Job Title: Company Secretarial Manager
Location: London
About us:
We’re reinventing how the world uses data centres. Think flexible, optimised colocation services tailored for your requirements – all with the very best customer support you can imagine. And because our data centres are powered by sustainable energy, it doesn’t cost the Earth either. It’s the perfect environment where everyone thrives – you and the planet.
Verne was acquired by Ardian in 2024 and is currently investing massively into new data centre capacity and needs additional people to support this growth. We need self-driven, experienced, motivated and focused new team members, and offer a dynamic, growth-oriented environment for people to shine and learn.
Role Overview:
We are seeking an experienced Company Secretary Manager to lead the company's corporate governance, statutory compliance and board administration. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, the role will act as a trusted adviser to the Board, its committees and senior leadership team.
The Company Secretarial Manager will establish and maintain governance practices. The role will support effective decision-making, ensure compliance across the group's legal entities and help the business meet the governance and reporting expectations of its stakeholders.
Core Responsibilities:
- Serve as secretary to the Board and its committees, coordinating annual calendars, agendas, papers, meetings and minutes.
- Work with the Chief Legal Officer, CEO and executive team to ensure the Board receives timely, accurate and decision-ready information.
- Prepare high-quality minutes that clearly record decisions, approvals, delegated actions and matters requiring follow-up.
- Maintain the schedule of reserved matters and ensure that decisions receive the appropriate approval.
- Advise directors and senior leaders on governance requirements, directors' duties, conflicts of interest and delegated authorities.
- Coordinate director appointments, resignations, induction, training and ongoing development.
- Support periodic committee effectiveness reviews.
Entity management and statutory compliance
- Maintain accurate statutory books, registers and corporate records for the company.
- Manage statutory filings and corporate compliance obligations across all relevant jurisdictions, coordinating with external providers where necessary.
- Maintain an up-to-date group structure chart and central repository of constitutional and corporate documents.
- Oversee incorporations, dissolutions, changes of officers, registered-office matters and other entity lifecycle events.
- Monitor filing deadlines and ensure that compliance responsibilities are clearly allocated, tracked and completed.
- Manage powers of attorney, authorised signatory arrangements and corporate authorities.
Governance
- Act as a principal governance contact for the company's private equity sponsor, working closely with the Chief Legal Officer and executive leadership.
- Administer shareholder, investor and nominee director governance arrangements.
- Maintain a clear understanding of the shareholders' agreement, investment documents, articles of association and approval rights.
- Coordinate consents and approvals, ensuring that reserved-matter processes are followed and appropriately documented.
- Support governance reporting.
Framework
- Develop and maintain the company's governance framework, including terms of reference, delegated authorities, governance policies and decision-making protocols.
- Ensure governance arrangements remain proportionate to the company's ownership structure, financing obligations and growth strategy.
- Maintain conflicts-of-interest processes and registers of directors' interests.
- Monitor relevant corporate governance and company-law developments, advising the Chief Legal Officer on their implications.
- Promote consistent governance standards across the group and improve processes through fit-for-purpose technology and automation.
Key Requirements:
- Chartered governance qualification, legal qualification or equivalent relevant professional experience.
- Membership of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, or an equivalent professional body, is desirable.
- Relevant degree or comparable professional qualification.
What We Offer:
- Opportunity to be part of a fast-growing, private equity-backed company.
- A dynamic, innovative, and inclusive working environment.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
- The chance to work with a talented and ambitious international team.