The fifth Capital Requirements Directive (CRD V) requires an institution such as The Co-operative Bank p.l.c. (the Bank) to include a compliance statement on its website in relation to certain articles contained in CRD V. A statement of the Bank’s compliance with CRD V governance, remuneration and reporting can be found here:
The Co-operative Bank p.l.c. is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Article 96 of the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD V) requires the Bank to publish a statement, on its website, on how it complies with the requirements of Articles 88 to 95 of CRD V.
The Board has collective responsibility for the long term success of the Bank. Its role is to provide leadership of the Bank within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed. It sets the Bank’s values and standards and ensures that its obligations to its shareholders, customers and other stakeholders are understood and met.
The Board sets the Bank’s strategy and approves plans presented by management for the achievement of the strategic objectives it has set. It determines the nature and extent of the significant risks it is willing to take in achieving its strategic objectives and is responsible for ensuring maintenance of sound risk management and internal control systems.
The Bank’s Chair is a Non-Executive Director who leads the Board in the determination of its strategy and in the achievement of its objectives. The Chair takes personal responsibility for organising the business of the Board, ensuring its effectiveness and setting its agenda. The Chair has no involvement in the running of the day to day business of the Bank. Her role is to facilitate the effective contribution of Directors, constructive relations between the Executive and Non-Executive Directors, ensure Directors receive accurate, timely and clear information and that there is effective communication with the sole shareholder. The division of responsibilities between the Chair and the Chief Executive is clearly defined and approved by the Board.
All newly appointed Directors undertake a structured induction programme which is designed to provide them with key business information about the Bank, and includes briefing sessions with members of the Executive team and, where appropriate, a branch visit. As part of the approved persons’ process an individual training plan is designed for each Director which is reviewed periodically. The Board holds collective training sessions which are scheduled at regular intervals in close proximity to Board meetings and during each financial year. In addition to formal training sessions, the Directors, where appropriate, have one-to-one sessions with members of the Executive. The Chair’s role is to address the development needs of the Board as a whole, with a view to developing its effectiveness. She ensures that the Directors’ professional development needs are identified and that they are adequately informed about the Bank and their responsibilities as Directors. A number of external consultants provide from time to time professional advice to the Board. There is an agreed procedure by which the Directors may take independent professional advice at the Bank’s expense in furtherance of their duties.
The Board has established Board Committees, namely, the Joint Audit Committee, the Risk Committee, the Values & Ethics and Nomination Committee, and the Remuneration Committee.
All Board Committees have terms of reference describing the authority delegated to them by the Board. Each of these Committees has a role in ensuring the effective oversight by the Board of the Bank and its subsidiaries. The terms of reference for Joint Audit Committee, Risk Committee, Values & Ethics and Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee can be found here.
It is the role of the Values & Ethics and Nomination Committee to review and make recommendations: on the composition of the Board; on succession planning for Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors and certain Senior Executives; identifying and nominating candidates for Board vacancies; and on the evaluation of candidates for the Board.
The Values & Ethics and Nomination Committee keeps under review the leadership needs of the organisation, both executive and non-executive, with a view to ensuring the continued ability of the organisation to compete effectively in the marketplace.
The Committee shall:
The Committee shall also make recommendations to the Board concerning:
All Non-Executive Directors are appointed to the Board for an initial term of three years.
Following recommendation from the Values & Ethics and Nomination Committee, the Board considered and approved a policy to promote diversity on the Board in recognition that a diverse Board represents the views of society, brings a wide range of skills and knowledge to the Board and enhances challenge and discussion from a diverse range of viewpoints. The policy includes a target for the representation of the underrepresented gender on the Board (currently women). The Board considers diversity, including gender and ethnic minorities, to be an important part of the construction of the search mandates for new appointments to the Board. As the Board structure develops and further appointments are nominated by the sole shareholder, we will continue to encourage the sole shareholder directly and through the executive search consultancies engaged in the search process, to reflect diversity in the lists of candidates nominated for the consideration of the Board.
The Remuneration Committee has the delegated responsibility to determine remuneration for the Executive Directors and the Executive Committee of the Bank, and to set and recommend to the Board for approval, the overarching principles and parameters of the Remuneration Policy across the Bank to ensure an overall coherent approach to remuneration for all employees. In addition, the Remuneration Committee ensures remuneration is compliant with the dual-regulated firms' Remuneration Code.
The Remuneration Committee is comprised of non-executive directors and regularly consults with the Chief Executive Officer, Group Chief People Officer, Company Secretary and Chief Risk Officer, all of whom may attend meetings of the Committee but are not present when their own remuneration or terms and conditions are being considered. The Head of Reward also provides advice on compensation and benefits to the Committee. The Company Secretary advises the Committee on corporate governance. The Remuneration Committee receives support and advice from external advisors and, from time to time, will undertake due diligence to ensure that the advice it receives is independent.
The Committee works closely with the Chairs of the Risk Committee, Joint Audit Committee, and Values & Ethics and Nomination Committee.
The Bank has one remuneration policy that is openly communicated and applied broadly consistently throughout the organisation. The policy has been designed to support recruitment, motivation and retention as well as to reward high performance provided it is achieved within the Bank’s plan and risk appetite, and is aligned with the principles of the Bank’s Values and Ethics Policy.
The principles set out in the policy inform remuneration decisions for all employees, not only Executive Directors and Material Risk Takers, and the Remuneration Committee takes into account pay levels and benefit arrangements throughout the Bank to ensure the arrangements remain appropriate. Remuneration packages may vary to take into account role-specific factors in different areas of the Bank and will be determined by reference to market levels, skills requirements and internal relativities.
It is crucial to maintain the link between remuneration, including variable pay, and the achievement of the Bank’s commercial objectives. All variable remuneration may be reduced (including reduced to zero) in circumstances including:
To ensure a collaborative approach to developing the policy, it is reviewed by the Board as well as the Remuneration Committee to ensure feedback is sought from the Chairs of the Risk, Joint Audit and Values & Ethics and Nomination Committees of the Board.
The Remuneration Committee receives and considers internal and external information as appropriate to guide decisions on remuneration including, but not limited to, the results of employee satisfaction surveys and feedback sought from internal and external stakeholders.
The Remuneration Committee has the responsibility to oversee remuneration for staff identified as Material Risk Takers. These individuals are subject to the PRA Remuneration Code and FCA Handbook provisions which are applied in the remuneration arrangements of Material Risk Takers.
The Bank’s approach to any payments in the event of termination is to take account of the individual circumstances, including the reason for termination, any contractual obligations or outstanding incentives. The Remuneration Committee reserves the right to make any remuneration payments and payments for loss of office (including, where relevant, exercising any discretions available to it in connection with such payments) in satisfaction of existing contractual agreements, while ensuring compliance with the European Banking Authority (EBA) Guidelines.
The Bank will continue to monitor regulatory developments and maintain an open and transparent dialogue with regulators as required.
The Committee works closely with the Remuneration Committee of the ultimate parent company, Coventry Building Society, when reviewing the remuneration policy.
All awards of variable pay are subject to malus and clawback provisions in line with regulatory requirements. Further information can be found in the Directors’ Report on Remuneration in the annual report, which is available on the Bank’s website.
Download the Directors' Remuneration Policy (PDF)
For the purposes of Article 89, the Bank operates in the United Kingdom.
The Bank publicly discloses within its annual report among its key indicators the Bank’s return on assets, calculated as net profit divided by total balance sheet.
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