Governance in Profile - Jessica Melling

Role: Head of Governance and Compliance and Company Secretary

Organisation: British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS)

How long have you been in your current role/involved in sports governance? 

I joined BUCS in November 2022 as the Head of Sports Governance, a new role designed to drive the implementation of robust governance standards across our competition and events offering. Very quickly after starting my previous experience meant that I was getting increasingly involved in the company governance too around compliance with A Code for Sports Governance and the Charity Governance Code. This was formally recognised with the expansion of my role to Head of Governance and Compliance and Company Secretary in July 2023, where I now work with a great team who are responsible for ensuring governance excellence is embedded in everything that we do. Prior to working for BUCS I worked in Governance for CIMSPA and was responsible for the delivery of the annual governance meeting cycle as well as delivering innovative governance frameworks and practices.

What does ‘governance’ mean to you?

Governance is about ensuring there are clear, defined and sustainable practices, that are free of conflicts of interests, promote the benefit of the stakeholders and that allow individuals and the organisation to operate effectively. For me, governance if done right should be an enabler in all aspects of the business. A key element of governance for me is transparency and openness to allow the work done to be understood, but also increase awareness of how it can support everyone.

What drew you to a career in sports governance?

I am the kind of person who likes logic and order and thrive in an environment when I am able to work like this, I also love writing a policy, which I don’t think many people would say is something they love. But I found this in governance and was drawn to the ability to implement structure and processes which introduce clarity and simplicity, but through which I am able to support the wider team and improve operations. Governance provides me with a remit through which I can be creative and challenge the status quo, but with a clear end goal of what is needed.

Can you provide an example of a governance success in your organisation?

When I started at BUCS, there had not been a dedicated staff lead for governance, and as a result, progress in compliance against A Code for Sports Governance has been slow. Since initial completion of the statement of partial compliance, which highlighted the significant amount of work which was needed, we have made amazing progress in driving governance excellence. As a team, when working through the improvements a key focus of ours was to implement meaningful change, not just tick the box. To support with this, we have implemented a digital system, allowing us to better manage risk, track compliance and manage our governance functions. We have also recently completed a board composition assessment, allowing us to understand the Board composition aligned to our strategic needs, and the impact on succession planning from this. To further support improved governance, we are in the process of revising our Articles of Association, which will support the future proofing of BUCS and the implementation of governance best practice.

What changes have you seen in attitudes or approaches to sports governance since you have been involved in the profession?

When I first started working in governance at BUCS, it had never really been something that was talked about within the staff team, or with our wider stakeholders. This was something that I wanted to address and promote transparency in the work that we are doing, so focused on sharing the work that was ongoing and the reasons as to why we were undertaking it. Through this, I have seen an improvement in the level of engagement and support on governance and am grateful to our members for their support in the work we are doing. I think governance is sometimes overlooked as a lot of our work happens in the background, but for me the power in governance comes from being connected to the wider team and stakeholders and ensuring our work is informed by them to support them and due to increased awareness and understanding, there is willingness to be involved and help improve our governance now.

What support have you received that has really helped you in your career?

I was fortunate to have the support of CIMSPA when I first started my career in Governance, and they funded the completion of the Chartered Governance Institute's Foundation Programme. With this focusing on governance in the broadest sense, I also found the SGA courses such as Essential Sports Governance and Leading Sports Governance really beneficial, in cementing my understanding of governance in the context of sport, and in relation to the Sports Governance Code.

Another area of key support that I have received is that of some amazing people around me. One of the biggest assets to working in governance is the people and the support from others willing to listen, share their perspectives and check and challenge ideas. This enabled me to enhance my understanding through that of others. I would definitely encourage everyone to engage with the networks available through the SGA and attend conferences to build your circle of people, as the contacts I have made through this are invaluable.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in governance or sports governance?

Networking for me is such a big part of working in governance. As we all work to implement best practice, we’re all working through similar challenges and therefore the more you build your network, the more you have a wide range of people who will be willing to share with you their perspectives and how they tackled challenges.

Jessica Melling was announced as the winner of the One to Watch Award at 2024's Advantage Governance Conference.