Speaker

Seamus Gillen

Director, Value Alpha

Seamus started his career as a Whitehall adviser and civil servant, becoming Private Secretary to John Gummer MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, and then Private Secretary to John Prescott MP, Deputy Prime Minister.

He moved into industry, as the Group Company Secretary and Director of Regulation at Anglian Water (later AWG) plc, and then as Head of Public Policy and Regulation at O2 plc (now part of the Telefonica Group).

Seamus became Policy Director at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), where he

  • authored a number of influential publications, including ICSA’s guidance on ‘Boardroom Behaviours’, and the UK Financial Reporting Council’s ‘Guidance on Boardroom Effectiveness’
  • was responsible for the production of ICSA’s technical output, including its best-practice Guidance Notes on boards and directors
  • created the research project which led to the Institute’s publication Building Trust Through Governance, exploring the scope for developing the company secretary individual and profession, and
  • created ICSA’s annual Awards dinner

For the past 11 years, Seamus has run his own governance advisory business – Value Alpha Limited – working with boards, directors and company secretaries around the world to embed high-quality governance.   He created and oversees the Leadership Development Programme for company secretaries, a Programme of coaching, mentoring and networking dinners with guest company secretary speakers.

Seamus writes and speaks extensively on governance issues. He holds a Degree in Business Studies, and is an MBA and an ICSA Fellow.