1. Alison Readman amreadman@gmail.com; 07742 855125
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alisonreadman
West Midlands; North
A results-focussed chartered secretary , with a vast
knowledge and a track record of personal significant
achievement. Tenacious in prioritising to ensure the
effective and timely delivery of projects. Since 2004, has
advised boards of high profile organisations on improving
their corporate governance structures.
Personal Expertise - a background as a Legal 500 solicitor, expertise in core
company secretarial work, financial services regulation, listing rules, pensions and
board & committee work. Experience in commercial and not for profit
organisations in the financial services, health regulation and property sectors.
Problem Solving - a grounded person who uses a pragmatic and collaborative
approach to get to the nub of the issue intuitively and provides constructive and
assertive solutions .
Stakeholder Engagement - influences key stakeholders inside and outside
organisations and works constructively at all levels in an organisation. Has
developed long term client working relationships built on trust and credibility,
liaising effectively with senior and junior colleagues.
Time Management - well developed capability to manage and prioritise self and
others, working within stringent timescales in a pressurised environment .
Strategic Effectiveness and Attention to Detail – well-honed ability to
develop, manage and prioritise, optimising results by understanding bigger picture
and connecting different parts of organisation to deliver strategic objectives
without losing sight of the detail .
Communication & Presentation Skills - executive professional with excellent
communication skills in all mediums, especially written reports and minutes of
meetings. Simplifies complex governance structures in a straightforward yet
diplomatic way.
Career Achievements
2013
- now
Deputy Society
Secretary
Audit
committee,
pension fund
and charitable
foundation
secretary
Responsible for
ensuring the
directors and
subsidiaries and
meet their
annual statutory
obligations;
board training
and induction;
board policies
and board
governance
Coventry
Building
Society
Third biggest
building
society in UK
Top 10
mortgage
lender
Strong
emphasis on
putting
members first
Led due diligence of £18m pension fund
investment in Luxembourg at short
notice, including co-ordinating four sets of
professionals.
Delivered timely governance and legal
support to treasury, financial crime,
marketing, HR and many other teams in
the Society such as for structured funding
transaction as well as the sales of the CBS
shares in VocaLink and Visa Europe.
Drew up innovative induction plans when
new in role for the incoming society chief
executive, and for the incoming chair of
the pension fund trustees.
Liaised with the Chairman and led the
inhouse team that provided the first
interactive training session for the Board
of directors, on the implications of the
Page 1 of 2

2. Alison Readman
manual.
One-off
governance
projects and
support for
other business
teams.
Reporting to
General Counsel
& Secretary
HBoS and other bank difficulties.
Undertook detailed reviews of the matters
reserved to the board and the five board
committee terms of reference to align
them to the Society’s new risk framework.
Provided inhouse training and guidance in
respect of the 2015 FCA whistleblowing
rules.
2009
-
2013
Interim Head of
Governance
Four interim
placements
involving
promotion.
Reporting to
Chief Executive
5 staff
G
eneral
Pharmaceutic
al Council
Independent
regulator of
pharmacy
profession in
Great Britain
Played a key role in the team that
established the GPhC as the independent
regulator for the pharmacy profession in
September 2010. Drafted and co-
ordinated the production of more than 10
GPhC organisational policies and
procedures for example the annual
business cycle, the production of the
annual statutory reports and the reporting
of strategic risk, which made the GPhC
more efficient and effective.
In addition to remit, developed from first
principles and implemented an authority
framework forming a crucial part of the
GPhC assurance framework. The
subsequent internal audit awarded was
‘substantial’.
Oversaw the process to gain Privy Council
approval to appoint a new chair for the
GPhC, including reducing the number of
scrutiny queries from six to two and
persuading the working group to adopt a
streamlined approach to enable it to fulfil
its remit within the allotted time frame.
1997
-
2009
Company
Secretary
Reporting to
Chief Executive
Calthorpe
Estates
Property
development
and
investment in
Edgbaston,
Birmingham
Privately
owned
Provided pro-active due diligence and
support for 20 funding transactions,
c2000 other transactions and a joint
venture agreement, ensuring they
complied with the relevant mandates,
while managing conflicting priorities and
tight timescales.
Represented the estate at challenging
public and residents meetings to gain
customer feedback, following which
instigated changes in the managing
agents’ working practices to improve
customer service; received many letters
of thanks.
Established stand- alone company
secretarial role for the business when a
newly- qualified company secretary. Set
up and ran statutory, health and safety
and insurance compliance systems to
improve corporate governance.
Page 2 of 2

3. Alison Readman
Previous Career
Wragge & Co; Clyde & Co; Keely Smith & Jobson; Emsley
Collins – trainee and assistant solicitor roles 1985 - 1997
Qualifications
Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and
Administrators 2009
Solicitor, Law Society 1987 - 2008
BA, 2nd class honours degree in French and Spanish,
Oxford University 1983
Other Information
Fluent in French and Spanish; conversational German and
Portuguese
Pedal to Paris 2016 for the Royal British Legion
Voluntary work - Trustee, William Dudley Trust 2010 –
2015
- ICSA/Charity Commission governance
project 2013
- Director, Fusion Credit Union 2010 – 2012
Page 2 of 2