Our governance

Executive Responsibility

We have strengthened our corporate responsibility governance arrangements.

Corporate responsibility is now embedded within the governance structure of Royal Mail Group.

• Moya Greene, our CEO, has ultimate responsible for corporate responsibility.
• Shane O’Riordain, Director of Communications, is responsible for shaping and implementing our corporate responsibility strategy, including our community investment programme. Group Communications provides the secretariat for the Communications Action Group (CAG) and Modernisation Communications Committee (MCC).
• Mark Higson, MD, Operations and Modernisation, is responsible for all Environment strands of our corporate responsibility strategy. Mark sits on the Royal Mail Group Board.
• John Duncan, Director of HR, is responsible for all People strands of our corporate responsibility strategy.
• Gary Simpson, Interim Chief Customer Officer, is responsible for all Customers strands of our corporate responsibility strategy.
• Matthew Lester, Chief Finance Officer, is responsible for all financial reporting and core sustainability issues, including procurement. Matthew sits on the Royal Mail Group Board.
• Paula Vennells, MD, Post Office Ltd., is responsible for all of Post Office’s activity in Royal Mail Group’s corporate responsibility strategy. Paula will have ultimate responsibility for corporate responsibility at Post Office Ltd. once it is formally separated. Paula sits on the Royal Mail Group Board.

Royal Mail Group Board

The Royal Mail Group Board reviewed our new Group Communications strategy on two occasions during 2011: in February and September. Corporate responsibility and community investment are integral to the Group Communications strategy and both were covered in the two Board presentations. The Board will review our corporate responsibility and community investment strategies on an annual basis. The Royal Mail Group Board is already presented with monthly health and safety briefings.

Audit and Risk Committee

All Royal Mail Group non-executives sit on the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). The ARC has reviewed this report and will review all subsequent reports and any other major corporate responsibility reporting.

Chief Executive’s Committee

The Chief Executive’s Committee (CEC) approved our enhanced corporate responsibility and community investment strategies (in October 2011 and November 2011 respectively). All major corporate responsibility and community investment initiatives will be reviewed and approved by the CEC. The CEC will receive quarterly performance updates on key programmes.

Communications Action Group

The newly-established Communications Action Group (CAG) considers all issues and events which represent a good opportunity or have the potential to have an adverse impact on the Group. Included within this remit is responsibility for shaping and implementing Royal Mail Group’s corporate responsibility strategy and consideration of all issues related to corporate responsibility. The CAG meets monthly and is chaired by our CEO.

Modernisation Communications Committee

The Modernisation Communications Committee (MCC) coordinates all the communications activity underpinning the modernisation programmes being undertaken by the Group. This includes Royal Mail’s Modernisation Programme, Post Office’s Network Transformation Programme and any corporate responsibility activities which arise. The MCC meets monthly and is chaired by our CEO.

Environment Management Board

The Environment Management Board is a recently-established body which is due to meet for the first time early in 2012. Its aim is to promote and enable positive environmental activity across Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide. It will provide leadership and strategic direction of all environmental activities and will be responsible for defining environmental policy and setting national and local targets.

The Board is chaired by our Director of Logistics, Tony Fox, and consist of senior managers accountable for functional areas which underpin or directly impact our environmental performance.