Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is your opportunity to help us provide the best service for our Members. Your vote tells us if the Society is moving in the right direction. Holloway Friendly is owned by you, the Members. Please vote today as it will help shape your Society for tomorrow.

AGM 2025

This year our Annual General Meeting will be held on 10 June 2025 at 4pm.

You can vote by online, by post or in person. Find out more about how to do it below.

How did we do in 2024

Each year we produce a report, which shows how we performed that year. You can download our latest report here <add link to 2024 report>. Or if you’d like a free printed copy, please email us on [email protected]

You can also find our previous Annual Reports here.

Vote online

Click here to vote online <link to the voting platform>. You’ll need your Holloway insurance number and Member number to log in. You can find this in the email we sent to you.

Vote by post

If you got our voting pack through post, simply choose one of the options on this form, then sign and date the declaration and return to us in a pre-paid envelope.

Vote in person

You can also join us for the AGM on 10 June 2025 at the Holloway House.

Use your vote

You can vote for or against each item that we will be discussing at our AGM, or you can withhold your vote. You are voting to:

1. confirm the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting held on the 4 June 2024

2. accept the Society’s 2024 Annual Accounts, including the report of the Society’s Board

3. approve the 2024 Directors’ Remuneration Report*

4. appoint BDO LLP of 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU as the Society’s Independent Auditor

5. approve the changes to the rules in accordance with section 27.5 of the Society’s rules**

Deciding who should serve as a Director

All of your Directors serve for a fixed term. Three of them are coming to the end of their term and we would like you to consider re-electing them. You are voting to:

6. re-elect Mr D. Wright as an independent Non-Executive Director for a further term of 1 year

7. re-elect Mr A. Horsley as an independent Non-Executive Director for a further term of 3 years

8. Re-elect Mrs A. East as an independent Non-Executive Director for a further term of 1 year

We always ask you to approve any new directors at the next AGM after they joined the Board. This year, we have one new director and we would like you to consider electing them. You are voting to:

9. elect Mr J.B. Pears as an Executive Director for a term of 3 years

All of your Directors’ biographies are in the Society’s financial statements. You can ask for a copy by emailing us at [email protected] or find them at www.holloway.co.uk/ARA2024

 

* This is an advisory vote, to allow the Board to understand your views.

** See section XX which explains the change of rules.(removing section 12.2 and the word ‘annotated’ from references to the ‘Annotated Corporate Governance Code’)

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Ben is our Chief Executive Officer and joined the Board in June 2024. Ben has had a 27-year career in financial services having worked for Aviva, Virgin Money, Coutts and Barclays. In the latter stages of his career, he made the transition into the mutual sector having been Chief Executive Officer of Kingston Unity Friendly Society between 2017 to 2021 and Director at the Oddfellows between 2021 to 2024. Ben brings expertise across a range of different disciplines including strategic planning, operations, sales, marketing and governance. Ben is a strong believer in mutuality and has served on the Board of the Association of Financial Mutuals. Ben is a qualified financial adviser, investment manager and marketeer, whilst also holding certificates in project management and business efficiency.

Ben Pears – CEO

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Derek joined the Board in February 2017. Derek’s an actuary and has worked in the life insurance industry as a practitioner and as a consultant. Derek was the chief actuary of Laurentian Life in Gloucester until its sale in 1995. After this, he joined Deloitte LLP where he set up its UK actuarial practice and became a partner of Deloitte in 1999. From 2011 until his retirement in 2015, Derek led the Canadian actuarial practice of Deloitte. Much of Derek’s time at Deloitte was spent on audit and risk consulting activities to the insurance industry.

Derek Wright – Chair

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Anna is the Senior Independent Director and joined the Board in November 2015. Anna is a solicitor and has practiced at Eversheds and a financial services company. Anna was the chair of the Dudley Building Society, and Vice Chair at Midland Heart Housing Association, as well as chairing its audit committee. She was a non-executive director at Entrust which is a national regulator. Anna has held a number of NHS Board roles and was a governor of King Edwards School in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Anna East

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Andrew joined the Board in February 2022. Andrew is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute with over 30 years’ experience in the financial services sector. Andrew recently retired from Cirencester Friendly where he was Company Secretary and Head of Compliance, having previously held senior roles at Engage Mutual. Andrew was previously a Non-Executive Director at The Chorley & District Building Society where he had been Vice-Chair of the Society and Chair of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee. Andrew is the Board’s Consumer Duty Champion.

Andrew Horsley

How to attend

Members are welcome to attend the Annual General Meeting either in person at Holloway House or join virtually via this link