Governance, as defined by the ‘Employee Ownership Trusts – In Search of Best Practice', is the “interaction between the three main components of an employee-owned organisation, namely the operating board; the trust and trustee directors who represent the employees as its beneficiaries; and the employees themselves.”

So, what arrangements has Planit in place?

Governance is influenced by, and influences all. A sound Operational Structure is fundamental to the smooth running of the business and our ability to work towards ambitious strategic goals. Planit established and (with some flex and periodic changes in participants) maintained three interconnected Boards since transition to majority-employee-ownership in 2022.

Strategy Board

Informed by internal and external perception studies, our ‘Founder’s Wishes’, and extensive exploration of what regenerative practice means for our practice and our work, Planit established its 5-year Strategy in 2024. This work defined Planit’s mission to ‘Design for all lift to thrive in balance’, with a near-term mission that ‘By 2028, we will ensure each project we deliver will have a clear and measurable net-positive impact for all living things by 2028.’ The Strategy sets a comprehensive approach through six mutually complementary areas of action that work in synergy to propel us towards our goals.

Tasked with enabling realisation of these ambitious aims are Strategy Board Members: Chair and Director Andy Roberts, Studio Director Anna Couch, Director Kevin Redhead, Practice Manager Naomi Burl, Virtual Planit Director Richard Line and Studio Director Sophie Parker-Loftus.

Operations Board

Efficient and healthy running of the business in the best interests of its financial health, team members and all stakeholders (including wider society and planet) is the focus of this Board. This board’s ongoing role is to facilitate fulfilment of the Strategy through progression of initiatives, team members and commissions. Current and future finance, recruitment and training, accreditations and compliance, IT and Communications amongst others also fall within the remit of this forum.

Chaired by Managing and Founding Director Pete Swift, this board is also attended by Director Andy Roberts, Studio Director Danny Marsh, Director Kevin Redhead, Director James King and Practice Manager Naomi Burl.

Employee Ownership Board

Often referred to as the ‘Trust Board’ in Employee-Owned Businesses, in many respects this body is our conscience and governor. Its composition has been carefully curated to reflect its purpose and the interests it represents. Founding Director Ed Lister and Director Kevin Redhead act as Representatives for the 35% of the business owned by the Practice’s Directors. Principal Urban Designer Chris Hall and Project Landscape Architect Sarah Harris are both Employee Directors, representing the interests of our Team, the beneficiaries of the Employee-Owned Trust, which currently holds 65% of the shares. It is anticipated one will fulfil this role for two years and the other for three years initially, with subsequent Employee Directors changing every other year, so there is continual refreshment of perspectives and input.

Importantly, Louise Wyman (Executive Director of Strategic Development at CBRE) fulfils the role of Independent Chair of the Employee Ownership Board.

Co-ordination

Whilst interrelated, there is an overall cyclical loop between the Boards. Work to realise Vision and Strategy generated by the Strategy Board, is enabled by the high-level and strategic initiatives instigated by the Operations Board. Depending on their nature, these will be implemented through the Finance, HR, Business Development, Regenerative Practice, Technical Working Group, or Principals and Studio Directors’ meetings. Both Boards come together for a Joint Boards Meeting to drives forward a co-ordinated and holistic approach.

Andy Roberts, as Chair and the Strategy Board, and Pete Swift as Chair of the Operations Board report to the Employee Ownership Board, which as for others meets on a quarterly basis. Ensuring appropriate stewardship of the company and alignment with its purpose, the Employee Ownership Board approves, ratifies, leads and comments according to the reporting categories laid out in our Consents Protocol. In turn, this steers the direction in which we move forward, and any corrective measures needed.

A set strategy of regular sessions, and the associated flow of information enables accountability and efficient running of the practice.

Communication

As a business bound to act in its beneficiaries best-interests, and within which we all take responsibility for success; clear and transparent communication is vital. Weekly Team Newsletters are the main channel of practice-communication and provide continual updates, but key messages are shared by the Employee Ownership Board through quarterly Practice Updates. This internal publication keeps the team abreast of progress made, shares future aims, challenges and propositions, and reports our financial health. Knowledge and understanding are essential to provide context to decision-making, empower the team and ensure we are aligned in our endeavours.

Rigour in reporting has been strengthened within the management structure. Transparency enables us to demonstrate to our team that collectively we are acting responsibly and ethically in accordance with our B Corp aims and purpose as an Employee-Owned Business.