CHAIR July 2019
r i a h C the om fr on ti c u od r t n i Thank you for your interest in the Sustainable Restaurant Association. It has been an immense privilege for me to be the Chair of the Sustainable Restaurant Association since it launched ten years ago. I have been incredibly well supported in that time by a board that came together, mostly at the beginning of that journey, with a shared vision and a desire to make a genuine change in the restaurant sector - to fast forward sustainability - and we are very proud of what we have achieved in that period. With 10,000 restaurants as members; nationwide campaigns in plastics, food waste & climate change, and more, we have created momentum needed in the sector to make change. Sustainability is firmly on the agenda – from chains to high end restaurants, bars to cafes, pubs to hotels, the sector has recognised the huge impacts it has both socially and environmentally, and are taking steps to manage them.
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But it has not been enough, not fast enough or deep enough - the challenges we faced ten years ago have not got better, and in many instances continue to worsen. So rather than rest on our laurels, we want the next ten years to be even more transformational. We want to build a team and an organisation that can take the SRA to the next level. We are looking for a new Chair to lead this charge and build a team around them that can enable this transformative change to become a reality. I hope this paper gives you an insight into our vision and current set up and we look forward to meeting you through the process. Many thanks, Giles Gibbons
O E C the om fr on ti c introdu Thank you for taking the time to consider how you could help drive the SRA forward. Having been in the role for 3 years now, I look forward to together taking this important next step in building both an exec and board team that can help us accelerate our impact. The SRA is at a crucial stage in its development. We have built a scalable social enterprise, and we are well positioned to push forward our work in influencing restaurants, chefs and diners towards a more sustainable food system. However we have some significant challenges which require strong governance, awareness of the external environment and keen and timely decision making between the exec team and the board. As the world becomes ever more aware of the link between our food choices and the natural world, there are ever more voices and solution providers that make it harder to maintain our distinctive voice. Against this noisy backdrop, we must grow the number of restaurants we reach and influence. As the pressure for change intensifies,
restaurants are increasingly struggling to reconcile what that means for them operationally, with the increasingly tight margin environment in which they operate. Against this backdrop, we must help sustainable restaurants be successful. As customers become more specific in their awareness of the issues, we must be the trusted source of more specific performance information. Whilst maintaining the trust of our members, we must accelerate the transparency of their performance to the dining public. The years ahead are truly exciting, and full of potential for the SRA to take the scale and impact of our work to the next level. I look forward to working closely with the Chair to develop the board, and to support and challenge the senior management team to deliver to this potential. Yours faithfully, Andrew Stephen
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WHO WE ARE
The choices we make around the food we grow, cook, serve and eat are our biggest impact on the natural world. The problems facing our food system are complex and urgent. What we eat out matters. We believe:
Our Vision Eating out is good for everyone and has a restorative impact on the planet.
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Restaurants can have a restorative impact on the planet.
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Coming together to share challenges, ideas, questions and solutions will help us get further, faster toward the food system we need.
From a modest start in 2010, when two restaurateurs and a pair of sustainability experts launched the not for profit organisation with 50 founder members, we now work across 10,000 member sites. These cover a smorgasbord of foodservice businesses, from high end to high street, from street-food staples to workplace canteens, from independent cafés to Michelinstarred restaurants.
Our Mission We bring together progressive people working in food & empower them to change the system faster.
Our Values Aim high
Listen
Ask Questions
Share
Stay relevant
Be You
Respect Privacy
Spread the Word
OUR FINANCES Turnover -
£768,816
Operating Surplus -
£36,486
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WHAT WE DO Our vision is to be the intersection of the foodservice industry and the sustainable food movement. We want to make sustainability part of the DNA of every foodservice business, while inviting consumers to join in and celebrate what makes food good.
We do this through: •
Providing a robust framework for what makes a restaurant ‘good’
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Using our industry standard Sustainability Rating to benchmark success and construct clear action plans
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Promoting best practice and inspiring healthy competition
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Offering bespoke consultancy, training and support
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Developing a meaningful database of sustainability contacts in foodservice
The SRA is a community of foodservice businesses, suppliers and discerning diners working together to create a sustainable foodservice industry for people and planet. We firmly believe that by working as a collective we can improve the food on our plate which in turn will have a positive, measurable impact on the wider food system. Everyone has a role to play. Whether you’re a food service business seeking to overcome challenges, a supplier who can provide the solutions, or a diner seeking to make better choices when eating out, we can connect you with our network of progressive thinkers. In 2018, the founders of the SRA created ‘Food Made Good Global’ a new limited company. www.foodmadegood.global The purpose of Food Made Good Global is to attract and acquire international license partners for the Food Made Good Programme, who will allow us to accelerate the number of members that benefit from our platform, framework and advice. Food Made Good Global has a 2 year exclusive license (subject to minimum performance criteria) to use SRA brand, IP and technology towards that aim. Food Made Global works to onboard territory partners and help them accelerate their member growth. The SRA receive a quarterly royalty payment for consulting work and member fees undertaken by Food Made Good Global, which it reports transparently in its accounts and reinvests in building a better membership experience. The shareholders in Food Made Good Global are Giles Gibbons, Mark Sainsbury, Simon Heppner and Andrew Stephen. Simon Heppner is MD of the organisation, and Giles, Mark and Andrew are NEDs.
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THE SRA VS FOOD MADE GOOD The SRA
Food Made Good
The SRA is the UK organisation, the people, the membership ‘body’. When we talk about ‘we’ the SRA, we mean the employees.
Food Made Good is a programme of activity that pushes restaurants to be more sustainable. When we talk about ‘we’ for Food Made Good, we mean the SRA + Members.
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Partnerships
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Projects
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Industry body
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Campaigns
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Lobbying
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Global
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Community
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Rating
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Awards
OUR GOVERNANCE
OUR STAFF
The SRA is a limited company with not for profit constitution.
The Executive team is made up of the Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Operations Director and Development Director. They are supported by a group of senior managers including a Head of Membership and Head of Marketing, and Senior Project Managers. We have a headcount of 15 FTEs.
The SRA is overseen by a Board of Trustees currently Chaired by Giles Gibbons who is coming to the end of his final term. As the SRA has grown our governance needs have changed and developed. In the near future we will be looking to grow the Board and recruit up to 3 additional trustees with a range of sector-specific skills.
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ROLE DESCRIPTION PROFILE
KEY PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
Job Title:
The Chair will hold the Board and senior management team to account for vision and mission of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).
Chair
Location: London
Time Commitment: Approximately two days a month
Term of office: Three years with the option of Two terms if approved by the board
Remuneration: ÂŁ5,000 per year plus expenses
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The Chair will provide inclusive leadership to the Board, ensuring the Board functions as a unit, and ensuring that each board member fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the SRA. The Chair will support and challenge the Chief Executive and work closely with the senior management team. The Chair will act as an ambassador and a public face of the SRA and help to grow our reach and impact.
RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Leadership • Chair meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decisionmaking process. • Monitor that decisions taken at meetings are implemented. • Work closely with the Chief Executive to give direction to Board policy-making and to ensure that meetings are well planned, meaningful and reflect the responsibilities of the board.
External Relations •
As appropriate, act as an ambassador for the organisation and raise our profile, including representing us at external functions, meetings and events.
Efficiency and Effectiveness • Ensure that the Board makes clear decisions on strategy, policy, financial stewardship and risk exposure. • Ensure that the Board is diverse, regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern the organisation effectively.
• Develop the Board and ensure that members are properly inducted and supported. • Ensure that the Board spends adequate time across the range of its duties, covering fiduciary, strategic and generative thinking. • Ensure effective management of the SRAs financial and non-financial resources for the benefit of our objects.
Relationship with the CEO and wider management team • Establish and build a strong, effective and constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive, ensuring he is held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives. • Ensure regular contact with the Chief Executive and develop and maintain an open and supportive relationship within which each can speak openly about concerns, worries and challenges. • Conduct an annual appraisal and remuneration review for the Chief Executive. • Lead on the appointment and management of the Chief Executive, including carrying out their appraisal, setting objectives and providing support.
• Monitor the performance of the Board, its members and the Chief Executive.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION Experience and skills desired
Time Commitment
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A typical year would involve:
Have strong leadership and facilitation skills, able to bring out different voices across the group and guide people to reach a genuine consensus.
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Attendance at four Board meetings a year in March, June, September and December, including reading papers in advance. There is also a board away-day once a year, held alongside the June Board meeting.
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Have personal gravitas and be comfortable in a public-facing ambassadorial role.
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Good judgement.
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Ability to commit time to perform the role well, including occasionally attending events outside of office hours.
Attendance at several committee meetings including preparation.
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Participation in email discussions with Trustees and staff between meetings;
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One or two informal dinners.
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Ad hoc meetings, phone calls and email exchanges with staff to offer specialist expertise.
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Giving feedback on the performance of the Chief Executive and other Trustees.
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Recent experience of strategic leadership at a senior level.
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Experience of a governance role within a not for profit or social enterprise.
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Knowledge of the Food sector and of the sustainability challenges it faces.
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Experience of governance of a membership organisation.
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Experience of governance and strategic leadership involved technology and SAS models.
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HOW TO APPLY To apply to become the new Chair of The Sustainable Restaurant Association, please upload a CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages of A4 onto our website.
Applications for this opportunity are being assessed on a rolling basis, please submit your application at the earliest opportunity in order to be considered.
We ask that you complete the equal opportunities information online when you submit your application via our website. The information collected will be treated as confidential, used for statistical purposes only, and will not be treated as part of your application.
QUERIES
Finally please ensure that you have included your contact number and email address, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the indicative timetable.
If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Jess Stockford or James Wilkinson at Prospectus on 0203 479 5404, or email: jessica.stockford@prospect-us.co.uk james.wilkinson@prospect-us.co.uk
The Sustainable Restaurant Association is committed to achieving greater diversity in its board, and welcomes applications regardless of sex, gender, race, age, sexuality, belief or disability. Applications should be made via the Prospectus website at: www.prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/details/hq00175324
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PLEASE CONTACT Prospectus Ltd 20-22 Stukeley Street London WC2b 5LR Created by the Prospectus Talent Attraction team.