
The Company is committed to
appropriate standards of corporate
governance and the Board has applied
the Principles and complied with the
majority of the Provisions of the AIC
Code throughout the year. The AIC Code
adapts the Principles and Provisions set
out in the UK Corporate Governance
Code (the ‘Code’) issued by the Financial
Reporting Council to make them more
relevant for investment companies.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Board considers that reporting against the
Principles and Provisions of the AIC Code provides
more relevant information to shareholders and
other stakeholders. The Board remains cognisant
of the provisions of the Code. A copy of the AIC
Code and the Code can be obtained from the
websites of the Association of Investment
Companies (theaic.co.uk) and of the Financial
Reporting Council (frc.org.uk) respectively.
Throughout the year ended 31 January 2026,
the Company complied with the principles and
provisions of the AIC Code, except as set out below:
• The Role of the Chief Executive: the Company
does not have a Chief Executive or any executive
directors, as all day-to-day management and
administrative functions are outsourced to
the Manager.
• Executive Directors’ Remuneration: the Company
does not have executive directors or employees;
therefore, provisions relating to executive
remuneration and performance-related pay are
not applicable.
• Internal Audit Function: the Board considers that
an internal audit function specific to the company
is unnecessary, as all operations are outsourced
to the Manager, which maintains its own internal
control and risk monitoring arrangements.
The Chair is a member of the Audit Committee.
The Board considers this appropriate given the
Chair’s relevant financial experience and the size
and composition of the Board, and is satisfied
that it does not compromise the Committee’s
independence. Leadership of the Audit Committee
rests with its independent non-executive Chair.
BOARD TENURE POLICY
The Board considers that the tenure profile of the
Board, represented by the length of service of each
of its directors, is appropriately balanced such that
Board succession and renewal planning are managed
over the medium to longer term. The composition of
the Board continues to include directors who bring
an appropriate mix of skills, experience, expertise
and diversity (including gender diversity) to Board
decision-making.
All of the Company’s directors will seek re-election
at each Annual General Meeting. The terms and
conditions of appointment of the non-executive
directors will be available for inspection at the
Annual General Meeting.
Each non-executive director is appointed by a letter
of appointment on an ongoing basis and subject to
election or re-election at the Company’s Annual
General Meeting. A non-executive director will only
be proposed for re-election at an Annual General
Meeting if the Board is satisfied with the non-
executive director’s performance, independence
and ongoing time commitment.
The Directors’ Remuneration Report, including
the Directors’ Remuneration Policy, can be found
on page 45.
The Company is also subject to the Alternative
Investment Fund Managers Directive (‘AIFMD’)
and has a Management Agreement with the
Manager to act as its Alternative Investment Fund
Manager (‘AIFM’). Aztec Financial Services (UK)
Limited acts as its Depositary, in accordance with
the requirements of the AIFMD.
The Board is mindful of the Parker Review report
update on ethnic diversity, setting out progress and
asking all FTSE 350 companies to set themselves a
new target for ethnic diversity at senior management
level to be achieved by December 2027.
The Company has not set targets for ethnic diversity
at senior management level as the Company does
not have any executive staff, however the Board has
encouraged the Manager to continue to integrate
diversity and inclusivity into its recruitment and
retention policy.
COMPOSITION AND INDEPENDENCE
The Board is comprised of six non-executive
directors. There is no Chief Executive Officer
position within the Company as day-to-day
management of the Company’s affairs has been
delegated to the Manager. The Board regularly
reviews the independence of its members and,
having due regard to the definitions and current
guidelines on independence under the Code,
considers all directors to be independent. There are
no relationships or circumstances relating to the
Company that are likely to affect their judgement.
SENIOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
David Warnock is the Senior Independent Director.
He provides support to the Chair in her role leading
the Board while also providing challenge and acting
as a conduit for any points to be raised in respect of
the Chair.
INDUCTION AND TRAINING
Board training is provided regularly to ensure that
Board members are well placed to conduct their
role. New Board members receive a formal induction
on all aspects of the Company’s business.
BOARD PERFORMANCE REVIEW
In accordance with Provision 26 of the AIC Code,
the Board reviews its own performance annually.
The assessment covers the effectiveness and
performance of the Board as a whole, the Board
Committees and an evaluation of each director.
This process helps ensure that the Board’s
operations remain aligned with the culture,
purpose and values of the Company.
In FY26, the internal Board performance review
was conducted, led by the Chair, via a structured
questionnaire that employed a mixed-method
approach, combining quantitative ratings on
a four-point scale (from ‘Poor’ to ‘Excellent’) with
qualitative commentary to provide context and
recommendations. It covered a comprehensive
range of topics, including Board composition
and diversity, culture and dynamics, meeting
management, committee performance, oversight
of investment strategy, risk management and
stakeholder engagement. This methodology
ensures a balanced evaluation of both measurable
performance indicators and nuanced perspectives,
enabling the Board to identify strengths, address
areas for improvement and enhance overall
governance effectiveness.
The Chair’s performance review was performed by
the Senior Independent Director in consultation
with the other directors.
The review concluded that the Board and its
Committees continue to perform effectively
and that each Director allocates sufficient time
to discharge their responsibilities.
An external performance review takes place at least
every three years. In the prior year, an external
effectiveness review was conducted by BLP, an
independent consultancy with no other commercial
connection with the Company. The review concluded
that the Board continues to perform effectively and
displays a strong corporate governance culture.
DIRECTORS’ TIME COMMITMENTS
The Company has a policy of ensuring that all
non-executive directors of the Company have
sufficient time to commit to the respective duties
and responsibilities applicable to their particular
Board roles. When making new appointments,
the Board takes into account other demands on
potential candidates’ time and prior to appointment
any significant commitments are disclosed with an
indication of the time involved. In the year under
review the Board assessed the time commitment
of each individual director on external appointments.
Each director’s aggregate time commitment is
discussed with him or her as part of the annual
appraisal process. In the year under review, all
directors were considered to have sufficient time
to commit to their respective roles on the Board,
taking account of their external appointments.
BOARD DIVERSITY
There are currently three female and three male
directors on the Board. The Board considers all
candidates for Board appointments and does not
discriminate based on gender or any other factor,
making appointments based on the skills and
experience of the candidates.
The Board is aware of the requirements of the
Listing Rules in respect of gender and ethnic
diversity and confirms that it has met the target
of having at least 40% female membership on the
Board, one senior Board position is held by a woman
(Chair) and at least one individual on the Board is
from a minority ethnic background. Diversity is
one of the key considerations when directors are
appointed to the Board, and is factored in to all
searches for new directors. Gender and ethnicity
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT
STRATEGIC REPORT GOVERNANCE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OTHER INFORMATION
ICG ENTERPRISE TRUST PLC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2026
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