Appendix 2 – BMJ NED role profile

Role Profile

BMA Appointed Non-Executive Director

BMJ

Prepared for: The Chair & Board, BMJ

May 2021

Contents

The Organisation 3

Role Profile 4

Candidate Profile 5

Structure 7

Appendix 2 – Additional company information 8

The Organisation

BMJ is a global healthcare knowledge and information solutions provider guided by its mission to help achieve a healthier world. We share knowledge and expertise to improve healthcare outcomes.

BMJ started out over 175 years ago as a medical journal, publishing articles on stillborn children, amputation at the shoulder and the climate of the Isle of Wight.

Now, as a global brand with a worldwide audience, we help medical organisations and clinicians tackle today’s most critical healthcare challenges. We partner with more than 8,000 medical organisations worldwide so they can provide their users with the best available resources. We make our content available in 14 languages and develop evidence-based products and services made available by subscription or Open Access.

Our expertise extends from publishing and medical education to clinical decision support and events to enhance day-to-day decision making and healthcare delivery. It is inspiring to see the rapid growth of students and qualified doctors around the globe progressing their careers and achieving accreditation with our e-learning modules and events. Whilst our focus remains unchanged, we continuously adapt to the changing research landscape by remaining innovative and competitive.

We now seek a BMA appointed Non-Executive Director who possesses the commercial and financial acumen required to strengthen the Board’s role in the provision of review, to challenge and carry out oversight of all of the group activities which fall within its remit (many of which relate to pure ‘business as usual’ assessments) . Please read on to find full details of the role and the opportunity.

BMJ Values

The Role

Purpose

The BMJ Board as a whole is collectively responsible for promoting the long-term success of BMJ by directing the company's affairs. In addition to these requirements for all directors, the non-executive directors are expected to participate actively in the decision-making process of the Board, and to scrutinise the performance of management in meeting agreed goals and objectives. Our non-executive directors are expected to focus on board matters and are additionally expected to bring:

· Independence

· Impartiality

· Wide experience

· Special knowledge

· Personal qualities

Key Accountabilities

The Non-Executive Director will be responsible to the Chair and as a member of the Board, will have key accountabilities as follows:

· Provide general counsel and a different and objective perspective on matters of concerns to the BMJ Board,

· Act as an impartial member of the Board, ensuring that all decisions taken are in the best interests of BMJ, its stakeholder and employees.

· Review and comment upon the development of the organisation’s publishing and business strategy, ensuring the strategy delivers growth in the long term and is implemented via effective policies and plans, whilst ensuring effective risk management and control processes are in place.

· To ensure that the organisation is managed in a transparent and equitable manner. · Have responsibility to constructively challenge in reaching decisions of the Board and to help

develop proposals on priorities, risk mitigation, values, standards and strategy· Adhere to and promote BMJ’s values and standards and ensure that its obligations to its parent

company, The British Medical Association (BMA), are understood and met. · Perform duties (whether statutory, fiduciary or common law) faithfully, diligently and to a

standard commensurate with the functions of the role and their knowledge, skills and experience.

· Uphold high standards of integrity and probity and support the chair and directors in instilling the appropriate culture, values and behaviours at BMJ.

· Through own behaviours, model BMJ values in all interactions with internal and external stakeholders

· To act in accordance with the BMJ Code of Conduct at all times.

Key Responsibilities:

· To attend and actively contribute to the scheduled meetings within the year, as well as other ad hoc meetings.

· To ensure that the organisation has robust, workable and viable operational and strategic plans.

· To monitor the operational/financial performance of the organisation and the executive management.

The Candidate

Essential:

● Previous Board experience as a non-executive director.

● An understanding of publishing and/or the development of information-based products and services and their role in science/healthcare

● Commercially aware, with a good appreciation of risk.

● Supportive of a financially viable mission and values-driven organisation

● Big picture/large corporate thinking that translates into what a mid-sized company can achieve with the resources/investment they have

● Previous P&L/balance sheet accountabilities, preferably at C-level.

● Interested in the business, committed and well prepared

● Used to dealing with complexity

● Understanding of the BMJ’s values and standards and ensuring that its obligations to its parent company, The British Medical Association (BMA), are understood and met.

Preferred commercial/operational experience:

● Strategic development

● Digital transformation environment and culture

● Previous Board or committee experience as a non-executive director.

Useful industry skills & experience:

● Technology / Digital

● Media

● Health

● Publishing

Personal Attributes:

● Objective, independently minded; prepared both to challenge and support management

● A team player, relationship builder and ambassador

● Intellectually flexible with a sharp mind, able to think laterally and beyond their own area of expertise

● A person of stature, presence and wisdom

● Fair-minded and imbued with absolute integrity

● Articulate and persuasive

● A good listener as well as a good communicator

● Low in ego — self-confident but not dogmatic

Summary of Key Terms and Conditions:

Term of office – Initial Term 3 years

Remuneration: c£20K per annum

Allowances - Mileage and expenses for formal BMJ Board business

Notice period - 3 months

Time Commitment and Flexibility: 1-2 days per month. Five formal board meetings and a two-day strategy workshop per annum with time for ad hoc events, reading and preparation.

Terms of Reference: This job description should be read alongside any supplementary information, contained in the terms of reference document provided.

BMJ seeks a Non-Executive Director who possesses the commercial acumen and experience required to strengthen the Board’s expertise across one or more strategic challenges in Scientific and Academic Publishing including digital transformation, Global Markets, Open Access, Journal sales and distribution, Publishing Services, Technology and Innovation.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances, in discussion with the post holder. This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role with initial and on-going discussions with the Chair

Appendix 1 - Structure

Overall Organisation Structure September 2020

Appendix 2 – Additional company information

Recent financial performance:

3 Year Results (all £’000s)

2019 2020 2021 Budget

Revenues 80,301 76,263 78,767

Op. Profit 10,371 6,605 7,052

Margin% 12.9% 9% 9%

● 2020 financial performance impacted by Covid 19 – significant reduction in global

conference revenues and profit contribution, marginal uplift in 2021 as economy begins to receover.

● Base business of subscription-based products and services is strengthening, helping to

offset other variable business

● The Company is financially self-sufficient and makes a strong contribution – both financially

and reputationally - to the BMA for its member services

Culture Statement:

In support of our vision for a healthier world, we act with independence, courage and ambition. We welcome challenge, act decisively based on evidence and take accountability for our actions.

We’re curious about how to do things better and are always learning. This helps us to provide superior solutions that have a positive impact on our users, customers and markets, driving our mission and commercial success.

We celebrate our diversity, supporting and appreciating one another and taking pride in our individual and collective achievements. We actively collaborate, working together in partnership in the spirit of openness, transparency and trust.

Strategy & Strategic priorities: