Board Digest - April 2025

Our discussions revolved around how we can add further value to our membership proposition, build engagement across our communities and local institutes, and extend interest and participation with our work across other stakeholders. We want all our members to feel a deep sense of pride from their association with the CII, knowing that we will support them to be outstanding professionals in the eyes of their peers and the public throughout their careers.

Returning to our March Board meeting, we began on this occasion by hearing about the work of our Committees. This included the development of a new Professional Standards annual report, which will be published in coming weeks, and our intent to opine more broadly and frequently in future on the state of the profession. We also had an initial discussion about our organisational values, and how they might be updated to underpin our strategic ambitions. As part of this exchange, we were unequivocal in our support for retaining a clear focus on matters around Diversity and Inclusion, which will continue to promote with great rigour; we are a membership organisation, and we want all our members and other aspiring professionals to know that we are a safe space of belonging.  

We turned next to plans for this year’s Network Conference, which is taking place at Loch Lomond in Scotland in June. Those that have joined us in previous years will know how wonderful these occasions are, bringing together local institute volunteers from across the UK to share knowledge and inspire action. Gathering feedback from our members is essential to us, whether to inform our own work or to shape debate around topics that have the potential to benefit our sector more widely. Occasions such as the Network Conference are incredibly beneficial, as are the surveys we send members. I know from personal experience that receiving a plethora of invitations to offer opinion can be fatiguing, so we’re reviewing how we can better organise and deliver our research endeavour to achieve our collective goals most efficiently.  

In other business, the Board discussed options for this year’s Annual General Meeting. We are keen for members to engage with these events in greater numbers and we have decided to incorporate this year’s meeting into a broader offer, that might additionally include CPD and networking. We will refine our thinking over coming weeks and provide more details later in the year.  

Dr Helen Phillips 

Chair, CII Group Board