Board nominations and elections FAQs

We are asking for nominations to fill five places on the ITI Board from 1 May 2025  

•   Three individual voting 1 members   

•   One individual non-voting 2 members  

•   One corporate member3  

This guide provides some information about the Board, what it means to be a Board member, and who is eligible to stand in the election. It also provides guidance for members who want to put their names forward for nomination.  

¹ Individual voting members – Student, Junior Associate, Associate, MITI, FITI, Hon. FITI, MITI (retd.) and FITI (retd.).  

² Individual non –voting – Affiliate  

³ Non-voting Corporate -LSP, ALSP, Corporate Education, Corporate Affiliate, Corporate Associate, or technology member.  

The Board must be made up of no fewer than seven and no more than eleven elected members of the Board, made up of at least four Board members nominated and elected by the voting members. 

.  with the following minimum composition:  

• One of the Board members nominated and elected by the voting members should be an Interpreter – this place is currently held by Anna Kerod MITI  

• The other elected members of the Board should include a corporate member nominated and elected by the corporate members, and a non-voting member nominated and elected by the non-voting members  

• ITI's Chief Executive  

Voting members must always be in a majority on the Board.  You can find out about the current Board members on the ITI website: Our people 

The Board discusses and agrees ITI’s strategy. The Board also ensures that ITI is financially viable, that it meets its legal and governance obligations, and that it achieves its mission and objectives. 

The Chief Executive is responsible for ITI's day-to-day operation and supports Board members by providing the information and advice they need to make decisions.  

Joining the Board is not a decision to be taken lightly as you will become a Director of ITI with certain legal responsibilities. That said, we will ensure you are properly supported and trained to make the experience as rewarding and interesting as possible.  

It is important that you work collegiately with other Board members to make decisions in the best interests of the organisation. This may sometimes involve compromise to ensure that the agreed corporate priorities can be delivered. We encourage Directors to develop healthy and effective working relationships with other Board members, so that all can contribute on an equal footing. While constructive challenge is welcomed, we expect everyone to foster mutually respectful relationships with fellow Board members and to listen actively to other points of view.  

It is important to ITI that Board members represent the membership and bring a broad range of skills and experience. These are not necessarily professional or corporate skills, so please don’t feel that any perceived lack of such experience should prevent you from standing. Help and support will be given by current Board members and our staff team.  We will also suggest that you undertake relevant training courses to enable you to develop in your role.  

Currently the Board meets formally eight times each year. Five of the Board meetings are held online in the afternoon. The other two meetings are usually held in person in Milton Keynes over two half days - the afternoon of the first day and the morning of the second day - with an informal social evening in between. The first Board meeting of the new financial year will take place in early May 2025.   Additional unplanned meetings are sometimes required.   

In addition to formal meetings, ITI events such as the Conference are a great opportunity to network and share views with other members. Board members are encouraged to attend these events; conference ticket costs are usually paid for by ITI, but not travel and accommodation costs.  

All Board meetings have an agenda, and most supporting information is distributed prior to the meeting to allow for pre-reading.  Meetings are fully minuted and important resolutions are agreed by a vote. Board members are privy to a considerable amount of sensitive information, and they are expected to keep this confidential.. 

In line with the Articles of Association, Board Members receive discretionary payments for attending formal Board meetings. In-person meetings will be paid at the rate of £210 per meeting and online meetings will be paid at the rate of £52.50 per meeting. The short Board meeting prior to the AGM and attending the AGM are not included in this agreement.  

If Board members wish to claim their discretionary payments, they should submit an invoice to the Operations Manager within 14 days of the Board meeting taking place. The invoice should clearly state “Board attendance fee” as the service provided and should include the date of the Board meeting.   

Information correct at 29/11/2024.

Travel and subsistence expenses for in-person Board meetings can be included on the relevant invoices.  

Board Members will be repaid all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while carrying out work on behalf of ITI. This includes travel, accommodation and other expenses incurred in connection with their attendance at Board, Committee, or member meetings in accordance with the agreed Expenses Policy.  

As a Board member, you will be under an ongoing obligation to disclose any other interests that constitute an actual or potential conflict of interest with your position as a Director of ITI, or to seek advice if you are unsure. Please ask for clarification before submitting your nomination if you think that any of your existing obligations could potentially be considered a conflict of interest that may prevent you from fulfilling the duties of a Director of the ITI.  

Please email Sara Robertson, CEO who will be happy to answer any queries you may have –  [email protected]  

How many vacancies are there?  

•    Three positions for individual voting members  

•    One for individual non-voting members  

•    One for corporate members  

 How have the vacancies arisen?  

Nicki Bone MITI, Chair, has been a member of the Board since 2019 and has finished her term.   

Kerry Gilchrist MITI has been a member of the Board since 2021 and has stepped down.  

Agata McCrindle FITI has been a member of the Board since 2022 and will reach the end of her first three-year term on 30 April 2025. Agata has decided not to stand for re-election.  

Carmen Swanwick-Roa MITI has been a member of the Board since 2019 and has finished her term.   

Lloyd Bingham MITI has been a member of the Board since 2022 and will reach the end of his first three-year term on 30 April 2025. Lloyd will be standing for re-election.   

Fiona Gray MITI will not stand for re-election this year as the Board has agreed that she will utilise the ‘year of grace’ procedure in accordance with Article 78. 

Linah Makembu was invited to join the Board in June 2024 due to a non-voting vacancy. Her term ends on 30 April 2025.   

Amey Higgon, our corporate representative, stood down earlier in the year.  

Any member who fits the criteria for the Board can apply.   

When the nomination process starts  In December a communication will be sent out by Mi-voice.  This will contain a link to the nomination form. If you haven't received any communications, please contact Mi-Voice Support ([email protected] or +44 (0)23 8076 3987). 

Please email Sara Robertson, CEO who will be happy to answer any queries you may have –  [email protected]  

Nominations open 12:00 5 December 2024  and closes at 17:00 19 December 2024.

You must provide the following information on the nomination form:

• Your name, address, email address, phone number and ITI membership number.
• A nomination and election statement of up to 250 words, explaining why you believe you should be nominated and elected.
• A recent headshot.
• Information about any other interests you may have, known as a “declaration of interests”. As a company director, you are required by law to give information about your other interests, so that we can avoid the risk of a conflict between your other interests and those of ITI. Any information provided will be treated in strict confidence.
• Details of “connected persons” (You only need to complete this section if you have a connected person who is likely to or is currently doing business with the Institute in any capacity. The definition of connected person includes your husband, wife, partner, parents, grandparents, children, stepchildren, children of a partner, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grandchildren, brothers and sisters or the spouse or partner of any of these persons and includes similar relations by marriage (i.e., “in laws”).

Yes. You must be supported by members within the same category of membership as you. 

Once ITI has reviewed your nomination application to ensure all the details are correct, you will go forward to gain support. All the nominees’ details will be sent out to all the members in their membership category, so that they may then nominate one member. Once this stage has closed, we will know whether an election is necessary. 

The support required for each category is set out below. Once you have the required number of supporters, you will be put forward to stand for election. 

 Support required:  

 •   Voting members require three other voting members to support them. 

•   Non-voting members require three other non-voting members to support them. 

•   Corporate members require one other corporate member to support them. 

 

 Please contact Tony Slater at Mi-Voice [email protected] or +44 (0)23 8076 3987.   

 You will receive a confirmation email to the address that you entered on your nomination form. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact Mi-Voice Support ([email protected] or +44 (0)23 8076 3987).

When will I know if my nomination was successful? 

Nominations close on 19 December 2024 at 17:00 GMT and you will be informed whether your application was successful and whether you will be going forward to the next stage for support from members.  

When is the deadline for members' support to be received?  

The support process opens on 3 January 2025 and closes on 17 January 2025 at 17:00 GMT.  

If the number of successful nominations is the same or less than the vacancies within a category, an election will not be held. The candidate(s) nominated will then automatically join the ITI Board from 1 May 2025. 

If there are more valid nominations than there are vacancies available, an election will be necessary.  You will be informed of this after the support stage has closed on 17 January 2025. 

 If an election is necessary, when will it be held?  

The election will be held online between 22 January 2025 and 12 February 2025. Members will be sent information about how to vote by Mi-Voice, the independent election provider.  

Mi-Voice will conduct the election on behalf of ITI. Voting will be carried out using the STV (Single Transferable Vote) system. You will be asked to rank the candidates in order of preference, rather than voting with an 'X' as in previous years

Full instructions will be on the secure voting site. However, you may find it helpful to watch this short video by the Electoral Reform Society, which explains how an STV election is counted. 

You will be sent an induction pack containing various documents which you are asked to read .  

Before your first meeting, you will be invited to an online induction session, where you will meet Sara Robertson, Chief Executive, and will be able to ask any questions about the Board and being a Director of the ITI. Sara will cover how the staff team and the Board work together and introduce the systems that Board members use. You are also encouraged to ask any other questions as they arise to ensure you are properly supported to fulfil the role.  

You will be invited to attend the online Board meeting held on 8 April 2025 (as an observer). You will then attend the first face-to-face Board meeting on 6 and 7 May 2025, at which your appointment as a Director will be formally recorded and notified to Companies House.   

When do newly elected Board members take office?  

Newly elected Board members will take up their positions on 1 May 2025.