Corporate Plus) to ensure strong and continuing engagement strategies.
  • Effecting introductions and helping the CEO and the executive team as appropriate to recruit new major members.

PERSONal requirements

  • The Chair will be credible and comfortable operating at the most senior level with political and business leaders and an authoritative and respected ambassador for the UKIBC.
  • He/she will have extensive networks and relationships in both the corporate and political worlds in the UK and India. They will have a good knowledge of the Indian business environment, most likely built up over a number of years of practical interactions in and with the market.
  • They will have been, and ideally still are, a regular visitor to India.
  • The Chair will have significant Board level corporate experience.

TERM

The exact time commitment is open for discussion and to a degree flexible but could be in the order of 1 day per week averaged out over the year, including trips to India.

The appointment is unpaid but, of course, reasonable expenses are paid. It will be for a 3-year period commencing July 2017.

 

APPENDIX 1 – UKIBC GROUP BOARD

 

Name Title Company
Clive Barton   Formerly Serco
Philip Bouverat Director JCB
Alan Butler Global Policy and Public Affairs Director Diageo
Jackie Callcut   Formerly AgustaWestland
James Cliffe Head Business Banking UK HSBC
Mike Connarty Director Connarty Consulting
Ann Cormack Director International Rolls Royce
Ben Digby International Director CBI
David Landsman Director Tata
Vivek Nanda Principal AECOM
Chris Parsons Chairman, India Group Herbert Smith Freehills
Mukesh Rajani Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers
Markus Reinisch Group Director Public Policy Group Vodafone
Nandita Sahgal-Tully CEO IL&FS
Andy Scott International Adviser CBI
Vasuki Shastry Group Head Public Affairs Standard Chartered
Emma Sheldon Marketing Director Vernacare
Parmjit Singh Partner, Head of India Group Eversheds Sutherland
Preeti Sinha Senior President and Global Convener YES Bank
Avinash Vazirani Fund Management Director Jupiter Asset Management
Kevin Woollard Operations Director, R&I and Adastral Park BT

 

APPENDIX 2 – UKIBC ADVISORY COUNCIL

Name Title Company
Lucy Armstrong Chair Capital for Enterprise
Graham Cartledge, CBE Chairman Benoy
Prof. Sir Michael Gregory Head, Institute of Manufacturing Cambridge University
Sir Gerry Grimstone Chairman Standard Life
Ajit Gulabchand Chairman and Managing Director HCC
Rana Kapoor Founder, Managing Director and CEO YES Bank
Rahul Khosla President Max India
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Chair and Managing Director Biocon
Ivan Menezes Chief Executive Diageo
Sunil Kant Munjal Chairman Hero
T V Mohandas Pai Chairman Manipal Global Learning
Stuart Paver Chairman Pavers
Subhanu Saxena Formerly Cipla
Sir Martin Sorrell Group CEO WPP
Sir Richard Stagg, KCMG Chairman Rothschild India Pvt. Ltd.
Noel Tata Chairman Trent Ltd
A Vellayan Executive Chairman Murugappa Group
Kevin Wall Co-Head Corporate Banking Origination, Vice Chairman Investment Banking Barclays
Kevan Watts Vice Chairman, Banking HSBC
David Whittleton Deputy Chairman Arup

 


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