Fund Boards and the Role of an Independent Non-Executive Director Panel

Join City Hive Founder and Co-CEO, Chair and NED, Bev Shah, Shiv Taneja (CEO Fund Boards Council), Sally Bridgeland (Chair and NED) and Simon Ellis (Chair and NED) to discuss:

• An overview of Independent Non-Executive Director roles, focusing on Fund Boards.
• The desired professional and personal experience required to position yourself for an Independent Non-Executive Director position and the practical considerations, including what boards look for on your CV.
• The responsibilities and expectations of an Independent Non-Executive Director.
• The impact an Independent Non-Executive Director can expect to have on a company and how they contribute to the strategic direction of a company.
• What are the personal benefits?
• Q&A.

About our Panel

Shiv Taneja is the CEO of Fund Boards Council. He has over 30 years’ research and consulting experience in and around the global asset management industry. This is combined with a deep professional interest in corporate and investment fund board governance developed over the past decade. Shiv leads FBC in its overall services, including membership, consultancy and training.

Shiv has degrees in accounting and finance, and is a professional non-executive director, having qualified with the FT-NED, Level 7 Advanced Professional Diploma in 2013.

In addition to his work around investment fund board governance, Shiv is a recognised industry authority, media commentator and regular conference speaker on trends in the global asset management industry, having led and completed numerous large industry-wide studies in the area of market sizing, product development and distribution trends in both the retail and institutional segments of the industry.

Sally Bridgeland is an actuary with extensive experience in innovation, risk management and responsible investment across investment management and pensions. She was CEO of the BP Pension Scheme in 2007-14 after twenty years with Aon Hewitt working as a consultant and in investment research. Her non-executive portfolio has included roles at Royal London and Local Pensions Partnership and as trustee and investment committee chair at the Nuclear Liabilities Fund, NEST Corporation and the Lloyds Bank pension schemes.

Sally’s non-executive portfolio currently includes Chair at Bellevie Care Ltd and Impax Asset Management Group plc and non-executive director at insurers Pension Insurance Corporation and Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance. Sally is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and has served the actuarial profession on its Council and professional committees. In the City of London, Sally is a Liveryman with both the Wheelwrights’ and the Actuaries’ Companies, having held office as the first lady Master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries in 2016-17.

Sally’s passion for maths education is evident in her work as a member of the Royal Society’s Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) and as Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Centre for Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University.

Sally is an Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, introducing diverse ideas to the way that the Senior Leadership Team of the RAF think and work.

Simon Ellis has held a series of senior executive roles during a 40-year career in financial services. He was Global Head of Client Segments at HSBC GAM, Managing Director of Legal & General Unit Trust Management, Managing Director of Multi-Manager at Fidelity International, CEO of Multi-Manager and Head of UK Retail at AXA Investment Managers and Head of UK Retail at Henderson Global Investors.

Since 2019 Simon has built a portfolio of non-executive roles, providing challenge and support to the senior executives of multiple Boards including as Chair of both Morgan Stanley Investment Management (ACD) UK, and of LifeSight (Mastertrust) Ltd.

He is a well-known public speaker, and an active participant in industry and public affairs with the Investment Association.

Bhavini ‘Bev’ Shah is the Co-Chief Executive of City Hive, a think tank and advocacy group that works in partnership with Investment Management companies to democratise access to investing. Shah is a recognised driving force in the movement for change within the Investment Management Industry, championing greater transparency, accountability, and equality in the sector.

Shah is one of the architects of the ACT Corporate Culture Standard for Investment companies. Prior to City Hive, Shah held investment roles at Aviva Investors, Aviva Life and HSBC Investments. Shah started her career in the City as a European Equity Trader at Bear Stearns.

Bev is also the Consumer Duty Champion and independent Non-Executive Director for The Big Exchange. She is on the Court of the Guild of Investment Managers and the Chair of their DEI Committee. She is also the safeguarding governor of a state primary school.

She was on the advisory board of the HM Treasury and BEIS backed City of London socio-economic diversity task force and founding co-chair of the Diversity Project Race and Ethnicity workstream.

Each of our sessions has a limited capacity. Please book early to avoid disappointment.