The Directors are aware of their duty under Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to act in the way which they consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the Group for the benefit of its members as a whole and, in doing so, to have regard (amongst other matters) to:
Shire Leasing’s vision is to provide a market-leading service through innovation and expertise, delivering flexible funding solutions to British businesses. As a Group we aim to achieve this through a combination of strategic investment in our Own Book and optimising this for the long term, alongside where appropriate, the use of external funder partnerships. The Directors have a duty to promote the success of the Group and it relies on smooth operations with appropriate policies and governance and the support of its various Stakeholders.
Our employees are the most valuable assets of the Group. Our people’s commitment is essential for us to deliver on our vision. We engage with the employees through quarterly briefings, operating meetings, regular and ad hoc meetings, video conference, telephone and email for the following topics:
• Sustainable strategies and their implementation
• Compensation, welfare and employee care
• Compliance
• Work environment safety, health and wellbeing
• Internal training
We have an employee forum to ensure our staff have a voice within the organisation and we encourage employees to make suggestions for improvements via our All Ideas Matter (AIM) incentive.
We set up strict selection procedures and standards in place to ensure non-discrimination in our employment policy. We provide employees with comprehensive training and career development opportunities. We conduct departmental and external professional training.
The Group strives to enhance employee safety and care. The Group has comprehensive staff health and safety policies, a Wellbeing Committee, induction and training programmes and encourages employee involvement in monitoring and enhancing health and safety practices throughout the company and also has an Employee Assistance Program.
The Group operates a hybrid working policy for those employees who request it where appropriate.
Suppliers
Shire Leasing Plc works with its vendor base who introduce business ensuring operations can be carried out as efficiently as possible. Through our Supplier portal, our newly created Click2Finance product, API’s to their systems and formal trading agreements, we work with suppliers to give them maximum possible vision of our relevant requirements and ensure that invoices are paid in a timely manner.
Customers
Shire Leasing Plc aims to maximise the value for customers by optimising services, products and communications. We focus on customer requirements and satisfaction and we satisfy our customers and improve competitiveness by providing more accurate and wider service through the cooperation with other funding partners.
Funders
Our funding partners who provide the means for the Group to grow its Own Book play an essential part of the commercial strategy at Shire and we hold regular communication, quarterly review meetings and audits as required. We hold an annual funder roadshow, where we present our financial results and indicate our plans for the future.
Service Providers
Shire Leasing Plc works with a number of key service providers for IT solutions and support as well as credit reference agencies and bureaus. These form a vital part of the delivery of our services to our customers as well as mitigating risks in the business.
Other Industry and Regulatory Bodies
We play an active part in our industry, with many of our Directors chairing various committees or representing the Group at the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA). Our Managing Director sits on the FLA board of Directors. We also have representation on the Leasing Foundation Board and Diversity and Inclusion Group and we have constructive and open relationships with all regulatory bodies. Compliance is maintained through our Risk Committee and Legal and Compliance function.
Shire Leasing Plc’s management and employees harness individual expertise and the Group’s strong position to create positive change for the people and communities with which they interact, in particular within the Small, Medium Enterprise (SME) marketplace.
The Directors consider it crucial that the Group maintains a reputation for high standards of business conduct. The Board is responsible for setting, monitoring and upholding the culture, values, standards, ethics, brand and reputation of the Group. Management drives the embedding of the desired culture throughout the organisation and its values of Service, Honesty, Innovation, Relationships and Efficiency are driven throughout the heart of the business in everything we do, reflected in our policies and practices and how we deal with others. These values and standards guide decision making and promote success, including the consequences of those decisions in the long term.
